Page 3 of The Enemy's Daughter

“Not at any pound I know. Maybe on the streets? You’re really going to go through with this. Bang that poor girl, make her fall for you, and then leave her?”

“Yes. It’s perfect, and it will all be Daddy’s fault.”

“How do you figure?”

“If he’d not tried to take from me, I wouldn’t have lashed out.”

“There’s a flaw in your plan.”

Alaric was no longer listening to his friend. All he saw was one path, a clear path to getting what he wanted.

Bella Reed was simply the key to that.

Game on, princess.

****

“Did you read the paper?” Bella’s father, Jackson, asked.

“Nope. I didn’t. I told you I stay away from all of that crap.” Holding her cell to her ear, Bella walked down the long sidewalk, avoiding everyone that came near her. She loved her father. She really did, but there were times he didn’t get her, or understand her. The reason she didn’t work for him was because she wanted to carve out a life for herself.

“Don’t you care that I’ve got Macalister’s stock?”

“I think it’s great, Dad. Really, I do. Are you going to split this one up? Sell it off?”

She didn’t always agree with her father’s line of work. Her belief was that nothing was ever truly broken. She had seen so many animals, some hurt from accidents, others from abuse, and she’d seen them all come out of it and start to shine. She loved them all, and knew if there was a chance, she could help fix them.

Deidre, the vet, didn’t like her getting too close though. There had been a few occasions when Bella had nearly been bitten. Holding a savage dog at bay was not the easiest thing in the world.

“No, I’m not. I was actually wondering what you felt about modeling?”

This time, she stopped. “Okay, now I’m really confused. Have you seen me lately?” She was a size eighteen, loved food, and would never make it on the cover of any magazine, let alone beauty line. She was plain.

“I know, sweetie. Plus size is a huge deal now, and I know there’s a market for you.”

Years ago, she’d wanted to be a model. All of the girls in her class had wanted to be a model. Now, she didn’t want to. It was a schoolgirl’s dream that was no longer with her.

Her mother, before she died, had helped her to come to terms with who she was. There was no reason for her to change to suit everyone else. There would be a guy out there who’d love her for her.

She had yet to find him, but it was a belief.

“Dad, that’s great. Really. It’s time that the world moved on and stopped shaming us, but still, I don’t want that life.”

“I thought you did.”

“When I was eight, Dad. I’m twenty-five years old. Didn’t you know that?”

Silence fell, and she sighed.

“How about we celebrate for you?” she asked.

“No, we don’t have to.”

“I insist. Come by my place. I’ll cook us a delicious meal. It can just be the two of us?”

“Yes, sweetie. I’ll be there.”

She hung up her cell phone as she entered the practice, sipping the last of her very fattening coffee with whipped cream and sprinkles. She loved the festive season, or at least the approach to the festive season. Sometimes the big day actually sucked as she remembered her mother, who’d died on Christmas day. She had been driving back home, and had collided with a truck on icy roads.

---