Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Roth held up the glass figurine. It was an award of some kind Autumn had received from the company.

"Sugar, do you want this in here or was there something particular you wanted to do with it before it gets packed up?"

"You can put it in that box. There's no reason to separate things. I'll decide on a permanent solution when I get everything home."

Passing him a sheet of bubble wrap, Autumn continued gathering her other personal items.

"I kinda wish I'd done this when I left for my sabbatical."

Placing the glass statuette down on the bubble wrap, Roth carefully rolled it, making sure to cover the vulnerable edges.

"If you'd done this before you left, wouldn't you have essentially been telling them that you weren't coming back? Didn't you say you hadn't made up your mind at the time?"

Pausing in the act of removing a piece of framed art from the wall, Autumn worried her bottom lip.

"I hadn't officially, but deep down I knew."

Before Roth could delve further into her admission, there was a knock on the door. Not giving Autumn a chance to answer, the person knocking opened the door, stepping inside as if he had every right to barge into the space. Roth immediately placed the figurine aside to move closer to Autumn.

"I didn't invite you inside, Flint."

So, this was Flint Childers. Roth had heard about him, but seeing him in person solidified Roth's assessment. He was weak and insecure. Roth would hazard a guess it was partially due to his stature. Even with the obvious lifts he wore in his shoes, the top of his head barely reached Autumn's chin, which meant it didn't get as high as Roth's shoulder. Roth estimated he was barely five-foot-six inches, which was being generous.

Childers worked his mouth as if he planned to give Autumn a snappy reply. Then, he noticed Roth. Clamping his lips shut, his entire demeanor shifted from the falsely confident air of superiority he was cloaked in when he pushed the door open.

"My apologies. I thought I heard you say to come in."

The obvious lie and insincere apology were met with silence from Autumn. Roth was so fucking proud of the way she simply stared at Childers until he was uncomfortably shifting in his lifted loafers and clearing his throat. She didn't introduce Roth, or explain his presence. It wasn't any of the prick's business anyway. Finally, she either took pity on him or grew tired of his presence.

"Is there a reason you barged into my office, Flint?"

"Again." Childers cleared his throat. "I thought you called out for me to enter."

Autumn folded her arms across her middle. Childers immediately rushed to speak again.

"But that's neither here nor there." His eyes pinged between the Autumn to the mostly empty walls and the boxes resting on the now clear desk. "So, it's true. You're leaving Fortune?"

From the inflections in his voice, the casual observer would think Childers was genuinely concerned. But, having listened to Autumn's recounting of how her work life changed once the man joined her department, Roth was positive this little show was just that, a show.

When the two of them first entered the office earlier, it was to curious glances from some, and cheerful greetings from others. Autumn had only introduced him to a few people as they made their way to her office. The few people who were neither cheerful nor curiously staring solidified Roth's support of his decision to come in with her.

Despite asserting that she didn't need an emotional support person to join her when she went to quit her job, her fingers clamped around his, squeezing tighter when the time drew closer for the meeting she'd requested with her department manager and human resources.

Her plan was to turn in her resignation and complete the exit interview in one fell swoop. Waiting for her in her office, Roth had assembled the banker's boxes once Autumn's assistant brought them inside. Anything which obviously belonged to her—items with her name on them, he began assembling in neat groupings in preparation for her return.

"Yes, Flint. I'm leaving Fortune." Autumn didn't elaborate or attempt to assist Childers in getting to the point of his visit. Her posture projected her feelings concerning his presence very clearly.

"Well, uh. I'm uh. Sorry to see you go." Shifting again, he looked around the spacious room before he looked back at Autumn. "Before you officially call it quits, you didn't happen to look over the Royal Casino documents couriered over to you did you?"

Roth was already on alert, but hearing the slimy climber attempt to squeeze a little work out of his Sugar was a bridge too far.

"Get the fuck out."

Childers' startled jump would've been funny if Roth wasn't so focused on protecting Autumn.

"Pardon me? I don't see how this has anything to do with you." Showing he had bigger balls than Roth had given him credit for, Childers squared his shoulders and looked Roth in the eyes. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Autumn privately, since this matter involves client confidentiality."

"I do mind. So, the answer is fuck no. Like I said. Get out."

Autumn's soft fingers on his bare forearm had Roth tilting his head slightly. While he wanted her to know he was listening, he kept his gaze locked on Childers.

"Roth, please. I can handle this."

A stiff nod was his reply. Keeping her hand on his arm, Autumn faced Childers.

"No, Flint. I didn't go over the documents. As you were well aware, until today, I was on sabbatical. And, as of an hour ago, I no longer work for Fortune Innovations. So, it is very much official. You'll have to find another attorney with corporate governance expertise to help you."

When she declined to help, Autumn was far more polite than Roth would've been. But, what she hadn't said was delivered loudly. She knew he attempted to sabotage her while simultaneously relying on her expertise behind the scenes.

The smile lifting Roth's lips was for more than one reason. He was proud of Autumn for holding to her boundaries. The other purpose for his nearly goofy grin was the two men who stood at the threshold to Autumn's office.

"Mr. Childers, we need you to come with us."

It was obvious from their attire that the men weren't regular building security. Comically rounded eyes threatened to pop from their sockets as Childers gaped at the two men.

"Come with you? For what? Who are you?"

One of the men reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a familiar leather identification folio, flipping it open. The gold shield opposite the official government agency photo was an exceptionally loud statement.

"Agents Rembrandt and Colder." Pocketing the ID, Agent Rembrandt stepped to the side and extended his arm. "It's in the best interest of all involved if you'd come with us quietly."

Childers visibly gulped. Wide spread fingers smoothed the front of his shirt from the knot in his tie down to the waistband of his belted slacks. Straightening his shoulders, Childers walked out. He and the agents made their way through the cubicles with Agent Rembrandt leading while Agent Colder brought up the rear.

As Roth observed people standing or coming to doorways to watch their progress through the office, his smirk grew to a toothy grin. While not as gratifying as when he cracked Russell's jaw and broke his arm, watching Childers' fall from grace was still very satisfying.

"Ow! What'd you poke me for, Sugar?"

Crossing to the door in three long strides, Autumn closed it, shutting them off from prying eyes and ears. Coming back toward him, she didn't stop until the tips of her business flats were touching the end of his square toed boots. When she folded her arms across her middle, he had to make a concerted effort to ignore the swell of her breasts visible courtesy of the opening in her dress shirt.

"Rothschild Stephens, what did you do?"

"What makes you think I did something?"

Tilting her head to one side, her expression projected the quintessential ‘duh' she didn't say aloud. There was no point in denying it. He wasn't remotely ashamed.

Tugging at her arms, he unwrapped them, pulling her closer. Folding her into his embrace, he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"All I did was make a couple of phone calls. An old team member now works in a different branch of the government."

"What branch, and how did you know there'd be anything to find?"

"The Department of Justice. And there's always something to find with those guys. You just have to get the right person on the trail."

"Is this going to blow back on Fortune?"

"Not if they cooperate. Considering the way they only escorted Childers out, tells me he was readily offered up, and his actions were disavowed."

Shaking her head, Autumn peered at him through her naturally thick lashes.

"I can't believe you..."

Kissing her pouty lips, Roth squeezed her tighter for a moment before relaxing his hold.

"I am who I am, Sugar. One day you'll realize there are no limits on what I'd do to protect you."

Roth nearly sighed at how good it felt when Autumn slid her hands up his chest before dipping her fingertips into the close-cropped hair at his nape. Lifting onto her toes, she pressed a far too chaste kiss to his lips.

"That is a dangerous prospect, Mr. Stephens. You should be careful saying such things."

"Nope. I said what I said." Reluctantly, he set her away from him with a tap on her lush ass. "Let's wrap things up so we can get out of here."

"Yes, sir." Putting an extra sway in her hips, she moved around the desk.

Roth resumed his task with practiced ease. Quickly, but carefully, filling the box before helping Autumn with the remainder of her things. As he stowed them in the back of her SUV, he considered what could've happened if he'd been resistant to his mother's schemes and stayed away from the charity auction.

Is it possible he would still be where he was, helping the woman he loved close one chapter of her life so that they could begin another together? Or would he have still been roaming his ranch and never truly finding his home?