End of Taking

By Benjamin Burke

You can only walk your own path for so long before fate pulls you in. Jason Haine quickly learns that no matter what he does or who he sees, someone else always has a plan for him... A plan that he can't escape.

Along the way, he finds himself caught between the truth and lies forged amongst his friends and enemies. It's only a matter of time before he's forced to make crucial decisions that will secure the safety of his family, friends and... Himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Oct 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543952179

Book preview

© 2018 Benjamin Burke All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. ISBN 978-1-54395-216-2 eBook 978-1-54395-217-9

Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 1

I often compare people to nature. People are selfish from the moment they’re born and have the innate need to survive and satisfy their cravings, even if it means hurting or taking from others. Nature, on the other hand, is a constant companion, free of deceit. It won’t intentionally take from you.

My name is Jason Haine. My home lies in a wooded area near a lake. It’s about 25 miles outside the city of Chicago, where I commute to and from work. Almost every night, I jog alongside the lake hoping to find peace and closure from my chaotic days. The serenity outweighs all of the bullshit in the real world.

I took over my parent’s business about ten years ago. Without going into details, I’m the President of a large company with a lot of power. You would think I’m content with this stature, but I’m missing something. I need and desire someone to share my experiences with. Every night, in the depth of my jog, I dream of meeting that person. Little did I know, I would potentially meet her while I was on my jog.

It was a clear night. There was a gentle breeze in the air and the stars were shining bright. I started my jog and made my way toward the lake. As I took my normal break for water, I heard footsteps coming towards me.

Come here often? A woman’s voice said through the gust of the wind.

Fuck! You scared the shit out of me. I exclaimed. I couldn’t yet make out a face, so I remained in defense mode. Any noise I heard in the middle of night, especially alone, I immediately assumed I was going to be murdered. Doesn’t everybody? After my heart came back into my chest, I began to make out a figure. It was a figure I didn’t expect to see. Wow. I mean hello. I mean… I couldn’t make out my words.

I’m so sorry! She said with a nervous giggle. I was trying to be funny, but it backfired.

Oh, no it’s fine, I was just startled. I replied trying not to act like a nervous school girl.

Startled? More like pee your pants scared. She responded with sarcastic laughter.

As our awkward introduction progressed, I was confused, yet very intrigued. I was confused that I actually ran into someone and intrigued that it happened to be a beautiful woman. She had amber colored hair, piercing green eyes and a seductive beauty to her.

She extended her right hand to me and said, My name is Emidra, but you can call me Emma.

Emidra, that’s beautiful. Nice to meet you Emma, my name is Jason. I said as I shook her soft hand. I felt weak in the knees as our hands touched. These feelings were new to me, especially the amount of intensity behind them. It may have been the nerves, but whatever it was, I enjoyed it. Can I ask what you’re doing out here with the sun down? Do you have a weapon with you? I asked nervously.

Maybe. Just kidding. Well, not really. I always have mase in my purse though. She replied as she motioned towards her purse. I like walking in the dark. I figured if it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go.

I agree. It’s my favorite time of the day. Let’s just hope it’s not your time to go. I said as I gave her my charming side of the mouth smile. In this moment, I’m pulling out all of my tricks. She made me nervous, which I liked. Let me show you something. I took her hand and led her towards the lake.

Umm, I’m not su… She began saying reluctantly.

Oh c’mon, you can trust me. I interrupted before she could finish. We made our way down the path to my favorite bench.

I always compared my relationships, or lack thereof, to my parent’s amazing relationship. They were everything I strived to be and more. Unfortunately, they were both killed in a car accident a little over ten years ago. It was a very devastating time in my life. This is the main reason why I like to keep to myself. If I ever met someone, she would need to be very special to stick around.

There was a calm about Emma that made me feel instantly comfortable around her. Her eyes, charming smiles and soothing voice were all paralyzing... In this moment with her, nothing else mattered. We spent hours talking. There wasn’t anything specific we talked about, which was fine. Besides our awkward introduction, everything flowed. She was smart, witty and kind. I was immediately infatuated by her and could only hope she felt the same about me.

Before we knew it, we were hours into our conversation. Oh my gosh, it’s 1:30 in the morning, Emma said as she started to stand up. The look on her face made me believe she didn’t want to leave. There was a mystery to her that made me want to learn every single thing about her.

Why don’t you come back to my place? I live about a mile up the path. Before I could say anything else, she leaned over and kissed me. A kiss that had a lot of emotion behind it. I felt electricity throughout my entire body, I was weak. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to kiss her.

She dug her fingers into my back as we continued to kiss. It didn’t matter that we were outside in the dead of night. Nothing mattered. She started walking closer to the lake as she looked back at me. She began to undress. At this point, I didn’t have any thoughts, only feelings. I started towards her as she looked at me and said, Why are your clothes still on?

We spent the night exploring each other’s bodies. This wasn’t just sex. This was an eclectic mix of feelings and emotions. The perfect combination, as if our bodies and minds were meant to be together. Everything felt right. It was breathtaking.

I woke up the next morning wondering if it was all a dream. Did I just spend the night of my life with the woman I’ve been yearning for? It was real, but she was gone. She left without saying goodbye. I couldn’t help but believe I would never see her again. I was floating on an emotional high, but also wondering what the fuck just happened.

After putting together my bed and regaining a bit of reality, I made my way to the bathroom to find words written on the mirror. They read, THANK YOU. LOVE, EMMA, with a heart next to her name. I’m glad she left me with something, but what did it mean? Before I washed it off my mirror, I took a picture with my phone. I needed something to remind me of her. She left an impression on me. I wanted more.

I got dressed, hopped in my car and started my travel to work. Moments into my drive, my phone rang. How come it always takes you so fucking long to pickup your phone? Caleb blurted before I even had a chance to say hello. Caleb’s my best friend. He’s very loud and swears a lot, but means well.

I’m driving asshole. You know I enjoy listening to my music loud. I replied. What’s up?

I wanted to see if you were up to grabbing some drinks later. I feel like we haven’t seen each other in a while. He answered in a sad puppy voice.

I just saw you two days ago goof, but yeah I’m in. I’ve got to tell you about this girl I met but I’ll call you later.

Oooooooo, a girl? Sounds good, don’t work too hard! Drinks at two! Caleb teased as he hung up the phone.

I have a very small circle of people in my life. I keep it that way because I believe too many relationships cause too much drama. Caleb’s been in my life for years. He was there for me through my parent’s death and I can always lean on him when I need someone. If you looked at my call history, you would see a bunch of calls to him, my sister Rachel and the local pizza place.

Before Caleb called, I was in the middle of my morning routine. Every morning, I drive to my office in the city. Depending on the weather, I enjoy driving with the windows down and the music loud. It helps me relax. I have a parking spot next to an elevator that leads to my office and a little coffee shop where I always stop first.

Good morning Sarah, can I get the usual? I politely asked Sarah, the manager of the coffee shop. Sarah has worked at the coffee shop for as long as I can remember. If I don’t see her smiling face every morning, it throws things off. I’m a creature of habit, if you haven’t noticed yet.

Sure thing, J. Sarah replied with a smile. J is her nickname for me. I think it’s cute, so I just go with it. There was a brief period of time where we went on a few dates together. We mutually decided that we were better off as friends. From time to time, we make jokes about it.

Thank you, see you soon! I said as I grabbed my coffee, headed to the elevator and made my way up to my office.

Each time I walk into my office, I’m usually greeted with some hellos, the agenda for the day and anything urgent I need to address. I’m a pretty laid back boss, unless things need to be done. With a team as strong as ours, things run pretty smoothly. I have an assistant named Gretchen who tells me everything. If there’s any bullshit in the office, she makes sure I find out right away. Mike, my right hand man, does all of the traveling and overseas business. I don’t like airplanes. If I were to give anyone the reigns, Mike would be the guy. Last, there’s Paul, my money guy. He knows each and every penny that is earned through our business. My parents hired Paul, so he’s been here from the beginning. We have hundreds of employees, but without these three, I would be lost.

My parent’s started this business about 25 years ago. Without going into too many details, we are one of the largest marketing firms in the world. I am blessed beyond words to be able to carry on the family business. This job means the world to me, not only because my parents created it, but because it provides thousands of jobs to people as well. To say I’m grateful would be an understatement.

Once I make sure everything’s running efficiently at the office, I usually grab a drink somewhere, either by myself or with Caleb. This evening I’m meeting Caleb of course. As I was on my way out, Gretchen had something to show me.

Hey, do you know an Alison? she asked with a concerned tone.

No, I don’t think so. Why, what’s up? I answered as I walked towards her.

Well, I was going through your emails as I normally do and I came across a rather interesting one. You may want to take a seat and read it.

Hi Jason. Things are about to change.

I would be very careful from here on out.

Every single movement you make, we will be watching.

This is not a joke.

See you soon, Alison

After staring at the email for a few minutes, I looked at Gretchen and said, I honestly have no idea who this is. The only Alison I can remember is my sister Rachel’s friend from high school. I was confused to say the least.

"Don’t look at me. I’m just the messenger. I will keep an eye out