3. Zela
Ican’t believe he kept this from me… Actually, I can.
He knew there was no way in hell I would have agreed to move in with them had I known.
I was already on the fence about it. I could have gotten my own place.
I had every intention of renting out a shitty apartment until I finished up my degree.
Then I could get a job and a new place, and he wouldn’t be so suspicious.
As it was, I could get a nice place and car with what I’ve saved up fighting the last few years, but I wasn’t trying to draw attention to myself.
I needed to blend in, which is why when Dad all but begged me to move in and save up my money at least until I finished my degree, I caved.
This is what I get for being such a bleeding heart when it comes to Dad…
Stuck in a house with three would-be Greek gods that will soon be my stepbrothers.
I swear they move in slow motion as they head toward us.
It’s easy to miss their similarities at a glance, but as I look closer, I see it.
Subtle things that let me know they’re related, like the slope of their noses, the cut of their jaws, above-average height, and the curve of their lips.
Two of the three have blue eyes, while the third has all dark features.
It’s as if their features go from light to dark.
All three of them are in good shape, with golden skin and muscles covered in tattoos that quickly have my mind going to the gutter.
The one closest to me has shockingly blond hair that borders on white, and I have to fight the urge to ask if he bleaches it.
Everything about his face screams leave me the fuck alone, but something about him tickles the back of my brain; he almost seems familiar.
It takes me a second before it dawns on me.
He looks like Draco from Harry Potter, but not like the one in the movies. No, he looks like the hotter version that I always see plastered all over the internet for fanfictions.
Unfortunately, the scowl on his face is much the same. He looks at me as if I’m the dirt under his feet, and honestly, I just might be with our social differences.
The middle one is the in-between; his hair is still blond, but it looks much more natural.
His sides are cut short and the top longer, slicked back from the water.
His skin is tan, and while his eyes are also blue, they're a deeper shade. He doesn’t look at me like I’m below him, but he could still believe that; it’s hard to know for sure when his face is damn near impassive.
The last one is all dark features, dark hair, deeply tanned skin, with tattoos all the way up his neck.
He has piercings in his ears and a hoop in his nose, and his eyes might be brown or maybe hazel; it’s hard to tell with his hair hanging down wet in his face, but he makes no move to push it back the way the other two have.
Unlike his brothers, he doesn’t disregard me or look at me with disgust, but I almost wish he would.
The smile that turns his lips up is… wicked. His tongue darts out to run over his bottom lip as he looks me over from head to toe, and it takes everything in me not to cringe away from his gaze.
Something tells me I don’t want to be on the receiving end of his attention, or any of theirs, for that matter.
Fuck me.
Why couldn’t they be ugly?
They stand only a few feet away, close enough that I have to fight the urge to take a step away from them and their piercing gazes.
“Zela, these are my boys, Kolson, Isaac, and Jace.” She gestures to each of them as she says their names, and my eyes track the movement. “Boys, this is Zela.”
Kolson is the Malfoy wannabe, Isaac the blank slate, and Jace the unhinged one.
Got it.
Jace takes a step toward me, close enough that I have to crane my neck back in order to continue to hold his gaze. The gleam in his eyes promises danger, and I fight against the urge to shiver, though I’m unsure if it’s from fear or something else…
With my focus on his face, I miss him reaching out to snag my hand.
He pulls my hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles, lingering there for just long enough that I start to squirm.
My reaction seems to be what he was looking for.
His lips twist in a smirk against my hand before he lets it drop, his face once again impassive, as if it was never there to begin with.
“We’ve heard so much about you,” Jace says, and it takes everything in me not to snap at him. It’s not his fault, after all.
“Must be nice,” I say, glaring at my dad, who still doesn’t look my way. All three of the guys follow my gaze, and I watch as understanding lights their eyes.
At least they have brains to go with their good looks.
And they’ll also be my brothers soon. Ew, no.
“Why don’t you boys dry off and show Zela around? Patrick and I will go find something to order for dinner since I gave Jessie the night off.”
Who is Jessie? I don’t bother asking. I open my mouth to assure her I can find my way, but I don’t get the chance before my traitor of a father jumps in.
“That’s a great idea, honey.”
And just like that, they're gone…
Son of a—
“This way.” Jace swings an arm out, directing me back toward the sliding glass door, a huge smile on his face that screams trouble. He’s fucking pretty, but most deadly things are.
When I hesitate, Kolson and Isaac move into the house, not bothering to dry off, and although I know better, I can’t stop my eyes from trailing over them.
Even from the back, they look good.
Isaac looks back, catching my eyes, and I know he knows I was just checking them out even before he lifts a brow in question. Jace chuckles from beside me, and for half a second, I wonder if they're telepathic or some shit.
Chances are, I’m just that obvious. It’s not like I was trying to hide it, but that’s fine. They can enjoy it this once. It won’t happen again.
Even if they weren’t going to be my stepbrothers soon, their very presence screams fucking psycho, and while that might not be all bad, I don’t have room in my life for men. The only man I ever needed, who wasn’t my father, left me…
Fucking hell, now is not the time for a pity party.
With a sigh, I move through the door back into the house, following Kolson and Isaac. I hate that Jace is behind me, but I try to ignore my senses as they scream at me, on high alert.
They’re just showing me the house. We can make it through this, and then I can hide away in my room and pretend they don’t exist, hoping they do the same with me.
They seem like the type of guys who have more than enough friends, girls, and activities to keep them busy and away from me.
But even as I try to tell myself that, I feel Jace’s eyes roam over my back, and I get the feeling I’ll be anything but invisible here.
It took them over an hour to show me the house, and as much as I’d love to say it’s because they were taking their sweet time, it wasn’t.
No, the house is fucking massive, even bigger than the apartment complex we used to live in. Hell, it might be bigger than the community college campus I used to attend. The new one is a lot bigger, sadly, which means more people. Another thing I’m not looking forward to.
Why the hell does anyone need this much house, is the question, but after showing me the kitchen, living room, and dining room, I quickly see that it’s a lot more than just a house.
Everything they need is here, from the oasis out back to the gym with its own Olympic-sized pool, an indoor theater, a bowling alley, two libraries—one on the west and east wings of the house—a spa, the biggest garage I’ve ever seen with cars I couldn’t name if my life depended on it, and so much more.
It’s a wonder they ever even leave the house.
They save the bedrooms for last, starting with the lower-level rooms, which are apparently guest rooms—twelve guest rooms. I don’t even know twelve people; let alone would I be willing to let them stay in my house. Though I guess having this much money makes you popular.
I’d much rather be left alone than have to deal with all the fakes I’m sure they put up with. How do you ever know if someone really likes you or is just using you for your money or connections?
Pass.
“This is my room.” Jace’s voice startles me out of my thoughts as his warm breath ghosts over my ear, way too damn close. I jump away, turning to glare at him, unsurprised to find him smiling.
He might be pretty, but I have to bite back the urge to punch him. Something tells me he wouldn’t take it the way I hope he would.
“And that’s your room.” Jace nods to the next door, and I sigh in annoyance. I could have guessed that, honestly. And when Jace’s smile grows impossibly larger, I know one of them is also in the room on the other side as well. “And that’s Isaac’s room.”
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Your bags have been brought up, and the movers will be here tomorrow with the rest of your things. I’m sure Mother will have food here shortly, if it’s not already,” Kolson tells me, speaking for the first time and catching me off guard.
His voice is deep, deeper than Jace’s, and despite the fact that his face seems neutral, he sounds pissed.
Without another word, he turns away, making his way back down the hall and out of sight, Isaac and Jace right behind him.
I should probably follow them. They're more than likely headed to the dining room based on what he just said, and despite their tour being pretty thorough, I don’t have a clue how to get back there.
Even so, I don’t want to follow them, and it’s not just because I’ve had enough of their company to last me a lifetime, though that’s definitely a factor.
No, despite regretting my choice to move in here, I can’t deny I’m excited to see my room.
When I was younger, the apartment was just one room, and although it was mine and Dad slept on the couch, his stuff was still in there; that was the only place for it.
We shared a dresser and closet, not that it mattered; we didn’t have much.
When we finally moved into the house, it had two bedrooms, and even though Dad gave me what they called the master bedroom, it was tiny.
Don’t get me wrong; I was beyond grateful.
It made hiding my fighting gear a lot easier, not to mention hiding my bumps and bruises.
But everything in it was secondhand. My mattress was still on the floor, and my closet’s rolling mirror door was broken, so it was stuck open.
The whole house was run down, but it was in a much nicer neighborhood and leagues above where we started.
I might not be here long, but if I have to be, I might as well enjoy it.
Taking a deep breath, I reach for the handle, push the door open, and almost have to pick my jaw up off the damn floor.
This has to be a mistake…
I look back down the hall, where the guys disappeared a minute ago, despite knowing they’re already gone.
That’s probably for the best. What was I going to say?
Hey, I think you made a mistake; this room is too nice?
No thanks. Instead, I turn back to my new room and go inside, closing the door behind me. I can’t stop the sigh of relief as I find it also has a lock. I flip the lock, turning to press my back to the door as I look around the room in awe.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.