Caged

by Tricia Wagner

  Adeline

  Oh my God. This seriously can’t be happening. She had to do it in my office? She couldn’t have picked anywhere else in the world? “Preston, seriously now I’m gonna be super creeped out.” “Yea, well Ryleigh is the one who found her. We need to get over there to her.” “Yea, of course. Oh God, Ryleigh is already dealing with something else.” “What else is Ryleigh dealing with?” This came from Grant as we stand up from the booth. “We don’t know she came in a bit ago looking to sign up for self-defense.” “Shit. I’m heading back to her now she’s kind of a mess.” “We’re coming I just have to tell Allyssa we aren’t eating.” Preston runs off to find her and let her know we will be back. I honestly can’t believe this is happening. We walk across the street and I see Ryleigh standing next to the police cruiser talking to a man. No, talking would imply niceties. I see his arms flailing and her arms flailing back. What the hell? I see Grant getting closer to them and standing in between them. Then I see the guy move his arm like he’s going to hit Grant. Seriously? I see Grant slam the guy onto the ground and throw handcuffs on him. Who is this guy? “Ryleigh are you ok?” “Yea, I am. Dear lord this is just not my day.” “Who is that?” “He is my cousin. Oh my God if he knows where I am then they all do. This can’t be happening. I don’t want to leave.” “Leave? Why would you leave?” “I can’t explain right now, Grant seriously if he found me then there are going to be people who follow him. I can’t be here. Do you need me for anything else?” I see Grant standing there looking completely thrown off guard with her words. “I need to get my purse; I need to get my keys. Adeline, I am so sorry, but I think I need to quit my job.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Chill out here for a second Ryleigh and tell me what the fuck is going on.” This was Grant. Wow. He looks pissed. “No I can’t you don’t understand I need to leave.” She has an urgency in her voice that is scaring the crap out of me. I see Grant put his hands on both sides of her head and he pulls her in and hugs her. I can see her body physically relax and I see him pull her back out at arms-length. He brushes a hair out of her face and says “Now, tell me what is going on so I can fix it Ryleigh.” Wait, what is happening between Grant and Ryleigh? Seriously, is everyone after the tensest relationships ever? What if they don’t work? Adrionna is my best friend and Ryleigh is my assistant. What. The. Hell. I look to Preston and he shrugs with a big smirk on his face. I shake my head at him and wait for Ryleigh to answer. She doesn’t say anything and Grant says “One sec.” He steps away and radios for someone to come pick up the moron cousin that’s in his car. “We will talk inside once this is all out of the way.” I give a nod and we wait for another cruiser to come and take the guy. With him gone we go into Ryleigh’s office. “Ryleigh, talk to me here honey. What is going on?” Shit, he just called her honey. The Bennett’s seriously don’t waste time. “I can’t Grant, they’ll find me and then they will get to anyone who is close to me. Adeline you just lost one of the last threats to you. I can’t let my problems bring trouble around you and the babies.” “That’s sweet Ryleigh, but you aren’t leaving. You need to tell us what’s going on so we can help you.” She gives me a slight nod, but then looks back to Grant. “I’m afraid that none of you will look at me the same if you know what this is all about.” Grant shoots me a look that says “gee I’ve heard this story before” and I scrunch up my nose at him. “Ryleigh, you’re like my sister. I would never look at you differently. You’ve met my parents my dear.” “Yea, well the shit storm coming this way makes your parents look like Mike and Carol Brady.” Shit. My mouth drops open. “Ok, what’s going on?” “My cousin sold me when I was fifteen. He was supposed to be my legal guardian because my parents were in prison for robbing a bank. Yea, nice right. For drug money. He sold me to a man who sold little girls for a living.” Not Ryleigh. Please tell me this didn’t happen. “I can see the look on your face, but I was lucky. They kept me locked up for about three months. When they thought they had broken my spirit they brought me out and tried to sell me to the highest bidder. They dressed me up and put me on a stage where a man bought me. I was with that man for six months before I finally escaped. I was sixteen when I finally got out. I found a way to get my GED and then went to college early. That’s why i graduated a couple years younger. I remember you asked me in my interview. I had to tell you that I was just motivated in high school, but obviously you know the truth. If my cousin found me though, that means that the man that bought me is still looking for me.” “Do you know who the man was that bought you?” Her whole body visibly starts to shake and I just want to pull her into my own arms. Seriously, not innocent little Ryleigh. She’s so sweet and shy. I see Grant pulling her in for another hug and I know his body is visibly tight. This is just not good. Preston comes and puts an arm around me as my hand naturally goes to my belly. “Ryleigh, I promise we will make sure nothing happens to you. I need to know who the guy is though.” “It’s Maxwell Benedict.” She barely whispered it, but I know what I heard. We all gasp. “The billionaire?” “Yea, he has an estate out in Kentucky. Middle of nowhere. I wasn’t the only one there. I tried to go to the police, but they said that I didn’t have any evidence.” “Are you fucking kidding me?” To this Grant takes his fist and puts it right through the wall. Whoa. I jump and Preston jumps in. “Grant, you need to chill out man. You’re freaking them out.” I take this time to go to Ryleigh and I just hug her. Holding on while she lets it all out. “I’m sorry. That’s why I need to leave. If he found me then he will stop at nothing to get me back.” “No, you are not running we are going to figure this out evidence or not. Gavin and I will be working this like it’s an open case. Where did you report this?” “I was in Bandana, Kentucky when I reported it.” “If we asked you to get us back to the property could you do it?” She starts shaking again and I feel my body shaking with her. Grant pulls her out of my arms and says “Ryleigh, nothing will happen to you. We will get this guy I swear it. First thing we need to do though is establish the fact that you aren’t staying at your place. At least not alone.” My eyes probably got as big as Ryleigh’s did. Where is she staying? “I don’t have anywhere to go Grant. This is why I need to leave. I have no one.” To this I see his jaw get tight. “Do I look like no one to you? You’re staying with me while we get this all sorted. My house is locked up like Fort Knox.” “That is true. I had to promise my first born to get in the other day.” “Hey, I said you’re having two I only want one.” To this I stick out my tongue. I’m just trying to lighten the mood. “Grant, you hardly know me. Why would you do that?” “It’s done; we’re not discussing it.” That means he doesn’t know why he’s doing it. Ha! Gavin and Grant are both all tied in knots for these two. I sort of love it if I didn’t think it was going to have a horrible ending. “Ryleigh can stay with us right Preston?” “She’s staying with me. Did anyone just hear me say that’s the end of this discussion?” “Okay. Nevermind.” Apparently Grant was feeling a little territorial because I swear he just growled at me. Preston jumps in with “Grant, chill out Addy doesn’t need this added stress right now. Ryleigh are you good with all of this?” “No, but it doesn’t sound like I have a choice.” “You don’t.” This of course was Grant. Lovely. “Ryleigh you always have a choice, but we want you safe and we don’t want you to leave.” That was really sweet. Have I mentioned how much I love my husband? I give her a small smile and she nods her head and turns to Grant. “I don’t want to be a nuisance, but I will stay with you as long as you want me there. The second I feel that you are needing me out of there I’m gone.” “Deal, because that won’t happen.” She gives a small shake of her head and says “Do we need to talk about what happened today anymore? I told you what happened already.” “I think we’re good with the statement you gave. Let’s get you home and packed up so we can get you settled at my place.” “I have a lesson at three today.” He shakes his head at her and says “I’ll bring you back at three. I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself for right now. Gavin, me, or someone f
rom the station or Gavin’s team will be with you at all times.” She gives a short nod and I jump in. “Preston, I don’t know if we should work in here for a bit. I’m a little creeped out.” “We will figure somethin out babe. Let’s get something in you so that I can go to my next training on time.” “Caution tape will be up for at least forty-eight hours.” We both nod at Grant and I give Ryleigh one more hug. We head back over to Ed’s. I quietly sit and wait for my salad. Trying to think about how to ask Preston if we’re sure the pictures weren’t given to someone for use before Jerrica died. “Babe, give me your eyes.” I snap my head up from my food and he sighs. “What’s goin on in your head right now?” “I just want to be sure that those pictures are destroyed. I need to know that I don’t have to be looking over my back every day waiting for a tabloid to print out our most intimate moments. I feel sick to my stomach thinking that this is a possibility. We don’t know if she handed them off to someone else who would use them for their own personal gain.” “I know; Addy I promise you with everything that is in me we will make sure that no one has access to these pictures. I swear on my life that you will never have to worry about this again. Grant is working on making sure we cover all of her communication from that past five weeks.” I give a short nod and try to eat my salad. I pick a little at it, but really I just am stuck thinking about Jerrica hanging herself in my office. Can I go to work every day in that place knowing that someone killed themselves in my office? I need to at least try. It doesn’t make sense for us to not work right there and I know Preston wouldn’t want my office to be anywhere else. I let out a light sigh. “Addy, what are you thinking about now?” “Work. I need to be able to try and work in there. I just need to make sure with Ryleigh that she will be ok there.” “Baby, this is all stuff we can talk about over the next two days. We don’t have to have a solution right now.” He’s right. This is all stuff we can figure out later. Preston has a huge fight on Friday. His last fight of the season and this means that he will be the reigning champion again. I give him a nod and a fake smile, but hopefully it does the trick. I force myself to eat as much as my body will let me and then we head back over to the gym. I am sitting waiting for Ryleigh to get back to the gym and I see my phone ringing. “Hey girl.” “Hey girl? That’s how you’re going to start this conversation after the day you’ve had.” Oh Adrionna. Always dramatic. “I didn’t really have anything happen to me. Jerrica is dead and hopefully the pictures have stayed out of the hands of anyone that wants to destroy my life. So how are you? You have been gone for almost three weeks Adrionna. Don’t you think that’s a little much to avoid Gavin?” I hear her sigh. “I just don’t know what to do, and until I do I need to keep my head in work.” “Please come home soon. I need you and I’m growing you need to see this in person no more facetiming. Please? Oh! And you have to see Grant all tied up in knots for Ryleigh.” “What?!” “Yea, I saw it with my own eyes this morning. Ryleigh is having some issues so we need to rally and stand behind her. Please come home. Gavin or no Gavin it’s up to you, but you need to come home you can’t keep hiding.” “I’m not hiding. If I were doing that Gavin made it very clear he could find me.” No joke, he totally would. I let out a laugh and she tells me she has to run to a meeting, but she will think about coming home. Thank God. I hop on the treadmill to do some light running. Being five months pregnant with twins does not make it easy to run, but I try my hardest. I’m still wearing yoga shorts and I am going to keep wearing just a sports bra until it is completely inappropriate. In public, Preston hates it, but I feel like it’s the only time in my life it will be ok to have extra weight! I always get lots of compliments on my baby belly, so until people start scoffing at me I’m just going to do it. I’m so focused on watching Preston fight that I almost don’t notice the guy getting onto the treadmill next to me. “Are you Adeline?” I look over at him a not only a little confused because I have no idea who this person is, but a little concerned because this guy is the size of Preston. He’s huge and for the most part I’m still intimidated by fighters. “Can I help you with something?” I learned never to respond to that in case it’s someone who doesn’t like Preston. He has a lot of fans, but there are some crazies out there that do not like him at all. “I’m Donovan Price.” Shit. “Mr. Price, it’s nice to meet you however if you’re here because you think that this will cause you to get into my husband’s head I’m afraid tactics like that don’t work on him.” “Actually, I wanted to see you in person. I’ve heard a lot about you and I wanted to see if all the rumors were true.” “Well, I’m not sure what rumors you’re referring to, but there are only two babies in here not four.” He gives a light chuckle and says “Well, there is one rumor that I have found to be true.” “What’s that?” “You are as witty in person as they had mentioned.” “Mr. Price, again I apologize if this seems rude, but I know that any second my husband is going to come out of there and you aren’t going to like the outcome. I’m going to need to ask you to leave my establishment.” “That’s just the thing I need to get him going before the big fight. Just so you know, even knocked up by Preston Bennett I’d still do you.” “And it would be the last thing you ever touched.” This came from behind us and I see Preston and Coach standing close. Preston reaches out for my hand and I step off of the treadmill. He pulls me behind him and stands as my guard dog. Sweet, but completely not what we need right before his big fight. “Preston he’s doing it on purpose. Willy, please just get him out of here.” “Donavon, you’ve been asked to leave. Please do so before we need to call in the authorities.” He jumps off the treadmill and goes to walk toward me instead of the opposite direction and Preston moves further in front of me. “Stay away from my wife.” He winks at him and out the door he goes. “That man is huge. I hate that I always feel so caught off guard when they’re so close.” “Babe, I’m bigger than he is.” “Yea, but you are you, Preston.” He gives me a smile and a kiss. “Sorry you had to deal with that baby.” “No big thing. Seriously, though the thought of him touching me creeps me out. Ew.” Preston chuckles “Good to know babe. Good to know. I gotta go finish up, Grant is on his way with Ryleigh.” I give him a short nod as I go to get back on the treadmill. “Babe, you know I hate when you wear this stuff. That body is just for me, now Donovan Price wants a piece.” “It wouldn’t matter what I looked like. He would’ve done that anyways. Besides, I’m almost five month’s pregnant Preston, he was just being facetious.” And that’s the truth. He just wanted to get to Preston. “Babe, I don’t know if you have noticed or not, you normal is hot, but you pregnant is off the charts.” “Hopefully to you since you did this to me, but to everyone else I’m huge. It’s fine Preston, just go finish your session so we can meet with Ryleigh.” He gives me a nod and one more kiss as I hop back on the treadmill. Not ten minutes later I see Ryleigh and Grant walking through the door and they’re holding hands. What is happening? I get off the treadmill and use my towel to wipe the sweat off of my brow. “Hey guys.” Ryleigh looks freaked out and I can’t tell if it’s Grant or something else. “Hey girl. Look how cute you look.” “Sorry I’m all sweaty.” As she pulls me in for a hug. “Grant, you ok?” He looks pissed way the hell off. “Sh. I pissed him off. Don’t poke the bear.” To this I laugh. Loud. I look up to a scowling Grant. “You’ve been gone what? Two and a half hours? How did you manage to do that already?” She rolls her eyes and says “I can’t talk about it.” But gives me a look that says she will be telling me everything later. I give her a short nod and Grant pulls us both into Preston’s training room. “You do look great sis. You aren’t overdoing it are you?” “Never.” He laughs out loud and shakes his head. “Hey, I am not overdoing it! Preston doesn’t let me do much of anything.” “Yea, well I just let you do way too much on the treadmill I just knew that if I got out of the ring again Coach would whoop my ass.” “You got that right. Now, let’s get Ryleigh started. Addy dear, I’m sorry but you’re gonna need to sit this one out today.” “What? Why?” He doesn’t loo
k at me he looks at Preston. Seriously? “Preston, did you seriously make a deal with Willy that you would stay in the ring and finish training if he told me I couldn’t train today? I feel great! This is ridiculous I’m pregnant not dead.” To this Preston shakes his head. “You already did forty five more minutes on the treadmill then I like you to. Please don’t fight me on this. I’m only trying to keep you safe. With everything else going on you can’t tell me that you are feeling stressed.” I let out a huge dramatic sigh. “Fine.” I go over and plop myself down on my pillows, cross my arms over my belly, and scowl like a two year old. Yes, I know it’s immature, but it’s not fair. I check my phone and see that Adrionna must be done hiding. She caught the first flight home and she will be in tonight. I text her a come over for dinner and this way I won’t have to deal with Preston until after everyone is gone. I’ll invite Grant and Ryleigh so Adrionna can see this first hand. She agrees and I start to plan a menu.