He kisses my forehead, turns out his side table lamp, and pulls the blanket over us. I have never felt as safe as I feel in his arms right now, knowing we can move on with our lives and begin our journey as husband and wife. It’s with this happy thought that I slowly drift, almost on the cusp of sleep.
“Savvy, what did Jayden say in your ear?” he whispers against my hair, sounding sleepy.
“That you were too scared to ask for a trip on the Hershey highway.”
CHAPTER 24
It’s been a week since I fully moved in with Zander. We have been so busy with the opening of his gym that I haven’t had a chance to unpack yet. If I’m not working, I can usually be found there with Zander, trying to get everything in order. When I need clothes, I grab what I need out of the boxes, but enough is enough. I decide I’m going to unpack everything today. It’s not like it’s a lot, so I should be able to get it done in a few hours.
Since the gym opened, Zander’s spent most of his time there. It seems everyone within a 50-mile radius wants to train with the current light heavyweight champion. People are going to be disappointed when they realize he will only be training people he sees making it in MMA. He has trainers he hired to work with people on an everyday basis. He still needs to train himself. It’s not like since he won he’s going to retire.
I unpack my clothes and thank god Zander is a simple man. If I had to fight him for closet space, I don’t think this arrangement would have worked. The day he decided I was moving in, he shifted things around and bought me a bureau that matches the furniture in his bedroom. He also gave me plenty of room for my things, telling me to do what I wanted with the house to make it feel like home. The first few days, I was constantly tip-toeing around, trying not to ruin anything or destroy the vibe he was going for. When he noticed, he told me I was crazy and that if he didn’t see me turning our house into a home filled with stuff we would both be happy with, he would go out and buy me a car. I know most people would be jumping at the chance to get a brand-new car, but that’s not me. The next day, I marched my ass down to Target and bought some throw pillows, curtains, and some picture frames.
Getting used to living with each other has been difficult at times. Having to get used to someone else in your space all the time is enough to test the patience of a saint. We got into an argument about the bills and my need to contribute a few days in, and he may have convinced me to agree with him on that issue and a few others while we were on the kitchen floor.
After unpacking the last box, I realize I’m missing a few things. I can’t seem to find a necklace my dad bought me for my sweet 16, my favorite Harry Potter t-shirt, or my favorite hoodie. I hope the boys didn’t somehow lose them in the move. I take inventory of my unmentionables and also notice a couple of my sets missing certain pieces. I always have matching sets, so I would definitely notice if something went missing. I’ll have to check with Ash and see if maybe I left a load of laundry behind.
When I look over to the clock, I realize it’s lunch time. I decide I’m going to surprise Zander at the gym with food, so I grab my purse and head out for a quick walk to the bar. When I enter the backdoor in the kitchen, I see Ash dancing around to the radio. Laughing, I run up to her and hip bump her, which causes her to almost fall to the floor. She’s never good with surprises.
I put in a food order, and we chat while she cooks. She seems really happy, happier than she’s been in a while.
“What? Did Tinkerbell shit in your eggs this morning?”
“I don’t know. Today I woke up, and I was just in a great mood. No reason…” She turns back to the stove to continue cooking. I’ll let it go for now, but I have a feeling a certain Cage brother is the cause of this walking on air vibe she’s throwing out.
I grab the food, plant a kiss on Ashlyn’s cheek, and head out in search of my husband. When I walk out of the bar onto the sidewalk, I begin to feel tingles on the back of my neck. You know that feeling you get when someone is watching you? I survey the area, but I don’t see anyone. Chalking it up to being paranoid because of the whole Luke thing, I head next-door.
My eyes zero in on Zander in the ring, shirtless and sweaty as he spars with one of his buddies, when I walk through the door. The day I get tired of seeing him shirtless, all his tattoos on display and glistening with sweat, is the day I’ll be admitted into the loony bin. Apparently, a few groupies are enjoying the show too.
I go and drop the food off in his office and head back to the ring, ready to make a point to these bitches that the only one who can enjoy the show around here is me. When I’m close, Zander takes his head gear off, smacks his opponent on the shoulder, and exits the ring. The women swarm around him, and I notice he looks uncomfortable. As if sensing me, he looks up, and we lock eyes. I cock my eyebrow in question, and he gives me a get the fuck over here and help me out look with his eyes. Happy to oblige, I strut over to him.
I jump into his arms, wrap my legs around his waist, and plant a horribly dramatic kiss on his lips, moans and all. Squeezing my ass, Zander walks me back to his office, smiling into the kiss as I hear the snide comments the harem are making. Without taking my lips off of Zander’s, I flip them the middle finger. The fact that these women still think they have a chance with a married man is beyond me. What’s really disgusting is I went to high school with a few of those girls. Where the hell is the girl code?
He places me back on my feet when we get to his office.
“I brought some lunch, babe.” I turn around, walk to the desk, and start unpacking our meal.
Slithering his arms around my hips, he pulls me back into him. “I love when you get territorial baby.”
He grinds his erection into my ass before walking around to sit on the couch. I place everything on the coffee table, and we go to town on our food. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I started eating. I can’t hold back the moans, and I don’t seem to care. Ashlyn’s food is always spot-on. I need to start having her prepare frozen meals for me to heat up at home.
“I think you’re going to have to ban women in this gym if you want me to keep my sanity, babe.”
“I think you’re right but for my own sanity. They drive me nuts the entire time I’m here. Most of them don’t even workout! I’ll never get women. Jay will be fucking pissed, but he’ll get over it. He’s not here that much anyway since he started his new job. How Jay became a third-grade teacher is lost to me, and the fact that people trust him with their kids says a lot about this town.”
“At least he’s doing something he loves. Not a lot of people can say that.”
When we finish our food, I pick up the boxes and throw them in the trash. I hope the gym’s hype dies down soon so I can have Zander home at a normal time every night. I decide to leave to let him get back to whatever he needs to do so he can get home at a reasonable time.
As we walk by the front desk, Andrew calls out our names, stopping us.
“Some dude dropped off something for you a few minutes ago, man.”
He hands Zander the packet, and a shiver runs up my spine. I can’t help but think it’s something bad. He rips the envelope apart, and I gasp when I see the contents. There are a whole bunch of pictures of me. There is one of me at the bar, walking to work, hanging out with Ash on her couch. The last one has me running for the bathroom to empty the lunch I just finished. It’s a picture of Zander and me having sex in our living room. I’m bent over the couch, and from the picture angle, it was definitely taken from the front window. This is fucking sick. I sit on the floor in the bathroom, and my body starts to shake as I begin to panic. I’m lost in my own head for a moment before I gather my composure and head back out to find Zander.
Andrew informs me that Zander stormed outside, which causes me to run out after him to figure out what he’s doing.
“Hey, what are you doing? Let’s go in and call the cops—” He cuts me off. “That sick fuck just left. He couldn’t have gotten too far. I’m going to fucking kill him
!” he yells out, making everyone on the street turn to see what’s going on.
I pull on his hand and lead him back into the gym, all while looking at my surroundings. Maybe that wasn’t paranoia earlier but Luke following me. It seems he has been following me since I got back from Vegas. We head back to the front desk, and Zander pulls his phone out of his pocket and shows it to Andrew.
“Was this him?”
“Yup, definitely him. I’d never forget those creepy-as-shit eyes. He’s was real twitchy too, almost like he was on something.”
“Do me a favor and call the police. When they get here, send them to my office.”
Ushering me to his office with his arm around me, I continue to shake. We head through the doorway, and he walks me over to the couch. He sits me down, then heads over to his desk where he makes a phone call. I zone everything out as I begin to think of how this happened. How did I not know I was being followed? He took a picture through the side window at Ash’s while we were watching Friends! I should have known he was there. I should have seen him.
Five minutes later, Andrew escorts the cops into Zander’s office. They introduce themselves, and they ask us about what happened. We explain the situation with my ex, and Zander even tells them about the encounter at the park. Luckily his brothers were there to witness that he didn’t make the first move.
An hour later, I shake the officers’ hands while thanking them for their help, and Zander gets up to walk them out of the gym. I’m completely embarrassed by this whole encounter. Having to show the cops those pictures, the intimate picture of me and Zander, I feel violated.
They are supposed to be on their way to Luke’s house immediately to arrest him for stalking. I hope this means it’s the end of this whole ordeal. Zander made a phone call to his brothers before the cops showed up, filling them in and asking them to keep their eyes open.
I shoot a text over to Ash, asking for a ride home since I’m strictly forbidden from walking anywhere for the time being. She texts back that she’ll pull up out front in a few minutes. I gather up my things and take a deep breath.
“Everything is going to be okay, baby. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you back home? I can skip the rest of my workout. The boys are supposed to be coming over tonight for the game anyway.”
“Shit, I forgot they were coming over. I’ll stop at the store with Ash and grab some food. Don’t worry about me, they probably already have Luke in custody.”
I plaster a smile on my face that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. He walks over to me, kisses me on the forehead, and wraps me up in his arms.
“Be careful. If you need me, call me.”
He plants a kiss on my cheek before he walks me to the door, leads me toward Ash’s car, and opens the door for me.
“Take care of my girl, Ash.”
In true Ashlyn form, she holds up her Taser. “You know I will.”
Stopping at the store takes barely any time. I grab some chips, frozen appetizers I can easily heat up, and some beer; easy enough for the game tonight.
When we pull into the driveway, I notice movement to the left of the garage. I jump out of the car, ignoring Ashlyn’s yells to stop, and run toward the side of the garage. When I’m about ten feet away from where I saw it, I see someone sprinting for the tree line of the property. I can’t tell who it is because they are wearing a black hoodie.
“Stop!” I yell loudly, trying to get their attention. The figure turns around, and a cold fear creeps through my body. Luke. The look in his eyes is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. He’s looking at me with such hatred. He gives me a sinister grin and then jumps over the fence, taking off into the woods.
“I called the police. Dude, do you have a death wish? You’re not Nancy Drew, for fuck’s sake. With all that’s been going on, you need to be careful about what you do from here on out until he’s caught.”
Ash is mad. I would be too. I wasn’t thinking. I nod in agreement, blaming it on adrenaline, and bend over with my hands on my thighs, all while taking deep breaths.
“Fuck!” I yell out to no one in particular. I’m just so sick of this shit.
Once again, the police show up. Luckily, it’s the same cops from earlier. We start to explain what happened when Zander’s truck pulls into the driveway along with Josh’s SUV. They all get out when they see the lights flashing and sprint up the driveway. Zander pulls me into his arms, squeezing the life out of me.
“Savvy, what the fuck happened?” He pushes me back an arm’s-length and looks me over to make sure I’m not physically harmed. When he’s satisfied that I’m fine, he pulls me back to him, crushing me in another hug.
“Babe, I can’t breathe.”
He eases up on the bone-crunching hug but turns me and keeps his arm around my shoulders. I don’t mind; he’s my safe place right now. I begin to explain what happened again so everyone can hear it fully without repeating myself. Ash adds her input to my story saying, she also saw it was Luke and agreeing with what I say happened.
When I finish the story, I can’t help but shiver at how menacing Luke had looked. He clearly isn’t right in the head, which makes me fear for our well-being when he’s around. We all proceed to walk over to the window that was broken, and the cops take a look. “Okay folks, I want the owner of this house to do a walk-through with me to make sure nothing was stolen. It’s hard to tell if he was just trying to get in when Ms. Jenks pulled in or if he was fleeing the scene.”
“Not Ms. Jenks, sir. It’s Mrs. Cage. We’ve been married for a couple weeks now.”
Leave it to Zander to not let that little bit of information slide. The officer nods his head in acknowledgment, and they escort Zander into the house.
They come out fifteen minutes later, and I notice the anger in their eyes. Zander thanks the police officers, and they head over to the broken window to take pictures of the damage and bag the baseball bat that I somehow didn’t see for fingerprints.
“What’s the matter, babe? Did he take something of yours?” He looks at me hesitantly, and I know I’m not going to like what I’m about to hear.
“Come with me, baby, but don’t touch anything. They have to send in a special team to deal with all of this.”
We head through the front door and up the stairs. We enter the bedroom, and I gasp. The place has been trashed. Clothes are thrown everywhere, the bed looks like it’s been ripped apart by a dog, and there is a message on the wall written in bright orange paint.
I’VE TRIED TO WARN YOU. STAY AWAY FROM WHAT’S MINE, OR NEXT TIME SHE WON’T JUST BE SLEEPING.
I read the last part to myself, and a shiver runs up my spine. “Next time she won’t be sleeping?” Then it clicks in my brain. “Oh no! Where’s Daisy?” I go to run out of the room, but Zander catches me by the elbow.
“Baby, Daisy is going to be fine. I found her in the closet, passed out but breathing. The officers think he drugged her, but I’m going to head on down to the vet in town with her to make sure she’s okay. I have her wrapped in a blanket on the couch.”
I look up into his eyes as the tears begin to cascade down my face. “Babe…I’m so incredibly sorry. I don’t even know what to do anymore. Clearly, he’s unstable, and our marriage somehow sent him over the edge. Daisy’s…”
I’m unable to finish my sentence. A sob bursts from my mouth, and Zander pulls me into his arms. “Savvy, your safety is my first priority, do you hear me? I will do whatever it takes to make sure this sick fuck never bothers you again.”
I nod my head in agreement against his chest.
Zander grabs Daisy, and we head out to his truck. One of the officers pulls me to the side and asks me to come down to the station because there are a few things they want to discuss. I ask Ash if she can give me a ride and fill in Zander that I need to go. The police station is the last place I want to be right now. I belong with Zander and Daisy, but the officers looked worried, so I know it’s not anything good. Zander tells me to go ahead and meet up w
ith him later, so I head off to the police station with Ash.
***
I’m sitting in a shitty chair three hours later in a detective’s office, and my back is screaming at me. You would think if they were planning on having people hang around that they would at least invest in a better chair. Ash is sitting next to me, our hands held tightly together. I’m still trying to process what the officers told me.
When they got to Luke’s apartment to arrest him, he wasn’t there, which I already knew since I found him breaking into my house. They got a warrant and searched the whole place. I just looked at picture after picture of what I can only describe as fucking disgusting. His walls are plastered with pictures of me. They found journals he kept while following me and even found some of my personal possessions. I knew I wasn’t going crazy when I realized things had gone missing. They found panties, my necklace, and a few other articles of clothing. He even has the stuff I noticed was missing when I was in Vegas. He must have broken into my house when I was living there and took them from my room. I wonder how he got his hands on the things I brought to Vegas.
I can’t believe he’s doing this. The detective told me he’s being actively pursued and that there’s an arrest warrant in his name with an APB out. That’s all fine and dandy, but he’s still out there, planning who knows what. After thanking the detective for his time and getting a warning from him to be careful, we leave and head to my dad’s house. Zander is still at the vet, and he told me he would meet me as soon as he could. I’m now under strict orders to be under the watchful eye of one of the guys Zander trusts.
When I pull into my dad’s driveway, what unfolds is something I’d think was playing out in a movie. My dad marches out to the car with a shotgun on his shoulder, all while checking his surroundings. He pulls me out of the car, yells at Ashlyn to haul ass, and drags us into the house.
“I think it’s a little overkill, Dad. I would bet a million dollars that Luke would never mess with you. Crazy doesn’t mess with crazy.”
Bound By Cage Box Set (Complete Series Books 1-4) : MMA Romance Page 19