CHAPTER 4

WINTER POV

I waited in my locked room for two hours.

Every minute felt like forever. I kept checking my phone but the brothers hadn't called or texted. Marcus had gone quiet too and somehow that was worse than his constant messages.

I tried to sleep but every sound made me jump. Every car outside could be Marcus. Every shadow could be him climbing through my window even though we were on the second floor.

Finally I heard footsteps in the hallway,heavy little multiple people.

"Winter, it's us. Open the door."

It was Dante's voice. I ran to unlock it and all three of them walked in. Kai had blood on his knuckles. Luca's shirt was torn. Dante looked perfectly calm except for the darkness in his eyes.

"What happened? Are you okay? Is that your blood?" The questions tumbled out.

"We're fine." Dante closed the door behind them. "And no, it's not our blood."

My stomach dropped. "Did you kill him?"

"No." Kai flexed his bloody hand and smiled. "But he'll think twice before texting you again."

"What did you do?"

"We had a conversation." Luca sat on my bed like nothing was wrong. "A very clear conversation about boundaries and consequences."

"That's not an answer."

Dante stepped closer and his hand tilted my chin up so I had to look at him. "Marcus Shaw is in the hospital with a broken nose, three cracked ribs, and a very clear understanding that if he ever contacts you again, next time will be worse."

"You beat him up?" My voice came out shocked.

"He resisted our conversation," Kai said cheerfully. "So I made my point physically."

"You can't just—"

"We can and we did." Dante's grip on my chin got firmer. "And before you get angry, you should know what we found when we got to his penthouse."

Something in his voice made my blood run cold. "What?"

Luca pulled out his phone and showed me pictures. My stomach turned. "That's my room. That's this house and those are pictures of me getting out of the car today."

"He's been watching you since you arrived." Luca's voice was gentle but his eyes were hard. "He had a whole wall covered in photos of you. Some from two years ago and today."

I felt sick. "How did he get pictures from today?"

"He was here." Dante's voice was cold. "Parked down the street with a camera which is how we found him so easily."

"He was outside this whole time?"

"Not anymore." Kai cracked his neck. "After our conversation, he drove himself to the hospital. Well, after he could stand up again."

My legs felt weak. I sat down hard on the bed next to Luca. "You really hurt him."

"Yes." Dante crouched in front of me so we were eye level. "And I'll do it again if he comes near you. Do you understand? We're not playing games, Winter. You're under our protection now."

"Why?" The word came out broken. "Why do you even care? You just met me today."

The three of them exchanged looks I couldn't read.

"Because you're ours," Kai said simply. "We knew it the second you walked through that door."

"That's insane."

"Maybe." Luca's hand touched my hair softly. "But it's true."

"You can't just decide I belong to you."

"We already did." Dante stood and pulled me up with him. "And tonight proved we'll burn down anyone who tries to take you from us."

My phone buzzed. All four of us froze.

Dante grabbed it and his face went dark. "It's from a different number."

"What does it say?" My voice shook.

He showed me the screen.

You think three rich boys scare me? I'll kill them and take you back where you belong. With me.

"He's not going to stop," I whispered. "He never stops."

"Neither do we." Kai's voice was pure violence. "Let him try. I'm hoping he does."

"He'll come here. He'll hurt people. He always does when he's angry."

"Good." Dante handed Luca my phone. "Block this number too and Winter, from now on, one of us stays with you at all times."

"What? No. I need space."

"Space got you stalked by a psychopath." Dante's hand cupped my face. "Until Marcus is handled permanently, you don't go anywhere alone not even in this house."

"That's controlling."

"That's protection." His thumb brushed my cheek. "Learn the difference."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"You need us." Luca stood and moved behind me. "Whether you admit it or not."

I was trapped between all three of them again. Dante in front, Luca behind, Kai blocking the door. My room suddenly felt very small.

"I can't breathe when you do this," I said quietly.

"Do what?" Dante's voice was softer.

"Surround me and make me feel like I can't escape."

Something shifted in Dante's eyes. He stepped back. "Then we'll give you tonight. Lock your door. Get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll discuss security arrangements."

"Tomorrow you also start learning self-defense," Kai added. "I'm teaching you how to fight."

"And I'm teaching you how to spot danger before it finds you," Luca said.

"I don't want—"

"Not a choice." Dante cut me off. "Marcus made this our problem when he threatened you in our house. Now we're solving it our way."

They walked toward the door and I should have felt relieved but instead I felt cold.

"Dante?"

He turned back. "Yes?"

"Thank you for tonight. Even though it was violent and probably illegal."

His smile was sharp. "Winter, everything we do for you will probably be illegal. Get used to it."

They left and I locked my door again. I looked at my phone with its blocked numbers and deleted messages.

Marcus wasn't done. I knew him. He'd come back worse but now I had three men who were just as obsessed and twice as dangerous standing between us.

I wasn't sure if that made me safer or just differently trapped.