Nick led me through the busy airport car park to a late model black Mercedes SUV with tinted windows. Alex was loading my bags into the back of it and Logan was already safely in the vehicle. Several cars over, a man also wearing black, was speaking into his shoulder while watching us. It felt weird to be watched like that. What was going on?
Nick must have noticed my tension because he clutched my hand tighter. "That's our security," he told me. "Don't worry. It's Paul, keeping us safe."
I looked at him totally aghast. "You have security? Why?"
He helped me up into the car next to Logan. "When you have our reputation and wealth, it's necessary," he told me matter-of-factly, like it wasn't a big deal. "Damon will sort out a bodyguard for you when you want to go out," he told me as he pulled the seatbelt across my body and strapped me in.
"But why?" I asked, sounding a bit whiny. It was weird, having someone else put my seat belt on for me. I'd been doing it by myself for years. It was even weirder having a random "security" person watching our every move. "I don't need a bodyguard. I'm not anybody," I insisted. "I don't have a reputation, or any money. I'm just a kid!"
"You're a Bogiatto," Nick reminded me sternly as he closed the door, as though that explained everything. But all it did was leave me even more confused than before. Were my brothers famous movie stars or something? I'd never heard of them before, but that probably didn't mean much. There were only a few movie stars I'd heard of, really. Living with my mother and her various boyfriends, moving around constantly, there wasn't much time for watching movies. And conversations with my friends had revolved around music and sports rather than movies.
I looked at Logan for support, hoping he would back me up here. What kind of teenager can't go anywhere without a bodyguard? That's not the kind of life I want! It's got to be better than the life you just left, my inner voice pointed out.
Logan just shrugged. "Eh, you get used to it," he told me. "Most of the time I forget they're even there."
"No. I'm not having a bodyguard," I insisted adamantly. "This is just too weird."
None of my brothers said anything, but I saw Nick and Alex exchange a look as they got into the car, Nick in the passenger seat and Alex driving.
I turned around and looked out the window behind us, watching as another SUV, almost identical to this one, pulled in behind us. Following us, shadowing our every move. This was too weird. Why did my brothers need security? Why were they so rich? And what kind of reputation did they have? So many questions, but none I was brave enough to ask.
Logan pointed out a few different sights to me as we drove. I'd never been to this city before, not that I could remember anyway, and it was all new and exciting. It was hard for me to concentrate on what he was telling me though; I was freaked out by the whole security thing, and I was exhausted from travelling. We'd only been on the road for about half an hour, the heavy traffic constantly stopping and starting, when I fell asleep, my head resting on his shoulder.
"Carrie wake up, we're home!" A male's voice tells me, shaking me at the same time. Momentarily, I freak out. Where are we? And then I remember: I'm going home. I'm in the car with three of my brothers. I'm okay. I must have looked frightened though, because Logan puts his arm around me.
"It's okay little sis, you're safe with us. You're okay."
"Where are we?" I croak, my voice husky with sleep.
"Home," Nick tells me from the front seat, his hand still on my arm. He must have been the one who was shaking me. His huge hand squeezed my arm gently, his fingers wrapping around my entire bicep. His sheer size was a little intimidating and I instinctively shrank closer to Logan.
A few seconds later, once I was fully awake, I looked out the window at the mansion in front of us. Seriously? This was home? Two towering marble pillars framed the entranceway but we didn't stop, we continued around to the back, surrounded by manicured lawn and perfectly shaped hedges, to an underground garage. I don't know where the security had gone, they were nowhere in sight.
I knew my mouth was open and my eyes wide with amazement, but I couldn't help it. I'd never even been close up to an estate of this size before, let alone been brought inside the steel gates. And now I was about to go inside! I was going to live here!
Lights came on in the massive garage automatically as the door closed behind us and Alex parked the car next to three other identical vehicles.
I was still sitting there, awed, when Logan gave me a gentle shove. "Come on, hop out! The others are waiting inside and I can't wait to show you around!"
He sounded genuinely excited to share everything with me and it made me smile inside. I was used to feeling like a burden, someone to be tolerated rather than welcomed. Because we'd moved around so much, I never let people get too close to me so it didn't hurt so bad when I left. I had friends of course, but I'd never spent time with them outside of school, and I'd only gone to school when I wanted to. Sometimes I had no shoes, no books, no lunch money. Sometimes I was hurting too bad, especially if the burns were fresh or had gotten infected. Mostly, I was alone and hid how I felt. But I couldn't hide my excitement now as I followed Logan inside.
"Do you have a pool?" I asked, not daring to hope, but secretly thinking a place of this size had to have a pool.. I loved to swim, but hadn't been able to do so very often. Mom had never had the money.
"Yep we do," Logan said. "I'll show you soon. Once we've seen the boys I'll show you everything!"
A pool! Oh my god! I couldn't help doing a little dance of excitement and behind me, Alex chuckled.
"If you get that excited over a pool, wait until you see your bedroom!" he told me. "As soon as he knew you were coming, Damon hired a designer to go all out for you. You're going to love it!"
I let out a little squeal of excitement and clapped my hands. I couldn't believe it! I'd never been inside anything this flash before, and I'd definitely never had a flash bedroom. Sometimes, I didn't even have a bedroom at all. For just a moment, I felt bitter. For all those years after Mom took me away I'd lived in squalor, barely surviving, being abused, while my brothers lived in luxury. It didn't seem fair.
As if he could read my mind, Alex put a hand on my shoulder. "You're home now, Carrie. And you can have everything you want. Okay? If there's anything you want, anything at all, you let us know and we will get it for you. We're going to make up for lost time, and we're going to spoil you."
I was too overwhelmed to even breathe, so I just nodded dumbly and hoped he understood.