To Have and To Hold (Chapter 5)

Keala's P.O.V

Dear Leonard,

Good morning. I'm sorry I've left without a proper goodbye but I have many things I need to take care of for the day. I will be back tomorrow or the following day after. Adrianna has been busy with something, getting ready to put out the latest issues and I have some business of my own I need to tend to. I'll be sure to call you when I'm on my way back.

Keala.

I folded the note over and left it attached to the fridge. I nodded and picked up my duffel bag filled with dirty clothes my laptop bag and purse then slipped out of the apartment. I took the elevator down to the main floor. The security guard behind the desk watched me curious to know who I was. I walked over to him and smiled.

"Morning." I said and smiled to him "Would you please call me a cab?" I asked kindly.
"It's a little early for late night guest isn't miss?" He asked picking up the phone dialing for a taxi. He thought I was some guy's one night stand. How should I take that?
"I'm up on the 16th floor in the Bragins apartment." I said with a little nod.
He gave me and oh so that's why I haven't see you. "Why isn't Leonard escorting you?"
"It's a quite early." I said looking at the desk clock as it read 4 am. He nodded and we made light conversation as I waited for my Taxi. The yellow car pulled up outside and he walked me to the door having to unlock them.
"Oh what's your name? I'm not sure if it will be my shift when you come back." He said.
"Keala Emens." I said nodding as I walked out to the cab.
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"Yes I realize that Adrianna." I said as I pulled out a load of clothes from my washing machine and separated what needed to be hung up to dry and what could be tossed in the dryer. I paused folding a sheet over and listened to her. I had my blackberry on and nodded. "Yes. Yes. Tomorrow at midnight all three will be ready to be sent off to the printer." I said hanging up before she had a chance to give me another nearly impossible task to do by tomorrow midnight. I sighed looking at the clock. I had got to my apartment at about 5 and started laundry at 5:30. I had 3 more loads to go. Before I would be finished. I walked in to my closet to get more hangers for my clothes. If I stayed any longer I would have fell asleep on my other three piles of to be washed clothes. I moved out of my closet hung the wet clothes then moved in to the kitchen. It was time breakfast.

"What do we have?" I said opening the fridge. "Blueberries, eggs, milk, turnkey bacon." I pulled each ingredient out as I mentioned it. I remembered having blueberry muffin mix in the pantry. I grabbed that as well and mixed the muffin min. I poured the batter into a cake pan and put it in to the oven next was the bacon and eggs. My step dad would always joke about how turkey's didn't have bacon. All my food was done around the same time and as I finished cooking I got some visitors. Austin and his sister Mary.

"Hi." I said opening the door. They came in and Austin headed to the kitchen. "Hello Mary how have you been?" I asked she looked dead tired. Their mother had passed a few years back when Mary was 16. She had gone through hell and back to get custody of Austin when she became 18 when she finally did making ends meet only made it harder she was only thankful that I babysit without asking for pay and sometimes feed them both. I knew that even If I could help a little it was greatly appreciated.

"I'm well." She handing me my mail. "He made sure that we went every day just to work for that $100 dollars." She also handed the key back to me.
"Oh I'll go get that now. Eat some breakfast." I said walking off to my bedroom. I opened up my sock draw and pulled out five 20 dollar bills. Emergency money as my step dad called. In case you ever need some cash it was right there. I walked back in to the kitchen and saw Austin grubbing on some eggs and a hefty chunk of muffin.
"20, 40, 60, 80,100." I said counting out the money and pushed it towards him.
"Wow thanks so much Keala." He said in between bites of eggs. I smiled as we ate breakfast.
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"Good morning Keala. So nice of you to grace me with your presence." Aiden said as I walked in. He jumped from behind his desk and followed me in to the board room where the three prototypes of the magazines were waiting. I grabbed the three stacks and moved to my cubicle.

"So how's it been you go on a date with the hottie yet?" He asked.
"Hottie?" I asked turning on my desktop and starting with the food magazine. It was always the easiest to go over since it was checking and then double checking recipes and one or two actual articles.
"Well yeah Bragin's brother the one you were swooning over." He said as if I were stupid. I shook my head at him.

"He's so delicious. His name is J." I said slowly moving through one article that talked about good and bad carbs and different use for different spices.
"That's it? That's all you know? Gone for three days and that's all I get."
"Well it's not like I'm going to sleep with the guy or anything." I said.
"Shut up you already have."
"Have not."

"In your head you have." He said giggling. "Well call me if you need me alright?" He said walking away going back to his business. I nodded he was so kind to me despite he was nosy as a person could get. The office was pretty empty considering it was a Saturday. The only reason that Aiden was there because he knew I would be here. We went to dinner around 6. He dreamed of the glamorous life just like me. Reality was neither of us could afford it quite yet. We went to a place called Feather Beura. It was a nice little sidewalk café in what was called Java Central. It served French and British Cuisine.

"Thanks for dinner I really needed it." I said as Aiden and I shared a Belgium waffle that was covered in dark chocolate sauce and strawberries with blood orange whip cream. Strange combination but it worked deliciously. He nodded eating some of the waffle.
"No problem we don't hang out as much as we should." He said with a smile as we stood and left the place. "Are you sure you'll be alright making it home?" He asked.
"I nodded what you be able to do? You're about as strong as a steamed string bean." I said squeezing his forearm. He chuckled.

"You're right. I'll see you Monday then." He said giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek as he walked to the bus stop. I headed in the opposite direction going in to the park. It was beautiful a perfect place for a date. I stopped.

"Damn. Forgot my bag." I said turning back to go get it. I was thankful the waited found my laptop bag before anyone else did. Adrianna would have had me roasted for losing what was on my laptop. I smiled as I headed back on the same path but stopped seeing a group of three men. I turned and walked the opposite direction and was stopped by three more men. I backed up a bit and bumped in to one. I looked around. Oh Jesus Christ never did I think I would be in this situation. Why me? One standing directly in front of me looked at the one directly behind me and spoke. I didn't understand what he was saying but he spoke Latin. The only reason I could pick up on the language was because I took a few Latin course in college and all through high school. Just because I took the class didn't mean I knew what they were saying. The one in front of me moved his long gray hair from his face so that I could see his deep gray eyes. I swallowed.

"Look I don't have any money." I said assuming that was one thing the six men wanted. He chuckled and then spoke again. The group laughed. They're... they're taunting me how twisted and cruel.
"Iste formosus videre gemme aspera (Look at this beautiful diamond in the ruff)." He said I looked around and they nodded and smiled. The one behind me grabbed my arms and held them tightly to my side.
"Puella est nobis misit? (Is this the girl we were sent for?)" He asked looking down at me his eyes cold and harsh. The group groaned and sighed. The one in front of me nodded and laughed sadistically.

"Etiam. Transmittit aliquid voluptatem primum (Yes. But let's have some fun first)." The one in front said again. Oh I knew what he said pleasure first. Wait that's not good Keala. I tried my best to free myself but the one holding me his grip was worse than shackles or chains. The rest of the group agreed and two grabbed my arms and forced me to the ground. I moved around knowing what was to be next. They were going to take advantage of me and kill me or worse leave me to deal with emotional and physical scars for the rest of my life. I immediately started to cry from sheer terror and anxiety that was rising in my chest. The one in front climbed on top of me and then reached his hand out. He was handed a very large very sharp knife.

Oh God he was going to make me suffer and die a slow painful death. I watched his with terror-stricken eyes. He leaned close to me and whispered in my ear "Hoc malum," he said and kissed my cheek. Then I felt a sharp burning pain then warmth. Hoc malum was a phrase I knew well Mrs. Collins my Latin professor would say it all the time. It meant this will hurt. I screamed and screamed what else could I do? It was over soon enough and they left the way they came. I pulled myself closer to the fountain and sat on the edge applying as much pressure as I could to the cuts. My body shook and I looked around and my purse was too far my laptop bag was too close. I simply sat there. I heard the click of heels and voices. My body tensed and I took a raspy breath. I didn't turn I didn't move I just froze. Then heard herd footsteps running around the fountain. It was J. What was he doing here? I was happy to see him but was so confused from my blood loss I didn't know how to answer his questions.

"J they hurt me." I said my tears breaking through to the surface and flowing like the Nile. I tried to stand but I just blacked out. When I came to I was in a hospital room my arm wrapped in white gauze. J he had found me. We carried a light conversation which caused me to cry once again thankfully I had the T.V on so I had a bit of distraction. He asked to stay and I agreed I was actually quite happy he was staying. He had left to go back to Mr. Bragin's for a few things. I was to shaken up to sleep and reached for my laptop bag and turned it on. A nurse walked in and smiled.

"Glad to see you're awake. Your blood work is back." I listened to her and she said I would be staying for another day or so due to the need for blood transfusions. I nodded listening to her talk. She told me it would be some more hours before I could eat. I nodded before turning my attention back to my laptop. I emailed Adrianna and told her what happened. She responded and was thankfully I only had a hurt arm. She said she felt terrible for making me work a late night. She said that since everything was done not to stress over getting the rest of her list done until I was out of the hospital. I'm glad she felt that way because I wasn't going to finish it anyway. There was another knock.

"Come in." I said munching on some cracker and juice. I looked up seeing a tall dark-skinned man. He had dreads that stopped at his shoulders and his eyes where dark drown and he had a black goatee.

"I'm glad you're awake." He said smiling at me. Another man followed behind him with a vase of rainbow-colored rose. They were beautiful. I stayed silent I didn't know who he was or how he knew me or why he brought me flowers. I pulled one of the roses out of the vase and looked at it. Yep it was real all right.

"I umm thank you I guess." I said pulling a petal off looking at it. The man who was holding the vase nudged the man with dreads.

"Oh where are my manners? I'm Jack." He said smiling at me. I nodded then noticed the man who was holding the vase was one of the men who attacked me. I moved away from Jack pulling my feet closer to me. What should I do? Scream try to fight back? Sit and contemplate my options. Jack turned and looked at the man then began to laugh.

"You're not afraid of Vince are you?" He asked "Did he hurt you?" He asked his face very serious.

"Well somebody did." I said waving my arm in front of him as if he was blind. Jack turned looking at Vince he mumbled something in Latin. He was one of the men, one that held me down. I swallowed watching their every move. Jack slapped him. I don't think it really hurt him but it seemed to be very degrading.

"I do sincerely apologize for what they did to you. They were not supposed to harm you." Jack said He glanced at his watch and sat in the chair next to my bed. "Tell me Keala." He said looking at my wristband "How is our precious J?" He asked me I sniffled as pollen from the rose flew everywhere.

"I think you should go now." I yawned. He nodded standing walking over to the door.
"I'll see you soon." He said smiling escorting himself and Vince out the door. I sighed looking at the flower sniffing it once more than put it back.

Who was he?