Page 74 of Wayward

The door clicks shut, and a small window in front of the car slides open. Holloway’s face fills the opening. “Remember your promise,” he says.

Then the window clicks shut again. I reach across and take Zane’s hand. The guys are all staring at him too.

“I don’t know what the hell you expect me to do,” Zane mutters. “Just because we’re in Britain doesn’t mean I have any answers.” His tone is sharp. It’s surprising—but I get it.

We’re all on edge. And Zane has to be even more so, being this close to his family.

Sam knocks on the window.

Holloway opens it again. “What?”

“How long before we get to where we’re going?” Sam asks.

“Not that it should matter to you, but a little over an hour. Surreyham,” Holloway says.

“Posh,” Zane mutters under his breath. He lifts his head. “But I suppose that’s their brand.” He glares at Holloway, who shuts the window.

The windows are tinted dark, but when we pull through the gate of the walled yard, I’m blown away. It’s a castle. Well, not a castle but a chateau. A nice primary in the south of France explained the difference to me. Castles are fortified and usually built before the 15th century, while chateaus are grand manors with no fortifications. Still, I can’t help wondering, “You think there’s a dungeon in there?”

“Not the kind of dungeon I want to take you to, Sassy.”

“Dante!” I playfully smack the side of his knee.

“Don’t make me take you over this knee.” He grabs my hand before I can snatch it away and holds it there. The car stops, and we’re escorted out onto the driveway of crushed gravel under a very un-British clear night. Behind us, the light pollution of London glows in the sky, but beyond the chateau, stars dance, not a cloud to be seen.

“This way.” Holloway holds up his arm and points us away from the main entrance. We go beneath a rose archway to a smaller side entrance, and the path wanders between two stone lions standing guard on either side of it. Ivy trails up the side of the bricks.

The thick door we walk through has iron strapping on it. The floor inside is terracotta. There’s a small flight of stairs to our right, and next to the entrance there are two sets of garden boots, one pair considerably larger than the other.

“Up you go.” Holloway stands at the bottom of the stairs. Collins leads Dante, followed by Easton and then me.

Collins stops halfway down the red carpeted hallway. “You’re all in here.” He points to his right. There’s a massive tapestry bed in the middle. “There’s one bed, but you’ll figure it out.” He closes the door behind Sam, and it locks with a thud.

There’s an attached bathroom. I’m busy looking around the room while Calvin’s trying to open the windows. “They’re nailed shut.”

“We gave him two weeks,” Sam says.

“You don’t expect us to follow his rules?” Easton raises his eyebrows.

“Let’s regroup in the morning.” Sam slaps Easton on the back.

“I could sleep for a week,” I say, salivating over the bed. It looks as soft as a cloud. I pool plunge onto the mattress, and it puffs up around me. Rolling to my side, I close my eyes.

There’s a pounding on the door, and Holloway walks in. “A couple things.” He’s holding a bunch of straps in his hand.

“Those are the things?” Dante asks.

“Ankle monitors. You have free range of the house. Don’t leave the walled gardens or we’ll know.” Holloway slaps them on us, one each. I hold out my good ankle for him. He looks up at me as he finishes attaching the strap. My other ankle is still visibly swollen and wrapped in the bandage. “I have someone who can look at that if you like?”

I’m about to tell him no, I’m fine. But for when we’re released, I should make sure it’s not going to slow us down. “Sure, that would be great.”

“The sofa pulls out; do what you want. Just don’t be loud about it.” Holloway pulls the door shut.

“Sleep, that’s what I want,” I say.

“And that’s what you shall have, my lady.” Zane pulls down the duvet for me.

I wake, and only Zane is in the room. “Hey Little Bird.”