Alpha Hero - Hope Ford Page 0,62

and I tell her again, “Inhale,” and she takes a deep breath while I hold it down.

When she’s done, I pull the inhaler away and set it on the coffee table. We sit there for a minute staring at each other, and only when I see that she starts to smile do I finally release the breath I’ve been holding. “Oh God, honey, you scared me,” I tell her honestly.

She nods her head. “Me too.”

She’s wiped out and she lays her head on the back of the couch. I start to get up, but she reaches out and stops me with her hand on mine. “Please, don’t leave.”

I squeeze her fingers. “I won’t.”

When she nods, I lay her hand down on her lap and stand up to my full height. Which honestly, isn’t very intimidating, but right now I feel fierce.

“Who was smoking?” I ask, looking between what I’m guessing is the babysitter and her boyfriend.

She tilts her head defiantly and shrugs her shoulders at me.

I take a step toward her. “Did you know she has asthma?”

The woman just shrugs her shoulder. “Yes, her brother mentioned it.”

I stride over to her and stand toe to toe with her. I get up on my tiptoes because she’s probably a good foot taller than me. “So let me get this straight, you knew she had asthma and you still smoked around her.”

The stupid woman doesn’t have the sense to look ashamed. “Well, yeah, I don’t see the big deal.”

Instantly, I point my finger to the door. “Get out. Get out right now before I throw you out.”

The man starts to walk out but she grabs on to his arm. “No, we aren’t going anywhere. I gotta get paid.”

“Get paid. He’s a cop, right?” I remember the landlord telling me a cop lived here. I hope I’m not wrong, but I don’t wait for an answer. “I’ll have him arrest you before I let him pay you.”

The man’s mouth drops. “You didn’t tell me he was a cop. I’m outta here.” He walks out the door and I wait for the woman to argue with me, but instead she picks up her purse, slings it over her shoulder, and walks out behind him.

I slam the door behind her, lock it and turn back to the little girl who’s staring at me wide eyed.

I go back to the couch and sit down next to her. “So, uh, do you care if I stay here with you until your family gets home?”

She nods her head at me. “Yeah, but I don’t have a family. I have my brother and he said he’d be home early.”

That’s good, I think to myself, because I don’t want to calm down before I talk to him. What kind of man leaves his sister with someone like that? I’ve got a thing or two I want to say to the jackass myself.

I lean back into the couch. “So what’s your name?”

She smiles and I can’t help but smile back at the red-haired angel staring at me. She really is a pretty girl. “Anna.”

“Well, Anna, I’m Carly. Are you feeling better?”

She nods her head and starts talking excitedly about the show that’s on television. I should get up and air the room out a little more, but Anna seems to want my full attention. So I sit here, listening to her talk about her day and already preparing myself for what I’m going to say to her brother when he gets home. Luckily, we didn’t need to call the ambulance, but it was a close call.

3

Luke

“Sorry, I’m a little later than normal,” I call out as I carry grocery bags into the kitchen. I set them down, put away a few of the items that need refrigerated, and walk back into the living room with a smile on my face.

The room is dark, the only light coming from the television.

“Who the fuck are you?” I yell, already on defense.

The woman sitting on the couch is young, probably a few years younger than me. And she has my sister’s head in her lap while she strokes her fingers through her hair.

I start walking toward them to pick up Anna, but the stranger stops me with her hand held up. She holds her finger across her mouth, shushing me.

She gently lifts Anna’s head and slides out from underneath, then lays her back down on the couch.

When she stands up and looks at me, I see the fire in her eyes. She points to