“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.”
He finally shot Jonnie a look. “You’ll stay in the staff bunk, which is another quarter of a mile that way.” He pointed along a path. “Stay there and out of my way.”
When Jonnie opened his big mouth to argue, Matthew’s hand shot out and wrapped around his ratty throat. “Argue with me, and you’ll be gone,” he whispered, leaning in close, fingers tight enough that red appeared on Jonnie’s cheeks.
As soon as he released the rat, he walked on like nothing had happened.
My heart hammered in my chest hard and fast as fight-or-flight kicked in. That was not normal. What the fuck had just happened?
Jonnie, who was gasping for breath and swearing between choking coughs, remained behind as I took off after Matthew.
“What exactly does this camp teach?” I asked the guide, keeping half an eye on Jonnie, thankful he still hadn’t moved to follow. “I was signed up for this by my brother, and I have no real idea what to expect.”
Matthew stopped his frantic march, and I briefly wondered why, then noticed the raised cabin. My cabin I was guessing. “This camp is designed to teach you respect and survival and equip you with a ton of useful skills to help you step forward in the world. We have strict rules, we will throw situations at you that you’ve never encountered before, and at times you’ll probably wish you’d never been born. But you should finish the two-month program as a better and more well-rounded person than the Brooklyn Lawson standing before me.”
His eyes were hard again, and that in no way reassured me of my ability to survive this camp. Jonnie, who had finally arrived, huffed, and Matthew ignored him, moving gracefully up the entry stairs. His movements were almost like a dance, and unlike Blake, his muscles were not these huge displays of power. Instead they were strong and lithe, as if he could climb mountains all day and not get remotely fatigued.
Once we were standing inside the pretty basic room, Matthew waved his hand. “This is your private area. Normally campers are required to room with strangers, but we had a cancellation and you’re getting special treatment." He didn’t sound particularly happy about that.
"Sorry. My brother can be a little forceful," I said quickly.
Matthew shrugged. "Rich people always are. I’m being unfair anyway. Your brother is not the only reason you're on your own. One female in a camp of men… It was an easy decision to make."
Thank fuck for that. It made me wonder why the fuck Blake had sent me here in the first place, though. Then again, he’d been getting more and more unstable and unpredictable by the day. Maybe he got the brochure mixed up with some all girls finishing school.
“Come on, James,” he said to Jonnie. “I’ll show you to the piece-of-shit bed that you can call your own.”
Jonnie opened his mouth to protest but shut it again when Matthew got that look on his face again—the same one he’d had when he wrapped his hand around Jonnie’s throat.
"Uh, when do you need me to show up?" I called as he headed for the door.
He didn't stop or turn back. "We'll wake you. Sleep with one eye open."
Well, great. Just fucking great.
He was gone then, and Jonnie took an extra second to sneer at me. "Don't take the fucking bracelet off," he snapped, clearly unhappy.
