Page 21 of Rushing Her: Seattle, Westerners
“Hurt you. I think we should look at prosecuting her. I’m sure we can also get her for attempted assault.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to see Brayden in public if I can help it, so that we can keep our secret and maybe she’ll go away, or the police will find her.”
“If you say so.”
The sportscaster on TV says, “Murray on the breakaway. He pushes through. He’s down at the ten-yard line.”
My head whips around to see Bray getting up from the tackle. He’s slow but then stands and shakes it off, returning to the lineup. He won’t give up. This is a different Brayden. Last year, he would have stepped off to the sideline to rest and make sure he was okay, but now, he’s pushing through and supporting the team.
In the next play, they fake to Brayden, then pass it off to another running back who makes it into the end zone. “Another win for the Westerners.”
The game is called, and I stand to stretch my back before going to the bathroom. As I step back into the living room, I notice that Raven is on my phone.
“Here she is now.”
I take the call, and my stomach drops. “Ms. King, your office was broken into. The only area that was damaged was your personal office. Can you please come in?”
“Yes. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Call your security; tell them I’m with you,” Raven offers.
Raven pulls up to the skyscraper where Top Tier Sports Agency resides. My hands would not stop shaking, so Raven decided to drive.
Warner walks up to Raven’s car and opens the door. She hates that my friend insisted I ride with her, but we all walk into the building together, and when we reach security, I notice police everywhere.
“The perp came in through the service entrance and accessed the floor that way. They broke in, shattering one of the doors, then rushed to your office,” one of the officers explains. “They also left you something.”
I follow them upstairs and carefully step over the glass when we arrive at the agency’s entrance. Looking over at the building maintenance manager, I speak directly to him.
“I’ll have that door replaced on Monday.” He nods, and we move along to my office. “How did this person get this far in without being caught?” I glance around, wondering how they escaped.
“It was a quick drop, and they were gone before security made it to the floor. We think they hid in another office whilesecurity swept the floor, then escaped the same way they came in. Your office wasn’t discovered until the alarm triggered a second time.”
Nearing my office door, I step back, dumbfounded. A strong smell of smoke churns my stomach, and everything in my room is covered in a fine red dust.
“It was a red smoke bomb that must have been set off by a timer after they left. And that’s not all,” the detective says as he points to my receptionist’s desk. Spread across the surface are pictures of me out and about in Seattle and Portland. There’s even a picture of me entering the retirement celebration in my gown. However, the images of me with my family are what cause my stomach to roll and my breath to catch.
“Oh, dear. I don’t feel so good.” I waver for a second before dropping into a chair. “This can’t be happening.”
“It is, ma’am,” Warner says as I notice her on the phone.
“I’ll get a cleaning service in here,” the building manager offers.
“We will retrieve what prints we can, and tomorrow you should be able to bring someone in here to clean and repair the door.” The detective says this to both me and the building manager.
I mumble, “I’m flying to the main office tomorrow morning, but I’ll be available by phone.” My head is bowed, trying to keep my stomach down.
“Just based on those,”—the detective points to the pictures, then to Warner—“I suggest you keepherby your side.”
“I will.”
We’ve never discussed Warner traveling with me or whether they believed the stalker would go to those lengths, but for now, I agree with the detective.
When we return home, I finish packing and preparing for a trip I’m now dreading. Given all that has happened, my concernis that I’ll be forced to resign from my position or, worse, be fired. Due to my relationship, I’ve brought a destructive focus on the franchise’s business.
Brayden
Two days have passed since the break-in at Top Tier Sports Agency and Alexandra’s office being destroyed. She tried to leave for New York without Warner, but I insisted that she travel with her. We don’t know to what lengths this bitch will go to harm my woman, but I’ll always protect Alexandra.
