Kept (Bound Book 1)

by Leona Keyoko Pink

  Fredric and Lane stood before Cage as the heads of each branch waited outside. They were all waiting for his orders. He knew he had to make a move. Cage’s injuries had hindered him long enough. He would not allow them to stop him. He knew he could win this. Cage knew it was all or nothing now, and he couldn’t afford to lose.

  “Fine, he wants to play games? Let’s play games. Fredric, send team Crils out. Have some of our tech people connect with them. Give them all the information we’ve gathered on Gashen Fayngin. I want them to kill his mistresses, his associates, and his friends. I want them to kill his wife’s family. His children's friends. I want an anonymous message sent to his wife and his priest with those videos we’ve accumulated of him and his mistresses. Make sure his priest gets the ones with the nun first. I want him infuriated. No one touches his immediate family though. His wife and kids are off limits. But everyone else they can get close to, I want dead.”

  Cage turned to Lane then. “Next off, I want tech to send the financials we’ve gathered on Gashen to our connections in the government. I want his assets frozen. In fact, send in information for all his bodyguards and associates as well. Fabricate it if you have to. Then start calling in debts. Put pressure on people that are connected to him.” Cage smiled as he thought of the havoc this would cause. It was petty, but enjoyable nonetheless.

  Cage sighed and turned back to Fredric. “We can’t do anything about the protection side of the business just yet. We’ll have to deal with that once we’ve dealt with the family once and for all. For now, take everyone off of it. We need to focus on further weakening their businesses. Do we still have the infiltration teams ready?” Fredric nodded and Cage clasped his hands together. “Good.”

  “Have them go in and spike some of the Fayngin’s cocaine. You know what to cut it with. I want their users frothing at the mouth in a few days. Emphasis on stealth. If they’re caught spiking the drugs, then the whole effort is wasted.”

  Cage paused for a moment thinking before he said, “Make an addendum to team Crils. Whenever possible, spend some time torturing the targets before killing them. Make it obvious. I want Gashen, and his family, to know that their friends and relatives died alone, afraid, and in terrible pain. Maybe make some videos, email them to his kids or something. Be creative.”

  “We need to hurt them, and hurt them bad. I want to infiltrate every phase of their business and sabotage them. Spike their drugs, sabotage their gun shipments and help undercover officers sneak into their flesh trafficking programs. If you can come up with a way to undercut them, do it. I want to destroy their reputation. I don’t want anyone willing to buy so much as a dollar’s worth of product from them. We are short on man power, so make sure every minute counts. I’ll update Lane later with additional orders, but for now get it done.”

  Both Lane and Fredric nodded as they went to give the department heads their orders. Cage sat back in his chair closing his eyes as he started to feel the pain inside him dull to a low ache. Soon he would feel nothing at all. And soon, the Fayngin would be no more.

  **********

  The next week was tense. Something seemed to be going on. Autumn didn’t get to see Cage. He seemed to always be closed up in his office with people coming and going at all hours of the day and night. Autumn wasn’t really sure what was going on, but she did her best to give him some space.

  She taught Poppi a few new tricks and got herself a camera so she could take pictures. She took pictures of Poppi and her in the garden, but if she took pictures anywhere else in the tower her bodyguard would take the camera and delete the picture before handing it back to her.

  Autumn continued to practice dancing, and at her next dance class her teacher actually gave her decent marks and told her she was improving. She told her in time she could be a good dancer if she just focused. Of course, focus was hard when Autumn knew the world around her was changing and she didn’t know how.

  She was so used to seeing Cage when he was in the tower that it was strange when several days passed with no word. Autumn told herself that whatever was happening they’d get through it. She reminded herself that things had been busy before, but the fact that Cage was still hurt and had to rush back to work didn’t sit well with her. Once again she missed Penna. If she were here Autumn could ask her what was going on. She might not be able to tell Autumn everything, but she’d at least give her a general idea.

  Autumn attempted to listen in whenever she could, but for the most part no one was saying anything as usual. More than a week passed before Autumn was able to see Cage again. They had lunch in his office. Normally it was tidy and open but when she went in it was a mess. There were maps all over the walls and floors. Body counts were written on the walls with various photos pinned next to them. Autumn stared at them until Cage called her to sit next to him at his desk.

  The food was already there and they ate in silence. Autumn attempted to talk to him but he seemed distracted. His mind was on other things. After seeing how soft and gentle he could be, she wanted to keep that part of him from falling away into the world he lived in. Even though she had no idea what he was dealing with, she wanted to help him.

  When they were finished with lunch she asked if there was anything she could do to help him. Without a word he lifted her up and put her on his desk. He pulled at her clothes, nearly ripping them off. He entered her roughly before pounding her into his sturdy desk.

  The sex was fast and hard, nothing like before when they had both been in his bed and fell into each other arms. He moved efficiently, pushing to release. He took her breasts in his mouth, kissing and squeezing them as if he were hungry. But she could see something in his eyes. It was like he was consumed with pain and rage. He took it out on her body and while she had once struggled against such roughness, such crudeness, she buckled her legs around him, determined to stay with him.

  She grinded against him and for a moment his eyes looked at her, really looked at her and she could see him. She kissed his lips, pulling him to her and hugging him, but then he was gone again, furiously fucking. She thought her body was going to break before either of them came. Surely this couldn’t be good for him, but he didn’t seem to care as he consumed her.

  He flipped her body so that her stomach was on the desk. Roughly he took her hair in his hand before he jerked within her. Autumn cried out as her body quaked with his power. She clawed at his desk, spamming with orgasm as he drove himself into her. His movements were almost desperate as he used her body. When he finally came inside her, he roared out almost angrily. And then it was over. Just as soon as it had begun, it had ended. Cage quickly put himself away, composing himself once more.

  He went back to work without a word. Autumn straightened her clothes and looked at him. She couldn’t help but feel used. Fredric came to her, pulling her away from Cage as he worked, furiously typing at his keyboard. Autumn went back to her room and showered before she changed. She told herself she should be happy he was coming to her and not those other women, but still she couldn’t help but feel she was losing him to whatever this was.

  Over the last few months she’d gotten to see him in a different light, and when he was recovering she’d grown closer to him than ever. She thought their relationship would change and become something more now, but it felt like it was slowly sliding back. Autumn wanted to ask him if perhaps they could take the next step and share the same bed.

  Surely he had to sleep sometimes. And if she couldn’t see him during the day, maybe she could lay next to him at night. Maybe it would encourage him to get more sleep and she could soothe him. But Autumn didn’t know when she would ask him now. He seemed different when he was working. She was worried about him and what he might say.

  Over the next few days Autumn attempted to get through to him. Whenever she could she’d make him take a break, whether it was to eat or simply sleep. Every time she pulled him away he seemed distant, almost lost. He would get frustrated and his eyes would look sad and cold.
>
  One night before bed she pleaded with him to join her. She ran her fingers through his hair and he just kept working. Usually he’d pull away from her, but he was so focused on what he was doing that nothing else seemed to matter. She worried he was being consumed by his work. “Cage, you’re overworking yourself. You NEED to rest.”

  Cage sighed pulling away from his work. He took Autumn's hand in his, kissing her wrist. He looked into her eyes, searching them as she looked down at him. He looked exhausted. She ran the back of her finger over his left cheek as she worried about him. Cage weakly smiled at her and said, “There is no time to rest now, but I swear to you I will. One day soon, when all this is said and done, I will set aside some time for just you and me. We’ll go back to the beach house and continue where we left off.”

  “For a whole week.” said Autumn. “No phone, no business. You’ll delegate if you have to, but you will relax.”

  “Alright.” said Cage.

  “You promise? You’ll really rest and you’ll tell me what’s been going on?”

  “I promise, I will rest.” said Cage before he laughed and added, “But my business is not your business.”

  Autumn saw a small crack of his true self shining through in that moment and she smiled, thinking he was just as stubborn as ever. “You’d better keep your promise. I want a full week."

  “A full week.” repeated Cage, “But please, let me be. I need to focus, and you make me do anything but that."

  Autumn sighed and nodded before pulling back. Cage looked at her for a moment before diving back into work. Autumn went to bed that night wishing she knew what was so important that he couldn‘t pull himself away.

  **********

  The next day Autumn’s tablet went off for her outing. She had just finished taking a pot out of the kiln. She looked to see what place had been chosen and was surprised to see it was the shopping center. It had been a while since she’d been there. It was always strange being there without Penna. It was the first place they’d ever gone together.

  As Autumn cleaned up and got dressed, she almost wanted to ask Cage to come with her. Of course, she knew he was far too busy for that. She considered bringing Poppi with her but he was quite the energetic little ball of fur. She had a feeling she’d be holding him back on his leash the entire time they were out. Still, at least he was company.

  Autumn went to see him in the garden. He looked to be having fun. He was sleeping on his back with his belly resting in a sunny spot. She figured she’d let him sleep and maybe ask for a park outing so she could take him on a long walk.

  A few minutes later Autumn arrived at the shopping center. She walked around for a few minutes and then got herself a pretzel. As she ate it she couldn’t help but think this place just wasn’t as fun without Penna. She wondered if she should take it off her places to go. There were just too many memories here.

  After a while Autumn went into the pet store. She got some things for Poppi before she looked at another dog. She considered getting it so Poppi could have a friend. It was a cute little puppy and wagged it tail at whoever walked by. She could picture Poppi and this puppy running through her garden as they chased squirrels together.

  Autumn thought about what she’d name it and then how she’d have to train it. She wasn’t exactly a fan of the idea and, with everything going on right now, she thought she’d hold it off for when things weren’t so stressful. It also looked like the puppy might have found an owner as a woman and her daughter asked to see the puppy.

  Autumn left the store and thought maybe she’d get a puppy after she went on the vacation Cage had promised her. She went to several clothing stores looking at things she might like to wear while they were at the beach. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be wearing anything for the first few days, but surely they couldn’t spend a full week in bed.

  She got herself two new swim suits, some sun dresses, a sun hat, and some sandals. When she was finished she gave her bags to one of the bodyguards. He took it to the car while she went into the book store. She had three bodyguards with her as she began to browse. She ended up in the travel section as she thought of other places she might like to go.

  Autumn knew Cage wanted to go to the beach house for their vacation. She thought maybe they could go on a vacation every few months, or at least once a year. Maybe they could even take two weeks off.

  Autumn had all sorts of travel books with pretty pictures, but not a lot with information. For about an hour she looked at books with various locations that piqued her interest. She thought she would research them until they left for their vacation. That way, when they were at the beach, Autumn could discuss them.

  She thought it might be nice to go to the mountains. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go during the spring or the winter. Winter looked amazing, but she had a feeling Cage would prefer spring. With his business he liked to be able to come and go as he pleased. While being snowed in might seem cozy and even romantic, she couldn’t help but picture Cage scratching at the walls if he was unable to work.

  She figured it would be nice to go during the spring, or even the summer. Maybe they could rent a cabin with a meadow in the mountains. Autumn had several books that showed amazing views of flowers and valleys. She thought it would be amazing to run around in the meadows making her own flower bouquets.

  When Autumn was finished browsing she got two books on mountain vacations. She also picked up two other books that looked interesting. One listed the top ten wondrous places to see, and another that talked of a city next to a dormant volcano. The city had dozens of rivers and was built of amazing stone and marble. It had been around for hundreds of years and was said to be the most romantic place.

  Autumn bought the books and when she finished checking out she saw Detective Carter and his partner Detective Stills. Over the last few months Autumn had run into Detective Carter more than a few times. She was pretty sure he was following her just as he followed Cage. He was always friendly, and always made a point to mention that she could talk to him.

  She had at least a dozen of his cards by now and was pretty sure he thought she would eventually cave in and call him. Maybe a few months ago she would have, but after everything that had happened Autumn’s point of view had changed. She no longer saw herself as a captive, so much as kept… and she actually cared for Cage.

  For a second Autumn wondered if something was going on. She usually didn’t see Detective Stills when she was out by herself. Usually she only got the privilege when Cage was around. Autumn didn’t much care for Detective Stills. He always looked like he was just waiting to catch Cage doing something wrong so he could haul him in.

  When the two men walked up to her, Autumn was polite. She greeted them with a pleasant smile and said, “Hello Detectives.”

  “Hello Autumn.” said Detective Carter while Stills just nodded.

  Autumn was surprised Detective Carter got her name right on the first try. It had to be the first time. She almost wanted to say something about it, but thought it might come off as rude. Before she could think of anything friendly to say, the two detective looked at each other, nodding in agreement about something.

  Detective Carter turned to face her and said, “We’re going to need you to come with us.”

  “Come with you?” said Autumn, confused. “Where?”

  “To the station.” said Stills with a smug look on his face. “For questioning.”

  “To the station?” said Autumn, still confused. She looked around for her bodyguards. It was funny how they always seem to be too close for comfort except for when the police were around. They were all standing several feet away from her. Autumn looked at the closest one to her and he noticed her look of distress. He notified the three others and together they approached.

  Detective Stills saw them coming and stepped in their way before they could get to Autumn. He had his police badge ready. Pulling it from his pocket, he flashed it for all of them to see as he stretched out his arms to
make a barricade. The bodyguards grimaced, knowing there was little they could do.

  Detective Stills had a big grin on his face as he said, “Police business, boys. We need to take Miss. Wrenal here, down to the police station. You’re free to follow if you like, but don’t get in the way.”

  Autumn was surprised Detective Stills knew her last name. It had been over two years since anyone had called her by it. Without warning, Detective Carter reached out and grabbed Autumn’s arm. He held it tightly as he began to pull her from the book store. People were looking at her, wondering what was going on. As they got outside Carter said, “Let’s not make any trouble here. We just want to talk.”

  “What if I don’t want to talk?” asked Autumn.

  Carter stopped walking and sighed before he looked at Autumn. He attempted to reason with her as he said, “You can come with me quietly, or you can come with me in handcuffs. It's your choice. We have a warrant.”

  “But what about my bodyguards?” asked Autumn, looking back. She could see they were following her, talking into their radios as they informed the others of the situation. Detective Stills kept an eye on them, making sure they kept their distance between Carter and Autumn.

  Carter started to walk again pulling Autumn with him. He said, “Like Detective Stills said, they can follow if they like.”

  Autumn didn’t like this one bit but it seemed there was nothing she could do about it. Her only choice was to go with them. They took Autumn to their police car in front of the shopping center. She couldn’t help but wonder if they’d followed her here. Autumn's outings were random, so they had to be waiting for her to be out in the open like this without Cage. Especially if they had a warrant. Before Detective Carter put Autumn in the back of his police car he took Autumn’s bag and purse, handing it to one of the bodyguards.

  Another bodyguard stepped forward slightly and asked, “Can one of us come with her?”

  Detective Carter shook his head as Autumn got into the backseat. He shut the door and Detective Stills smiled before he said, “Nah, we’ll take care of her, boys. We’re the police. Protection is what we do.”