Abstinence

Chapter 27.

As usual, Hayden's lawyer hadn't said anything to me about the pictures that I sent him of Hayden, but Wade responded. I think he was quite as shocked as I was. He promised me that Hayden was going to get released soon and I believed him. Wade's promise was more than anything Robert has ever done. I don't even know if he's taking this situation as seriously as they say he will. Has he even gone out to try to visit Hayden? He doesn't need to go through visiting process like I do, they know him already, and they wouldn't dare treat Hayden's lawyer the way they treat me.

Luke had just finished eating dinner I prepared for the both of us and was in the bathroom when knocks sounded outside of the door. I look out of the peephole, seeing his mother, and I open the front door for her. She's holding a bottle of wine, and a look of contrition on her face. I step to the side to allow her entry into the apartment. I decided to call Wade over and he was sat in the living room on the sofa waiting for her to arrive so we could talk. I wanted someone I trusted to be there when she came, I didn't know if she would bring someone with her or what would happen.

Wade stands from the couch standing almost face to face with Erika, and I can see slight fear in her eyes. She turns towards me and gives me the bottle in her hands, "It's not anything compared to what you and Hayden drink, but it's all I could afford."

"It's fine, thank you. You really didn't have to get me anything. Luke is in the restroom by the way."

"Okay, so can we talk now?"

"Please," I mumble, pointing her in the direction of the dining table. " We can sit here."

She and I both sit at the dining table, Wade joining us but standing behind me with his arms folded over his chest, his stance disconcerting. I notice her eyes look up and him and she swallows hard before clearing her throat. I decide to introduce them, "Erika, this is Wade, Hayden's security. He's here to protect me."

"Okay," She nods, her tone understanding. "Well just so you know, I really had no choice but to let that girl and that guy in. There were knocks at the door and when I went to the door, I looked out of the peephole and there was this guy in a suit and a girl. I had assumed they were friends of Hayden's and I naively opened the door. The man that was in the suit pulled out a gun and pointed it at me and asked if you and Hayden were home."

I fucking knew that scar faced man was apart of this. I saw it on his face, in a way he knew me but I wasn't his target at the moment. Their only objective was to get into the safe and that's what they did.

"I told them no and the girl pushed past me and started ransacking through the apartment looking for whatever. The guy with the gun forced Luke and I into a corner of the room and he told me, if I tried to do anything he would shoot either me or my son." I can see her getting teary-eyed and for some reason without hearing the full story I believe her. She was just a pawn in Lina's game. She wasn't in on it at all.

"He told me that I was going to have to drive the girl to her house in my car and that if I went against anything that they said, he would kill us. They took my phone then he joined the girl in her searches before they went up to the bedroom leaving Luke and I alone. I considered taking that time to just run but I stayed over there by the television holding my son, and protecting him from the view of what was going on around us. I had to tell him he and I were going to be okay, and that none of the bad things were going to happen. I only wanted to protect my son Alice, I didn't mean for Hayden to get arrested."

"Were you there?"

"Yes, she made me call some guy named Officer Ben Rowen and tell him Hayden was there in her house. But unknowingly, I told him that he was only there because she broke into his house a little while before. Instead of saying anything about her breaking in he asked, 'did she get what she needed to get.' I hung up and tried to warn Hayden what was about to happen to him but she wouldn't let me near him.