He smiles. “I love reminding my legs they’re important. And, unlike some people, I’m not a show off.”
“Says the boy who goes around driving a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S,” I say.
“This is me testing it out before returning it to the garage,” he explains. “The brakes were faulty. I spent all morning fixing them.”
“Didn’t you say you owned the place?” I ask. I don’t know why, but I’m super eager to find some loopholes in his claims about being a billionaire.
“I’m sure if you were in my shoes you’d rather go around barking out orders to your employees,” he says. “I, on the other hand, love to make myself feel useful. Getting my hands dirty once in a while doesn’t hurt.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Don’t Touch Me
“Where are we going?” I ask for the umpteenth time. Alpha stays silent.
He spent the past few minutes trying to make me understand he can’t disclose our destination because it’s a so-called surprise. Being the great researcher he claims to be, he should know by now that I’m not a fan of surprises.
I snap my fingers in his face. “Earth to Alpha?”
He hums his attention. This puts me at ease. For a moment I thought he was sleep-driving.
“Where does this road lead?” I ask.
“Curious much?” he asks.
“It’s always best to know where we’re going.” I whip my hair back.
“Do you trust me?”
Trust? Does anyone deserve another’s trust? I doubt that emotion even exists. Hell, I don’t even trust my own mother.
I return my attention to Alpha. His question resounds in my head. Trust is just far off from me. I’m not even sure what I feel for him. I like him, and I can’t deny the giddiness I feel when he stares at me. But that’s just it. Should I feel something more?
“I take that as no,” Alpha says. He doesn’t sound pleased.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I say in an attempt to make things right.
He waves off my transparent lie. “It’s fine. I don’t trust you either.”
His honesty cuts through me like a blade. I never thought anyone would tell me to my face that I am unworthy of their trust. Everyone else would tell me what I want to hear. But not Alpha. Can we never have one decent conversation?
“So what are we doing together?” I ask.
I want to believe he’s with me because he likes me. He’s been my secret admirer for a period long enough to start a dozen new relationships. This can’t be all for nothing.
“Passing time.” He brakes the car in a desolate road.
“Passing time?” I echo. “You spent quite a lifetime writing me love notes and sketching photos of me. Did you ever like me, or was that just you passing time?”
Alpha turns to face me. “There are plenty of fish, Miss Howell. What makes you think I’d choose you?”
Rage swirls within me, clouding my senses. My right palm lashes out and slams into his cheek. A stinging pain spreads around my palm.
My eyes burn with tears. I turn towards the exit, but Alpha holds me in place.
“Don’t touch me,” I yell, when in reality I don’t want him to let go. I can’t help how frustrating I am.
He doesn’t let go. “Sorry, I only listen to your heart.”
He leans in for what I know to be a kiss. Like heated butter, my rage melts away. I stare endlessly into his eyes, an enchanting pool of emotions.
My eyelids fall over my eyes. But his voice yanks me out of my trance. “We’re here.”
The first thing I notice as my eyes fly open is the wry smirk on his face. The look that says he knows he’s got me wrapped around his fingers.
“Where are we?” I ask. My eyes adjust to the woods on either side of the road. They stretch out into eternity. “Why are we in the middle of nowhere?”
“Here is my sanctuary,” he says. All smiles, he steps out of the car and walks around it to open my door, but I’m quick to lock the door. No way in hell will I be spending my day in the woods.
Apparently frustrated, Alpha raps his fingers on my window, but I don’t turn to look at him. I cross my legs and fold my arms.
Sticking out my chin in defiance, I stare straight ahead. “If you delight in the thought of being food for wild animals, I don’t.”
“There are no wild animals here,” he says. “I assure you. This has been my sanctuary for no less than five years. I just want to show you the beauty of nature is all...”
His ringing phone steals away his attention. He turns away to answer the call.
Sweat breaks out on my forehead and streaks down the sides of my face. Cursing my life, I fan my face with both hands. Once Alpha has his back to me, I open my door and smuggle in a little bit of fresh air.
“Mum?” Alpha calls in a terrified voice. “Mum? Hello? Shit!”
He ends the call and hurries into the car. Without a word, he starts the engine and spins the car into a life threatening reverse that makes me jerk forward. I grip the edges of my seat and fight to regain control of my pacing heart, but nothing helps. Trees blur past, and all I can see are vanishing green walls on either sides of the road.
I want to scream at him to stop, but I can’t. I can tell from the way he acted after the call that his mum is in some sort of danger.
“Alpha, what’s wrong?” I ask.
His cold silence forces me to bottle up my curiosity. I spend the next few minutes praying I live though this hell of a ride.
And I do.
Alpha brakes the car in front of a mansion that can easily pass for a castle. The look on his face hardens as he stares at a girl standing in front of the house. Her hair, black as midnight and straight as a ruler, spills onto her delicate frame encased in a sleeveless white gown. She brings to mind those ghosts in Japanese horror movies.
Her eyes are devoid of emotions. Squinting to block out light, she hits me with her cold gaze. Bare feet kiss the ground as she makes for the car.
“Wait here,” Alpha says, stepping out of the car. The slam of the door makes me tremble.
The mysterious girl halts beside Alpha. Her eyes never leave mine. And for some reason, I shrink under the intensity of her gaze. But then she smiles and waves at me. Her eyes are aglow with an emotion too intense to be excitement.
A million and one questions crowd my mind as I watch her lead Alpha toward the house. Who is she? Is it just me, or does Alpha look disturbed to see her? And why did he ask me to wait in the car as though his house’s stuffed with unsettling secrets?
These are just three questions, but they are already driving me mad with curiosity. And I won’t leave till I find the answers. Curiosity kills the cat, but I don’t mind playing the cat just this once.
Turning off the engine, I climb out of the car and head for the house.
CHAPTER FIVE
We’re Together
Torn between going in and staying back, I pace around the front door. Ten minutes have sauntered past and still no word from Alpha. He should know by now that patience is not one of my strong points.
My mind finally decided, I reach for the front door, and simultaneously, someone pulls it open from the other side. Alpha.
He clenches his jaw and glares at me, his eyes spewing fire.
“I wanted to check if everything was fine over here is all,” I say. “How’s your mum? When the call came in, you sounded really terrified.”
“Mum is fine,” he says.
“Can I see her?”
“She’s at work. The call was a misunderstanding.” He grabs my arm and turns me away from the house. He’s obviously angry about something, but I can’t place a finger on it. Bipolar much? “Next time I ask you to stay put, just do so.”
“The fact that you’re Miller Jordan’s son doesn’t mean you can order me around,” I snap.
The words have barely left my lips when my eyes meet a cold pair of eyes boring a hole through me from the bottom of the stairs. I d
on’t know why, but the way she stares makes me feel like we’re starring in a horror movie where I’m a poor unfortunate soul haunted by a ghost.
I try to ignore the feeling of a dark cloud hovering over me, but it’s no use. “Who is she?”
Playing deaf to my question, Alpha nudges me forward. He obviously wants to get me away from her line of sight.
“Hold it right there, Logan Paxton,” the girl says.
I turn around to look at Logan, there’s no one other than the three of us. It takes a moment to realize the girl had referred to Alpha.
“Logan?” I ask, my gaze darting between Alpha and the confused girl. “He’s Alpha.”
“I am talking to Logan,” she says, advancing toward us.
Alpha’s grip slackens just enough for me to retrieve my hand.
“Alpha, what’s going on?” I ask. “Who is she?”
Once again, Alpha grips my hand. “Let’s go.”
Seething, I snatch back my hand. “I am not moving an inch. Not until I know what’s going on here. Who is she and why does she call you Logan Paxton?”
Alpha stays silent.
“Alpha, I need answers!” I say.
“Beta I don’t have time for this,” he says, sounding pissed off. What game is he playing? If anyone here has the right to feel pissed off, it’s me.
“Neither do I!” I say. “So start taking.”
The girl closes the gap between her body and Alpha’s. The back of her palm kisses his forehead, and then his neck. Pulling down his lower eyelids, she stares for a moment or two.
“You look fine,” she says. “What then is this nonsense about you being Alpha? What the hell is that anyway? An alphabet?”
We both stare at Alpha (or Logan?), but he doesn’t attempt to speak.
“I need an answer, Logan Paxton!” she yells. “And now!”
“Alpha, what’s going on?” I ask.
The girl jabs her left pointer toward me. “I am talking to Logan. You best not interfere.”
Turning to Alpha, she grabs his upper arms and shakes him with a strength I never saw coming. “I have told you a million times to answer me when I speak to you, because you make me look crazy, and it’s not funny anymore.”
“It’s not funny?” I ask. “Says who? Oh, and you sure don’t look crazy. You are crazy. Did you escape from an asylum, because you pretty much reek of madness.”
Clinging to Alpha, she turns to look at me. A dirty smile spreading across her face, she rocks her head sideways. “And you are?”
I return her smile. “A sane person. Pleased to meet you.”
She tugs at Alpha’s collar, her eyes wide as though with fear. “Logan, who is she? Why did you bring her here?”
“Camille, please not now,” Alpha says. “Can we do this later?”
“You are going to tell me who she is and why she’s here,” she yells.
Alpha scratches his head. “She’s…”
“We’re together,” I say.
“Ah, together,” Camille says. Biting her lower lip, she nods. “I see.”
“Do you have a problem with me?” I ask.
“On the contrary.” Tearing away from Alpha, she gives me a firm handshake. “I’m Camille Paxton. I’m his…”
“Camille,” Alpha warns.
It’s official. The Jordans' mansion is a box of secrets.
Moments of disgruntling silence tells me not to expect an answer. Shaking my head in fury, I glare at Alpha and storm out of his sight. I listen for his footsteps, but he makes no attempt to come after me. I should have known such things only happened in Hollywood. I turn fifty shades of ‘I’m so disgusted’.
CHAPTER SIX
Don’t Shit With Me
I squint at the rays of sunlight peeking in through the blinds. The clock on my phone says I overslept. What did I expect anyway? I spent the whole night thinking of Camille Paxton and her relationship with Alpha, or should I say Logan?
It’s plain as day he’s hiding something from me. And try as I might, I can't decipher what it is. I can feel myself unknowing the Alpha I struggled to know.
Flinging off my blanket, I step out of bed. An object smashes its way through my window, making my heart sink.
“What the hell!” I shriek. Heart pounding, I approach the window and find a fist-sized stone on the floor.
Paralyzed with fear, I toss my gaze out of the window and sweep my eyes around, but there is no one in sight. I shove off my fear, throw on my pajamas jacket and exit the house.
Cautious as a serpent, I circle the house in search of anything questionable. Finding nothing out of place, I conclude a juvenile kid had thrown the stone. There’s nothing to worry about
My worry subsides as I return to my room and prepare for school. Damn whoever wants to ruin my day. Mum and dad are out on vacation, reliving their honeymoon for the eighteenth time.
Once upon a time, I thought my being alone would be fun. But mum and dad are barely even one day away and I’m starting to wish they never left.
Done preparing for school, I strap on my backpack and exit the house. My face pales at the sight before me. With each faltering step I take toward the object of my terror, I pray this is just a dream.
But it’s not.
Fragments of glass camp around my mustang, leaving empty spaces where windows should be. A bitter taste spreads around the back of my throat. Eyes glistening, I halt a few steps away from my ruined car and try not to cry.
It’s just a car. I was starting to get tired of it anyway. Daddy will let me drive his, or get me a new one.
But how did this happen? Wasn’t I here while ago, just before preparing for school? Who could have done this?
Someone’s after me. The stone was no carelessness from a child, but a threat from whoever is after me. He’d hanged around and destroyed my car while I showered.
A chill shoots up my spine, freezing everything in its path. Goose bumps litter my otherwise smooth skin. I know this is cliché, but I know this feeling all too well. I am being watched.
Although there’s no one in sight, I know better than to stay a minute longer, leaving myself vulnerable to my attacker. I dash inside the house and shut the door. My footsteps pound the floor as I race to my room. Grabbing my phone, I dial dad’s number. I know it’s probably switched off, but what’s the harm in trying?
“Congratulations,” dad’s voicemail greeting says. “You’ve reached the right person. But unfortunately, you got me at a wrong time. Be sure to leave a message after the beep.”
Although I’d seen this coming, I scream out in frustration.
I sob into the phone. “Dad, please come home. Someone is trying to kill me.”
I stiffen as I end the call. I could have sworn I heard the footsteps of a surreptitious intruder. I cock an ear at the door, and there the footsteps are.
Chest heaving, I wrap my fingers around the thing nearest to me; a flower vase. Grabbing it with both hands, I glue my body to the wall and wait for the intruder.
It doesn’t take long for the door to fling open. I pounce, smashing his head with the vase. Prying open the eyes I didn’t realize were squeezed shut, I attempt to flee, but the person before me stops me cold.
Alpha. Or is it Logan?
Fresh blood tickles down the side of his face, thanks to you-know-who. But why is he here?
***
I could never have thought my day would be so eventful. Just great. I can’t help the glister in my eyes as I gawk at Alpha.
He drives casually as though the girl sitting beside him didn’t burst his head with a vase a few moments ago. He’s calm and unaffected as though he’d already planned to start his day with a bandage around his head.
“Alpha, you should just let me drive.” It hurts to look at him. Although he tries to hide it, I can see he’s in pain.
“I’m in one piece,” he says. “Unlike the vase.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I just wasn’t expecting you.”
<
br /> “Remind me to never come uninvited,” he says. “Next time, who knows, it could be a knife.”
“I’m sorry.”
He smiles. “I could never have guessed I had a kickass Beta.”
“Why did you come over?” I ask. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
He shrugs. “I just had a crazy feeling to check on you.”
“Thank you,” I say.
He nods. Grunting, he shuts his eyes. When he reopens them, I see the raw pain he tries to hide.
“You’re in a very bad state,” I say. “We should go to the hospital. School can wait.”
He stays silent.
“Alpha, are you listening to me? Your health is more important.”
“Your life is,” he says. “I need to know what happened. Who was at your place this morning?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I didn’t see him. When I got out of bed, a stone came flying through the window. And then the damage on my car. I’m just so scared. I don’t know what to do.”
“Please stay calm,” he says “Everything will be fine.”
I nod. I want to share his faith, but I can’t look past the threat hovering in the air around me. “I don’t understand why anyone would want to hurt me.”
“It could be some juvenile kids, some random psycho, or someone you’ve offended in a way.”
I scowl at him. “I don’t go around offending people.”
“I’m not saying you do,” he says. It’s great to know my ears no longer function properly. “If you had a crazy ex, I’d assume this was his doing.”
I roll my eyes at his insinuation. None of the guys I’ve been with are crazy enough to want to hurt me.
“Talking about exes,” I say. “How many girlfriends have you had?”
Alpha seems offended. “Why does this come up?”
“Well, because if I’m dating someone, I should at least know a thing or two about him. So how many are they?”
He doesn’t speak.
“Five? Ten? Twen…”
Clenching his teeth, he squeezes the steering wheel. I make a mental note to work on his anger issues once I live through this.
“None,” he says.
“Don’t shit with me,” I say. Only a fool would believe that a heartthrob like Alpha has never had a girlfriend.
“None,” he repeats, his voice rising like the waves of the sea.
“And Camille? Who is she? Why does she call you Logan? Is that your name and not Alpha? What secrets do you hide from me, Alpha Jordan? Who really are you?”