Chapter Ten
With each second that they traveled toward the farm, Brooklyn grew more excited. “It’s so beautiful here.” The trees that lined the road were all perfectly trimmed, and the driveway itself was very long. It was actually kind of odd how she hadn’t even seen a glimpse of the house yet. “When will the house come into sight?” she asked for the second time. They were driving slowly, but not so slow that it should take this long. She estimated they had gone a mile, at least, so far. What the hell?
Thomas, behind the wheel, chuckled. “It’s over the next rise. We’ll hit a small turn as well that will bring it all into view. You’re very impatient, you know that, right?”
“Get off her back,” Stefan said. He was grinning at her. “He is right, though, you’d think you were a kid waiting for Christmas morning the way you’re vibrating around back here.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see the house that goes with those amazing gates.” The gates had been twelve feet tall, and the ironwork meticulous and gorgeous. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a constellation circle of the Greek gods in the iron of the front of them. “And the massive cement walls that surround it as well. I’ve seen protection like that around some of the Hollywood homes but never dreamed that it would be something found here in the middle of nowhere.”
“We’re very particular about our privacy. We didn’t want anyone mistakenly wandering onto the land who shouldn’t. Initially, we couldn’t decide on the wall, but we figured it was better to put it around at least the section we live on and will be living on when we expand. The farm lands are regular barbed wire fencing since we rent some of them out to other farmers in the area.” Antonio leaned forward as they went into a curve, and pointed. “There’s the house.”
She leaned back and looked up at the house and smiled. “Amazing.” She breathed that simple word out. “It’s utterly incredible. Stunning and beautiful.” It was as if it were a work of art, but one that screamed protection in its lines. The house was three stories tall, just as the guys told her. Looking at it from the front it looked almost like an E. The center held a grassy park-like area, and the other opening held what looked to be an upscale patio area with oversized furniture and a decorative fountain in the center. If the front was that gorgeous, she wondered exactly what the back looked like. “You said you have a pool as well? Is it in the back?”
“Basement,” Lincoln told her. “It’s a saltwater pool. We could have put one outside, but that seemed silly to have to maintain two of the damn things. With the saunas and hot tubs down there, we have quite the setup. As well as the gym, and soon to be spa room if Mikhail ever comes up with a plan he’s happy with.”
“Very nice. I love swimming, and actually saltwater pools are the ones that I prefer. They don’t cover you in chemicals and the nasty smell of them.” She looked to Lincoln and grinned. “So sauna and hot tubs, too, huh? Very nice. I think that we will have to use those, often.”
She slipped her hand into Stefan’s and gave it a light squeeze as they pulled up to the house and got out. She noticed that the front door had an iron screen door, and that had her tilting her head to the side. She reached out and touched the intricate design and asked, “What is this symbol? It’s on the front gate as well. I like it. It’s actually pretty amazing.”
“It’s what the gods designed for us. It’s our coat of arms, if you will. They use it along with the wards around the grounds to keep this place off the radar. No god, unless invited in, can come here. Ares has a pass, and can bring others with him, and then if we give them a free pass they can come and go as they please. The grounds are a free zone, as is the kitchen, but they can’t pop in anywhere else in the house. If they want to go upstairs, they have to walk from the kitchen up there.”
They walked into the house, and Brook inhaled deeply. “Oh, wow. I love the smell of a clean house.”
“We keep a tight ship around here. Everyone has chores to do, and we stay on top of them. One thing the military drilled into our skulls.” Lincoln slipped around her with a grin. “Some of the team are a little more obsessive about it than others, but we all pull our weight.”
“Well, whatever it is I’m glad. I like cleaning as well. Okay, so where do we head to now? Do we go and put our things away in our rooms or do we go and meet everyone?”
Antonio held out a hand to her and squeezed her fingers when she slid her palm to his. He gave her a gentle tug and then led her out of the room. Stefan came with them, his hand coming to rest against her lower back a moment after they cleared the doorway. “If you’re still good with it, we’ll share a room. We were in separate ones, but now we can move into the bigger room with the even bigger bed.”
“I’m very good with it, actually. I don’t want to be without you guys. A bigger bed is good. Can we just order one? I think that the fewer things that we have to go out of the house for right now the better, right?”
“It’s in the room already, sweetheart,” Antonio said. “We don’t have to go out of the house for much except the occasional grocery run. We have it all covered, don’t worry. And while you check the room out we’ll go grab our bags, and then we can cozy in for the night.”
And she knew that they were keeping her. Life was good.