Caged

by Shanna Ehrlich

  The girls didn’t leave them all night, and as the hours passed Keith cared less and less. He hadn’t received this much female attention since college. It was invigorating. He felt like he could do no wrong, even though that was exactly what he was doing, especially when Jenna started grinding up on him on the dance floor. His dick, having a mind of it’s own, immediately hardened, begging her to continue. He soon found his hands on her hips, pulling her back harder into him. She could no doubt feel how bad he wanted her.

  The club was spinning, his whole world tilted on axis. Jenna turned in his arms and looked up, her eyes pleading for him to kiss her and he felt the pull. It was strong, undeniable. His lips pressed up against hers and for a minute that’s all it was, a peck, one innocent peck, and then he felt her lips open and her tongue slid in his mouth. It was nice, new, different, but no matter how drunk he was, something in his mind still rang out a warning. This was wrong. This wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Annabel. Always did. She knew exactly what he liked, not like Jenna didn’t, but it was always somehow better with Annabel. He should be home with her, kissing her, making love to her; not fooling around with some slut in a club.

  Without being rude he ended the kiss, told her he had to use the bathroom and left to find himself in one of the stalls having a complete emotional breakdown. What the fuck had he done? He kissed another woman. He went outside their marriage and kissed someone else. He felt the earlier shots of tequila begin to make their way up and bent over the toilet, spewing everything he consumed only to find a stomach full of guilt take its place.

  Keith walked out of the stall and let the attendant push soap in his palm while waiting until they were washed to hand him a towel. Using the towel, he dried his hands and wiped his mouth before leaving the bathroom to go find Carter. It was time to go. He just hoped he was still in the club somewhere and not in a hotel room fucking one of his new found friends. If that was the case, he was leaving without him.

  Rounding the hall corner he could make out the strobe of lights coming from the dance floor, but before he could pass, a group of guys stepped in his way.

  “You think you’re hot shit don’t you,” said the lean man in the middle. “Coming in here and buying shots for all the girls like you’re some sort of celebrity.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he feigned innocence, not wanting to rile the guys up more. If it were just one on one he might have been able to take him, but the guy had friends and three on one was bad odds for anyone, even if you’re an experienced fighter, which Keith was not.

  “You were looking to take home three girls, but it looks like you got three guys instead,” the man stated, before shoving Keith hard enough for his back to hit the wall.

  “Get out of my fucking face.” Keith might not know how to fight well, hadn’t been in a fight since high school, but wasn’t about to let these guys start pushing him around. He was a lawyer; he knew the rules. Never throw the first punch. After that, game on.

  The first punch arrived and he ducked, but it landed hard against his left eye. Fuck that was going to leave a mark. He swung back, catching the guy in his jaw, and that’s when the friends jumped in, holding his arms against the wall and all he had to fight back with were his legs. The guy landed one more solid punch before out of nowhere Keith saw his head slammed into the wall beside him. Blood dripped from his forehead before he fell to the floor, out cold.

  Carter stood front and center, flashed him that cocky smile and then pulled off one of the other guys. He laid into him so hard Keith almost felt bad, but only for a second, he now had that one on one fight he’d been wishing for. The guy swung at him first, his fist met with only air and Keith was able to get in a punch to the stomach before he was being pulled back by a large, black security guard.

  Keith tried to explain to the guard what happened, but he didn’t seem to care. Apparently fighting in a casino dance club is off limits no matter who is in the wrong. At least the guard let them leave without taking their information. Just told them to get the fuck out and Keith was more than happy to comply.

  “Shit that was crazy, where the fuck did you come from?” he asked, still high off the energy from their fight.

  “I had to take a leak.”

  “I thought you left.”

  “Left? Where would I go?”

  “I don’t know. To a room with one of the girls.”

  “Nah, I was pretty entertained just watching you.”

  Keith groaned. He knew what Carter was referring to. “You saw that, huh?”

  “Yep. Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “Good. Annabel would quite literally shoot me if she ever found out. That’s not me you know. I don’t normally do that.”

  “I know. You’re a pussy,” he teased. “I’m not judging.”

  The guys headed back down in the elevator and Keith used his Uber app to call for a driver while Carter handed the valet his tag.

  “Wait. What the hell are you doing?” Keith asked.

  “Getting my car.”

  “Yeah no, I don’t think so. You’ve been drinking.”

  “So. I’m not that bad.”

  “Don’t care. Police here are brutal. You’re coming back with me. Or have the driver take you to your house, but you’re not driving.”

  Carter glared at him as if to say try and stop me, but when the Uber driver pulled up he relented, took the tag back from the valet and hopped in the car. “You’re paranoid you know that.”

  “Nope, just being a good friend. Plus, if you end up in Tent City you can’t help me with the case.”

  After having the driver stop at a Filibertos drive-thru where they scarfed down a quesadilla, three tacos and carne aside fries, they arrived back to Keith’s house at nearly three in the morning. He prayed Annabel wasn’t still awake. He needed a night of rest before he could face her. Even just pulling up to the house had his heart hammering in his chest like she was going to know what he did just by looking at him. Carter opted to stay in the guest room and he showed him the way up the stairs and down the hall before he made his way to the master. Annabel was sound asleep. Thank God.

  Keith woke the following Saturday morning to find Annabel gone from bed. He had a mild panic attack and then noticed the clock on the nightstand. It was the latest he’d slept in years. Of course she’d be up already. He pulled on a pair of sweats and trudged downstairs, finding her at the kitchen island, chewing on a bagel with a cup of iced coffee in front of her. “Morning babe,” he kissed her cheek and grabbed an extra bagel from the Einstein cardboard carrier.

  “Morning. Did you have fun last night?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, still nervous she might have some idea of the debauchery he’d been up to.

  “You came to bed smelling like cigarettes and beer and you have a bruise on your eye the size of Mount Everest.”

  Keith absentmindedly rubbed his eye, remembering his fight.

  “Where’d you go? I thought you said you were going to be working late, not out getting wasted and fighting at a bar.”

  “I never said I was working late. I said I would be home late.”

  “You know what, screw you Keith,” she yelled, practically throwing her everything bagel back on her plate. “Don’t you dare. You knew how I would take that text. I don’t care if you’re going out late with friends, but a little heads up would be nice. Don’t treat me like I’m your mother and you need to hide things from me. I don’t appreciate it.”

  “I wasn’t trying to hide things. I was out with Carter. I didn’t feel like I needed to explain exactly where I was.”

  “Oh my god, here we go with Carter again. You keep going on and on about him like he’s your new favorite toy.”

  Keith didn’t understand where her hostility was coming from. Maybe she was about to start her period, but there was no way in hell he was going to ask that question. “I haven’t been going on and on about him.”

 
; “Yes you have. For the past week all I hear is Carter this and Carter that.”

  “So what if I have. I’m sorry I want to tell my wife about what I’ve been doing. Not like you care. You barely bother to listen to what I say most days. I’m amazed you heard me at all.”

  “It’s kinda hard not to hear when all you talk about is him.”

  “What the hell is your problem Annabel,” he whisper yelled back. “He’s here, in the guest room, probably overhearing everything you’re getting on about. All I’ve told him this past week is how great my wife is. Now he’s probably going to wonder if I made it all up.” He knew that would get to her. Attacking her character. It was a low blow in their world. Annabel always cared what people thought about her. Even if it was someone she’d never met. She didn’t even give him the satisfaction of a reply. Silently she pushed herself away from the counter, taking her coffee and bagel with her, and walked back upstairs.

  If Keith felt like shit before, now he felt like shit run over. How could he have been so rude to her? He needed to be apologizing. Showing her how much he loved her. Instead he hit her where he knew it would hurt most. But in his defense, she was irritated with him for no reason. So what if he went out with a friend. She goes out all the time and never once does he complain. He always lets her have her fun and the one time he goes out she’s all up in arms. Granted, she technically had a right to be, but still, she didn’t know that.

  Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Carter tip-toeing down the stairs. He froze when Keith turned to look.

  “Trying to sneak out?”

  “Maybe. I didn’t want to cause any more problems. It was quiet for a while so I sort of figured you took the conversation somewhere else.”

  “Nope. She took the conversation somewhere else. Upstairs and in our room. Alone.”

  “Ouch,” he finished walking the rest of the way down the steps and plucked a bagel from the box. “Well just so you know, I’m flattered I’m your new favorite toy.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Keith laughed. “She’s just pissy about something. It has nothing to do with you.”

  “Wouldn’t care if it did. I’ve had my fair share of pissed off women over the years. I’m used to it by now.”

  Carter made himself at home, taking a knife from the block and cutting the bagel in half before pushing it into the toaster.

  “What are your plans today? Another crazy casino adventure?”

  “Hardly. No, I’m planning on sitting around listening to the audio of Jason. If you ever want to know what’s more boring than your life, try listening to someone else’s.”

  “Well I was going to offer to come over and help, but when you put it that way.”

  “Are you sure your wife wouldn’t mind you helping? She seems to have you locked up pretty tight.”

  “Annabel will have to deal with it. This is what’s important right now. The case. She always gets this way when I’m working a big case.” She didn’t, but Keith was trying to save face.

  “Okay, well stop by whenever. You know where I live.”

  “Give me a couple hours. I still have to go get my car from Jason’s.”

  “Ugh,” he groaned while applying cream cheese to his newly toasted bagel. “I forgot I have to go get my car. You and your pussy boy ways.”

  “You wouldn’t be saying that if you were calling me to come bail you out of jail right now.”

  “Nope. Probably not. But I’m not in jail so I still get to have fun giving you shit about it. Do me a favor and call another one of those Uber cars, will you.”

  Keith set up the ride and they both finished their bagels while they waited. When his phone chimed indicating the car had arrived, Carter reached back in to the Einstein box. “Do you mind? Another for the road.”

  “No, help yourself.”

  “Thanks. I sort of have a minor obsession with these. When I was a kid everything bagels were always a big no no because the poppy seeds would show up on drug tests. Not too worried about that these days,” he stuck the bagel in his mouth and smiled with a cheesy grin before taking a bite, sans cream cheese this time. “See you later Keith.”

  “See ya man.”

  Nineteen

  Braxton sat in his car and let it idol in one of the spots in the half full parking garage. He couldn’t wait to see her. He normally saw her everyday, she didn’t know of course, but he’d been watching her since the day she left. Spying on her. Learning everything there was to know. Only today he was planning to make himself known. It had been his plan all along; to surprise her in class. Freak her out even more. Granted, after last week his intimidation tactic was likely worthless. He never meant to see her at her office. The plan was to drop off the dog tags and split, but she set him off and there was no controlling himself. There never was when it came to her. It’s what he loved about her. In his world he controlled everything. There was no back talking, no asking questions and absolutely no defiance. When he told someone to do something they would, but when it came to B, she controlled him. Without her his world was black. Void of all worthiness. He didn’t want anything to do with New York if it meant not having her. It was a frightening thought. To know your life is solely dependent on someone else’s.

  Today marked day one. Everything else was child’s play. The phone, the dog tags, the texting. They were just ways to keep him in her thoughts while he set the stage for the real plan. Pressing the button next to the steering wheel his car turned off. He reached for the door handle, but stopped short when his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was Benny. He debated not answering, needed to get going, but he also needed their situation in New York to be taken care of. She would be going home with him soon enough. He couldn’t bring her back in their current predicament. She’d be branded and that security detail she mentioned before would be in place, but she still wouldn’t be safe. The people responsible for trying to frame him were low ballers, he couldn’t risk them going after her.

  “What,” he answered curtly. “I’m busy.”

  “I’ll make it fast. I need your approval to order a hit.”

  “Who?”

  “The reporter chick. She needs to go. I don’t know who her source is, but she’s leaking details left and right. I know your rules about the innocent, but this one isn’t. She’s going to start shit we don’t need if we don’t shut her fucking trap.”

  Braxton had seen the news reports and Benny wasn’t wrong. Her verbalized theories weren’t helping their cause. She was starting to speculate too close to the truth; that it was an inside job utilized for their own political agenda. She knew too many details; publicly accused one of his men of doing the job. She was right of course, but how she got her information was still unclear. She had a source. That’s who they needed to take out, but without knowing who it was, his hands were tied. If they killed her, the source would just move on to a new reporter brave enough to risk their life to further their career.

  “No,” he replied with authority.

  “I spoke with Teller, Ax. He seconded the motion.” Teller was council for the Emmo. He advised on many decisions, but it was ultimately up to Braxton to make the call, and his choice was already made.

  “Don’t you dare fucking question me. I said no and that’s final.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Benny’s trust in him was starting to falter. He could hear it in his tone, but he didn’t know Braxton had something else in mind for Ms. Cruz. “Under no circumstances will you kill that girl. She’s thirsty for knowledge and we’re going to give it to her.”

  “We are?”

  “Yes. You’re going to pay her a little visit. And by visit I mean to ready the warehouse on 5th Ave and show her how hospitable we can be.”

  “When?”

  “Tonight. I don’t want her hurt. At least not much. Not until I say go.”

  “Until you say go?”

  “Yes. You got that? Do what you need to do to get her there and call me when she’s secured.”
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  “I got it. What then?”

  “Then we’re going to have a little chat. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer Benny. It’s a cliché saying, but it works. After tonight she’ll no longer be a problem.”

  “What are you going to tell her?” Braxton looked down at his watch. He needed to go. As it was he’d be walking in late.

  “You’ll find out tonight. I have to go.”

  He hung up the phone with no further information and started at a brisk pace for the building where he knew she’d be. Benny might be aggravated and wavering in his blind allegiance, but Braxton had no doubt he’d be receiving that phone call. Kari Cruz would soon start to see things his way, and if she didn’t, well, then Benny’s preference might just come into play.

  The building was quiet as Braxton entered. Minus a couple people loitering the halls it seemed relatively empty and he wondered for a moment if he was in the right place. Taking the elevator to level three he walked four doors down and found the label 327, just as Trevor told him he would.

  He peered in through the rectangular glass to find the lecture hall sporadically filled with students. His gaze wandered to the front of the room where he finally saw her, dressed in a knee length pencil skirt and a tucked in, white blouse. She looked the role of naughty professor to a tee and his cock twitched at the site. She always did that to him. With one glimpse she made him forget his anger, his plan for ruining her, his desire to hurt her, beat her to a bloody pulp until she lost all memory of her prior life—these were all things he thought about on a daily basis, but the more he saw her, the more they faded into the background.

  Braxton watched her from the door. She stood in front of the class with a paper in one hand and a disposable coffee cup in the other. She looked calm and composed. That was about to change. He pulled back on the handle and stepped in, letting the door loudly click shut behind him. Her gaze immediately snapped to him and they locked eyes, holding each other hostage. His original plan was to sit in the back and watch her from afar, but as they stared at each other he ascended forward, unable to help himself. He had to be near her. She took a step back, sensing his predatory stance and the back of her thighs met up with a large, amber, wooden desk directly behind her. He wanted to pick her up and fuck her on that desk, other people in the room be damned. He walked away from her once, last week when that cop showed. He wouldn’t do it again.