Alpha Hero - Hope Ford Page 0,72

your room and you can show me later. I have to go to work soon.”

She nods and starts to walk away, but she stops and runs back to Luke. She throws her arms around his waist and looks up at him. “I love you, Luke.”

He runs his hands through her hair and tells her he loves her too.

She smiles at me and then runs to her room. I’m sure her attitude is because when we were shopping I was telling her how lucky she was that she had someone that loved her no matter what and that he would always be on her side. I know what it’s like to not have parents and I’m glad she’s not completely on her own. She has Luke… and if I have anything to say about it, she’ll have me too.

When Luke looks back at me, his face hardens again. He stalks over to me and pulls me over toward the door so that Anna can’t see us or hear us.

“What is it? You decide to go slumming?” he asks me with a sneer in his voice.

I pull back and look at him with surprise. “What?”

He forces me backwards until I’m pressed up against the door. I can feel the anger coming off of him in waves. “You forgot to mention that you’re a millionaire. I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing but I won’t be used. What is it? Some joke with your friends… or are you trying to get something from your daddy and you think dating a poor boy will get it for you? Huh, what were you going to do, introduce me to him and then what, he gets you a new car if you break it off with me? I mean, c’mon, what’s it worth to you that you even spread your legs for it?”

I raise my hand to smack him. It’s my first thought, but he grips my wrist tightly, stopping me. We stare at each other and I can’t stop the tears that are welling up in my eyes. I want to fight it, I want to be strong, but when one slips over and I feel it rolling down my cheek, he looks shocked, surprised even. “Carly?”

I jerk from his hold. “My parents died last month. And this time with you and Anna is the first time I’ve been happy for some time. I actually thought”—I laugh—“today that I wish my dad could’ve met you. He would have liked you. I didn’t tell you that I was rich because every person in my life is in it because of my money. I couldn’t trust anyone. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do – take over the family business, expand it, sell it – because honestly, the money means nothing to me. I would give it all away if I could spend one more day with my mom and dad. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just wanted a normal life…”

“Carly… look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” he starts, but I hold up my hand to stop him.

“No. You said it plain as day what you think of me. I mean, you’re right, I even spread my legs for you after only knowing you a day.” I choke on the words as I say them. It’s obvious what he thinks of me.

He takes a step toward me. “Carly, no, I didn’t mean it…”

I walk a few steps away. “I’m going to watch Anna tonight, because I promised her I would. You’re going to need to find another sitter, but I would still like to be friends with her.”

He starts to say something but I look away, not interested in what he has to say. “Okay, sure…” he tells me.

I nod my head. “Okay, I’m going to let you get ready,” I say and walk back to the bathroom to clean up my face before I face Anna.

10

Luke

I should have known this wouldn’t be my day. I walked straight into a hostage situation. We were serving a warrant at a club downtown and when the man saw us, he started shooting his gun and grabbed a hostage.

Everyone escaped the building except for the hostage and me.

“Look, Mark, look at me. Just let her go. Trust me, you only need me.” I’ve tried to encourage him to let her go for the last hour now, but he’s not budging.

“Look man, I can’t go back to jail,” he says, and it’s obvious he’s