Locked( Book 1)

Chapter 1

My name is Addison Rae Williams. I was a 26-year-old woman, with no boyfriend, 2 sisters, and a mom and dad who didn't come around very often. I had blonde hair and blue eyes. I had two sisters, Chloe Grace, 23 years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and Riley Jade, 20 years old, with red hair and blue eyes. The red hair came from our father. He had a lot of Irish in him. Riley was different from any of us. She was a tad more dressed down and often got dirty. I mean dirty. And she was more open-mouthed. Always saying things she shouldn't. We were all honest, but she was ruthless with everyone. We were all three years apart from the next. All are born within three months. My birthday was in April; Chloe's was in May, and Riley's was in June. All on the 15th. We had just celebrated not long ago. It was September, 2019. We were all born before 2000.

Our parents left Riley and Chloe on me when I was just 20 and out of school.  I had been working long and hard days at the most prominent law firm in Chicago, Illinois. I was fresh out of college, two years of law. I only went that long because I needed the credentials for getting hired. From there, I stayed in school because the firm paid for it. Mom and Dad didn't want to be burdened down. So, since Chloe was 17 and Riley was 14, I've been looking after them as their legal guardian.

Chloe was dating some guy named Noah and had been dating for a year. They went to school together until she graduated and got a job as a nurse assistant. Riley was still in school, currently getting a degree in Psychology. She wanted to be a child therapist. She was dating a guy named Matthew. They had been together for six months; they met in college. I focused on my job. It had always been a dream of mine to be a detective, but I had to go to school for at least five years. I finished college at the firm and graduated with a master's in Law and Legal Defense. I became a full-time attorney. Now, I live in a large two-story house with four rooms, two bathrooms, and a large pool out back, and Chloe decided to move her boyfriend into the home a couple of weeks ago.

Everything was going great for the moment. But I needed to go shopping. I was about to be celebrated as the youngest tier 1 attorney on the team. That was a huge deal. But I was down to earth, so I didn't want to go to extremes. Something simple would be better. I invited my sisters and their boyfriends to go with me to the mall to shop for the perfect outfit. I wanted to attend the celebration in a week. Although, being the center of attention was more Chloe's thing than mine. And Riley would agree.

"So, I'm thinking about asking Matt to stay the night with me Saturday," Riley said. Matt is what she called Matthew; he wasn't at the mall yet. He was meeting her.

"It's your choice, but you've only been dating six months. Have you told him how you feel about him recently," Chloe said. I didn't get into it. I let them talk among themselves. I kept getting the feeling something significant was going to take place. But I couldn't put my finger on it. It was a typical day, or it started that way.

"I mean, we've been dating long enough for me to know I love him. I've told him that much, and he has told me the same," Riley said, blushing.

"If that's the way you feel, then I say let him stay, I've seen him smile and look at you with such passion, it's always so romantic," Chloe said. Riley looked at me.

"Addison, are you awake," she asked. I snapped it out of my head for a moment.

"Yeah, sorry, I think that as long as you love each other, do what makes you both happy," I said. Just trying to say something. She grinned, not believing a word I said.

The girls went back to talking among themselves. It didn't take long for the subject to change, though. Then it became all about work and school. And somewhere in between. Until I stopped suddenly looking inside one of the store windows in the mall. The store was for dresses, casual and noncausal. This is where I needed to be. I grab Chloe, who is closer to me, and she grabs Riley, and we casually stroll inside. The girls were in awe of this place. It was every girl's dream.

Chloe and Riley both decided to try on a few dresses. Chloe had always been a girl. And I mean a princess. Riley wore simple one-color dresses because she was not as prissy. But lavender and mint complimented her. That reminds me, I needed to tell you that detail. Chloe was already wearing a sundress. It was baby blue and was ruffled at the sleeves. The shoes were 3-inch wedge heels that were cream-colored. Riley wore a pair of tighter blue Jean shorts and a cream-colored crop made to look like a tube top. And some converse. And I was wearing a pair of jeans, a white lace top and a blue/black blazer.

"This one is you," Riley said handing me a navy-colored dress it was loose enough to create comfort and tight enough to show my curves, knee length, and quarter sleeves, with little accents of silver and black on the dress itself.

"Ooh it's beautiful," I said, taking it from her. The tag was hiding, but I continued searching for it. Not that I was worried about the price. I had a pretty decent bank account. I found the tag. And there was a sale on it.

"Hey there's a sale on this dress, $250 originally now $150, I should try it on," I said Riley gave me a shove towards the dressing rooms. Chloe was still browsing. I hung the dress on the hook behind the door and began undressing and slipping the dress over my body. I pulled over my hips and zipped the dress up. And then I took a look at myself in the mirror. It was my size. And it looked so perfect.  I stepped out letting Riley see the dress and somehow Chloe made her way over before I came out. And both girls stood in amazement.

"Addison it's so beautiful and it looks amazing on you," Chloe said. Riley nods in agreement.

"It's perfect," I said smiling. Riley and Chloe stayed near while I changed back into my clothes. And then I checked out, and we left the store.

We met the boys at the food court. Matthew kissed Riley, and Noah wrapped Chloe up in a very passionate hug. I had never found  THE one. I guess I never really thought about it. I was always so caught up in work. That's all I had time for really.

"So, where are you girls going after lunch," Matthew asked. I looked at the girls and waited for them to respond.

"Well I need shoes for my dress, so you want to split up and go on your own for a while, you know, just two and two," I said. Referring to Matthew and Riley and Noah and Chloe. They looked at each other.

"Sure, I mean if you're okay going alone," Chloe says. I nod my head.

"Keep your phones on at all times and we will meet in Macy's in an hour," I said. They nod, even the boys.

I excused myself to the shoe store. I was okay being alone. I was used to it. If anything, I was better by myself than with a large group of people. But it would have been nice to have had someone there with me, maybe a boyfriend. I wasn't sure when I would ever find someone to share my life with.

Just as I was about to enter the shoe store, I accidentally bumped into someone. Not realizing I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings.  I looked up, apologizing to the guy. When he looked at me. He had a perfectly chiseled face, some facial hair cut so short it looked very mature, and brown hair, and brown eyes.

"I- I'm so sorry," I said. He grins at me and runs his finger through his hair.

"It's my fault I'm sorry," he said. I smile at him. He clears his throat and then nods and walks off. He was beautiful. And I swear it was like time stopped at that moment. But I was on a mission.

An hour into the shoe store, I was ready to go barefoot. I finally found some flats I loved that would go great with the dress. They were Black with silver tips. Beautiful. But I was ready to meet the girls and the boys and head out. So after I paid for everything, I left the shoe store. I arrived at Macy's at 12:58. And if I had known what was going to happen in two minutes, I would have never walked in.

Macy's had an exit door, to the side. You could take it if a fire was happening. Or if you needed to escape. But what it was used for, was just the icing on the bitter cake. The moment my sisters and their boyfriends walk through and spot me, they gather with me. And that's when things go south. 4 guys in ski masks walk through the door with assault rifles and begin yelling, "EVERYONE ON THE GROUND."  I looked at my sisters and the boys, and we were close to the exit door.

"Listen up and no one gets hurt," one of them says. Looking straight at us.

"You," he said, and the next one speaks in his earpiece, "targets acquired."