“My brother is a rock star with more money than sense,” I say, as when I first saw this place, I thought the same.
We pull up to the entrance, and I’m out of the SUV before anyone can open my door. Rushing forward, I unlock the front door with my fingerprint. I barely make it three steps inside before a fluffy orange-and-white cat appears, winding around my legs and meowing.
“Princess Buttercup!” I scoop her up, and she immediately starts purring. “Did you miss me? Of course you did. Your dad abandoned you.”
While I’m hugging my fur niece, the guys are already moving through the house. Ace disappears toward the kitchen, Rhodes heads upstairs, and Vander does a slow sweep of the main floor.
I watch them work with a small smile of amusement. Ace and Vander have been here before, and Ace oversaw the security installation, yet they’re still checking everything. Every window, every door, every camera angle.
“Kitchen is secure,” Rhodes calls out, as if my stalker could have been hiding in the pots-and-pans cupboard, waiting for his moment.
Ace reappears from the direction of the garage. “Back entrance is locked and armed.”
They continue like this, clearing each floor.
I take Princess Buttercup into the kitchen and open the cabinets, looking for her food. The automatic feeder is working, but she’s giving me those big eyes that say she deserves a treat. I would need one if I had to live with my brother.
“You’re spoiled,” I tell her, finding a can of the fancy wet food Kade keeps stocked. “Just like your dad.”
I feed Princess Buttercup in her crystal dish that probably costs more than most entire kitchen sets, and the security sweep continues above me. I can hear them moving through the second floor and then the third.
As I wander into the living room, Princess Buttercup follows behind me. The house is exactly as you would picture a single rock star’s mansion: guitar collection mounted on one wall, platinum records on another.
When the guys return, I’m curled on the couch with Princess Buttercup purring on my lap.
“Panic room code?” Ace asks.
“051223, Princess Buttercup’s birthday.”
They disappear again toward the basement, and I hear the distinct sound of the panic room opening, followed by a muffled conversation, then they’re back.
“Everything checks out,” Ace announces. “Cameras are all operational, the locks are functioning, and the panic room is accessible and fully stocked.”
“So...” I say, preparing for the worst. “Are you leaving, or are you three camping out here for the week?”
Ace shakes his head. “No, the house is secure enough. We’ll check in daily, but you don’t need us here twenty-four seven.”
I stare at him. “I’m sorry, what?” For sure, I thought he would change his mind and stay. Ace takes this job very seriously.
“The security system is the best money can buy,” he explains. “You have a panic room, and the neighborhood has private security. Also, you now know how to handle yourself if something goes wrong.”
All that training with him and Vander—learning to fight, to run, and to react in different scenarios—is finally paying off. They actually trust me to be here alone.
“You’re serious?” I ask again slowly.
“Completely. You have all our numbers. The panic button on your phone is activated. The security company will report directly to me.” Ace pulls out his phone. “And we’re only ten minutes away if you need us.”
“Fifteen in traffic,” Rhodes adds.
I glance between them, waiting for the catch—some ridiculous rule or restriction—but nothing comes.
“So I actually get a week of freedom?” I try not to sound too eager, to give him a reason to change his mind. “Just me and Princess Buttercup?”
“Within reason,” Ace warns, but there’s almost a smile on his face.
“I’ll take it.” I scratch behind the pampered feline’s ears. “Hear that, Your Majesty? It’s just us ladies.”
After they leave, I spend the rest of the evening settling in. I unpack my stuff in the guest room, set up my laptop in Kade’s studio, and take approximately thirty photos of Princess Buttercup for my Instagram.
