Page 108 of Last Chance Love

“Yes, I can,” Mona said, glancing over her shoulder to where Mr. Isaiah stood. “As second in command, and with Garrett standing right here, I have a say in whatever I do or don’t do while managing the program. And I have the right to detain a program member when they’re…whenever I feel it’s necessary.”

“You…” Leon began, but I squeezed hard on his shoulder to cut him off. “What?”

“If you try to stop them, you’re just going to get into an entire mess,” I said, now knowing the danger that surrounded me. Dane and Max were here as temporary muscle in case things got physical, though I didn’t miss the reappearance of the pistol holster on Mona’s hip. Clearly, she wanted this to go peacefully, and if not, Max and Dane could contain it, and if not, well, that was a lot messier.

“Mona isn’t going to start throwing around her authority for no good reason,” I told him, giving another gentler squeeze on his shoulder. “Don’t.”

“You didn’t do anything,” Leon insisted. “I know you didn’t.”

“Well, clearly, they seem to think I did. Otherwise, Mona wouldn’t have summoned her goon squad,” I said, watching as Dane winced and Max pulled his eyes away, looking anywhere but at us. I had already suspected Dane was unhappy with his conscription, but from that small act alone, I guessed he wasn’t alone. “Just…let’s go quietly. Where am I going?”

“The detainment cells,” she answered curtly, and I felt my heart sink. It wasn’t a surprise; I had fully expected that to be her answer when I realized how seriously this was being treated. On the other hand, I’d hoped we would be going to one of their offices instead.

Now, I knew the stakes. The detainment cells were a source of fear for guys in the program, as it meant, without fail, that anyone sent to them was bombing out of the program. I didn’t know what arrangements the ranch had with the prisons we came from, but it was in those cells where you waited until someone came and brought you back to prison. There, you would finish the rest of your full sentence, as getting kicked out of the program focused on trying to show you could be rehabilitated didn’t look too good in front of the parole board.

“Alright,” I said as I took a deep breath and tried to keep my hands steady. “Then let’s go.”

“Reed,” Leon protested, grabbing my arm before I could walk away.

I put my hand over his and smiled. “There’s nothing we can do about this, Leon. I don’t know what’s happening right now, but I do know no amount of fighting will help me, or you, for that matter.”

“No fuss?” Mona asked, not sounding surprised but with the tone of someone confirming something that was a little hazy still.

“I’m not going to fuss, fight, or cause a scene,” I said, knowing plenty of people were bearing witness to this from the dining hall. So, it was already a scene, but I had no intention of making it into a spectacle. “So, take me where I need to go. Leon isn’t going to be a problem either.”

“Leon?”

Beside me, Leon let out a shaky breath that had a hint of a growl behind it. “I’m not going to cause him any more trouble.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“Then, in that case,” she said, turning toward Max. “Take Leon to my office and ensure he stays there while I deal with things.”

The tension in Max’s face increased as I watched a muscle tick in his jaw. However, he said nothing, turning his dark eyes to Leon and keeping them there. Apparently, he was going to keep his eyes off Mona if he could help it. I didn’t know if that was support for me, but I could at least appreciate him being pissed off at Mona for this whole situation. It could have been done when there was less chance of being seen by so many.

“Then let’s go,” Mona said, the three of them stepping away from the stairs and waiting for me to move.

As soon as a clear space was made, I suddenly felt the urge to bolt. It wasn’t like I would get very far. The ranch was surrounded by miles of unforgiving land. Even in the winter, you wouldn’t expect to survive long during the day without provisions, and definitely not at night. Even then, the only civilization was the nearby town of Rapture, which would be put on alert, as would any nearby farms.

The urge died as quickly as it had sparked to life, though, and I walked forward, letting Mona, Mr. Isaiah, and Dane flank me on all sides but the front. I didn’t need them to guide me. After all, I knew where I was going. Max stayed behind at Mona’s request.

As we walked, I glanced over my shoulder to find Leon watching us intensely as he stood leaning on the porch railing. Max stood beside him, his face in shadows from the porch, but I bet he was still scowling heavily as we walked away.

The walk was silent as we reached the squat, brick building behind the Big House in a lonely corner of the ranch. There were no personal cabins nearby, no barns or pastures, just a couple of unused and worn-down storage sheds that probably hadn’t seen a broom in years.

“Thank you, Dane,” Mona said, and the man took it as a dismissal, shooting me a grimace of what I thought might be an apology before running off. “Inside, please.”

I stepped into the building. It was built into the ground, probably to keep it surrounded by cooler earth because of hot air rising. It probably didn’t count for shit when the warmer months were around, and unless there was some form of cool air running through it, I was going to be pretty miserable through the days either way.

“Do I get to know what this is about?” I asked as Mr. Isaiah and Mona followed me.

Mona gestured toward the first door. “In.”

I sighed, stepping into the first cell and trying not to wrinkle my nose at the sight of the cot in one corner and the toilet without the slightest bit of privacy. I had never seen the interior of the building, but clearly, they weren’t interested in anyone being comfortable. The only difference between this cell and the one I’d been in before coming to the ranch was that I would probably not have a roommate.

“You’ll be here for a few days before we can get someone to transport you,” Mona explained as she closed the door behind me. The metal echoed in the dim room, and my stomach twisted at its ugly familiarity. “Perhaps up to a week. We’ll make sure you’re fed, bring you clothes, and allow you to shower as well.”

“What, do these accommodations come equipped with a shower?”

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