4. Chapter 4

Jade

Half of my brothers have to leave after dinner. Though they seem reluctant to do so, I'm sure they have great reasons. This was an entirely unexpected development for them, and I can tell they seem like busy men.

I wish they would have told me their names again before parting, but the apologetic looks are enough for me to know I'll see them again. While some leave, others stay. Notably Apollo, Armani, and Matteo, who I assume all live here.

It's a bit awkward bidding the group who leaves goodbye. We don't hug or shake hands, but I wonder if maybe it would have been nice to. There isn't much time to dwell on it as I'm offered a look at where I'll be staying.

"This is your room," Dante—Dad—tells me. He picked a room on the second floor of his ginormous home without blinking. Like he knew exactly where he would want to put me as soon as he laid eyes on me. "We can change anything in here to fit your style if you want. It hasn't been used in ages, it could do with an update."

An update?Really? Royalty could stay here comfortably.

A bed that could surely sleep five of me sits against the furthest wall, stacks of pillows resting against a luxurious upholstered headboard, dressed with silky sheets and soft blankets. Matching dressers, drawers, and side tables settle around the space, perfectly arranged to keep the room open but cozy.

Each wall is painted a rich and creamy hazelnut color, accented with gold-framed paintings and sconces. There are two doors on either side of the bed, both cracked open to show a peek inside. A bathroom and a closet that could be three closets.

The marble floor beneath my feet isn't black and white like I've seen before; it's like toffee. A cream-colored base and caramel-brown accents breaking through it as lightning might break through the sky. It's like a coffee with too much milk decorated with slashes of light maple syrup. I feel like I should be arrested for stepping on something so lovely with my tattered sneakers.

I blink, wondering if my eyes are working properly. There's no way this whole place is mine. It's huge.

I mean, it literally has a chandelier. A fucking crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling.

"This room is for me? Are you sure?"

"If you like," my father says carefully, as if he isn't sure that he's saying the right thing. "We have other guest rooms, but they aren't as furnished, and they're farther from our rooms. Is there something you don't like about it?"

"It's too much," I reply frankly. "I don't need this much space. Does anyone need this much space?" I'm not complaining, necessarily. I just can't imagine that there isn't another purpose it could be better used for. Is this what rich people deal with? Too many big-ass rooms that some of them sit unused for years?

He gives a little laugh of relief. "Space isn't exactly something we're lacking in, sweetheart. Trust me, it's not too much."

I swallow thickly, still attempting to absorb every inch of the place. "I'm not taking someone's room, right?"

When I turn to watch my father answer, I find Matteo close by, chuckling as he leans against the door frame. I didn't even hear him approach, too lost in the moment.

My brother answers me before Dante can. "Unless you think that the dead hold rights to a bedroom, then no, you're definitely not taking someone's room."

I wince, eyes widening. "Someone died in here?"

Look, I'm as grateful as it gets for everything my new family is giving me, but I don't know if I can sleep in a haunted room.

Our dad sighs. "Not in here."

"It was Alina's," Matteo says with a grin. "That's why the closet is the biggest. Or, was the biggest. Armani expanded his like eight years ago."

"Don't call your mother by her name," Dante reprimands. "She wouldn't want that." Their mom is dead, I don't miss that detail. How can I possibly?

Matteo rolls his eyes and levels him with a look. "I hardly care what she would want. She's been dead for over a decade. I'd call Apollo "mom" before I'd give Alina that title. Pretty sure he held me more than she held any of us, sooo." He shrugs, finishing his explanation.

While I hold back a frown, sympathy rolls around in my chest.

Dad grimaces and sighs. "Anyway, is the room okay, sweetheart? We have others like I was saying, but this one is the closest to mine and Apollo's, which makes it the safest."

"It's more than okay," I tell him, hoping to settle some of the stress he's clearly feeling.

He nods, lips slightly shifting into a smile. "I'll give you some time to get comfortable? It's late, you're probably tired, right?"

I doubt I could sleep if I tried. "Yeah, sounds good," I respond anyway.

After a moment of hesitation, Dante steps forward and slowly presses a kiss to the top of my head. It's the sweetest gesture. "Come and get me if you need anything, okay? Yell if you can't find anyone, there are guards all over the property, and they will know how to find me at any given time."

I nod, head dipping in confirmation that I understand. "Okay, thank you."

"Don't," he trails off, considering his words. "Don't thank me, Jade. I'm your father, and I've missed enough of your life. I don't need thank yous for taking care of you. It's an honor."

My chin threatens to wobble, and Matteo claps his hands together, breaking up the moment. "Okay, old man, get going before you smother her on day one."

I'm not sure being smothered by affection or kind words is even possible for me at this point in my life. I think I'm starving for it.

Dad clears his throat and steps back, pulling himself together by straightening his shirt cuffs. "Right, we'll talk more in the morning? I'll give you a proper tour after breakfast." Turning to Matteo, he nods. "Anything she needs?—"

"Yeah, I got it, pops," he drawls, playfully cutting in. "See yourself out so I can get the girl settled."

Sighing, he does just that. Letting himself out of my new room, he disappears into the hall, only the sound of his faint footsteps trailing behind him.

"Let's see," Matteo starts, stepping further into the room. "If I remember correctly, there's some good stuff hidden right…" he hums, looking in the side table drawers. "Ah, right here."

Pulling out a small black remote, he shuts the drawer and turns toward the side wall. Pointing the device at nothing, my eyes widen when the wall moves, opening a hidden compartment. A large flatscreen television appears and powers on.

"I don't know about you, but sleeping without any background noise is one of my personal hells," he remarks, scrolling through the choices of smart TV apps. "You can use any of these for music or movies, they're all still logged in. Pretty sure Martha keeps water bottles stocked in the other bedside drawer too, so you have some of those just in case too."

"Wow," I say lamely, a bit overwhelmed.

"Nah, it's not wow yet," Matteo says easily. "We'll make it wow for you. You have the lamest room, but we can spice it up."

I don't think it's lame at all.

"Any questions, little sis? I've got a wealth of wisdom to share."

Actually, yes. "Are there any rules I should know about?"

Matteo snorts, tossing the TV remote on my bed. "Rules? Like what?"

"I don't know," I say warily. "Like house rules. Things I'm not supposed to do?"

He considers this for a second. "I mean, don't leave without telling someone, and don't light the place on fire," he says with a shrug. More seriously, he adds, "And no boys unless you want them strung up over the front lawn."

Jesus. I was informed that they're criminals, but the way he openly says things like that is a little jarring. Face heating, I shake my head. "There are no boys to worry about, trust me."

"Well, then you're basically set," he replies happily.

I chew on my bottom lip, thinking that can't possibly be it. Matteo is a funny, lighthearted guy, from what I can tell. I have doubts that rules feel serious to him, but they're very serious to me. I can't mess up, not when I've just been handed everything I have ever dreamed about.

"You're sure? There's nothing else?"

He pauses, trying to think harder. "What kind of rules are you thinking about? How strict was your house?"

I swallow, letting out a breath. There's no way I'm getting into all of that. "Like, do you have bedtimes? Places in the house you can't go after certain times? Limits on things?"

"Limits on things?" His voice becomes darker with this question.

I try testing out the waters, throwing out vague questions relating to the less intense rules I'm accustomed to. "Like, if I take a shower tonight, how long can I use it for? Five minutes? Ten? Or what if I want a snack? Is there food that's off-limits? Or?—"

"Stop," he interrupts, eyes pooling with danger. "Jade, if I ever hear that you rush yourself out of the shower in less than five minutes because you think you have to, I'll be seriously fucking pissed. Eat whatever you want, shower as long as you want, and no, you don't have a fucking bedtime. You don't have to go to bed at all if you aren't tired."

I try not to shrink in on myself. I know he's not angry with me for asking, and still, my brain retreats into defensive mode. "O-okay, um, thank you."

He composes himself and breathes. "Shit, sorry, that was probably too much. Just don't do any of that bullshit here, Jade. Take an hour long shower if you want, eat everything, make a mess, watch TV all night, it really doesn't matter. This is your home."

I'm holding back from getting choked up when he snaps his fingers. "Actually, let me get you something to sleep in. You shower, wear my sweats, and we'll figure out everything else tomorrow, alright?"

His clothes will definitely be too big for me, but that's hardly a problem. I'd rather be swimming in my brother's clothes than sleeping uncomfortably in my outfit from today. Jeans and a stale T-shirt are hardly comfortable sleepwear.

"That'd be really nice, thank you," I tell him, grateful for the offer.

"Hey, you heard what Dad said," he jokes, heading for the door. "No need to thank me, sister. It's what big brothers are for."

My cheeks radiate with a little ache as I smile. It doesn't take long before he's back, arms overflowing with things. Two pairs of sweatpants, two t-shirts, and some shower products.

"I doubt any of the stuff in there is good," he explains, tossing it all on my bed for me to go through. "Martha keeps the soap, towels, and regular toiletries stocked, but there's probably just a bar of soap in the shower."

He's brought shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. "All my stuff is dude-scented, but we'll get you your own things to replace it soon."

I could have made do with the bar of soap, but I won't lie and say that I'm not giddy to wash and condition my hair.

"Dude-scented is just fine," I say, meaning it. Smelling clean is all I need. I almost tell him thank you again but refrain. "Is your room on this floor too?"

He nods enthusiastically. "Yep, end of the hall on the right. Best room in the house."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because it's mine, duh," he answers, grinning.

"Of course," I chuckle.

Matteo lets himself out of my room after offering me a fist bump goodnight.

Mind still reeling from the day, I let the silence of my new space wash over me and begin to look around. Dreamily, I find my way into the bathroom, bringing the things Matteo gave me inside. It's more like a spa I'd see in a magazine than any bathroom I've ever been in. The walk-in shower is the same sort of toffee-colored marble from top to bottom, and it calls my name immediately.

More than five minutes, I remind myself. I can use it for as long as I want, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Stripping out of my clothes, I toss them aside and find an unused washcloth and loofa under the sink. It takes me a few seconds to figure out the water controls, but once I get it, steaming hot water begins to pour from the overhead spout. The spray is thick and lavish, massaging my hand as I dip it into the water to test the temperature. It's so warm that goosebumps crawl up my arm, and my body heats.

Stepping inside, I'm overcome with the most comforting warmth.

So this is what heaven is like.