Derek finally got to see where he’d be staying a couple of hours later. It was nice, three rooms and a bath, but after what he’d just been through, he’d have traded it for the ratty apartment in the city any day.
The ground floor of the house held a communal dining area, offices, and what Mario called the training room. It was obvious to Derek that was a euphemism for a punishment room. Yes, it was set up like a shop at one end, with clothes racks and counters and what have you, so the kids could learn how to shop-lift. But the other end held equipment that might have passed for something in a gym if it wasn’t for the fact everything had restraints to hold arms, hands, or feet in place. He could imagine a kid being forced to stay on the treadmill with no way to escape, even if they fell.
