Protect and Correct by Breanna Hayse Page A

faxed a copy of the fraudulent will as proof, expressing frustration that the ex was being an asshole in refusing to release the belongings to her. The nosey neighbor eagerly agreed to assist, expressing how disrespectful the ex had been to the memory of his deceased wife by bringing other women into her home. Brooke tried to ignore the feeling of betrayal. After all, she was dead to him and had also allowed another man to have her in the way her own husband had not. Not that it had been her fault, but still…
    A moving crew was immediately arranged to pick up the items after the ex had left for work the following morning. She had sent the old lady the description of where she had hidden a spare key along with a copy of the will. The movers were also given a copy, along with a specific listing of the items for pickup. To complete the appearance of legitimacy, she included detailed descriptions of each item and false copies of purchase receipts that listed her former name. She also made certain that no return address or contact information for the false beneficiary was listed. Except for the final delivery, a process that took four different storage sites and five different movers, the ex had no evident paper trail or any means to locate her.
    Brooke was pleased with the cleverness she demonstrated in obtaining her belongings and with the knowledge that her ex would be without the comfort of a fully furnished home. She felt positively giddy as she watched the house take on a whole new warmth as each piece of furniture was revealed.
    “Is that the bed frame?” Collin asked.
    Brooke nodded. “Hand-carved four poster. Beautiful, huh?”
    “Yeah… where did you find this stuff, Brooke? It looks hand made.”
    “It is! Amish country. The best in the world in my opinion. I fell in love with this design when I lived in Harrisburg and have always wanted a chance to decorate in this style.”
    Collin looked at her with a frown. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    “I have no idea what you are talking about. There is a nice leather couch that would go great in your office. Would you be willing to put your ugly couch in the basement? I also need some help in unwrapping the dishes.”
    Brooke glanced nervously over her shoulder as Collin stood, arms crossed, and stared at her. She reminded herself that part of his secret powers was to elicit a confession by pretending he knew something he did not. She forced a smile and hummed happily as she rubbed orange oil into the wood grain, pretending that the glower from across the room was directed towards a lone spider and not at her.
    After the movers had left, Brooke ran upstairs to arrange the bedroom. The bed frame had been reassembled and placed where they had put their mattress. Brooke toppled on top of the freshly made bed and closed her eyes, content at last.
    “What?” She yelped as Collin snagged her wrist and deftly tied it to one of the posters. “Hey, we have things to do.”
    “Oh, I intend to do a lot of things to you in this bed. Starting with getting a confession. You are up to something, young lady,” Collin said, tying her other wrist to the opposite side.
    “The only thing I have to confess is that I am liking this kinky side of you,” Brooke giggled.
    Collin grunted, reaching for her ankles after tugging her jeans from her body. “You are supposed to be concerned, not excited. Betcha didn’t have this in mind when you bought this bed.”
    “Wanna put money on that?” Brooke snickered.
    Collin issued a crooked smile as he stood to survey his work. “Trust me?” he asked, twirling some hemp rope in his hand.
    Brooke lifted her head off the mattress. “Do I have much of a choice?”
    “You always have a choice when it comes to play. Just promise me that you will speak up if anything becomes too much for you. I am also concerned about flashbacks…”
    “I promise. Don’t worry, okay?”
    Collin grinned as he secured her ankles to the lower posters,