“Do you feel that? There’s power reacting to everything in the air.” The voice comes from in front of me but isn’t my own. How did I get here? Voices come from all around me.

“Yes, she’s here. We finally found her.”

“Really? What do you think she’s like?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. She’s just going to be a bitch. They all are.”

I listen to each of them, something stirring inside me as they speak, causing me to try to find them, but all I see are more shadows.

 

After Cassandra and Dad showed me to my new home they left me to settle in. It had been one of the longest days of my life, so I laid down on the bed and pretty much crashed, dead to the world.

When I woke up I was refreshed and starving. Judging by the clock on the wall it’s already four in the afternoon. I slept for over twenty-four hours. Damn, I must have been exhausted.

My stomach gurgles, reminding me I still need to eat. The last meal I had was cake at the club. I didn’t eat while I was locked away in that cell, nor did I eat on the drive.

I rummage through my bags for some clean clothes, deciding to have a quick shower. The last thing I want is to introduce myself smelling like sweat. You would, too, if you had spent hours in a car. Not to mention that I didn’t shower when I got here, so the smell has marginally gotten worse. I stretch out my limbs, relishing in the feel of the carpet under my bare feet as I make my way into the bathroom.

Marble counters and tiles decorate the room. A huge, claw-foot bath tub is in the middle of the room, begging to be used, and I know I will be trying it out tonight. I take in the expansive space around me, marvelling at how big this bathroom is. It’s almost as big as my new room. Seems a bit elaborate for a pool house if you ask me. I have to admit, the privacy is kind of nice. It gives me the chance to pull myself together.

The wide shower — big enough to fit a few people in it — backs into the corner with multiple shower heads. I reach in and turn the water on, waiting for it to reach the right temperature before hopping in. Once the spray of water hits my body it feels like heaven. I turn the heat up a bit, relishing it as it loosens up all my tense muscles. Cassandra left me a bunch of her bath products until I could get my own. Using the new soap, I moan in ecstasy. The soft scent of vanilla and caramel coats my skin and leaves me feeling heavenly. I take my time, enjoying the heat of the spray and the calm. Maybe I could just spend the rest of my time here in the shower. I shake the thought away; Nat’s killer is still out there somewhere. Hiding in the shower isn’t going to get me any closer to finding out what happened to her. Set on my course, I climb out and wrap a towel around my body, reaching for another towel for my hair when I see a man’s reflection in the mirror. The shock has me spinning around.

“Who the fuck are you?” I blurt out. How the hell did he get in here? I know I locked that door!

I stare at him in defiance, waiting for an explanation. He’s easily a head and half taller than me. His brown hair glistens in the light and sweat coats his skin. His shirtless, sculpted chest shines under the fluorescent lighting. I see intricately designed tattoos crawling down his ribs and stopping just above his hip bone. I take a moment to appreciate his six-pack abs before reminding myself that his eyes are not located below his belt line. His pale-brown eyes fascinate me. There’s a depth and wisdom to them that don’t quite seem to fit the youthfulness of his features.

He has a strong jaw framed with a smattering of stubble that makes me want to reach out and touch it.  I catch myself starting to ogle him and school my features. I’m glad the towel is covering most of my scars. I don’t want to know what he’d think of them, let alone have the energy to deal with the questions that always come when people see them.

A grin spreads across his face; not a sexy grin but an ‘I could eat you in one bite’ grin. He leers at me, taking in my state of undress. I shake myself out of it to see him staring at me with a knowing look on his face, “You finished staring?” he asks in a deep voice.

“Are you?” I throw back at him, raising an eyebrow and daring him to deny it. He takes a long step towards me, the smell of his sweat mixed with his cologne running over me and making me want to swoon. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I getting so bent out of shape over someone I don’t even know?

I shiver as he leans in, his lips close enough to kiss. He opens his mouth next to my lips, and I feel my heart speed up until he speaks.

“Don’t get too comfortable, murderer. My brothers and I will drive you out of here by the end of the week,” he growls before stepping away from me with a wicked grin while my heart shatters into a million pieces.

Rage, pure violent rage wells at his words, and a black haze descends on my vision.

As quickly as it began I snap back to myself, foggy on what just happened. I look at the man, confused about what we were talking about. “Sorry, what did you say?” I ask, guilty that I missed whatever he said. The look on his face is freaking me out though. He looks a mix of terrified and turned on, if that’s even possible.

He clears his throat just as we hear voices out near the pool house door. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Zane, and I look forward to getting to know you.” He opens the door, walking from the bathroom without a second glance. When did he close it?

Well … that was strange.

I close the door and lock it while I dress, keeping my eyes on it, not trusting the lock to work. How else could Zane have gotten into my bathroom? Maybe I didn’t lock it? Shit, I’m going fucking crazy. Maybe it’s time to call Dr. Martins again.

She helped me deal with my blackouts when they started ten years ago. They may have started sooner but we don’t really know. It wasn’t until I was eleven that I started waking up in random places like the garden or in the living room, with no recollection of how I got there.

I could really do with her guidance again. Maybe we could revisit the same exercises to try and figure out what happened to Natalie. Sure, it never worked back then which is why we gave up, but maybe now it could work. I’d do pretty much anything to get answers about what happened to Natalie.

I make a mental note to call Dr. Martins when I can. Even if she says the same psychobabble she always does, it will make me feel slightly better.

Once I’m dressed I dig around in the cupboards in the kitchen and find them empty. Guess I have to go to the house to eat. As I close the pool house door I see a small red light flash in the corner of my eye. I turn to find the source of it but am unable to see anything obvious.

I walk back inside the big mansion and straight towards the kitchen, studying just how grand this house is.

The inside is nowhere near as daunting as the outside was with its black on black paint scheme and terrifying gargoyle statues. The fittings are all a burnished copper and the bannister on the stairs is a beautiful light polished wood that matches the wraparound staircase. I reach the end of the hall and can’t help but feel drawn to the ballroom.

I go in, trying to avoid making too much noise, but I’m unable to control my glee. I used to love dancing. Dad thought it was something I should learn. The first day we went to classes so I could learn the waltz, was the happiest day of my life. It was something that was purely ours. My mother always agreed that dancing was something I needed to know to draw in a husband, but she didn’t have the time to teach me, or so she said. Dad, however, dropped everything to make sure I got to class.

I leave the room with a sigh, vowing to come back and dance.  Walking through the house and back to the kitchen, my sole focus on eating, I run smack bang into a brick wall. He reaches out to stop me from falling back on my ass and steadies me before quickly letting go, as if my touch has somehow burned him. His touch sent a spark through me, and the moment he let go it felt like something was missing.

Once again I’m left wondering if I’ve lost my sanity.

When I meet his gray eyes I cringe, not quite expecting the anger there.

I stutter out an apology, “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you okay?” I ask, biting my lip nervously. It’s something I do to stop myself blurting out stupid shit. Not that it helps. My brain seems to work on a whole different level.

He watches me a moment, some unknown emotion flashing in his eyes before he answers. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m Carter. Coop and Zane are in there,” he gestures with his head and sure enough I see two figures in the room behind him, murmuring together. When they see me all conversation ceases. I blush, frustrated at feeling like an outsider. It’s not as if I can help the fact that I’m stuck here. Dad had no other choice.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you, I just wanted to get something to eat. I won’t bother you,” I say as I turn to go back the way I came. Carter grabs my elbow. I stop to look at him, raising my eyebrow to question him.

His eyes soften slightly. “Don’t leave. We were actually just talking about what to do about dinner. Mom and Troy already ate, so we’re on our own for tonight. Would you like to join us?”

I hesitate for a moment before my stomach gives a loud growl. Might as well get this over with. I need to try and get to know these guys anyway. Playing nice with Dad’s new family is the least I can do. He sees the moment I give in, a bright smile lighting up his face, showing me his pearly white teeth as he leads me over to where the other two are watching, enraptured, as if our conversation was a daytime soap opera.

“Guys, this is Valerie. This is my twin Cooper.” He gestures, pointing over to a guy just as cute as Carter. While Carter has soft blond hair like his mother, Cooper has soft brown hair, long enough to tuck behind his ears but not yet reaching his shoulders.

Their eyes are also different. Carter’s are a bright gray while Cooper’s are a more of a hazel with slight golden specks shining in them. Both have strong, defined jaws, Cooper with a slight five o’ clock shadow, Carter as smooth as the day he was born.

“And this is Zane, but you’ve already met him, haven’t you?” he asks, his lips curving into a smirk. I blush, thinking back to how he broke in while I was in nothing but a towel. Thank heavens they had those oversized towels here. That would have been mortifying.

That’s three of the brothers down, now I just need to meet the elusive Jax, though part of me isn’t sure I want to. From what little Dad told me I have no idea how I’m going to be received. At least everything is going well with these three so far.

Realizing that I’m staring off into space, I clear my throat to reply, “Sorry, I’m slightly overwhelmed. You guys are being a lot nicer than I expected. My father said you weren’t too happy with me living here. I guess I can understand; you’ve been living with each other, and a girl in the house must be a bit weird, but I can promise I will try not to be too weird or get in your way. I’ll even do my tour of the school without one of you. I’m sure it can’t be that hard to figure out where everything is.” I shut my mouth, finally realizing I’m just rambling.

It must have amused them because they all crack up laughing. “Oh wow, you’re pretty cute when you ramble. Zane, I know you said you wanted us to avoid her, but I don’t think I can do that, she’s just so … innocent.” Cooper grins down at me. “I want to keep her.”

Zane huffs, looking at Carter as if he’ll back him up, only to have Carter wrap an arm around my shoulders. “I gotta agree with Coop on this one. I reckon we can train her.”

Train me? Like I’m some kind of dog? “Did you seriously just compare me to a dog and say that you could train me?” I look around at them, trying to determine if they’re kidding or not.

Cooper gets up from his seat and wraps an arm around my other shoulder, squeezing me between them. “Aw, don’t worry, Valerie. We’re fun, and I promise we’ll buy high quality chocolate as treats. Unless you’re one of those ‘I don’t eat calories’ girls, then I can make you little bite-size carrot treats. Doesn’t that sound good, Carter?”

I wiggle out of their arms to glare at them.

“Oh relax babe, we’re just teasing.” Cooper says as I put some distance between me and the men.

The moment I’m no longer touched by them I feel as if I have some of myself back. That just pisses me off. I lean forward, a look of challenge in my eyes. “I understand you’re a little put out by me being here, and that’s fine. But you treat me like a dog and I will bite,” I growl through clenched teeth. If they think for one second I’ll let them treat me like that then they have a whole other thing coming their way.

Maybe I should just avoid the crap out of them? I mean, what are the chances I’ll even see them on the campus. We probably all have different classes. Yes, I’ll just stick to myself. I can make new friends. I hope.

Plan firm in mind, I frown at the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach at the thought of being away from them. There’s something seriously wrong with me if I’m missing their company when I barely know them.

A voice whispers in the back of my mind. They’re your guardians.

“What the hell are guardians?”

Carter and Cooper gasp, staring at me while Zane pushes back his chair, letting it clatter to the floor in the now silent room. Each of them is looking at me, horror in their eyes.

“What?” I ask.

Zane recovers himself first. “What do you know of guardians?” he asks as he picks the chair up from where it landed. Shit, I must have asked that out loud. If I tell them that I was only talking to the voice in my head this isn’t going to go well.

“Um, I was just thinking about an old assignment I did and guardians popped into my head,” I lie.

They visibly relax, which makes me antsy. This is starting to give me a headache. Maybe I had better give Dr. Martins a call sooner rather than later. Maybe the stress of losing my best friend is finally catching up to me and making me go off the deep end. Either that or lack of food is making my brain cells die. “Sorry, guys, it was nice to meet you but I need to eat,” I tell them abruptly, turning my back on them to dig through the refrigerator. I don’t understand why I’m so frustrated.

Zane clears his throat from behind me. “We’re actually just about to head out for pizza if you want to join us?” I look up to see him rubbing the back of his neck nervously while the other two remain stoic and silent.

He’s watching me, waiting for me to say something.

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I’d rather not cook, but if you’re just trying to be polite, then don’t worry about it.”

“No, you were right earlier. It was unfair of us to tease you, and it was unfair of me to make a snap judgment about you based on what may or may not have happened.” He releases a pent-up breath of air before continuing. “Besides, your father left us enough cash to feed you and I figure by the way your stomach is growling you could do with a decent meal.”

I nod, accepting his offer. “Okay, if you’re sure? If I get annoying or something just tell me and I’ll leave.”

Cooper choses that moment to interrupt. “Oh, it’s not that he doesn’t like you babe. It’s that he’s worried he will like you and that could ruin our family dynamic.”

Huh?

I wait for him to explain, but he pushes past me through a door I hadn’t noticed. Zane follows right behind him, leaving Carter and I alone in the kitchen.

He grabs my hand and drags me through the door after them with a soft smile. “Don’t worry, Valerie, they’ll warm up to you eventually. I think we were all just surprised by you.”

“How so?”

“Well, when your father called he was in such a rush to get to you he told us you were arrested for murder, and that he was going to try to bring you home with him, but he forgot to say whether you had actually killed anyone.”

I let that sink in as we walked. I could understand their reasoning. If I was in their position I wouldn’t want a murderer living in my home with my family.

“So, did Dad explain when I got here?”

“Nope.” His mouth makes a popping sound as he leads us around a corner. “He didn’t tell us until after your shower. I’d imagine that’s why Zane is feeling like such an ass. He misjudged you horribly and said some things that you overheard. He never apologizes for his actions, yet feels you are owed one. So basically, he’s a bit of a mess because he doesn’t know how to address that. Then there’s the fact that he sort of likes you, or at least the way you look, but you’re our step sister. He thinks seeing you like that is some kind of taboo thing since our parents are married,” he scoffs.

I don’t know what to say. Zane likes me? He doesn’t even know me. And what taboo thing? So what if our parents are married? We’re both adults and it’s not like we grew up together. Not that I actually want to date right now. All I want to focus on are classes and staying out of trouble.

Men are nowhere on the list of my priorities.