Caged

by Shanna Ehrlich

  Hiding in a back closet, he waited for Sara to get home. He was very patient. It was late when she finally walked through the front door and he could tell by her footfalls she was inebriated.

  Walking into the bedroom she dropped her purse carelessly on the floor and began to undress. Shoes first, then her pants and followed by the rest of her clothing until she stood fully nude and made her way to the bathroom.

  Most peeping men watching a women undress would get turned on. They’d masturbate while hidden, or make their excitement known and choose that moment to emerge. Not Braxton though. The site of her naked body disgusted him. Instead he waited longer, bid his time until he knew she was fully submerged in the act of bathing, focused on nothing else.

  When he first broke into the apartment he’d searched for the perfect tool, knowing this would be his route. As cliché as it was, a kitchen knife was to be the weapon of choice. In her spare time Sara must have enjoyed cooking as she had an arsenal of perfect cutting knifes. Sharp enough to slice through the toughest of meats. It would be a textbook Hitchcock kill, only Braxton was psycho enough to know it was best to slit, not stab.

  He walked slowly toward the bathroom, careful and silent. The door was left open and even though the shower stall was glass and transparent, she never noticed his approach. In a span of seconds, he opened the door, reached for her wrists and ran the knife up the center of each one. She barely let out a scream before he had a hand to her mouth, muffling the sounds.

  She tried her best to fight him off, but when your wrists are slit, blood can’t make its way to the muscle. You become weak. Minutes later, the strength of your legs give out and you can no longer stand. A minute after that and all motor functions become null, including your vocal cords. At that point Braxton stepped away and let her body rest on the floor.

  She watched him, unable to physically look away, as he removed his wet clothes. Bending down he wrapped her left hand around the butt of the knife before switching and doing the same to her right, and finally left it resting next to her thigh.

  When he stepped out of the shower he made sure to leave the water running and left for his duffle, hidden in the closet. By the time he got back, Sara’s body was practically lifeless, blue and hunched over to the side.

  From the duffle he pulled out a plastic, black, trash bag and placed his wet clothes inside before depositing his used rubber gloves, and then went about dressing into new clothes and a new pair of gloves.

  The whole ordeal took less than fifteen minutes if you didn’t count the hours he spent waiting for her to come home. It was an easy kill and one he would later rate as his most efficient.

  Braxton snuck out of the apartment, careful not to be noticed and walked the half block to where he had parked his car. He still hadn’t heard from Annie and could only assume she was furious with him. He’d hoped she would have called when she found out about Keith and her parents, but no such luck. His fingers itched to call her himself, but he refrained. Not only was it the middle of the night, but calling her was not part of the plan. He needed her to succumb to him, not the other way around.

  When he finally got home he booked his jet to depart bright and early that morning. A well rested night would not be a luxury he’d have for a while.

  When he laid down in bed, anxious to close his eyes for a couple hours, his phone rang and he audibly groaned before answering.

  “What?”

  “Your girl was flagged,” Benny replied. “Just like you said she’d be. She’s on a flight back to New York.”

  “Good.” Braxton never had any doubt she’d go. He didn’t give her any other options. She had nothing left.

  “When do you get in?”

  “Should land around nine. Did you talk to Trevor?”

  “I met with him tonight. The kid’s good. A little innocent, but it works for him. He gets people to talk.”

  “Did he find out anything new?”

  “Nothing more than what he already told you. That the Grims’ man who works the dock knew about the branded killings.”

  Trevor learned this the night of the gun trade, a slip by one of the Canadians, a comedic jab about the Emmo branding not only their guns, but their women. When Trevor asked the Canadian what he meant by his comment, he wasn’t shy to say where he heard it from; the Grim who works the dock.

  The problem was, it didn’t mean anything. The Grims could have been the ones trying to bring down the Emmo, or their guy could have just heard the news on the street and was continuing to spread the rumor.

  The knowledge didn’t bode well for the Grims though, and either way, they’d be the ones to take the fall. That play was already in motion. Braxton just wanted to be sure the rumors weren’t the truth. That someone from the Emmo wasn’t going behind his back and giving orders he didn’t sanction to kill and brand people.

  Ever since that night, Trevor had been undercover, pretending to be one of them. He even ordered him to get the signature Emmo tat on his back. That’s where Benny came into play. Someone had to approve their artist to place the mark and since Braxton was laying low, he brought in the only person he trusted to help.

  Trevor put up a fit, he didn’t want anything permanent, but in the end, did as he was told, which was a good thing because Braxton had plans for him. Plans that extended beyond helping him with Annie.

  Annie’s plane touched down as the sun broke over the horizon. She was always uncomfortable during flights, usually due to her fear of flying, but this time she was scared for different reasons, her nerves increasing with each passing minute. When the plane finally landed she thought she might puke. The small white bag peeking out from the pocket of the seat back in front of her was testing her will power, but she held back the urge. She could do this. She’d contemplated it the whole flight over.

  The plane full of people was slow to exit, but she didn’t mind the wait. The bank wouldn’t open for another few hours. She had time to kill. When she finally stepped into the terminal she made her way toward baggage claim, looking over her shoulder the entire way. On instinct she stopped at one of the tourist shops nestled in a corner and purchased an I Heart New York black hat which she promptly put on and tucked in every strand of her blonde hair. It wasn’t much cover, but was the best she could do for the time being.

  New York wasn’t as exciting as she remembered. Maybe because this time she was terrified. She knew his three cardinal rules. She’d broken two before and was about to break the third. He always promised he’d never hurt her, but after everything he recently did, she wasn’t so sure. If he caught her before she could get away, she hoped he would believe her concocted story of coming back to New York for him. It was the only reason she hadn’t ditched her phone yet, the one he gave to her. He was more than likely tracking her every move. If she got rid of it, he’d know something was up.

  Picking up her lone piece of luggage from the baggage carousel, she pulled it behind her to get in line for a cab. She was about to do something ballsy, even more so than stealing the money, but from what she learned from her mother, Brax wasn’t due to arrive in New York for hopefully several more hours, and if he was tracking her, this would make her story all the more believable.

  The cab sped through the streets at an often alarming rate, calling out obscenities to pedestrians loitering the crosswalks. Annie paid no mind to his Turrets-like yells and sat quiet in the back seat, letting her plan play out over and over in her mind. She’d go to the bank and ask for Tom, the guy who helped her before, and would request to withdraw the money. She still had her wedding ring on and would point it out to him pretending like Brax gave it to her; maybe talk about how nice their wedding was, how he flew her out to an island with just their closest friends and family to witness, not wanting the news to make it into the press. He’d believe her, why wouldn’t he, and then when he asked to get her ID, which he undoubtedly would since she didn’t give it to him originally, she’d explain to him that the name on her ID is just her
legal name and not the name she goes by. She’d play it off with the wave of a hand and blame it on family drama. He’d buy that right? She sure hoped he did because she was risking it all on this going smooth.

  Once she had the money she’d be home free. Would take a bus out to North Dakota, because seriously, why would she ever go there? It’d be the last place he’d look. As long as she paid for everything in cash he’d have no way to find her. He’d have to live with knowing this was all his fault and there was nothing he could do to fix it. He loved winning, he always told her it was what he did best, but he wouldn’t win this time.

  Somewhere inside Annie knew her plan was dramatic and childish, but she didn’t care. It was the only thing she could think of to make him pay for what he did. To take away the one thing he cared about most; her. And the more she focused on the plan, the more she believed it could work. That she could stay away from him and live undetected for the rest of her life. Trevor would be the only one she’d keep in contact with. He’d have to be careful about going out to visit because Brax would likely be watching him too, but they’d figure it out.

  The cab stopped in front of the elegant building and she pulled back the handle, stepping out of the car while one of the doormen jogged over to help the driver with her bag.

  “Are you staying with a friend ma’am? I’d be happy to call and get you buzzed up.”

  “No. I live here,” she told the doorman with confidence, practicing her future role play and waved her ring finger his way. “Or I do now. My husband isn’t here yet, but he added me to the approved access list. You can check with Ronald.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  After walking into the lobby Annie noticed Ronald behind the desk, finishing a call. When he turned her way his eyes widened with recognition and he wasted no time escorting her into the elevator.

  On her ride up Annie relaxed against the back wall and couldn’t help but remember the last time she rode the elevator to his loft. The lust, the dirty things he said to her, his fingers cupping her, causing her to light on fire. She had to physically shake the thoughts from her mind. She didn’t want to remember their good times together, it would only bring her closer to forgiving him and she couldn’t have that. She would not be the damsel in this situation. He would not get his way. That’s what she needed to remember.

  The doors to the elevator opened and she stepped out. After being vacant for months, it still had a fresh clean scent. He must have had his maid continuing to clean even though no one had been living there.

  Annie left her luggage in the foyer and walked through each room, trailing her fingers along the walls as she went. She’d never gotten a good look at the space before. Never even noticed a hallway off the living room that led to a guest room, private gym and an office; each room boasting pristine décor and gorgeous views of the city. It was really a shame she wasn’t planning to stay.

  Watching the clock tick by, she sat in his executive office chair waiting. She wanted to time her arrival at the bank for when they first opened; not a minute earlier, or later for that matter. Loitering in New York City after all Brax had warned her about seemed like a bad call, especially since she never went through with getting his brand, but she also didn’t want to stay at the loft too long. Her stopping there was only a decoy and a way to kill time. He’d come home eventually and she wanted to be long gone by the time he did. He’d walk in expecting to see her and all he’d find would be her phone, sitting on top of a nice little fuck you note; which she still needed to write, but first needed to call Trevor. If things went bad at least he’d know where to find her.

  “I’m glad you called,” he said in lieu of hello. “I was hoping you would, but I didn’t want to bother you. Are you okay? Did you talk to him?”

  “I don’t ever want to talk to him again Trevor. He told Keith, he told my parents.” She was too embarrassed to tell him about what else he did and left it at that.

  “I’m so sorry Annie. I wish I was there for you. How’d Keith take it?”

  “Not well. He kicked me out. I was leaving anyway, but I didn’t want him to find out like that. I didn’t want him to ever find out.”

  “I know baby girl. Are you staying in a hotel?”

  “Not exactly. I’m actually in New York. Funny enough, at Brax’s apartment.”

  “Wait, I’m confused. I thought you said you didn’t want to talk to him again.”

  “I don’t. He doesn’t know I’m here. Well, he probably does, but I’m not going to be here for long.”

  “What are you planning?” Trevor asked. He knew her too well; knew she wouldn’t sit back and let Brax ruin her life.

  “I’m going to take the money from the account he put me on and run.”

  “Annie no. What the hell are you thinking? I don’t know him like you do, but he’ll find you. He did it before. What’s to stop him from doing it again?”

  “I’ll be careful this time. I have nothing left Trevor. This is my only option.”

  “It’s not. I know you probably feel like it is, but I think you’re making a mistake.”

  Trevor wasn’t telling her something she didn’t already know, but she was too stubborn to back down. She really needed his support, but it didn’t look like she was going to get it.

  “I think you should sleep on it,” he continued. “Wait a couple days. What you’re talking about is a felony. You’re going to basically steal money from a bank.”

  “It’s not stealing. He did technically put me on the account. He just used a different name. Look, I didn’t call for you to talk me out of this. I just wanted you to know where I am, what I’m doing and why you might not hear from me for a while.”

  Trevor sighed into the phone before relenting. “Fine. When are you doing it?”

  “Right when they open,” she looked up at the clock mounted on the wall. “In forty-five minutes.”

  “Can you call me after so I know you’re safe and not in prison somewhere?”

  “I told you, it’s not stealing. Well not from the bank at least. I’ll call you after. I’m not bringing my phone so I’ll find a payphone or something.”

  “Okay. Good luck then. I love you Annie. I just want you happy.”

  “I know. Me too.”

  Braxton’s plane touched down twenty minutes early, an unexpected surprise. Benny kept him on the phone longer than he would have liked and he expected to sleep like a baby on the flight, but he’d been too anxious, his stomach in knots. He missed her. Less than twenty-four hours ago they’d been happy, their situation not ideal, but tolerable, and now she likely hated him. She was in New York, exactly where he wanted her, but he didn’t like the means he had to take to get her there. In the end though, he knew it’d be worth it. They’d be happy again soon enough, he just couldn’t wait for that day to come.

  As he exited the plane his SUV sat front and center with Greg holding open the door. It was nice to be home and he greeted his old driver with a friendly good morning salutation before seating himself in the back, settling in for the drive to his loft.

  Pulling his phone from his pocket, he switched the setting off of airplane mode and waited to see if he’d missed any calls. Sure enough an icon popped up. Three voicemails, all from Trevor. He began to check the messages, interested to know what was so important, but then his phone began to vibrate. An incoming call. Her face gracing the screen and he couldn’t help his smile, but still needed to play it cool.

  “Hi.” He didn’t know what else to say. Didn’t know if he should still pretend to be mad or tell her how much he loved her.

  “I’m at your apartment. I hope that’s okay.”

  “My apartment?”

  “I can leave if you want.”

  “No! No baby you can stay. I’m just shocked. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon, much less see you. I just got off my plane. I’m driving there now.”

  “How long until you think you’ll be here?”

  “Thirty minutes. Maybe
less.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you then.”

  “Wait!” he called out before she had a chance to hang up. “Talk to me. I need to hear your voice.”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “Tell me you don’t hate me.”

  “I’m here aren’t I?”

  “That’s not the same thing.”

  “You want the truth? Fine. My mother bought me a plane ticket so I can be here to grovel for your forgiveness.”

  “You don’t need to grovel. I do. I fucked up. I know that now. I went insane, I don’t know what came over me, but it won’t ever happen again. I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you. As soon as I see you I’m going to get on my knees and beg you to forgive me. I’ll do whatever you want. I can’t stand the idea of not having you.”

  Annie didn’t answer, the line silent, and he pulled it away from his ear to make sure the call was still connected.

  “Talk to me B. Promise you’ll forgive me. Please.”

  “I don’t think I can forgive you,” she sniffled and he could tell she was crying, battling her emotions.

  “You can. One day you will. Remember that weekend at the cabin? That’s how it can be for us everyday.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this on the phone. I just. I need a minute. We can talk when you get home.”

  “Okay,” he agreed with reluctance. “I love you Annie.”

  She didn’t respond and this time the call really did end.

  Braxton leaned his head back against the seat and let out the breath he was holding. For a minute there he’d thought he got her back. That her feelings were just as strong as his and she was willing to forgive his indecent behavior, but it didn’t look like it was going to be that easy.

  Trevor loitered Braxton’s building in an attempt to somehow stop Annie from making a huge mistake. He didn’t know what he would do though. He was supposed to be in Vegas. If she saw him she’d know something was up, his employment ruined, their friendship over. On the subway ride he called Braxton three times, hoping for guidance, but was met only with his voicemail. The phone never ringing once. Trevor assumed he was on his flight back home and would call when he landed, but for the time being, it was all up to him.