Analee POV

I was reading a book. A novel actually. Pride and Prejudice to be exact. I was nearing my favourite part in the book, when the library door slammed open, and an angry looking twin stomped in, followed by my mother, who was looking more pissed off at him then usual. She must have found out that him and his brother were the ones who threw the baseball at the lamp and shattered it last night. Ohh, he's in troooubllle.

"Your sister has been working very hard lately. I think you should be the wonderful brothers I know you aren't-" Wait... She wouldn't say something like that.. "-and take responsibility for Malcolm." Hmm.. This was going well. I should make my prescence known now, though, because if she found out I had been listening without her knowing, I'd be in trouble.

"Oh. Hello Analee! Perfect timing actually. I was just telling your brother that he was to relieve you of you tour guiding. Actually..." She paused trailing off, and tapping her chin. "While I'm at it, Teegan, you tell your brothers that you four boys are to take care of all of her chores, so she can go hang out with friends like a teenager should."

I paused mid stride, and frowned. As great as this sounded, it didn't seem realistic.. In fact, I didn't remember walking to the library either.

"Analee, would you like to accompany me to the kitchen? I have a plate of cookies with your name on it." Oh, okay, this makes it certain. I was dreaming. I had to be. But I was not complaining, this was perfection. 

"Analee!" The voice was familliar, but I couldn't see where it was coming from. Mom and Teegan weren't showing any signs of having heard it, so I shrugged and tuned it out.

"We're going to leave you here to select Analee's favourite books. Get started, and bring them to her room when you're done."

"AnaLEE!" That didn't come from Teegan... Hmm...

"ANALEE!" Okay, I definitely heard that. I spun around on my heal, and looke around for the voice frantically.

"Huh?" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. "What the heck?!"

"Wake UP Analee !" The shaking of my shoulder tore me right out of my dream world, and I opened my eyes to find a pair of black ones looking back.

"Argh!" I shouted, sitting straight up in shock. Bad idea. I only succeeded in slamming my forehead off of Malcolm's chin. Ow.

"Oh SHIT!" He cursed, pressing a hand over the sore area of my head. "Are you okay?" I nodded mutely, then jumped again.

"Get your nasty man whore hands off of me!" I growled, sliding out from his grasp. Malcolm frowned momentarily, before standing from the bed.

"I was just coming to wake you up. Dinner is ready. You slept for about three hours or so, depending on when you went to bed. It's six o'clock." Then, he smirked, running his eyes along my front slowly. "Tomorrow, you're all mine." He winked and turned to walk out the door. "Hurry your cute ass up, I'm hungry."

I blinked as the heavy oak door shut quietly, and shook myself with a scowl. That boy was irritating.

***

Mal POV

The next morning, I awoke to my cell phone ringing off the hook beside my head. I grabbed it and chucked it at the wall, hearing it go silent with a loud bang. I was hungry. Last nights dinner was interesting, to say the least. Lindy and her husband sure had their hands full with this family. The four boys were messy and loud, and surrounded Analee like a cloak. It was as though she had sunk into them, and disappeared. Until one of the twins, Teegan I believe, chose to make a comment about his way with women, and that was when I understood how Analee was related to them. She broke into the conversation full swing, cursing at Teegan and Luke, much to her parents dislike, and basically putting the two eighteen year olds in their place. They remained silent for a few following moments, and then broke right back into the dinner table talk.

I sighed heavily when I realised that today would be spent unpacking the few belongings I had with me. It was nice to have been invited to live here. I couldn't afford an apartment nearby, and the apartments I could afford required too many expenses for the travelling back and forth. My parents had kicked me out when I was fourteen, and I moved away to my Aunts house, to finish my schooling. She sent me to the most presitgious university, spending every last dime on my education before she died. Murdered by an ex boyfriend, who then got off pleading mentally unstable. She was 38. 

Despite what everyone at my school believed, becoming a lawyer wasn't something I chose to do for the money. It wasn't for the power, or the women, or the title. It was because I lived through my Aunt's murder trial, and in the end, justice wasn't served. I wouldn't allow that to happen to another person.

She was never rich, but Cally Annabelle Brown was absolutely determined to send me to university. Originally, to become a surgeon. I switched fields after her murder. The rest of her money that wasn't put towards my schooling, as stated in her Will, went to my account. An account that was untouchable until I was married. Like that would happen any day soon. Marriage wasn't high on my lists, having seen too many examples of what it could do to couples, and so I was pretty set to leave the large amount of cash in place.

Cally was like a young mother that I never had.  My parent's travelled a lot, on 'buisness trips'.   I knew it was really because they couldn't stand to be around me, I was their 'mistake' that ruined their carefree days.  But it never bothered me until they began to leave me alone at home without the money necessary for survivial.  That was about the time when Cally stepped in and took me.

A quiet knock on my door alerted me that Analee was awake.  I stood from the bed and made my way to my locked door, opening it, and looking down at the small black haired girl who was glaring up at me.  Oh boy, here we go.

***

Analee POV

Well, it wasn't torture.  Pure, horrible, painful torture was what I was expecting, but this... This was more like slightly awkward, irritating, boring torture.  As soon as I had been forced to the doorway by my mother, New Guy had put me to work, placing books from boxes onto the bookshelf opposite the doorway.  It was settled beneath a large bay window, much like the one in my room, and was slowly beginning to look like it was intended to, with books littering the shelves.  I had to admit, the guy had taste.  It was probably mean of me, but I had expected him to be more of the Playboy & Cars type, but the dude was up to his eyeballs in old classics, including my favourite 'Pride and Prejudice' which was dogearred, and obviously read a lot. 

Malcolm hadn't said a single word to me yet, other then the suggestion to start with the books.  He just set right to it, methodically hanging his clothes in the closet, and setting up a beat up laptop on his desk. 

By the time I had reached the end of the third box of books, the shelf looked as though it might collapse with any extra weight.  I glanced around the bland grey room, to see Malcolm staring out the window, arms crossed, completely zoned out.

"Hey.  New dude.  I'm done.  Can I go now?" I asked, standing from my position on the floor and brushing off my jeans.  He grunted, which I took as a yes, and spun across the hardwood towards the door.

"Wait," he started, as soon as my hand touched the doorknob. "I have something else for you to do."

"Yeah, well do it yourself," I huffed, twisting the knob.  He chuckled, tsking.

"I do believe your mom said that you were to be my personal helper for the rest of the morning.  The whole day, actually." I scoffed.

"As if. I have better things to do."

"Go ask her then."  His lips quirked up into the smirk that I was certain was implanted onto his face, and he folded his arms across his chest. "Its not a big deal, I just need some help sorting my files."

"You're the lawyer, do it yourself," I snapped, but I remained in the room just the same. If he wasn't lying, which I knew he wasn't, because my mom had mentioned that I would be assigned to helper duty, then I would for sure be banned from my life if I ditched.  Mom was never one to go lightly on punishments.

"All lawyers had secretaries.  Hot, gorgeous, sexy ones that they can stare at while they work." Enter wink.  Cue gag.

"I'm leaving."

"Uh uh uh, you've been assigned to help, you better get your fine little ass over here and hop to it. Unless, of course, you're going to risk being grounded from that party on friday..."

"How did you know about that?" I gaped, forgetting to hold my glare for a moment.  He shrugged, continuing to smirk.

"That's my secret. Now get to work."

It's official. 

Malcolm Reed was my own personal hell.