Page 23 of Dirty Heirs

“It’s a good thing you’re rich and hot,” I told Sonny as I got on the boat. “Because your pickup lines suck.”

Sonny grinned. “You think I’m hot?”

“Please, Pretty Boy,” I tossed back at him. “You know you are.”

Chapter Twelve

AIDEN

When Alex was a little girl, she wanted to be a princess. She often asked me if princes were real and if, one day, one would save her. I said yes, even though I didn’t believe in fairy tales or happy endings. It was essential for her not to lose hope. Through all the horrible times with our mother, she needed to believe there was more to life.

As I stood on the deck of a massive yacht, I felt like we made it. My sister always wanted this life, and until recently, I couldn’t give it to her. I would have sold my soul to the Devil if I could have wiped the last eighteen years and replaced them with new memories.

Sonny hooked his arm around my twin and guided her across the deck. “Are you hungry, Little Wellington?”

She smiled at the mention of food. “Sure, I can eat.”

Alex hadn’t turned down a meal since arriving in Devil’s Creek. Not even a snack. She was so afraid of going hungry that she stuffed her face every chance.

Sonny glanced at Marcello. “Give your girl a tour of the yacht. Feel free to use my room if the mood strikes.”

Marcello shook his head. “Asshole.”

“You love it,” Sonny shot back, all smiles, and tipped his head. “We’ll get the food and drinks and meet you in the saloon.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “What’s a saloon?”

“Boat terminology for living room.”

I nodded. “All of this fancy shit is new to us.”

Alex looked up at me, a foot shorter than my six feet four inches. “You okay by yourself?”

“Of course. Go ahead and let Marcello show you around.”

After she left with the youngest Salvatore brother, Sonny flashed one of his boyish smiles at me. “Come help me in the galley.”

I followed him inside the galley, which was another word for kitchen. I was still not used to these people’s names for standard shit. My grandfather called the kitchen at Wellington Manor the scullery. The sunroom was a solarium. I was surprised the bathroom didn’t have a different name. Although, seeing how the bidet worked kind of freaked me the fuck out.

Fucking rich people.

My eyes darted around the expanse of the boat, taking in my surroundings. It had several floors and could accommodate at least one hundred guests and a crew. I didn’t know much about yachts, though. This was my first time on the water.

The galley was a large, open room with expensive hardwood flooring and wooden cabinets that reached the ceiling. Like Wellington Manor, the refrigerator hid behind a door. God forbid people could see their appliances. An island at the center of the kitchen was larger than my last house’s dining room table. Enough food to feed everyone in the state was spread across the room on serving dishes and plates.

“You know it’s just us, right?” I turned to look at Sonny. “This is enough food to feed an army.”

He slapped a sly grin on his handsome face, his perfectly white teeth gleaming. “My mother has a rule about treating guests like family. As long as you’re with me, on my boat, you’re family.” His hand crashed down on my back. “Get used to this, Aiden. This is your life now.”

My life had become a rags-to-riches story in a matter of days. All of this was too much for me to absorb. We had only been in Devil’s Creek for a week and hadn’t had a chance to settle down. Our grandfather planned every second for us.

“We’re not all bad, you know.” Sonny leaned against the island, his blue eyes holding my gaze. “Marcello is one of the good ones. The other Founders aren’t assholes like the Salvatore brothers.”

I glanced out the window at the endless bay view, wishing I could get lost at sea, where Alex and I would not have all this responsibility dumped on our heads. “Who are the other Founders?”

“The Marshalls and the Battles.” Sonny leaned into my arm, stealing my attention back to him. “They live down the block from Wellington Manor on Founders Way.”

“Who lives in the house that looks like a military base?”

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