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“There are other kitchens in the house,” Cole told me. “The chefs need room to work without us in the way.”
“Because one kitchen isn’t enough?” I laughed. “My last house had a galley kitchen that barely fit two people.”
His smile stirred something strange inside me. Desire, maybe? I’d never been this close to a man who looked like Cole. My adoptive father made sure I had no dating life and no friends.
He was all I ever had.
All I ever needed.
“This place might seem like a maze at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
I peeked up at him. “I may need you to draw me a map.”
He winked. “I’m an engineer. That I can do.”
On our way through the house, Cole pushed on walls, twisted candlesticks, and even hit a button on a fireplace to show me the secret passages built into the house.
“My ancestors were paranoid,” Cole said. “Evan Marshall built this house during Prohibition. He was a big whiskey drinker and refused to give up his vice. That’s how my family got close to the Salvatores. They were alcohol smugglers back then with ties to the Italian Mafia. My grandfather never went without his whiskey because of Angelo Salvatore.”
The Salvatores adopted my cousin Bastian. Like me, he’d lost his parents at a young age and temporarily lived with my grandfather before escaping his wrath. Tragedy seemed to follow the Adams family. We were cursed, despite having so much wealth.
Cole guided me to the left, and we ascended the stairs. “There are five founding families of Devil’s Creek.”
“What’s the difference between The Founders Society and the founders of Devil’s Creek?”
I knew the basics about each secret society but not everything, only what the Colonel wanted to share.
“With the exception of the Salvatores, the founding families of Devil’s Creek are also descendants of the Founding Fathers of the United States. You must prove your lineage to become a member of The Founders Society. The Salvatores were the first to settle in Devil’s Creek and start building here. And they founded The Devil’s Knights, which helped to get their foot in the door with The Founders Society.”
I could relate to the Salvatores. For the first eleven years of my life, I was an Adams. But I never felt part of this world, like an outsider looking through a window.
“Are you friends with the other Founders?”
“Yes.” He gripped my bicep and steered me to the left. “Drake Battle is my cousin on my mother’s side of the family. He lives at the end of Founders Way. Sonny Cormac lives next to him. His family owns Mac Corp. I’m sure you’ve heard of their shipping company. Like the other Founders, their wealth grew exponentially during Prohibition.”
“So all of your families are linked because of Prohibition?”
He bobbed his head. “Drake started Battle Industries to improve on his grandfather’s weapons manufacturing company. The Battles provided The Founders with weapons back then. Still do.”
“And the Salvatores were smugglers? So what do they do now?”
“They own Salvatore Global and have made billions providing security services. But off the books, they help wealthy men do illegal shit. Their connections to crime families are useful to The Knights.”
“And the fifth family?” I asked as we entered my new bedroom on the second floor.
The space was the size of a sitting room. I had a king-size bed with tons of comfy pillows and bedding so soft it felt like silk.
“The Wellingtons,” he said with a curt nod. “Carl Wellington is the third wealthiest man in the world. He owns Wellington Pharmaceuticals and a ton of other companies.”
My lips parted in shock. “I use their lotion and shampoo.”
Wellington Pharmaceuticals made everything from hand lotion and makeup to vaccines.
Cole opened the double doors to the walk-in closet. I imagined myself sitting on the bench at the center of the room, getting lost in a pile of expensive clothes. Hangers, drawers, shelves, and racks were filled with clothing that didn’t belong to me. I couldn’t even count all the shoes—everything from jeweled flip-flops to heels.
“My mother went a little overboard when she heard you were coming to live with us,” Cole said with a light shrug. “She always wanted a daughter but got three boys.”
“I can see that.” My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. “Remind me to thank her.”
