Julie was the next to pick from the box. She wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as Abby had been and the fact that she pulled out a pair of nipple clamps didn’t help.
“I hate these things,” she said.
Daniel was the exact opposite. “I was hoping you’d pick those.”
Julie crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t feel so good. I think I’m coming down with the stomach flu.”
“You forget, I’m the one who came up with that ruse.”
It must have been an inside joke, because Julie broke out into giggles. “Shh, you’re giving away our secrets.”
“Me?” Daniel asked. “You’re the one who brought it up.”
Cole looked over at Sasha, who’d yet to draw anything from the box. “I think we should add a penalty if you don’t get the ball through the wicket within a certain number of strokes.”
“But that’s not in the rules,” Sasha said, irritated Cole had picked up on her strategy so quickly.
“It’s Dom Rules Croquet, and as I’m a Dom, I’m adding the rule.”
“I can’t help it that I’m athletically challenged.”
“Too bad. Get the ball through on your next turn or you’ll pick two items from the box.”
“You know, girls.” Abby tapped her lips. She was thinking hard about something and from the look in her eyes, it was going to be epic. “There are three of us and three of them. I say we overthrow this dictatorship and do our own thing.”
“You’re right,” Julie said. “This game blows. I’m not playing, and I’m not wearing nipple clamps.”
“Yes, you are,” Daniel said, moving toward her.
“You have to catch me first.” And with that, Julie took off running toward the maze. Abby motioned for Sasha to join her and sprinted to catch up.
Sasha watched her departing friends and took a quick glance back the three men. She shrugged. “Sorry, Sir. Girls have to stick together.” Before she could question her actions, she broke off into a run. “Hey, guys, wait for me.”
She caught up with them at the entrance to the maze.
“Oh shit.” Julie was half laughing while trying to catch her breath. “Did we just do that?”
“I think they were going to end it early anyway,” Abby said. “There really wasn’t much in the box to begin with.”
“Shh, I hear them.” Sasha could barely make the sound out of the three men. “Let’s go into the maze.”
She’d been through the maze only once. The day after they arrived, Cole had walked through it with her. At the time, she been captivated by the different types of plants she saw. Now she wished she’d paid closer attention to the path they needed to take.
“There’s a back entrance to the house somewhere around here.” Sasha tried to picture an aerial view of the maze. “Ugh, I should’ve been listening when Cole was going over the pattern of the pathways.”
“I don’t hear them anymore.” Julie looked over her shoulder. “Do you think they gave up?”
Abby snorted and then whispered, “Have you ever known them to give up on anything, ever?”
“I don’t think ‘give up’ is in Cole’s vocabulary.”
“I know Nathaniel’s never heard of it.”
“Then why can’t we hear them?” Julie asked.
Sasha thumped her friend’s shoulder. “Because they don’t want us to hear them.”
“Or maybe because they’re planning what to do to us when we get back.”
They were all quiet as they thought about that. But really, how bad could it be? Sasha thought. There were three of them, after all.
“Okay,” Sasha said. “Here’s the plan. We find the exit in the maze that leads to the back of the house. We go in through the old servants’ entrance. That’ll put us in the kitchen. From there, we sneak through the pantry because it leads to the ballroom. We go through the ballroom out to the back stairs and up to our bedrooms. It’s foolproof!”
Julie bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know. It sounds too easy.”
“Easy?” Abby asked. “With all that sneaking around? We’ll be lucky if we make it to the house, much less all the way upstairs. Hell, they’re probably on the other side of this hedge, listening to everything we’re saying.”
“I know,” Julie said. “One of us could call them. That way if they’re close enough, we’ll hear their phone ring.”
Abby shook her head. “Won’t work. I’m pretty sure they’re smart enough to turn their phones off if they’re going into stealth mode.”
“So what do you suggest?” Sasha asked.
“We have to go with your idea.” Abby shrugged. “It’s either that or sleep out here tonight and you guys know I love you, but I don’t do camping.”
Julie agreed. “Okay, first thing then is to find our way out of here. Sasha, do you have any idea which way?”
With renewed determination, Sasha retraced their footsteps and though it took longer than she would have liked, they finally made it out of the maze.
“I’ll go first,” Sasha said, “and make sure the path and kitchen are clear. Then I’ll come back for you.”
“And if you don’t come back?” Julie asked.
“Then you know one of them found me and you’re on your own.”
“Fair enough. Let’s do this thing.” Abby nodded. “Good luck.”
Sasha wasn’t sure why her heart pounded the way it did. Seriously, she told herself, the worst she could do was run into Cole. But that didn’t exactly help matters. She peeked out the exit of the maze and scanned the short distance to the house. It looked clear.
“I hate these things,” she said.
Daniel was the exact opposite. “I was hoping you’d pick those.”
Julie crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t feel so good. I think I’m coming down with the stomach flu.”
“You forget, I’m the one who came up with that ruse.”
It must have been an inside joke, because Julie broke out into giggles. “Shh, you’re giving away our secrets.”
“Me?” Daniel asked. “You’re the one who brought it up.”
Cole looked over at Sasha, who’d yet to draw anything from the box. “I think we should add a penalty if you don’t get the ball through the wicket within a certain number of strokes.”
“But that’s not in the rules,” Sasha said, irritated Cole had picked up on her strategy so quickly.
“It’s Dom Rules Croquet, and as I’m a Dom, I’m adding the rule.”
“I can’t help it that I’m athletically challenged.”
“Too bad. Get the ball through on your next turn or you’ll pick two items from the box.”
“You know, girls.” Abby tapped her lips. She was thinking hard about something and from the look in her eyes, it was going to be epic. “There are three of us and three of them. I say we overthrow this dictatorship and do our own thing.”
“You’re right,” Julie said. “This game blows. I’m not playing, and I’m not wearing nipple clamps.”
“Yes, you are,” Daniel said, moving toward her.
“You have to catch me first.” And with that, Julie took off running toward the maze. Abby motioned for Sasha to join her and sprinted to catch up.
Sasha watched her departing friends and took a quick glance back the three men. She shrugged. “Sorry, Sir. Girls have to stick together.” Before she could question her actions, she broke off into a run. “Hey, guys, wait for me.”
She caught up with them at the entrance to the maze.
“Oh shit.” Julie was half laughing while trying to catch her breath. “Did we just do that?”
“I think they were going to end it early anyway,” Abby said. “There really wasn’t much in the box to begin with.”
“Shh, I hear them.” Sasha could barely make the sound out of the three men. “Let’s go into the maze.”
She’d been through the maze only once. The day after they arrived, Cole had walked through it with her. At the time, she been captivated by the different types of plants she saw. Now she wished she’d paid closer attention to the path they needed to take.
“There’s a back entrance to the house somewhere around here.” Sasha tried to picture an aerial view of the maze. “Ugh, I should’ve been listening when Cole was going over the pattern of the pathways.”
“I don’t hear them anymore.” Julie looked over her shoulder. “Do you think they gave up?”
Abby snorted and then whispered, “Have you ever known them to give up on anything, ever?”
“I don’t think ‘give up’ is in Cole’s vocabulary.”
“I know Nathaniel’s never heard of it.”
“Then why can’t we hear them?” Julie asked.
Sasha thumped her friend’s shoulder. “Because they don’t want us to hear them.”
“Or maybe because they’re planning what to do to us when we get back.”
They were all quiet as they thought about that. But really, how bad could it be? Sasha thought. There were three of them, after all.
“Okay,” Sasha said. “Here’s the plan. We find the exit in the maze that leads to the back of the house. We go in through the old servants’ entrance. That’ll put us in the kitchen. From there, we sneak through the pantry because it leads to the ballroom. We go through the ballroom out to the back stairs and up to our bedrooms. It’s foolproof!”
Julie bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know. It sounds too easy.”
“Easy?” Abby asked. “With all that sneaking around? We’ll be lucky if we make it to the house, much less all the way upstairs. Hell, they’re probably on the other side of this hedge, listening to everything we’re saying.”
“I know,” Julie said. “One of us could call them. That way if they’re close enough, we’ll hear their phone ring.”
Abby shook her head. “Won’t work. I’m pretty sure they’re smart enough to turn their phones off if they’re going into stealth mode.”
“So what do you suggest?” Sasha asked.
“We have to go with your idea.” Abby shrugged. “It’s either that or sleep out here tonight and you guys know I love you, but I don’t do camping.”
Julie agreed. “Okay, first thing then is to find our way out of here. Sasha, do you have any idea which way?”
With renewed determination, Sasha retraced their footsteps and though it took longer than she would have liked, they finally made it out of the maze.
“I’ll go first,” Sasha said, “and make sure the path and kitchen are clear. Then I’ll come back for you.”
“And if you don’t come back?” Julie asked.
“Then you know one of them found me and you’re on your own.”
“Fair enough. Let’s do this thing.” Abby nodded. “Good luck.”
Sasha wasn’t sure why her heart pounded the way it did. Seriously, she told herself, the worst she could do was run into Cole. But that didn’t exactly help matters. She peeked out the exit of the maze and scanned the short distance to the house. It looked clear.
