“You have to be punished for your actions,” he goes on to tell me. I sit back in my chair, stretch out my legs and cross them at the ankles. I fold my arms over my chest defiantly.
“So send me home,” I challenge. Monty shakes his head.
“I won’t do that,” he tells me. “Many students have done worse than you and I’ve not kicked them out. In fact, I’ve never kicked any student out. I don’t intend to start with my daughter.”
I do not like the way he calls me his daughter. My anger rises to the surface again.
“Besides,” he continues. “There are harsher punishments I can dole out, than sending you home.”
“Like what?” I challenge.
“Like holding you back a year...indefinitely...and making it so that you never leave. I’m pretty sure if you’re a flight risk, I have grounds to confiscate your passport too.”
A sick sense of dread fills me and I make a mental note to hide my passport as soon as I get back to my room. Oh God, what if he’s already taken it? I need to get out of here.
“You can’t do that!” I cry.
“I can. I don’twantto. But if Ihaveto...I will.”
“Please don’t. I won’t do it again. I promise. What’s my punishment, Sir?” I bow my head, put in my place. Acting the part of a truly remorseful good little student.
“You’re in detention. And as your headmaster, I have had to alert your mother. Expect further punishment at home too.”
“Are you going to tell her what I wrote?”
“No. But not as a favour to you. I don’t want to hurt Laura. And this would devastate her. She’s done nothing but try to get to know you since you got here, and despite your assurances to me that you would at least try, you’ve done nothing but throw it back in her face at every turn.”
That isnottrue. Since I arrived Laura has done nothing but try to control and manipulate me. I say nothing.
Monty’s phone buzzes and he looks down at his message.
“Ah. That’s your mother now. She’s very disappointed in you and agrees with your punishment. I am sorry, Amelie, but we are cancelling your family’s visit at Christmas.”
Tears prick my eyes but I don’t argue.
“Can I earn it back?” I ask quietly.
“No,” Monty tells me sadly, looking at me with pity. “There has to be consequences to your actions. I really am sorry that it had to come to this, Amelie.” He looks like he means it. Swallowing the huge lump in my throat, I simply nod my understanding.
“May I leave please?”
“Yes. I would like you to go back to your room for the rest of the day and stay there. I will have meals sent up to you. I think a period of reflection would be beneficial right now. Please report for detention with Mr Knox on Saturday morning. I believe you know the drill.”
I nod again and get to my feet. I’m not acting when the tears fall for the second time today. I race along the corridor and back to my room, heartbroken.
Prisoner.
Chapter Thirty
Baxter
Monty is fucking braindead if he thinks I’m clueless as to why Amelie is here; he fucking drafted me to his cause. All throughout my first year the guy tried to bribe me to do what he wanted, and like an idiot, I fell for his empty promises. He recruited me alongside his own kids, and suddenly I was part of the ‘family’ - tattoo and all. He knew exactly what buttons to press; knew that I was craving that feeling of belonging somewhere. But I won’t conform to anybody; I’d rather be in prison or worse...anything would be better than what he tried to make me do.
Second year he resorted to more physical threats to try to get me back after I walked away, but this year we have reached an understanding: I’ll be his bitch, but I refuse to join them again.
Instead, he gives me some shitty jobs, but that’s as far as it goes. Even though he always presses for more. Problem is, Monty needs to remember why he wanted me here in the first place: there is no information I can’t find, and being invisiblewhen I need to be, helps my cause. Monty wants to use my skill set, but he forgets that I can turn those skills on him too.
Amelie is special and he knows it, her bloodline alone is valuable to him and I’ll be fucked if I let that kind of power fall into Monty’s hands. He had that kind of power when he was married to Maggie, but not anymore, his hands are tied without her.
