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I made like I pissed, rubbed my palms on myjeans, and headed back to the car.
Maddox wasn’t looking at me, but I knew hesaw me. Mad Dog saw everything.
I hopped into the car.
“You good?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “I decided to give thisschool a go.”
He started to drive. “Good.”
“So, are there any fine ladies there?”
Mad Dog glanced at me and started tolaugh.
Chapter Four
Tomás
Arcadia University butted up against thesmall town of Timber’s Peak. I’d seen small towns in pictureswhenever Nick and I had searched for places we wanted to live thatweren’t Chicago. Small towns were always so small. Population underten thousand. Everyone knew each other. The houses looked wellcared for and lawns manicured. The pictures always looked nice.Timber’s Peak resembled what we’d seen in those pictures. Peopleoutside in the nice weather wearing mostly flannel. The men had aweathered look with thick beards and brows. The women were curvy,wearing boots and jeans. They all seemed to know each other andstill not want to kill each other. A big sign crossed above thestreet from light pole to light pole announcing a Memorial DayFestival this weekend.
I shifted in my seat.
“We’re almost there,” Maddox said.
We drove through a private winding roadflanked by more trees. It went on for miles until we reached asecurity gate. Two armed guards walked out of the small house. Onestayed back, watching us through dark sunglasses, his hand near hisweapon, wearing black tactical gear with no emblems, no logos, justblack. His hair was cut short, his stance stiff. The other oneapproaching the car had his glasses on top of his head. He hadthick, black hair, wore the exact same gear, but had a smile on hisface.
“Mr. Brennan,” he said in a cheeryvoice.
“Lowe,” Mad Dog greeted back.
I stared at the other dude. The threateningdude. The prison description of the place held more weight now.
“Phone.”
I snapped my attention back to Mad Dog.“Huh?”
“Your phone.”
I pulled out my cell phone and handed it tohim. He then gave it to Lowe who did something to it, then handedit back.
“Dr. Casera is in his office. Have a greatday.” The man tapped the top of the car, made a circling motion tosomeone I couldn’t see on a ridge behind the small house, and thegate started to lift.
Mad Dog drove us inside.
“You liar. This is a prison,” I whisperedinto the car as I looked at my phone. “No internet?”
“Everything here is hard wired.”
“Like dialup?”
“Like dialup,” he answered.
I didn’t have an addiction to my phone, likemost people, but not having it and needing it would suck.
Narrow winding paths led deeper into thesurrounding trees. There were signs indicating Amber, Topher, andRyker Residential Buildings to the left. Arcas, Artemis, and Typhusto the right. The administration building was up ahead about twohundred yards. The place was a maze.
I wanted to tell him to take me back. Ididn’t belong here. But I didn’t belong anywhere. Here was betterthan nowhere. Shit, I had to calm down. I giggled. He glanced at mebut didn’t say anything. After three months with me, he should’veknown I wasn’t right in the head. Which had me scratching the scarover my ear. My hair had grown in some, the curls hiding most ofit. But I could still feel the raised skin against the pads of myfingers. A reminder of sorts.
