Page 49 of Mitch

Chapter Eighteen

Mitch wokeearly and glanced at the beauty beside him. He wanted to roll over and wake her with his mouth, but he could hear Maggie cooing to herself in the other room. Sliding out from under the arm that was slung possessively over his belly, he leaned in to kiss her bare shoulder. Autumn lay on her front, the sheet pooled around her hips, the expanse of sexy flesh teasing him.

He rubbed a hand over his face then slid his legs into jeans and donned a tee before padding into the room where Maggie had slept. He looked down at her and grinned as she shoved her foot in her mouth.

“How about we get you some breakfast, gorgeous.” He reached in and scooped her up, feeling the weight of a very wet nappy. “Perhaps we should get you dressed first.”

He’d done this a few times under Autumn’s careful tutelage, and after finding everything he needed got Maggie dressed in the cutest little denim pinafore dress.

With a glance at Autumn, he wondered about leaving a note, but she’d know he had Maggie and that he’d bring coffee back for her. Taking the stairs, he followed the noise to the large kitchen where Mimi and Alex were making breakfast.

“Morning!” Mimi greeted with a smile.

Alex cast his eye over him and then smirked a knowing grin.

“Mimi, Alex, good morning.”

“Did you sleep well?” she asked as she flipped a piece of bacon while Alex poured blueberry syrup that he’d probably whipped up into a large, crystal bowl.

“We slept great, but I thought I’d give Autumn a lie-in. She doesn’t get a lot of rest.”

“Sleep is vital but don’t forget to give the girl some fun too. My David—”

“Wow, Mum. Stop talking.” Nate came up behind her and kissed her cheek, giving him and Alex an eye roll.

“I was only saying,” Mimi said a little affronted.

“Yeah, well, don’t. We all know I was an immaculate conception, and let’s leave it at that okay?”

Mimi laughed. “You kids today.”

Maggie began to fuss as her hunger took over.

“Is there any baby cereal or something I can feed her? She’s just started weaning.”

“Yes, we have some Rusk, let me get it.”

Mimi showed him the box, and he nodded.

Thirty minutes later, he was wearing more Rusk than Maggie had eaten, but she was happy, and he’d managed to shove a few bites of bacon and pancakes in his mouth.

Jack walked in with Zack and Will and looked at him and Alex before nodding towards the hall. “Can I have a word, please?”

Mitch looked at Mimi who was now chatting with Bebe and Meg. “Can you watch Maggie for just a second?”

“Yes, of course, go on.”

Mitch pushed back from the table, and he and Alex followed the others into Zack’s office. The room was old and elegant, furnished with a dark walnut desk that was centuries in age, hand-carved bookshelves, and leather couches in dark brown with brass buttons. It screamed old money which it was because Zack was too. Born to the landed gentry, he should’ve been a politician or a lawyer, but Zack had wanted to serve and had worked hard to make the elite 22 SAS. He was a good man and a great friend, but Mitch’s belly dipped at the look in Jack’s eye.

“What happened?”

Mitch took a seat on the couch beside Alex, and Will moved to the desk and opened his laptop. Mitch thought it was surgically attached to him, he took it everywhere and he always had a packet of red candy laces on him. Zack was leaning against the bookshelf, his arms crossed, face expressionless as he waited for Jack to begin.

Mitch watched Jack closely as he leaned against the desk, trying to ascertain from his demeanour if the news was bad, but as usual, Jack gave nothing away.

“Lopez found transactions last night that link back to Harold Charles. He’s buying up stock of pralidoxime chloride.”

Mitch’s lips pulled into an angry sneer as he realised what was going on. “That’s one of the antidotes for Tabun, right?”