Protected by Four

Mary Ann POV I stood there in the cold drizzle, my black dress clinging to my skin like it wanted to drag me down into the mud with Dad. The cemetery smelled of wet earth and cheap flowers, and every shovel of dirt hitting the coffin felt like it was burying me too. Twenty-one years old, and I was officially alone. Mary Ann Bennett. Orphan. That was my new label. The few people who showed up had already started to drift away, muttering awkward condolences before rushing back to their warm cars. I didn’t blame them. Dad had burned most bridges long before the cancer took him. Now all that was left was me, a mountain of medical bills, and whatever debt collectors were circling like vultures. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, but the tears kept coming. Stubborn, just like Dad always said. I had no idea how I was going to survive this. My part-time waitressing job barely covered rent, and now I had to figure out how to pay for a funeral I couldn’t afford. Everything felt heavy. Too heavy. “Miss Bennett?” A smooth voice cut through the rain. I turned and saw a man in a crisp gray suit holding an umbrella. He looked like he belonged in a boardroom, not a graveyard. Silver at his temples, sharp jaw, eyes that didn’t miss a thing. “Yes?” “I’m Richard Harlan, your father’s attorney. If you could stay a moment after the service, there are matters in the will we need to discuss.” I blinked. Will? Dad had a will? He could barely keep the lights on most months. I nodded numbly and waited while the last mourner left. The lawyer led me to a black town car parked just outside the gates. Inside, the leather seats were warm and the rain sounded far away. For the first time in days, I wasn’t freezing. Mr. Harlan opened a folder on his lap. “Your father accumulated significant debt before his passing. Medical costs, loans… the estate is essentially underwater.” I laughed, but it came out bitter. “Of course it is. So I get nothing?” “Not exactly.” He adjusted his glasses. “There is a condition. A rather unusual one.” My stomach twisted. I clutched the damp hem of my dress, waiting. “Your father entered into an agreement several years ago with the Genovese family. In exchange for certain financial support during his illness, he stipulated that if anything happened to him, you would be placed under the protection of his four sonsLuca, Mason, Jace, and Ethan Genoveseuntil you turn twenty-five or until the debts are cleared. Whichever comes first.” I stared at him. “Protection? What the hell does that mean?” “It means you will live with them. They will cover all outstanding debts, provide for your needs, and ensure your safety. In return, you must reside at their estate and follow the terms of the arrangement.” My heart slammed against my ribs. Genovese. I knew that name. Everyone in this city did. Billionaires. Dangerous. The kind of men who owned half the skyline and probably half the underworld too. “I don’t need charity,” I whispered, even as my mind screamed that I had nowhere else to go. My apartment was a month behind. My savings? Laughable. Mr. Harlan slid a thick envelope across the seat. “This isn’t charity, Miss Bennett. It’s a binding legal obligation. Refuse, and the creditors will take everythingincluding the house you grew up in. The Genoveses are already waiting for your decision.” I opened the envelope with shaking fingers. Inside were documents, bank statements showing debts that made my stomach drop, and a single glossy photo of four men standing shoulder to shoulder. The brothers. Luca Genovese stared straight into the camera like he could see through my soulcold, controlling, the eldest. Mason looked like he could break a man in half with those arms, former fighter written all over him. Jace had a smirk that promised trouble and a glint in his eyes that said he used charm like a weapon. And Ethan… the youngest, with quiet intensity behind his glasses, like he was already thinking three steps ahead. They were all devastatingly handsome. Tall, dark-haired, built like gods who had decided to walk among mortals. Power rolled off them even in a photograph. A dangerous secret of my own twisted in my chest. One I’d buried deep after what happened two years ago. No one could know. Especially not men like these. “I… I need to think,” I said, voice small. “You have until tomorrow morning,” Mr. Harlan replied. “A car will be sent for you either way. Pack light. The estate has everything you’ll need.” He dropped me back at my tiny apartment. I sat on the edge of my sagging couch for hours, staring at that photo. My father had sold my future to save himself. Anger burned hot in my belly, mixed with something else I didn’t want to name. Fear. Curiosity. A flicker of heat I refused to acknowledge. That night I barely slept. When morning came, I stuffed clothes into a duffel bag, grabbed the only picture I had of Mom, and waited. The black SUV arrived exactly at nine. The driver didn’t speak. He just drove me out of the city and up into the hills where the mansions hid behind iron gates. When we pulled through the massive gates of the Genovese estate, my mouth went dry. The place was a fortress disguised as luxurymodern glass and stone, sprawling grounds, a garage that probably held more cars than I’d seen in my life. Four men stood on the wide steps waiting for me. Luca stepped forward first, his presence sucking all the air out of the driveway. His eyesice blueswept over me like he was already measuring my worth. “Mary Ann Bennett,” he said, voice low and commanding. “You’re here. Good. We don’t tolerate delays.” Mason crossed his arms, muscles straining against his shirt. He looked ready to fight the world if it so much as looked at me wrong. Jace flashed that charming grin, but his eyes lingered a second too long on my lips. “Welcome home, sweetheart. Try not to fall for me too fast.” Ethan hung back slightly, watching me with quiet intensity. His gaze felt different, gentler, but no less hungry. Like he’d already decided something about me. I lifted my chin, stubbornness kicking in. “I’m not here because I want to be. I’m here because I have no choice.” Luca’s lips curved the tiniest bit. It wasn’t a smile. It was a warning. “You’ll learn there are worse places to be, little girl. Much worse.” Mason took my bag without asking, his fingers brushing mine and sending an unwanted spark up my arm. Jace winked. Ethan studied me like I was a puzzle he intended to solve. As they led me inside, the heavy doors closing behind us with a final-sounding click, I felt the shift. My old life was gone. Whatever came next with these four men was going to change everything.