Free Green Broke Woman by Zoey Marcel

Kayla hurried up the stairs into
Beck's office, looking for that nightmarish tape of her that he'd made. Seeing
the correct date on it, she grabbed the video and dashed into Beck's room for
her purse.
    She glanced up at herself in the mirror. Her
long ginger curls fell to her breasts, but they did nothing to conceal the
suffocation-inducing depths of her cleavage. Regardless, she probably didn't
have time to change.
    She stuffed some baby blue pajamas into her
purse. Maybe she had to time to grab a few things.
    Fear told her otherwise. Best to get the hell
out of there and get new stuff later. She slipped on some black strappy high
heels and then tiptoed down the stairs.
    The butler, Ralph, appeared surprised to see
her leaving alone. “Isn't Slade going with you, Miss Sanders?”
    “You mean Beck didn't tell you? I'm being put
on probation. This bracelet has a tracking device in it, that way I can get out
and have a little freedom, but he'll still be able to keep an eye on me.” She
tried to feign courage beneath the butler's confused scrutiny. “Slade wanted
the day off.”
    Ralph eyed her long and hard, acting
perplexed and uncertain.
    “Call Beck and ask him if you don't believe
me. He probably won't be happy that you disturbed him, but if you feel you need
to check—”
    “No. I believe you. Where will you be going?”
    “Just out for some shopping. Beck gave me some money to spend.”
    “Let me see your wallet.”
    She handed it to him impatiently. “My license
isn't in there. He has it.”
    Ralph handed the wallet back to her. “In that
case, have a good time, miss.”
    “Thanks. I will.”
    Kayla left quickly, trying to act inconspicuous.
She took a bus to the police station, hoping Beck didn't have people watching.
She couldn’t believe she’d made it out the door. Her twelve weeks of misery
were finally over.
    ****
    Kayla sat nervously at Bruce Callaghan's desk
after giving him a quick rundown of her story. He looked vaguely familiar.
Where had she seen him before? She even knew his voice from somewhere.
    Bruce stroked his chin, seeming bothered
about something. “That's quite an allegation, Miss Sanders. Do you have any
proof?”
    “Yeah, right here.”
    His face perked with interest and mild
astonishment when she reached into her purse and pulled out a video.
    “There were a bunch of others, but he keeps
them locked in a vault. I don't know the combination. This was one he made
recently.”
    “What's on it?”
    She squirmed in her seat, withdrawing her
focus from him. Humiliation burned in her cheeks. “Proof of what they did to
me.”
    “They?”
    She nodded uncomfortably, wishing she wasn't
dressed like a frigging prostitute. Beck Hammond always made her dress that
way. “Beck, Slade, and this other guy. I don't know
his name. He wore a mask and a uniform.”
    Bruce's countenance shadowed with caution.
“What kind of uniform?”
    “It was too dark to tell. I think it was a
cop uniform.”
    He sat back in his seat and folded his arms.
“I see. I think you'd better give me that tape so I can show it to the higher-ups.
They're in a meeting right now, but I'll be sure and give it to them
afterward.”
    She handed the tape to him, feeling relief
wash over her, though her hands shook with adrenaline. “You guys will protect
me from them, right?”
    He stuffed the tape into a drawer in his
desk. “Of course we'll protect you, sweetheart. You just do exactly what we say
and no harm will come to you.”
    She smiled weakly, feeling unsettled by the
familiar words. “Okay.”
    “Now you just sit right there while I make a
quick phone call. Everything is going to be all right now.” Bruce pulled out
his cell phone and walked around the corner.
    Kayla racked her brain trying to figure out
where she'd seen his face before and why those words sounded so familiar to
her. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. A masked stranger had promised her
protection once if she obeyed. He was one of Beck’s vile