Continuing through the House

SHAY

We stepped out of the elevator onto the third floor, a hallway stretching out in both directions. Zane led us to the left, down a long corridor that ended in a glass room. The room was decked out with silver leather couches and chairs, giving it a luxurious feel.

“This is the sunroom,” Zane explained, gesturing to the view outside. “It overlooks a lot of the property. We have a hedge maze, which is a lot of fun unless you’re with Conner.”

“Hey, I only got lost once, and it was my first time,” Conner defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest in mock offense.

Zane chuckled, a deep, sexy sound that made my heart flutter. ~Oh God, this man is going to be the end of me.~

“Anyway,” Zane continued, pointing down a driveway, “that’s where my warehouse is. That’s where I conduct all my business. No one comes to the house; I have a meeting room down there for that.”

“What if they take the wrong turn and end up here like we did?” I asked, squinting at the distant split in the driveway.

“That doesn’t happen. The grate we drove over is actually a gate that sinks into the ground. When I have meetings and don’t want anyone coming down this driveway, I raise the gate. The bushes on either side stop anyone from trying to drive around it. Plus, I have men posted at the gate to keep people out. If anyone tries to get through, my men will open fire.”

“How did you get so organized at such a young age?” I asked, trying to figure out how long he’d been doing this. It couldn’t have been more than seven years.

Zane paused, dropping his gaze for a moment before looking back up. “My parents made sure I was ready to take over by the time I was thirteen. Along with these two,” he gestured to Conner and Noah, “we went through hours of training and lessons every day. There were times I thought I’d never get to be a normal kid.”

“Since we were homeschooled, they incorporated this into our daily lessons,” Noah added. “Those classes could last an hour, sometimes more.” He made a gagging sound.

“I thought you guys had a great childhood?” I asked, looking at the three men surrounding me.

“We did,” Conner said. “It just wasn’t the typical childhood. Our parents knew Zane would take over his dad’s organization. We were trained to be his right-hand men, to protect and support him. When we left, they weren’t happy, but we’ve made a life for ourselves here. They don’t interfere with us anymore, especially since Zane’s become a stronger leader than his dad ever was. His dad was feared by some, but everyone fears Zane because of his ruthlessness.”

I instinctively backed up a bit, causing the guys to smirk. “What, you think we’re going to hurt you?” Noah asked, taking a step towards me. “If we wanted to, we would’ve left you at that club.”

I started to shake a little at the sternness in his voice. He was much taller and wider than me. I glanced at his knee, then back up to his face.

“Noah.” Zane’s voice was calm but deadly.

“What? She needs to know we’re not to be messed with,” Noah said, keeping his eyes locked on me.

“She’s not to be scared either. I chose her, and she’ll learn everything she needs to. You did read her background, right?”

“Eh, I think I could take her. She’s too small.”

I straightened up at his words, taking a step towards him. Noah’s face was set in stone, his jaw clenched. “So, you think I’m a weak little girl who can’t handle a man your size?”

He smirked, standing up to his full height. He was at least five or six inches taller than me, but everyone had their weak spots. “Is that a challenge?” he asked, looking down at me.

“Yes, it is. We need a sparring match to see who’s stronger,” I replied, trying to keep my voice light.

Our eyes locked, and I heard Zane laugh. He stepped forward and nodded. “Let’s get you changed, then we can see exactly how good your fighting skills are.”

“This is going to be so much fun!” Conner pumped his fist in the air. “Noah’s going to get his ass kicked by a girl!”

I spun around and pointed at him. ~“I am not a girl!”~

His smile dropped into a scowl. “You better watch your tone with me, little lady.”

Zane stepped between us, amusement dancing in his eyes. “I have some clothes here you can wear if you want to teach these guys a lesson.”

I looked at the two agitated men and smiled. “I’d love to put these ~boys~ in their place.”

Both men growled at the word ~boys~, but Zane just turned to them. “You two did this. Go get changed and meet us in the ring in twenty minutes.”

They nodded, shooting me a look that promised a fight. ~Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?~

“They’re harmless,” Zane assured me as they disappeared around the corner. “You really know how to get under a person’s skin, don’t you?”

“Not really,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “He challenged me, so I pushed back. No big deal.”

“You better be as good as your profile claims. They won’t go easy on you.” His eyes sparkled as he looked down at me.

“As long as they avoid my face, I’ll be fine,” I replied, trying to hide my fear of getting my nose broken.

He chuckled, took my hand, and guided me to another room. It was dark but tidy.

The walls and ceiling were black with a silver trim, matching the bedspread. Even the doors to the walk-in closet were made of black wood.

I followed him into the closet. It was so big it could have been another room. One side was filled with men’s clothing—suits, shirts, pants, and shoes. The other side was all women’s attire.

“Whose clothes am I supposed to wear?” I asked, halting as I surveyed the massive racks.

He turned to me, brand new workout clothes in his hands. “Yours, sweetheart.”

“Wait, what? Why do you have a closet full of clothes for me?” My hands began to shake at his words.

“Once a potential future wife steps into my house, she doesn’t leave. This is now your house—this is our bedroom and these are your clothes,” he explained.

He gestured towards the endless racks of clothes.

“Um, I don’t think so,” I said, trying to hide my reluctance to stay forever. I had just met him, and he expected me to move in? “I need to go back home.”

Before I could finish my sentence, he dropped the clothes and pinned me against the wall. My arms were above my head as he towered over me.

“You’re too slow to fight these guys. I’m better than them, but they’ll have you pinned in seconds.”

“I wasn’t prepared for that. I was still shocked by what you said.”

He leaned in close. “Always expect the unexpected.”

His lips descended on mine. I tried to resist him, but he didn’t relent and pressed his body against mine.

With one large hand, he held both of mine above my head, while the other cradled the back of my head. His kiss ignited a fire within me, and I finally surrendered and kissed him back.

He took charge of the kiss and dominated it.

“You’re mine now. You belong to me!”