Page 23 of The Enemy's Daughter

Chapter Six

Alaric had promised himself he wouldn’t get addicted, that he wouldn’t care, and he’d leave it at least a week before getting in touch. Women didn’t like that, did they? Being left until the last minute, almost an afterthought, and it made them crazy to want to impress you again.

He didn’t last two whole days. After his talk with Rex, and reading that damn paper, he needed to go and see Bella. He didn’t have her cell phone number, nor had he asked for it. There was no other way for him to get in touch, and so he was stopping off at his apartment at four. He had left work early. This was crazy. He never left work early. His work, his company, it was his life. Paying the dog handler, he took Buster from her, and headed down to his car. Just to get this revenge, he’d gone from his dream sports car, to a four by four with a large trunk space.

Sucked.

To make his plan really work, he was wondering if he should rent an apartment more suited to one of his employees to have her over, rather than risk her coming here, and discovering the truth. He scrapped that idea.

There were plenty of ways to keep Bella from being suspicious.

Driving toward the veterinary practice, he stared inside, and wondered once again what the hell he was doing here. It was a Monday afternoon, and he’d promised himself that he’d come to her Friday.

Stupid math.

Stupid gut.

Stupid dick.

They were all telling him to go and see her now, not to wait.

Climbing out of his car, he left the window partially open. It was freezing cold outside, and as he made his way inside, he noticed the somber look in the building.

Frowning, he looked toward the main desk, and he froze.

Bella had tears rolling down her cheeks, and her eyes were red rimmed.

“Bella, babe, what’s wrong?” he asked, walking up toward the desk.

She looked up, and gasped. “Blue, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. I was worried, and I’d not heard from you. Why are you crying?”

She grabbed a tissue, and blew her nose, looking so cute. She tossed that tissue in the trash, and grabbed another, to wipe under her eyes.

“We lost a dog today.”

“Oh, honey.”

“It’s fine. I’ve been working here since he was first brought in. His name was Troy, and he was such a darling little Labrador. So sweet, and he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Alaric couldn’t handle her crying, and not comforting her. He rounded the counter and pulled her up into his arms. Kissing the top of her head, he held her tightly, needing to comfort her. There was no way he could allow her to cry.

“The police were here.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Troy, he’d been beaten by this gang. The owner had turned his back for a second, and the group took him, and started to viciously beat him. Deidre, the vet, she tried to save him, and she couldn’t.” She continued to sob.

He looked toward the other women, and they pointed for him to take her to the back room. Alaric held her all the way, and closed the door, giving them as much privacy as he could offer.

She pulled out a picture, and he opened it up. “That’s Troy with his owner, Jacob. The police caught the kids in the act, but it’s still hard, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. I’m so sorry, honey.”

Bella wiped away her tears.

“Why do you work here?”

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