Bonus #6: The Play

**

Ruby.

"Last step. Just jump. I will catch you."

I whisper to Elle, who throws her little arms around my shoulders as she takes her leap of faith gracefully.

"Good girl."

I praise her quickly before placing her on the ground and holding her hand so we can run across the empty street.

It was not in any of my plans to use the window at one a.m., essentially alerting my little sister, Elle, of something going wrong, but I had no choice; Dominic had his men surround my apartment, so if I stayed, I would be forced to sleep with men, now that I have been injected contraceptives on his coin already.

After helping Elle in the car waiting for us, I hop in the passenger seat before Wanda drives off.

“Thanks, Wanda.”

I utter finally as we enter the main road.

“Baby, this is stupid; you know Dom will never let you go.”

"He will if you seduce him for me. "

I utter softly, and her light and refreshing laugh lighten the mood in the car.

“Open the glove box.”

I do as she asks, but inside is nothing but a fat envelope sitting on a box of tissues.

"It's not much, but it should help you get started."

“Oh no, Wanda, I can’t take this from you.”

My attempt to return it to her is met with a stern head shake.

"You have a child to take care of. Unless you want to include the baby in the back seat in your struggle for financial freedom, then I suggest you take it."

There is nothing more I can contemplate or debate; Dominic took my savings as ‘compensation’ for the loss I cost him—go figure, so the only money I have is that which I cashed a few days earlier for Elle’s birthday.

“Thank you."

Her smile is all the response I get as the car’s lull takes over persistently until we arrive at the bus stop.

Our goodbyes are curt; who knows how many of Dominic's men know of my absence by now?

The bus is as full as any nighttime bus, meaning it only holds three passengers aside from Elle and me, all seated on opposite ends of the bus minding their business, yet despite the lack of interest, the TV on the bus remains on but muted.

After strapping Elle and myself in, I take in a deep breath and settle in the chair.

I will be free in just a few minutes.

The bus’s movement calms me in reaffirming my ‘free’ thoughts, but as if the gods have more in store regarding humour, footage of Dominic’s club appears on the muted screen.

What the-

“Hey, isn’t that her?”

“Yeah, that’s the girl on TV.”

My hand immediately lifts my jacket's hoodie as the whispers grow louder.

Confusion, rage and fear rack my body as I search for a suitable explanation for my image on the screen, and soon the words ‘Stole two hundred million and eight hundred thousand from Billionaire Adrian Knox' float beneath my image, saving my effort in searching for a reason.

“That crazy psychopath.”

I mutter, and to my surprise, the car halts suddenly as if Adrain had heard my insult from where he was.

For a moment, I consider slipping out through the window, but again, that sort of neurotic behaviour will only affect Elle, so I stay put, even as the blue and red lights engulf the streetlights and the officers flood in one by one, inspecting the bus’s passengers as if they had been tipped off.

“Ma’am, you’re going to need to come with us.”

One of the officers utter as they shine their flashlight rudely on my face.

Fuck.

“You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and will be held against you…”

**

“Elle, is she okay?”

I ask as soon as light reaches my private cell, meaning the door has been opened.

“The child you were with?”

A deep voice asks, making my hair stand on its ends.

“You.”

“I prefer Adrian; after all, you and I will get really close in the coming months.”

“I never stole from you!”

“Well, your boyfriend forced my hand, I mean, details, details, details, he surrendered your contract so that he wouldn't end up in jail, and to my surprise, you wanted to run away from your new debtor? We can’t have that, now can we, Ruby.”

A frown must have crossed my face, for his smile widened.

“Don’t look at me like that, Ruby. Deep down, you must have known that I wouldn’t let you slip from my fingers a second time.”

“You psycho! Where is Elle?”

“At my mansion, she likes it there.”

“You crazy bastard, what did I ever do to you?”

“Isn't that obvious? You ignored me.”

“What?”

His phone rings, interrupting the silence my question elicits.

He holds up a finger as if asking me to wait for him to take the call.

Is he serious?

A devilish smile lifts his lips before he turns to walk towards the exit.

“Wait! Where are you-”

The sound of the door slamming shut echoes, leaving me staring at the ghost of where he stood.

“‘I ignored you?’ Are you...are you freaking kidding me? Is that a reason to have someone locked up?”

My hands bang against the cold bars because he single-handedly destroyed any chance I had at being hired in a corporate job, because who in their right mind would take a chance on a 'thief'?

How the hell do these bastards expect me to pay my debts if I can't get hired, or is that the point?

                                                                                                                 <End of Bonus Story>