after he’d made an example a few years ago of the guy who’d managed to corner me and get his hand up my shirt. The swift brutality of his response had been enough to keep me safe ever since.
“I have my own room, Brooklyn,” he said again, dark eyes flashing at me. “But I also have strict orders to never let you out of my sight.”
The car was moving now, and I had no idea who was driving or where we were going because the privacy screen was up, cutting us off.
“Don’t make me tell Blake that you touched me inappropriately,” I said softly, playing my one card. “I can be very convincing.”
The small smile I shot back was filled with mocking confidence. I was a damned good actor these days. “Is it worth the risk? All I’m asking is that you do your job without coming too close to me. And you will never be in my room or bathroom at any time. Period.”
His silence said everything. He was not going to agree to my terms, but he was at least thinking about it. That was the best I could hope for.
The rest of the drive was silent, and I tried not to dwell on the fact that I was heading toward another unknown place at the mercy of men who wanted nothing more than to dominate and hurt me. Blake wouldn't have sent me here if he didn’t think they were going to make my life difficult. But just like everything else, I would figure out a way to survive.
It took about forty minutes before the car began to slow, and Jonnie lifted his head from his phone. He’d been texting nonstop; a blessing as it kept him away from me.
When we came to a stop, I stepped out. The sun beat down on us, but there was a chill in the air that hadn’t been around at a lower elevation. I’d felt us come up a mountain earlier, and we were now surrounded by pine trees.
There were a multitude of smells, including bark and vanilla along with moss and conifer trees. At this point, while I took in the majestic beauty of nature around us, the driver dumped two backpacks at my feet. He drove off a moment later, leaving me with Jonnie.
“Where is the camp?” I asked. As amazing as it was here, there was no sign of civilized life at all, just a bunch of trees, some grass, and the sounds of nature.
“We have to walk,” Jonnie said, not sounding happy about it.
At that point, I was grateful I’d opted for simple clothes because his suit—equipped with a red skinny tie—and Italian loafers were not going to be the most comfortable hiking outfit. He did have a detailed map to follow, so with my two bags hauled over my shoulders, I snatched the map from his hands and started off, a grumbling Jonnie behind me.
Thirty minutes later, we finally found the camp.
Or, at least, I hoped this was the camp. A dozen huts nestled into the side of the mountain, and if I hadn’t been desperately searching for them, I might have missed the site altogether. The buildings were made from logs of the same color as most of the trees surrounding them, and they definitely looked worse for wear.
“Damn, hope they have better quarters for me,” Jonnie grumbled. The dude had literally not stopped whining the entire fucking way.
“They’re nicer on the inside,” a voice said from behind us, and I swung around, almost smashing Jonnie with my bag.
An auburn-haired guy stood on a large boulder. He had nice, broad shoulders, was a few inches taller than Jonnie’s five-foot-eleven, and was dressed in army camo. With his military haircut and hard eyes, it was clear that he had seen some serious shit in the world and had not escaped unscathed.
“Who are you?” Jonnie sneered.
The guy didn't even bother to acknowledge Jonnie; instead, he addressed me. “My name is Matthew Broder, and I’m second-in-charge of Colorado Discipline camp. Since we only have one female on the roster for this intake, I’m going to assume you’re Brooklyn Lawson.”
I nodded, and Jonnie scoffed, expression pissed off. Blake’s men were not used to being ignored. Seemed that here, their celebrity was lost.
“Follow me,” Matthew said. “I’ll show you to your cabin. Usually it’s a shared situation, but we had a last-minute cancellation, so you’ll be alone.”