Savage Royals (Boys of Oak Park Prep #1) - Callie Rose Page 0,5

yesterday. The circular drive led up to an imposing front entrance, with stairs leading up to a door fronted by two marble columns.

We pulled to a stop, and the driver unloaded my bags before he took the car and disappeared down another section of the driveway, probably to some private garage.

“Welcome home, Talia.” Jacqueline stepped up beside me, taking my elbow and steering me toward the front door.

The place seemed to sprawl on and on, and I was dizzy by the time she’d finished only half the tour. A kitchen, two dining rooms, studies, bedrooms, bathrooms, entertainment rooms, a garden, a tea room. I was ready to throw up from the sheer size of it.

“Your room will be upstairs,” Jacqueline said. “You’ll have your own private bathroom, but I doubt you’ll need either of them very much. Oak Park will have excellent accommodations for you.”

I nodded in a daze. Everything was moving too fast, and it felt like the massive, opulent house was swallowing me up. Like I’d get lost in the cavernous space and never be found.

She led me into another study on the first floor, where a man sat hunched over a large book. I had no idea what he was doing, but Jacqueline had to clear her throat before he looked up.

“Philip, this is your granddaughter, Talia. Talia, this is your grandfather.”

His gaze lifted slowly, piercing me with bright blue eyes that had started to dull. He had heavy, blunt features, and his hair was more silver than brown. Unlike my grandma, he looked his age—and then some. A frown played over his lips, and as I watched, he picked up a heavy crystal glass and sipped the amber liquid inside. Whiskey, probably. My dad had preferred beer and vodka, but he’d been willing to drink anything in a pinch.

“Hello.” The man’s voice was heavy too, and he set the glass down but held onto it, as if he expected to need another sip momentarily. “It’s nice to meet you, Talia.”

Is it?

I did my best not to squirm under his appraisal, lifting my chin and keeping my shoulders back. “You too… Philip.”

The word grandpa just wouldn’t come to my lips, and I wasn’t sure it would’ve been a good idea to call him that in any case. I chewed the inside of my lip, my gut churning.

“We should go over the ground rules,” Jacqueline said as she all but floated around the desk to join her husband. She was almost a full foot shorter than him, but the power that radiated from her made her seem taller. “Rules to keep in mind while you’re here.”

I nodded lightly, and she continued without a pause.

“You’ll start school on Monday. You’re only a week late, so you should be fine. You’ll wear the Oak Park uniform on campus, but we’ll get you a car and a credit card so you can get some”—her gaze flicked down my body—“proper clothes.”

My cheeks flamed. I’d worn what I thought was a nice top, but my jeans were faded and old—and I’d only drawn attention to their disrepair by picking at them in the car.

“And finally, there will be no shenanigans in this house or anywhere else,” Jacqueline continued, her voice hardening. “You’ll go to school, get good grades, and keep out of trouble. You might not be living under our roof, but you represent our family at all times, and you have to remember that. Always. I won’t have you following in your mother’s footsteps.”

I nodded, clenching my jaw against defensive words.

She obviously already had an idea of what kind of person I was based on my mother, but I had no idea what that image was.

Had my mother been difficult? Rebellious?

It sounded like they’d had some kind of falling out, and Jacqueline obviously blamed my mom for it. In my memories of her, she was quiet and sad, but she wasn’t wild or anything. Mostly, I remembered the way her lips quirked up higher on one side than the other when she smiled, and the way her hazel eyes seemed to change color with the light.

She’d been snatched away from me by some asshole who’d hit her with their car. They’d fled the scene, and the police had never found who’d done it, but that night had sent my life careening in a terrible new direction.

“Are you listening, Talia?” My grandmother raised an eyebrow.

I blinked. “Yes. Sorry, I understand.”

“Good.” She ran her gaze over me once more. “I’ll show you to your