Kept (Bound Book 1) Read online

  She wanted to dream of the life she’d almost had. The life that Cage had taken away from her. It had held so much promise before she’d been taken. Autumn had a two year degree as a lab technician. For over a year she’d been working and getting the experience she needed for a better paying position.

  She’d met Curtis in his last year of medical school. They were together nearly six months when he graduated. When he picked another city to do his residency in, Autumn had been concerned they might break up. But Curtis had asked her if she’d come away with him for the weekend.

  She'd agreed and the two had shared a lovely time. On their first night in the city Curtis took her to a beautiful bridge and asked her to marry him. Autumn had said yes and the next day she started looking for a job. She’d called her family and friends to tell them about the news, and that night she and Curtis had celebrated. That night Autumn had met Cage.

  To celebrate, Curtis had taken them to one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. Autumn had wondered how he knew about it and more importantly how they had gotten in on such short notice. She couldn't help but think he'd been planning it for weeks. When she asked him about it, he'd simply smiled at her. She teased Curtis then, asking him what he would have done with this reservation if she'd said no.

  He pondered the question for a few minutes before he said he probably would have still brought her here and asked her again after she'd tasted the food. As if the food would have changed her mind. Autumn had laughed and almost couldn't wait to taste the food then. She took a quick sip of her wine before she slipped away to the restroom. She got lost along the way and bumped into a man when she came around the corner.

  That man had been Cage. He'd looked like he might be upset with her. As he took a step back his face twisted in anger. The man next to him glared at her but she'd barely noticed it as she met Cage's eyes. He paused then, his anger draining from his face. Autumn had stared at him in awe. He had to be the most handsome man she'd ever seen...and his eyes were breathtaking. They were like a pale blue sky, or the deep blue of ice.

  The man next to Cage quickly barked at her to move and Autumn realized she'd been staring. She couldn't help but blush as she quickly bowed her head, stepping aside. “I'm so sorry. I have no idea where I'm going.”

  The man next to Cage stepped forward as if to walk on but Cage made no motion to move. He'd simply smiled at her and kindly asked, “Perhaps I can help you. Was there something you were looking for?”

  Autumn felt like an idiot as she said, “Yes, the restroom. It's my first time here.”

  Cage had let out a light friendly chuckle as he pointed in the opposite direction. “It's just down that hall to the left.”

  “Thank you, and again, sorry.”

  “No problem.” said Cage. For a moment Autumn felt Cage's eyes on her as if he was staring at her but she didn't dare look up. She'd been too embarrassed. She'd kept her head down as she quickly turned and went down the hall. In her fluster she went right instead of left and Cage called after her, “LEFT!”

  Autumn quickly turned around and went the right way calling out to him. “Thanks again!”

  When she got into the restroom she let out a heavy sigh, thinking that had to be one of the most embarrassing thing's she'd ever done. She'd quickly used the restroom before she'd washed her hands. Her mind had kept drifting back to the mysterious stranger. She'd kept thinking of his eyes and found herself smiling as she blushed once more. She'd caught herself in the mirror shaking her head.

  She'd rolled her eyes, thinking she was being awful. Here she was going gooey over some stranger when she was supposed to be celebrating her engagement. Autumn quickly pushed Cage from her mind before fixing her hair. When she got back to her seat the appetizers had already arrived. Curtis asked what took her so long and she told him about her little adventure. She left out the fact that she'd found Cage handsome.

  Together they ate their appetizers. At one point Autumn looked up and noticed the mysterious stranger was sitting in a booth not far from their table. The man he'd been with was sitting next to him, but there were also three other men standing around the booth. Autumn realized they must be bodyguards. She wondered who this man was.

  Curtis turned to look at Cage when he noticed Autumn was staring. He asked, “Do you know him?"

  “Oh, no.” said Autumn, turning away. “Well, I told you I got lost on the way to the restroom. That's the man that helped me find my way.”

  “Ahhh.” said Curtis. “So he's the stranger that helped you.”

  Autumn detected a little bit of jealousy in Curtis's voice but didn't call him on it. Instead she asked, “Do you know him? I mean, all those men around him... Do you think he's somebody famous?”

  Curtis stared at Cage for a bit longer, taking in his men. He sipped his wine before turning back to Autumn. “I don't know. Maybe he's a celebrity. You should have gotten his autograph.”

  Autumn laughed, knowing he was teasing her. She shook her head before she playfully slapped him. Then she rested her hand on top of his. Curtis leaned in and the two kissed. Together they finished their appetizers and Autumn took another glance at Cage. She found him staring right at her. Her breath caught in her lungs as his gaze pierced her. Something about the way he stared at her seemed cold and calculating. Autumn had to look away, feeling uneasy.

  Curtis asked her if she was okay. She said she was fine before drinking some wine. Their food arrived moments later and Autumn was excited to see Curtis was right about how good it was. Each bite was amazing. Autumn couldn't help but think she'd want to come back here at least once every few months, if they could afford it. She knew a place like this had to cost. For a second she wondered how Curtis was affording this, but money wasn't something they talked about.

  They ate in silence and, after a few bites of her Chicken Alfredo smothered in several different kinds of cheese, the waitress came up to Autumn with a drink she'd never seen before. She looked at Curtis, wondering if he'd ordered it. He looked at her obviously wondering the same thing of her.

  The waitress set it down and looked right at Autumn as she said, “Mr. Zisgani would like you to join him.”

  “Mr. Zisgani?” repeated Curtis as he looked at Autumn.

  Autumn quickly shook her head. “I don't know who that is. You must be mistaken.”

  “No,” said the waitress. “He specifically asked for you and would like to pay for your dinner.”

  Autumn looked at Curtis, confused. She could see he was getting upset. “We can pay for our own meal. Who is this guy?”

  “That gentleman there.” said the waitress, nodding to where Cage was sitting. He'd changed his expression and looked friendly as he raised a glass to her.

  Autumn watched as Curtis balled his fists. She could tell he was very upset but he didn't want to ruin the evening. He pursed his lips as he turned to Autumn. He held in his frustration as he spoke to the waitress. “Could you please take this drink away and tell this Mr...Zisa that we don't want to be disturbed, as we are celebrating our engagement?”

  The waitress looked weary but nodded before she nodded and took the drink away. Both Autumn and Curtis watched as she went over to Cage. She bent down and whispered what Curtis had told her in his ear. Cage took it in without changing his expression. Curtis stared Cage down for a moment or two as if to send him a message. Cage looked back at him with a pleasant smile before he nodded as if to say he understood.

  Perhaps this moment had been their downfall. Autumn didn't know. Looking back on it, there were so many things she hadn’t known. After the drink was returned they didn’t pay any more attention to him for the rest of their meal. Autumn just looked at Curtis as if he were the only man in the world.

  They talked about the future. They would rent a small apartment downtown. They’d marry, go on their honeymoon, and move into a two or three bedroom house. They’d have kids and a dog, maybe even a cat, and they’d go on two or three vacations every year. Most people didn
’t like to plan things out, but Curtis thought it was important and Autumn found it cute. She liked to imagine their life together and picture it being a happy one. Even though she knew plans could change, she figured they would weather the changes together. She knew if she got married she wanted it to be only once, to the man she truly loved.

  When they were done eating Curtis paid the bill and they got their coats. The air was cold and crisp as they stepped outside. Curtis gave the valet their ticket and Autumn waited by the curb for their car. A black town car had pulled up rather close to her. She’d taken a step back when a man had opened the door and stepped out. He’d been in a black tux and sunglasses. His suit reminded her of the men that had been with Cage.

  The man looked at Autumn, taking her in as if to make sure of something. He held the door open and said, “Please get in.”

  Autumn stared at him before looking to Curtis. He was discussing something with the valet. He didn't see this man standing before her. At first, Autumn thought it was a misunderstanding. She said, “I'm sorry, this isn't my car.”

  “Please get in.” said the man, more sternly this time.

  Autumn got nervous and took a step back. She thought it must be some sort of joke, but the man was insistent. He grabbed her arm before she could react. Autumn struggled with the man and screamed for Curtis. He quickly turned to see the man had nearly thrown her into the car. He was so powerful that Autumn couldn't fight him. Curtis ran to the car, yelling out Autumn's name. “Autumn! Autumn!”

  From there it was a nightmare that replayed a thousand times. Autumn struggled with the man in the car. She kept her eyes on Curtis as he moved towards the car. Cage came through the double doors of the restaurant with two men behind him. One man ran ahead and grabbed Curtis. The two had fought as Autumn screamed for Curtis. He’d yelled for her, struggling to fight off the other man as he attempted to get to her. Cage casually pulled a gun with a silencer from his coat.

  He put it at the back of Curtis’s head. Curtis hadn't had any idea of what was happening, but Autumn saw it all. Cage pulled the trigger. It wasn't like the movies. There wasn't some big explosion or dramatic impact. Curtis just looked shocked as the bullet went into the back of his head. One moment he was alive, struggling to free himself from Cage's bodyguard and save Autumn. The next minute he was limp, falling forward.

  The bodyguard that was fighting with him caught him and handed him off to the other man like he was nothing. Together, they took him away as Cage put his gun away. Autumn stopped struggling as she stared at where Curtis had been, in shock. The man that had dragged her into the car stepped out. Cage handed him an envelope and then got into the car. The moment that door shut, she knew her life as she knew it was over.

  Countless times Autumn laid awake, wondering what if she’d just asked where the restroom was? What if she'd just had one drink with Cage? What if they’d never gone to the restaurant? Would Curtis still be alive? Would they be together now? Would they be married living in a house? Would they be expecting a child? Would she have a nice job? And, most of all, would she have been happy? Autumn knew she would never know. She would always be trapped here, forced to live a miserable existence.

  Truly she hadn’t enjoyed being kidnapped, but these last few days had been different and it had been so long since something had been different. For almost two years now Cage had controlled just about every aspect of her daily life. Now that she was back here she couldn’t help but feel depressed. She wanted to curl up in bed and stay there forever.

  “Autumn…Autumn,” called a cheery voice, “Wake up now or I’ll get the hose.”

  For a second Autumn paused in her misery to smile slightly as she recognized Penna’s voice. Penna was the only thing Autumn liked about this place. She was the closest thing Autumn had to a friend. She was in charge of keeping Autumn on schedule through the various things Cage thought up for her to do. When she was first taken Autumn had spent weeks in bed until Cage decided that she should get up and move around.

  Penna had been assigned to make sure Autumn got up every morning. She made sure Autumn showered, ate, and kept to her routine. At first Autumn had despised Penna, just as she despised Cage and this tower he kept her in. Autumn had thought Penna was just another person keeping her here, but Penna had been patient with her. She helped her through the worst of it. Somehow she had helped Autumn to want to wake up each morning and experience the day.

  Over time Autumn learned that, like her, Penna wasn’t here by choice. When Autumn and her had gotten more friendly, Penna told Autumn about her parents. They had died when she and her little brother Byron were only in their teens. She told Autumn her family had debts to pay and, not even a day after her parents funeral, the Zisgani organization had come to their home.

  Cage’s men had given her the option of either her or her brother paying off the debt. Penna was seventeen at the time and had no choice but to step up. Byron had been only thirteen. He'd been just a kid at the time. To this day he was still unaware of the sacrifices Penna had made for him. He didn’t know what she did for a living, or anything about the Zisgani organization. He only thought she had a well-paying, legitimate job.

  Penna didn’t want Byron to have anything to do with the Zisgani and did her best to keep him from finding out. She worked hard to pay off their family’s debt and was attempting to put Byron through college. He wanted to be a doctor and Penna wanted to make his dream come true.

  Autumn admired Penna’s choices. On top of that, Penna always had a smile on her face. Autumn had asked her once how she could smile so much especially with everything that had happened. Penna told her that the reason she could smile was that taking care of Autumn was the best job she’d gotten in the Zisgani organization. Getting to hang out with Autumn was loads better than some of the other stuff they’d had her doing over the years.

  Autumn had wanted to know just what other things they’d had Penna do, but she knew better than to ask. Usually Penna was open and friendly, but when it came to things that involved her past in the Zisgani organization, she would often grow quiet and her eyes would grow dark and dangerous.

  Autumn recognized the violence in those eyes from Cage, and so there were things they just didn’t talk about. They didn’t talk about Penna’s dealings with the Zisgani organization and they didn’t talk about Autumn escaping. Only once had Autumn asked Penna to help her escape. Penna had made it clear that if she was ever seen planning or trying to break Autumn out, she would lose more than just her job.

  Autumn sighed as she thought of her friend. She could feel her sit on the bed and a moment later a hand came down over the blankets to rest on her back. It patted her gently, soothing her. “Come on, Autumn, you have to get up. You know if it was me I’d let you sleep, but orders are orders.”

  Autumn sighed once more but slowly came out from under her pillow. She reached out and pulled the covers down. Slowly she sat up and was met with Penna’s warm smile. She could smell her flowery perfume and see her kind eyes. Quietly Autumn said, “Hello.”

  Penna reached out, moving some of Autumn's hair behind her ear before she said, “Hello.”

  Autumn could tell Penna was worried. She looked Autumn over, resting her hand on her wrists. She looked at the bandages and sighed before saying, “I hate to say it, but I’m glad to see you back. I would have been happy for you if you’d truly gotten away. But when I heard you’d been taken…This whole place has been up in arms ever since. I couldn’t help but worry about what those bastards might be doing to you. Did they hurt you?”

  “Not much.” said Autumn, looking away. “It was like a vacation compared to…him.”

  “Mmm,” said Penna, looking at Autumn sadly before she got up from the bed. “I’m sorry you're back but I’m glad to know you're okay.”

  Penna reached out for Autumn's hand and she took it, allowing her to help her out of bed. “Thank you.” said Autumn. “Any news? How have you been?”

  “Busy. Byron is near
ly ready to graduate, top of his class I might add. Come a few months from now, he told me that if he keeps his standing he’ll be the one giving the graduation speech. He wants me to be there and has asked me to come. Of course I told him I didn’t know if I can make it. Maybe if things change. I asked for the time off, but who knows if I’ll get it.”

  “You’ll get it.” said Autumn before yawning. “I’ll make him give it to you. I don’t have much power, but I know if I make it a point to ask him he’ll let you.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that for me.” said Penna.

  “No, it’s the least I can do for making all of this bearable. Though I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” said Autumn gloomily.

  “It will only be for a day or so, I promise.”

  Autumn smiled at her and the two began their daily ritual. It was funny knowing yesterday she’d been drugged and handcuffed to a chair and now here she was back in the tower as she called it. It was actually just a large skyscraper. One of the tallest in the city from what she'd heard. But given her situation she couldn’t help but think of it as a tower she’d been locked in. Now, if only she could grow out her hair or have someone save her. Autumn laughed to herself for a second as she thought of someone actually being able to save her.

  She was kept on the top floor of the tower and the only way in was through a hidden stairwell or a guarded elevator. Cage owned the building and had it set up with all sorts of security measures so no one could get in or out unless he wanted them to. Autumn wasn’t exactly sure what Cage did for a living but from what she had gathered it was something very dangerous and highly illegal.

  A few times she’d seen people being tortured around her or even killed as she sat in the shadows next to Cage. For the most part Cage didn’t get directly involved in the torturing and killing, but there were some special cases he saw to himself. It was terrifying what he could do to another human without flinching. Without even the slightest amount of remorse crossing his face. Just that expressionless face and those hard, dry eyes. Autumn didn't know how she could have ever been taken in by them now.