Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Autumn snapped the lid closed on the laptop and smiled at the woman sitting across from her.

"I say we count this as a win." The apples of her cheeks lifted higher when Floria Martinez gifted her with a broad smile of her own.

"Thank you so much, Sen?ra Daley."

Waving a hand, Autumn gave her a mock frown. "I told you before, my mother is Mrs. Daley. I'm Autumn. And, you're very welcome. I'm happy we were able to get things resolved so you and your husband have one less thing to worry about."

"Thank you again... Autumn." The woman spoke Autumn's name tentatively as if it tasted foreign on her tongue.

"You're welcome. I'll submit this final paperwork before I leave today." Standing, Autumn moved toward the door to escort Floria out. "Remember, if you haven't received the funds by Friday, give me a call and I'll get on the phone with them."

"Si. I mean. Yes. I understand."

Stopping at the desk of the assistant she was sharing with a few of the other executives, Autumn gave the young woman a few instructions before walking back into her office. She'd stopped thinking of the space as temporary since she'd decided to officially turn her sabbatical into a resignation from Fortune Innovations. She hadn't told them yet.

Part of her professionalism wouldn't allow her to simply send them an email. She was planning a trip to Las Vegas in a few weeks. So, her intentions were to schedule a meeting with her department head and human resources while she was there.

It would be the only potential sour part of her trip since her primary purpose was to attend Ensley and Ryker's wedding. She wasn't a member of the wedding party, and that was fine with her. They'd expressed their desire to keep things small and Ensley had her siblings, along with her best friend rounding out her bridal party. Considering what Roth said about his mother and her penchant for doing it big, Autumn was surprised, but happy the couple was getting the wedding they wanted.

Officially, Autumn was attending as Roth's plus one—although she had her own invitation to the event. She had to be his plus one, because he was finally calling in the ‘date' he'd won at the charity auction. It was amusing considering it was going on close to four months of them essentially living together, and they'd said those three special words to each other.

"Ready to go, Sugar?"

Startled by the sudden question, Autumn gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. Roth stood just inside the door of her office wearing a pair of sinfully fitted jeans and a red and black plaid shirt. Her gaze raked over him appreciatively as she stood.

"Yeah. I'm all done for the day."

Sliding her laptop into her bag, she stepped around the desk and into his waiting arms. As much as she wished for more, Roth placed a chaste kiss on her lips before relieving her of the bag, slinging it onto his shoulder. Warmth radiated from her lower back where his hand was placed, and Autumn had to remind her honey pot that The Daley Group wasn't an appropriate location to initiate play time.

When they stepped outside the main doors of the building, bright sunlight caused Autumn to squint and wish she hadn't left her sunglasses in Roth's truck earlier. At least she could put them on once they reached his vehicle. They were a few steps away from the front of his Dually when a tortured voice, filled with venom reached her ears.

"Why couldn't you just stay away? You mess up everything."

Frowning, Autumn looked around to see a haggard looking... Lucy? Was that Lucy? The woman Russell claimed was his cousin only to later marry. Staring at her, Autumn didn't bother to answer. Roth's fingers flexed against her back reminding her of their destination.

"Don't engage, Sugar. She's like a tick. If you let her attach herself, she won't stop."

"I know you hear me. Why couldn't you just stay away? The minute you showed up everything went to shit."

Despite Roth's sage advice, Autumn stopped, turning fully toward Lucy. She almost felt sorry for her, but the hatred in Lucy's expression didn't lend itself to stimulating Autumn's empathy.

"Where I go is none of your business. I don't have anything to do with you or your life. If it's not working out like you planned, that sounds like a you problem."

"Don't pretend you don't know what you did. Having Russell run behind you. Comparing everyone to you...Now, you've been back here five minutes and he's been fired from his job. We can't afford our kid's tuition. But even if he had a job, he wouldn't be able to work because someone?—"

Her eyes darted to Roth before returning to Autumn. " Someone broke his fingers and one of his arms. His jaw is still wired shut. So, he can't eat solid food."

Autumn refused to give Lucy the satisfaction of seeing even a hint of surprise on her face. She and Roth would discuss Lucy's allegations when they were alone. In the meantime, she gave Lucy the exact amount of attention she deserved.

"Lucy, like I said. This sounds like a you problem. I don't think about you or Russell. If the two of you are having a hard time, maybe you're simply reaping what you put out in the world."

Not that Roth needed her to defend him, but Autumn moved to stand directly in front of him. Folding her arms across her middle, she purposely looked down her nose at the shorter Lucy.

"I don't care for you implying that my man had something to do with Russell's condition. We both know he can't keep his dick in his pants. So, maybe you should figure out whose wife he's screwing around with to find out what happened to him."

Taking a step closer, she did something she rarely did. Autumn used her size to intimidate a smaller person. Her facial expression was hard and emotionless.

"One last thing, Luce… If you don't want to share a hospital room with your husband, perusing the liquid diet menu, let this be your last visit ."

When Lucy looked like she was going to say something else, Autumn dropped her arms to her sides, lifting a single eyebrow as she stared at the shorter woman. Her expression was more of a promise than a dare.

Once she was satisfied her message had been received, Autumn looked over her shoulder at Roth. "I'm ready to go when you are, baby."

Casting a disgusted glance in Lucy's direction, she took Roth's hand and let him lead her to the passenger side of the truck. The entire time, Lucy stood on the sidewalk glaring. As Roth assisted her into the vehicle, building security approached Lucy encouraging her to move along. Autumn was certain someone had alerted them to the potential altercation, but she couldn't muster any sympathy for Lucy's plight.

For a couple of miles, the only sound in the cab of the truck was low music playing. Roth still had the station set to the classic R&B channel she'd changed it to earlier. Knowing he preferred nineties rock and was catering to her likes, didn't soften her thoughts following their encounter with Lucy.

As delusional and foolish over Russell as she was, Autumn was positive Lucy's assessment of who beat his ass was accurate. When Lucy mentioned it, Autumn's mind immediately went to the conversation she and Roth had about Russell not getting the message that she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Roth?"

"Do I wanna tell you? No. Will I?..." Silence stretched between them for a beat before he answered his own question. "Sure, Sugar."

Even if she didn't like his delivery, or the idea that if Lucy hadn't been distraught enough to confront them, he may have never told her, Autumn had a modicum of respect for him not lying when she asked him directly. Shifting her gaze from the passing landscape to his profile, she waited. A few minutes later, her jaw hung open.

"Roth! You didn't!"

"I just told you that I did, Sugar. And I'm not ashamed. He was begging to have his ass kicked. I simply obliged him. Just like I know you will if that delusional wife of his shows up again."

Dismissing his dig about her threat to Lucy, Autumn folded her arms across her middle, staring at him in disbelief. The day he'd confronted Russell was the same day he'd come home with custom bath salts, soap, and lotion to match the perfume he'd given her. She'd kissed and touched every inch of him that night, and he hadn't had so much as a scratch on him.

As a matter of fact, he'd been in such a jovial mood, he'd shared a bath with her, uncaring of the sweet floral scent from the salts he'd given her. They'd made love again in the water before falling into bed.

"Roth, it sounds like you beat that man to within an inch of his life, then came home to me with a smile on your face."

"I sure did." Beneath his thick facial hair, Autumn detected the presence of a smile almost as large as the one he'd worn that day.

Quirking one eyebrow, Autumn tilted her head to the side observing him.

"Hurting him made you happy?"

"Not particularly. But knowing I've protected you makes me downright giddy. He should count himself lucky Nick couldn't get leave on such short notice."

Autumn hadn't considered him pulling Nick into his criminal activities, but she should have. Despite the tension between them when she and Roth got together, Nick was still his best friend and her older brother. Shaking her head, she returned to staring at the landscape zipping past the window.

The warmth of Roth's palm resting on her thigh brought her gaze back to him.

"Don't worry, Sugar. I'm positive he got the message."

"Mhm. I'm not bailing you out of jail."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I won't be needing you to."

Autumn's eyebrow climbed her forehead again. "Are you sure about that?"

Logically, she knew if Russell had intentions of pressing charges, the police would've already driven out to the Lazy Creek. It had been almost a week.

"I'm positive, Sugar. Even if the boys in blue come calling, I have a solid alibi. I'm on CCTV conducting business that day before I stopped by the little shop to pick up your smell good stuff."

Roth calling the scented bath salts and soaps smell good brought a wry smile to her face. There were times when he said some of the most old-fashioned things, but they sounded adorably country, and she loved it. She'd missed little things like that while living in Nevada and working in Las Vegas.

Opting to accept his confident reassurance, Autumn dropped her hand onto his, tangling their fingers together where they rested on her leg. Resolving not to give Russell another thought, she changed the subject to their upcoming trip.