It could only have come from one person, and I don’t owe that asshole anything. If anything, he owes me. I’m stuck here doing community service while he’s running free. But that’s not how he sees it.
I bring my focus back to Tyler. We agreed not to tell each other where we were. The less we know, the better.
I just need to know he’s safe. He’s out, and he’s got work.
I start a reply to him.
Hey bro!
I hover over the letters on my phone. What can I tell him? That I’m stuck in a hostel with other minor offenders, that one of them scares the hell out of me, that I’m getting threatening texts.
I can’t tell him any of that.
My new boss is some kind of army sergeant.
I close my eyes, thinking about Hudson’s warm hand in mine and the sparks that shot up my body.
You seem like you need a good spanking.
Heat flares in my veins, and I catch my breath. I can’t tell my brother any of this.
He’s so uptight, I can’t help but mess with him. Reminds me of school.
Love you
Willow
I’m smiling as I set the phone down on the bedside table. Hopefully, I can make my brother laugh, and hopefully he stays out of trouble.
Janelle’s already snoring softly, so I change quietly and slide under the covers. I’m almost asleep when my phone buzzes.
It’s a message from an unknown number.
One more drop and we’ll call it even.
An icy fear grips my heart, and I sit up in bed, suddenly wide awake. My phone shakes in my trembling fingers as I stare at the message.
They have my number, but they don’t know where I am, I remind myself.
They can threaten me all they like, but they don’t know where I am. I just need to get through this community service, then I can find my brother, and we can both settle somewhere far, far away.
I will not let their threats derail me.
With trembling fingers, I set my phone to silent and slide it under the pillow. But sleep takes a long time to come.
4
HUDSON
It’s five minutes past nine, and men and women in overalls buzz around me, hauling paint and bringing up the supplies they’ll need for today’s tasks.
The fence needs a second coat to withstand the mountain weather. And there’s a layer of mulch to go around the trees.
I flip the page over on my clipboard to the names of the crew, but I don’t need to take roll call to know who’s missing.
I purse my lips and glance around in case I’ve missed her. But there’s no sign of the mouthy brunette with the paint-stained overalls. It’s the third time she’s been late this week.
“She thinks the rules don’t apply to her,” I mutter as I stride down the path to the parking lot. I round the corner and stop in my tracks.
