Chapter 6

I got up and picked up my plate.

“Autumn.” I looked to Alona.

She shook her head. “You don’t have to clear the table.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.” I looked to the others, then back to her.

She motioned to the table. “Please. You must be hurting.”

I put the plate on the table and sat down. “I’m a little sore, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.”

The expression on her face was concern. “If you’d like to rest, we can discuss this later.” She gave a few of the men a hard look, daring them to say otherwise.

“She’s right.” Paisley said. “If you’d like to go soak and then lie down we can talk later.”

I shook my head. “I’m good.” I shrugged. “I’m afraid to stop, you know? It’s going to hurt worse later, always does.” I glanced to Michael; his look told me he wasn’t impressed that I admitted to that. Looking from him, I motioned to the plate. “I am so stuffed after that. I refused to eat or drink anything they gave me.”

“I think we should discuss this, soon, so Autumn can go begin her recovery.” Victor said with a tone of authority. He didn’t wait for responses. “Can you tell us how they got you?” He lifted his hand, “with your combat knowledge, it has eluded me how it would be possible.”

I looked at him for a moment. He spoke so stiffly. Shaking my head, I inhaled slowly. “I don’t know how.” I sat back and set my hands on the table. “I was out for my run, like every other day and then I woke up in a room. I thought I’d been busted for the fights,” I rolled my eyes, “they’re not exactly legal.” I made eye contact with Michael, hoping he would let me off with that confession. I’d forgotten he was a cop. “Then,” I said slowly, turning to look at Alona instead, “when blondie—the guy with the busted face, came in I knew there was something wrong about the whole thing.”

Paisley looked at Arius. “It’s like me. I was on the pier then woke up on an island.”

“You woke up on an island?” I tried to smirk and failed. “Sounds better than my little windowless room.”

“Was there anything familiar in the room, or something that might tell you where it was located?” Michael asked.

Now he sounded like a cop. I shook my head. “No, just a plain white room with a toilet and sink.” I sighed. “I couldn’t hear anything, smell anything. It was white silence.” I glanced to Paisley. “It was very unnerving.”

She gave me a huge eyed look. “That kind of silence is the worst.”

I nodded. “So how did you get away?”

Smirking, she glanced to Arius then back to me. “I jumped off a cliff into the water.”

I would have done the whole mouth drop, shocked thing but my jaw was having none of that. “Never been much for water myself, but you do what you have to.”

With a smile, she nodded. “Yes. You do.” Her smile faded to concern. “I know we are supposed to be talking about details, but I have to ask—how did you end up on the streets so young?” She glanced at the other women. “Most of us were in our teens before we landed there. The foster system wasn’t for us.”

I’d asked myself this a thousand times. “I didn’t do the foster route. I’ve seen the damage that system does. I don’t know how I ended up there.”

“You don’t know your parents?” Michael asked me quietly.

I shook my head. “As far back as I can remember, I’ve been on my own. I mean, sure at some point I had to have parents, right? I didn’t just magically appear—a six-year-old on the streets.”

“You were only six?” Bethany asked, her hand over her mouth.

I tried not to let her reaction get to me. I’d had my share of sympathy about my life. “Yeah. I stayed hidden until I was old enough to get around.” I sighed, remembering and trying not to let the feelings flood me. “There was this lady, on the street, she called herself Melody, she kind of took me under her wing and kept me alive through the bad years.”

Daxx sat there, a blank look on her face. “Is Autumn your real name?”

I shrugged. “It’s the only one I got. Melody gave it to me. So, Autumn I am, this many years later. I think it was her favorite season. She gave me the last name Mercer; I think it may have been her own at some point.” I looked around and didn’t like the sadness in their eyes. “She taught me to read, and how to survive.” I nodded then glanced at Alona, she looked like she was close to tears. “Hey. Don’t. I’m here. I have no regrets. I’ve helped many live through it, and if I hadn’t gone through that I couldn’t have helped.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. Chase leaning close to her talking softly in her ear. Shaking her head, she gave him a soft look. “I’m sorry, I’m very emotional at times.”

Michael stood up and walked into the other room, I could only assume was the kitchen. Everyone watched him leave, then looked back to me.

“I’ll be right back.” Troy said and got up, following Michael.

I’d definitely crushed the mood with my sad tale. “I didn’t mean to bring everyone down.” I connected with as many looks as I could handle around the table. “I’m okay with all of it. I stopped the woe is me party a long time ago.” I opened the bottle and put the straw in, needing a minute to figure out how to get the topic away from my past and onto other things.

Troy came out, he glanced briefly to his twin and then sat back down. “He just needs a moment.” He said quietly.

Everyone looked at me, then to the kitchen.

Sighing, I stood up and picked up my plate. No one tried to stop me this time. I walked into the kitchen, then paused it was huge and shiny clean. Michael stood on the far side, his hands on the wall and head hanging down. Even though his back was to me, I knew by the way he tensed he was aware I had come in. I took my plate and set it beside the sink. Resting my hands on the countertop, I watched as he lifted his head and looked at the wall. “Hey, hero, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Do not—apologize.” He all but growled at me. Straightening, he turned and looked at me. “You have nothing to apologize for.” His blue eyes locked on my own.

I was a bit taken back by his mood. The vibe coming off him right now could rival his scary brother, Victor.

He waved a large hand around. “I am not a hero.” His voice was softer now.

I couldn’t look away from his eyes. They say the eyes are a window to your soul, and I was seeing his was haunted and full of regret. “Sometimes the ones that say they aren’t heroes are the ones that do more than those that claim to be.”

He huffed out a breath. “You are the definition of the word.” He motioned around the room. “I was raised with privilege and hide in it each day. You raised yourself with no home, living off garbage and have done more to help others than I have in my lifetime.”

I could see he was getting worked up again and didn’t want to go back there. “I get it. Your pissed off. If you want to turn that into something useful, be mad at that redheaded amazon that’s running this abduction ring.”

His brows furrowed. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. “This redhead?” He came over and held his phone out to me.

I looked at the screen. She looked a bit different, her hair was shorter, but it was the same woman. “That’s her.”

“You saw her?” he didn’t lower the phone.

I nodded. “Yeah, she came in and told blondie to stop damaging the merchandise—me.”

Lowering the phone, his jaw clenched a few times. He inhaled through his nose deeply, then blew it out quietly. Motioning to the door, “Please, I’d like to finish this discussion.”

I turned and went back into the dining room. Several pairs of concerned eyes moved to me as I walked in.

“Autumn saw Eunice.” Michael stated as he walked in behind me.

“She was there when she was taken?” Troy turned to watch me sit back down.

Quinton looked from me to Michael. “Is she sure?”

“The picture is a bit different, but she has the same R.B.F., so yeah, it’s her.” I said.

“R.B.F?” Quinton looked at me.

I looked to see Paisley smirk, then back to him. “Resting bitch face.” I gave him a wide-eyed look, “hers is so hard, I’m pretty sure it will be stuck like that for life.”

Victor rubbed a hand across his forehead. “It makes sense,” he glanced up to Quinton, “in a morbid way—she always wanted children to rebuild the Hubert line.”

I watched to see if he was going to continue, but he didn’t say more. “What does that have to do with human trafficking?”

Paisley frowned. “They didn’t take you to sell you.” She looked quickly to Arius. He leaned closer and picked up her hand, holding it in his lap. She turned back to me, a scared look on her face.

I glanced around. “She told the guard no one would want a pulverized woman. I just—” I turned back to Paisley, “what else could that mean?”

“They’re breeding women.” She said quietly.

I stood up and looked at her. “They’re making a human farm?”

Paisley nodded slowly; her eyes were tearing up.

I paced away and stared at the wall. My pain forgotten. “You hear about this sort of thing on the streets all the time—we all know it’s happening everywhere—” I turned and glanced back to Paisley, then to the other women, one at a time. “But when it’s right on your doorstep…”

“We got away.” Paisley said then nodded.

I shook my head. “I’m not upset for me—the other women may not—”

“We’ve found many women and taken them to safe houses.” Bethany told me.

I nodded. “Good.” I looked at Michael. “I hope you beat any males in the vicinity to a pulp.” I shrugged, “off the record of course.”

He met my look with a hard one. “Our cells are their new homes.”

“Good.” I took a deep breath and paced a few more feet. This room was plenty big enough, I’d never run out of space. “Makes me so—pissed,” I looked to Alona, “pardon the language.”

She shrugged, “no offense taken.” She waved a hand.

“Just knowing they’re taking women that can’t defend themselves.” I snorted. “Joke is on them for taking me for their breeding—”

“What do you mean?” Daxx looked at me. “Because you kicked their asses?”

I shrugged. “That too, but no, I can’t have kids.” I waved my hand in front of my stomach. “One of my first underground fights—the guy hid a shiv in his arm wrap.” I touched my lower stomach. “Stuck it right here. I pulled it out, then broke his face.” I rolled my eyes. “I was out of the game for a few months.” I shook my head, “but when the doctors said they’d try to save those parts—I told them not to bother. I mean what could I offer a kid? A bedroom in the back of a gym?” I nodded, still knowing that I’d made the right choice.

The expressions had changed again. I really needed to stop talking. Michael sat there with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths. I could see his chest rising and falling. Most of the men watched him carefully.

“Okay, I have a plan.” I waited until they looked at me. “Pop me on a bus, I’ll take a few days and heal up—then I’ll go see if I can find that redheaded bitch again.” I shrugged. “Or her find me. She seemed almost impressed that I’d beat on her guards.”

Michael stood up suddenly. He leaned on the table and gave me a hard look. “You are not using yourself as bait.”

I licked over my fat lip, trying not to bark back at him and open it again. “Now you’re taking the hero thing a bit far.” I lifted my hand then dropped it. “I appreciate the sentiment, really, but,” I motioned up and down my body, “my body, my choice, sort of thing.”

He made a sound that actually sounded like a growl.

I frowned and glanced at the others, the only one that didn’t look shocked was Chase. He was smirking.

“I don’t mean to interrupt.”

I spun to the door to see a woman with short dark hair and a friendly expression on her face.

“Clairee?” Rafael stood up.

She gave him a quick smile. “Mitz messaged asking for some salve.”

Rafael motioned to me.

She turned, then her expression changed to shock. “Oh my stars.” She rushed toward me.

I back up a few steps.

“What happened?” She gave Rafael a look then glanced down the table to the others.

“Salve?” I asked.

Clairee turned, nodding and held out a jar to me. “It-it won’t do much for the lip, but the other injuries…”

I took the jar and opened it then sniffed the contents. Blowing out a breath, I nodded. “Yeah, that stinks enough, it must work.” I put the lid back on. “I have this balm at home I use, but thanks, I’ll give this a try.” I pulled the neck of my top aside. “It will work on this, too?”

A look of pain appeared on her face. “Yes. Yes, it should.” She turned and looked at Daxx.

Daxx stood up and came down the table, her brows creased. She gave me a steady look and walked right up to me. “How far down is that?” She pulled the shirt a bit more and looked at my shoulder.

“Kind of blends into the bruising on my ribs.” I pulled the side of my shirt up a bit. “So, it’s hard to tell where that one ends.”

“How are you still moving?” She shook her head. “I’ve had almost every part of me banged up, but not all at once.”

“Occupational hazard.” I joked.

“Thank you, Clairee.” Michael said in a tone that dismissed her.

I tried to smile at her. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll give it a try.”

She smiled, then covered her mouth and hurried out the door.

I looked at the jar in my hand and set it on the table.

Daxx turned on her heel and went over to Michael. “Do something.” She flipped her hand against his arm. “You’ve called dibs or whatever you Neanderthal’s call it—then own it. If you’re not going to then Quinton or Rafael can.”

Michael looked down at her without so much as blinking. I could see the muscle in his jaw tensing.

She turned and glared at Quinton. “You do it.”

He opened his mouth and then looked up to Michael. “I-I-if-he—” He lifted his hands and then lowered them.

Daxx made a loud noise of frustration then stomped back to her seat and sat down.

Troy gave her a wary look, then turned to Michael with his brows drawn together.

I had no idea what they were talking about.

“I’m with Daxx on this.” Alona said. “I’ll even volunteer my mate. I can’t just sit here and—” she put her hands over her face and took a deep breath.

The other women nodded.

Chase moved only his eyes and looked at his twin. I didn’t know him at all, but his ‘help me’ look was universal.

“You think I enjoy seeing her like this?” Michael said through clenched teeth. He motioned to me.

I huffed out a breath. “I hope not, or I’m revoking your hero status.” I was aching all over now. “Look, I’m running out of steam. Thank you again, really. If you could spot me a bus ticket, I have some money stashed at the gym. I’ll mail it back to you.”

“I’m afraid—” Chase glanced at Michael for a moment, “a bus would not be able to get you home.”

I looked at him for a moment, then closed my eyes and sighed. “Shit. Don’t tell me they flew me here.” I opened my eyes. “Explains the field with no cars.” I looked at Chase. “I’ll have to win a fight or two, but I’m good for the money. I’ll pay you back.”

“Money is not the issue,” he said glancing to his twin, “the plane is—”

“Take a seat, Autumn, this is going to take a few minutes to explain.” Daxx said in a hushed tone.

I frowned and watched Michael drop back down into his chair. Nothing good ever happened when someone told you to sit down so they could talk to you. I sat on the edge of mine, not sure what was going on. Were they about to tell me I couldn’t get home again? I wasn’t sure, but the tense looks going back and forth among them didn’t encourage me.

“The reason you can’t take a bus or plane home—” Daxx looked at Troy briefly, “is because you are in another realm.”

The silence in the room became heavy. Moving just my eyes, I looked from one face to the next, to the next, all the way around the table. No one was cracking a smile. I looked back at Daxx. “I don’t get it.”

She looked at me then to Troy.

“Told you it’s not easy to explain.” He said quietly.

Crissy knelt on her chair and leaned on the table to look at me. “They ported you here.” She nodded. “Transported.” She frowned, “I don’t think you can bring a car.” Turning to Victor, she tilted her head to the side. “Can you? You do bring weapons made of metal—so a car might…”

“Cristy.” He said softly.

She nodded and looked back at me. “You were ported here. Did you feel funny?”

“Like your stomach was trying to climb out of your throat?” Bethany asked.

“Or filled with butterflies.” Paisley looked at me.

“Lightheaded?” Alona added.

“I just thought it was from the drugs in the dart—”

“They shot you with a dart?” Daxx looked at Troy. “They shot her with a dart.”

Michael glanced at her. “That’s why she broke his face.”

“You broke his face?” Daxx glared at Troy. “How come I didn’t get to break his face? I was shot in the ass with a dart.” She frowned.

“Should we scan her for trackers?” Leone looked at Victor.

“They can’t trace her in these chambers and they’re the ones that brought her to Alterealm, so I don’t see why a tracker would be necessary...”

I held up my hand, so he’d stop talking. “Okay, I was transported to another realm—but you can port me back, right?”

Crissy nodded. “We go back and forth all the time.” She held up her arm and showed me a watch similar to the one I’d taken off.

I looked at my wrist. “That was to go back? I took it off with the coveralls.” I looked at Michael.

He shook his head. “That one was a stabilizer, not a transporter.”

I sighed. “Can I get a transporter?” My head was really pounding now. I touched the ice pack to see if it was still cold. It wasn’t.

“I’ll get you a new pack.” Bethany got up and went to the kitchen.

I touched the side of my face. The swelling was moving toward my eye. I didn’t know what to make of this realm stuff, or porting.

Bethany came back out and hurried along the table. She handed me the ice pack.

“Thanks.” I put it against my face, hoping if I could numb it, I’d be able to understand what they were telling me. “So, you can take me home?” I clarified, looking around at them.

“Yes,” Alona answered, “but—”

I held up my hand. “No. No buts right now. You are able to get me home by some means?”

She nodded.

“Okay.” I pushed the pack so it was half over my eye. “This other realm—why would they bring me here?” Maybe it was the knocks I’d taken on my head, but for whatever reason waking up in the field seemed to fit what they were saying.

“We’ve found most of their locations on your side.” Troy said, then looked to Michael. “Except this white room they had you in.”

“Could it be in the files and we missed it?” Leone asked.

“We can double check, but I feel like it’s a new location so they could avoid us.” Arius said and then looked at Michael.

“I agree.” Michael answered, then turned to me. “Did it feel like it was underground?”

I shook my head slightly. “No. I didn’t have that pressure feeling you get when you are in a tunnel or underground.” I motioned around the room. “So, there’s a whole population in this—realm?”

Troy glanced to Daxx. “Are you planning to explain more to her?”

Daxx shrugged. “Thought a bit at a time would be better.” She gave him an odd look. “I can’t do the flashy eye thing to scare the hell out of her.”

The more they said, the less I understood. “Flashy eye thing?”

Daxx nodded and looked at Troy, she motioned to me.

He turned his head to look at me, his eyes were glowing red.

I moved the pack to my forehead. “I think I whacked my head harder than I thought.”

“That may be.” Chase said quietly.

Lowering the pack, I glanced at him. His eyes were yellow. I blinked then looked again. Still glowing yellow. Another realm. Glowing eyes. I’d seen a movie once like this. It didn’t end well for the person in my seat. The room was silent. All eyes were on me. I lowered the pack to the table. Fight or flight my brain screamed at me. I wasn’t in any condition for fight just yet. I inhaled slowly through my nose and blew it out gradually. Hoping I remember the way out I bolted for the door.