Page 93 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
I couldn’t help the flicker of satisfaction curling in my chest. Blaze had given me nothing but hell the past year, and I would pay good money to see his ass handed to him—if not for the consequences.
“The account is frozen,” I said flatly. “You weren’t picking your calls. So, I came to make the payment for the week. Wouldn’t want you showing up in my house again, threatening my son.”
He let out a laugh—sharp and bitter. “Did you come here to mock me?”
I arched a brow. “Trust me, I have better things to do with my time. Now, could you please point me to whoever’s handling the accounts so I don’t have to make the inconvenient journey down here again?”
“That’s what this is, right?” His eyes darkened. “You came to rub it in my face. Fuck you, Leila.”
He snapped his arm toward me like he meant to strike. But then he froze halfway, as though he remembered something. I could see fear and frustration flicker in his gaze. His hand hovered mid-air for a beat, then dropped. His jaw clenched. “Get the hell out. Before I do something we will both regret.”
“I’m not the reason you’re in a pissy mood, Blaze. If you’re not going to talk, then direct me to someone who will.”
He stepped in close, towering, trying to make me flinch. I didn’t. I met his gaze, steady.
“Listen, bitch! I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but your debt has been cleared. Paid in full. Now get out of here and don’t come back. If I see you again—if you so much as breathe near this place—I won’t give a damn about his fucking threats when I come for you.”
My brow furrowed. “What do you mean my debt has been—”
“I said get out!” he roared, hurling the liquor bottle in his hand against the wall.
The glass shattered like a gunshot. I shrieked at the impact but held my ground. Blaze was shaking with rage. Without another word,he turned and stormed back into the lair, slamming the door so hard I was sure the sound echoed across Manhattan.
Confusion twisted around me as I stood frozen in the alley, staring at nothing. How the hell did a hundred and fifty grand debt just disappear? And what did Blaze mean by “his fucking threats”?
I’d been bracing myself for a penalty. Part of the syndicate’s lovely policy was that if you so much as sneezed on a collector, they’d tack on an extra fee. And Luca had dealt with Blaze at the park the other day. I’d stopped him in time—barely—but even then, I was expecting the worst.
So why wasn’t I paying more?
Why wasn’t there a spike in interest, a threat, a new deadline? Why was I suddenly…free?
My phone buzzed in my pocket, dragging me out of my thoughts. I fished it out, still dazed. It was Sam, my father’s realtor.
“Leila!” he said brightly. “Just wanted to personally congratulate you on the house. I’ve emailed the signed documents and the deed to your inbox.”
I blinked. “Wait…what?”
He chuckled. “Your father’s house. It’s yours now. Fully paid. I figured you’d want to know as soon as it cleared.”
“Hold up, Sam…what do you mean cleared?”
“You didn’t know?” A beat of silence passed, then he added. “Leila, your father’s house has been bought. The full mortgage paid off. In your name. You’re officially the new owner.”
“I didn’t buy the house. Sam, you know I couldn’t afford it even if I wanted to. Besides, I already moved all my things out last week, just like you asked.”
“I know. That’s why I figured you’d already been informed. It was paid for by Luca Vaughn.” He waited for me to say something, but when I didn’t, he said, “Anyway, I’ve got to go now. You can swing by anytime to get the house keys. Congratulations once again.”
The line went dead.
My pulse roared in my ears. Luca Vaughn? What exactly was he playing at?
Did he think this was some grand gesture? Some big romantic fix-it moment? Buy a house, erase the past, call it even? Now that I thought about it—the debt—it was him as well. The threat Blaze mentioned. It was Luca.
My jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached. But I felt my wolf within me, strangely soothed. She didn’t care about the manipulation or the betrayal. All she felt was relief. Gratitude. Safety. He’s protecting us.
I remembered his words from the other night at the gallery.
Because I can’t remind myself. Because when I’m around you, nothing else exists. Not her. Not the wedding. Not logic. Just you and your damn betrayal.
