Page 49 of Fighting Shadows

Mom comes over, watching them both with a soft smile, “They’re good for each other. He’s like a completely different child around her.”

“She has that effect on people,” Atlas says, his eyes glued to our girl whose full attention is on the kid in front of her.

“Good. Now, who are you two? Why are you hanging around our girl?” Mom questions, raising her eyebrow at the two new people in our group.

I can’t help but laugh as Aidan blushes a deep red, and Noah coughs uncomfortably.

“I’m Aidan, ma’am,” the big fucker introduces himself, “I just wanted to make sure Autumn got home ok.”

“Why?” Brenn asks.

“Because of you,” Aidan says, his voice cracking as he does, and I swear he turns three shades darker.

Brenn clears his throat, shifting side to side, “I think I just swooned.”

Mom doesn’t bat an eyelid at the blatant flirting that’s happening in front of us and turns her attention to poor Noah instead. “And what about you?”

“Um-“

“He’s here because he rescued her, and I want him to be.” I declare, wanting everyone to leave him alone.

He rescued my Cupcake and was willing to leave his dad to die in that cabin because of what he did to our girl, and not one of these fuckers is thankful enough. He’s the one who was there when she was going through hell, watched on while his dad did unspeakable things to Autumn’s unconscious body, and was powerless to stop it.

I can see it in his eyes, how he watches her every move. It’s more than just being a doctor.

He’s bonded himself to her somehow in those few days, and I know it would be hell on earth being separated from her while she’s still vulnerable.

Plus, his brother is definitely going to fuck Brenn, and he’s going to be around more when they undoubtedly get together.

“Hey Kathleen,” Autumn calls out, “where are your scissors? I promised this little guy a haircut, and I think he’s missed me enough that he’ll let me do it without much fussing.”

“Oh! Let me get them for you! I bought special hair ones from theAmazonafter you said you would do it, and ah, there they are!” Mom turns around, brandishing a gleaming silver pair of scissors like a weapon.

“Thank you. Do you have a bathroom where we can do this? He’s got quite a lot of hair to come off,” Autumn chuckles, running her fingers through his messy brown hair.

Chase stares up at her with pure love and adoration in his eyes as she pulls him closer to her and smiles down at him.

I’m pretty sure I just got kid fever. Not baby because they are sort of gross, but the idea of Autumn being a mom to this kid with me has me feeling all kinds of ways.

Chapter 25

Autumn

Ihear the others talking in Kathleen's kitchen as she interrogates them, but I can see that Chase is getting overwhelmed by it all, and if I’m being honest, so am I.

I don’t mind that we came here; in fact, I’m happy about it based on Chase's reaction to seeing me, but a part of me wants to nap. I can feel myself nodding off, and I don’t want to embarrass myself by snoring on Kathleen’s sofa.

Standing, I lead Chase over to the others, his hand wrapped tightly in mine. He keeps looking up at me and smiling like I just handed him the world by visiting, and if that doesn’t just make my chest squeeze.

Kathleen hands me the scissors with a smile, but the way she holds them makes it seem as if she's threatening me. I try to keep in my laughter as I lead Chase to the bathroom down the hall because even though they aren’t biologically related, at thatmoment, she looked so much like Dominic when he had his knife in his hand that I could’ve been convinced.

She’s too sweet of a woman for that, though.

“Are you going to cut all of my hair off?” Chase’s little voice asks me as he gets comfy on the bathroom worktop.

There’s no chair in here, so I’ve improvised as best as I can with what I have, “No, buddy, not unless you want me to.”

“Can you make my hair like Dominics?”

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