The Enemy's Daughter

by Sam Crescent

  Alaric sipped at his brandy, and tried to make sense of it. “I always thought Jackson was an asshole. He was there, fighting for what I wanted, building his company, trying to tear mine down.”

  “And now?”

  “If he was going to do that, wouldn’t he have said something? Business is cutthroat. You see the challenge right away, and you take it from your competition.” Alaric paused. “I don’t see him doing that for some reason.”

  “Where does Bella come into this?” Rex asked.

  “She’s opened up to me about everything,” he said. “She’s told me about his recent acquisition of the Macalister stock, why he wanted it. I told her I worked at Patterson’s and nothing. She didn’t show any sign of recognizing the name.” He had fucked up. “I read everything wrong.”

  “You wanted the Macalister deal. You’ve been wanting part of Macalister’s line for the past ten years.”

  “Yeah, and it has fucking blinded me to the truth, and now it could ruin my future.”

  “It can’t be that bad.”

  “No? I’ve lied to her. When we have sex she cries out for Blue, not for me.”

  “Ouch. Well, Blue is your middle name.”

  “It’s not right. I’ve not been straight with her, and Buster was just a means to an end. I’m no different from all those assholes that have used her in the past.”

  “This is really affecting you,” Rex said.

  “Well, yeah, wouldn’t it you? I’ve finally found a woman I can see a future with.”

  “She’s twenty-three years younger than you.”

  “I don’t care. It’s all the more reason to not wait around. I’m old, Rex. I’m old, and the woman I love I’ve probably just hurt more than anything.” He downed the last of his brandy, and demanded a refill.

  “Why don’t you go and see her tonight?” he asked.

  “I can’t. She’s having dinner with her father.”

  “Won’t she give you away?”

  “If she does, and I find out about it, at least I know my first instincts were right, and that I was wrong to doubt myself. Still, I shouldn’t have brought her into this. She is an innocent.”

  “I did warn you.”

  “Why aren’t you riding me some more?” Alaric glanced at his friend, and saw the slump to his shoulders, and the dejected look on his face. “What?”

  “Am I a monster?” Rex asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I said … I fucked up with Nora.”

  “Your PA?”

  “Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s not your problem. This is mine. Ignore me.” Rex lifted up his glass. “I’m starting to think we’re both lame here.”

  “Do you have a thing for Nora?” Alaric asked. “The PA the partners put on you, and the woman who sent you on meetings you didn’t have?”

  “Yeah, one and the same. She has a great deal of fire, and I’ve been the one to snuff that out. She has quit on me. Effective immediately. The bosses are pissed off with me. She was the best of the best, came highly recommended, and when they asked her to stay on, and work for someone else, she told them that she wouldn’t do it. There was no way she’d risk seeing me.”

  “You did something?” Alaric said.

  “Yeah, I did something, and I said something, and I’m a fucking asshole, that’s what. Anyway, my problems are my own. This is your problem so let’s deal with that.”

  “Nothing to deal with. I’m going to head home, and wait, try to come up with a plan, or to say something that will help Bella forgive me.”

  “Don’t get rid of Buster,” Rex said.

  “Huh?”

  “She loves pets right? I wouldn’t get rid of him, and why don’t you try forming that bond they talk about? The one that says dogs are a man’s best friend, and that kind of shit.”

  Alaric finished his brandy and took a cab back to his penthouse suit. Going inside, he locked the door, and flicked on the lights. He made his way toward the bedroom that he’d placed Buster inside. It was an empty room that he’d placed some paper on the floor for the pup to take a crap, food, water, and lots of toys, along with a bed.

  He opened the door, and nearly vomited. The smell alone was going to kill him.

  When he looked into the room again, he saw the dog mess was indeed on the papers, and on his dog.

  “This is going to be so gross.”

  Buster barked, and he sighed.

  Getting stuck in, Alaric first, grabbed the dog, and carried him through to the bath. It was a messy, horrible, smelly job, but after he got the thick of the shit off Buster, he then climbed in, naked, and washed himself before dealing with his dog once again. Buster sat, and waited.

  “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” he asked. “Now I’m talking to a dog. Do you have any advice on how I’m going to win the woman of my dreams back?”

  Buster tilted his head to the side, and Alaric shook his head, laughing. Once they were both washed, clean, and smelling fresh, he locked Buster in his room, and dealt with the chaos in the other bedroom. Cleaning everything away, he put a stamp on the door, so that he would remember to call his cleaner and pay her triple for dealing with the mess.

  Putting down some fresh food and water, he let Buster back out. The moment he was out of the room, he squatted down and took a piss.

  “Seriously? I thought I was paying for them to train you.” Rolling his eyes, he started to clean up that mess when his cell phone rang. “Hello,” he said.

  “Oh, are you okay?” Bella asked.

  “Fine, why?”

  “You sound a little pissed off.”

  “Oh, no reason. Cleaning up dog mess is always fun.”

  Bella laughed. “Oh dear. See, you’re going to have to keep him on the whole training thing. He’ll come around. He’s a pup. He doesn’t know any better.”

  “I know, and that is why he’s going to be going to training school so that he can be perfect.”

  “There’s no such thing as perfect.”

  “I can try. How did it go with your dad?” he asked. His stomach tensed as he waited.

  “He’s happy for me, and he’d really like to meet you.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh, is that a good oh or a bad one?”

  “It’s a good one.” That didn’t tell him anything at all.

  “I wish you were here,” she said.

  “I could take a cab? I had a drink. I can’t drive, babe.”

  “No, no, don’t worry about it. I’ll see you soon enough. Give Buster a kiss from me.”

  “Will do.” He stared down at his dog, and knew he wouldn’t be kissing him on the lips at least. “Sleep well.”

  “You, too.”

  He hung up the phone, knowing he wanted to say one more thing—I love you.

  ****

  “This is a bad idea,” Bella said, staring up at the large building as she talked to Rebecca.

  “Why is it?” Rebecca asked.

  “I’ve never been to his work place, and you should see this building. It’s huge. Scarily so. I feel so stupid.”

  “You’ve got him lunch. Did he tell you to never go to his work or something?”

  “Well no, but he’s never asked me to visit him, and right now, it feels wrong. He doesn’t even talk about his work.”

  “I thought you loved this guy.”

  “I do.”

  “Then what do you talk about if you don’t talk about each other’s days?”

  “We talk about whether we’ve had a good day or not.”

  Rebecca sighed. “Sweetie, you can’t be afraid to go and visit him at work. You’re not some mistress, and if you are, you really need to go and find that out before it’s too late.”

  “You’re right. You’re totally right. I’ll call you.” She hung up her cell, and took a deep breath.

  It’s totally fine. Just go into and ask to see him.

  Squaring her shoulders, she entered the main building, and approached the scary
looking desk with three women. All of them without a single hair out of place. It was all slicked into styles, and their suits were without a crease. She had to wonder who the guy was that her man worked for.

  When Bella approached the woman on the left, her face seemed devoid of emotion like the other two.

  “How can I help you today?” the woman asked.

  “Hi. I don’t have an appointment or anything but, er, I was wondering if I could speak to Blue Patterson.”

  The woman smiled. “You mean Alaric Patterson.”

  “No, I mean Blue Patterson. He works in one of the major departments.”

  The woman held her finger up, and pointed toward the back wall. Bella turned, and froze. There, on the wall, for everyone to see was a picture of the man she knew as Blue, only beside it was a different name.

  Her mouth opened, and then closed.

  “Bella?” a guy said.

  She was a little confused right now, and she turned to see a man in a business suit.

  “What?”

  “Bella Reed, I’m Rex, a friend of Blue’s.”

  No! His name wasn’t Blue. It was Alaric, and he had lied to her. Why? So many lies. She looked down at the brown bag in her hand, and her heart was breaking. This was too good to be true. Blue wasn’t the man she thought he was, and everything right now was colliding and scaring the shit out of her.

  “I’ll take her,” Rex said, grabbing her arm.

  “She doesn’t have an appointment.”

  “It doesn’t matter. She wouldn’t need one.”

  Bella followed him toward the elevator, and she moved into the corner trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Blue isn’t Blue, is he?”

  “He is, but he’s not.”

  She stared at the elevator doors, feeling sick as it took her higher and higher. Each floor was like a blow to her stomach, crushing her heart.

  He’d lied to her.

  Blue wasn’t the man she thought he was.

  The door pinged open, and Rex took the lead. She didn’t say a word as he led the way down a long corridor, talking to random people.

  At a closed door, Rex knocked, and opened the door. Glancing through the small gap she saw Alaric standing at the window. There was no mistaking his outline or his voice. He was giving out a list of instructions, and he slammed the phone down.

  “Alaric,” Rex said.

  “It’s about time you showed up.”

  Alaric kept on talking.

  “Alaric,” Rex said. He repeated his name until he finally shouted it.

  Finally, the man she had fallen in love with looked up, and his gaze met hers. He immediately stood, and if she wasn’t mistaken, his face went pale. “Bella.”

  “I thought I’d come and surprise you, and imagine my surprise at discovering something else.” She held up the paper bag with his lunch. Rex pushed her inside the room.

  “I’m going to give you some privacy.”

  Neither of them spoke as the door closed, and Bella looked at Blue. No, Alaric.

  “What was all this about?” she asked.

  “About?”

  “Well there has to be a reason, right? I mean, there’s no way you just appear at the veterinary practice, and give me the wrong name, and the wrong information about who you are.” Her throat felt tight, and she was struggling to keep it together.

  All she wanted to do was cry. Instead, she held it together, barely.

  “Bella.” He rounded the desk.

  “Tell me this was all just a mistake,” she said. “Tell me that I’m not thinking the wrong thing, and I’ve got it all completely wrong?”

  She stared into his eyes, and waited.

  Silence filled the air.

  “Don’t I at least get to know the truth?”

  “Have you ever heard of my company before?” he asked.

  “Yesterday when my father said you worked for a damn good company with a strict boss.” She laughed. “You’re the boss.”

  “I am.”

  “My dad has a lot of respect for you. You’ve clearly earned it.”

  “A few weeks ago a deal of mine went sour. The Macalister contract.”

  “The one my father got?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Dad didn’t fight like that. He never has. He’s a good man.”

  “And I thought the worst.”

  She couldn’t keep the tears down, and staring at him, she shook her head. “I’ve got to go.”

  “No, please.”

  “You lied to me. Everything was a lie. Our first meeting, everything.”

  “It wasn’t. I didn’t lie, baby.”

  “Don’t call me that.” She gritted her teeth. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “It does to me.”

  “What was I? Some kind of revenge? What?”

  He stood in front of her, and she took a couple of steps away.

  “Please, just tell me the truth.”

  “You were revenge,” he said. “I was, erm, I was going to make you fall in love with me, and then in front of your father, I was going to break your heart.”

  She gasped.

  “It was a mistake, okay. I didn’t know who you were. I thought you were some socialite bitch—”

  “And that makes it okay? If I’m some kind of bitch then I’m easy to hurt? You can justify it?”

  “No, of course not.”

  She took a step back from him. “I’ve got to go.”

  “I love you, Bella. This was all about revenge. I never thought I’d fall in love.”

  “I don’t believe you. I don’t think I’ll believe anything you say.” Then, she turned on her heel, and ran. She ran past Rex and didn’t bother with the elevator. Taking the stairs, she got out of his building as fast as she could.

  Just as she was climbing into her car, she saw Alaric chasing after her.

  Without giving him another glance, she drove away from him, away from the pain, and everything that he had caused her.

  He was nothing but a lie.

  There was no love there. How could someone who wanted to hurt her on purpose ever love her?

  Driving toward her father’s house, Bella rushed up the steps, and charged into her father’s study. He had his head bent over some kind of paperwork, and was squinting when he looked up. The moment he saw her, he got to his feet, and she ran into his arms, sobbing.

  She truly was broken.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You’re not getting in my house,” Jackson Reed said, standing tall and glaring down at him. Alaric felt like shit, and knew he deserved everything that was coming to him.

  “I need to talk to her. Please.”

  “No. You have broken my child’s heart, and for that, I can never forgive you.”

  Alaric stared at the man who he once thought of as his enemy. “Has she told you everything?”

  “Yes, imagine my surprise that I had an enemy out there that I wasn’t aware of.”

  “Mr. Reed—”

  Jackson held his hand up. “I know I don’t have the best reputation as a businessman. I’ve been sneered and laughed at, from my decisions in work, and the love of my life. I run a tight ship, Mr. Patterson. My employees love working for me, and that for me has always been enough. I acquire what I like, and what I think I can help with. My wife, she wasn’t fit for the world that I walk, but I loved her. Actually, love isn’t a strong enough word for what I felt for that woman. Every day I miss her, and I’d do anything to have one more day with her. Another moment where I got to hold her, and tell her how much I loved her.”

  Alaric saw the love the man had for Bella’s mother.

  “Bella, she deserves what I had with her mother.”

  “I do love her. I fucked up, I don’t deny that, but no one else will ever love her like I do. I’ve made her happy. We connected in ways I never have with a woman.”

  “I’ve heard about you
r exploits. You’re a playboy.”

  “I’ve changed. I’m in love with your daughter, and I’m not backing down. I need to speak to her.”

  Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Glancing up into the far window he saw Bella, pulling the curtain back.

  His heart twisted. “I love you, Bella. I’m not going to give up. I fucked up. I know this. I was so fucking blind, but, baby, I’m only human. Please.”

  “Just go,” Jackson said.

  “No. I never thought I’d fall in love. I’m the only man for your daughter, and I can promise you, I will win her heart again.” He pressed his hand to his lips, and blew her a kiss. Alaric was going to be back.

  There was no way he could live without her.

  ****

  Bella wiped her nose on some tissue before reaching for another decoration.

  “He loves you, you know,” her father said.

  “He lied to her,” Rebecca said.

  Her father and her best friend were there at her parents’ home trying to comfort her. She’d phoned in sick at work, a first for her, and she hadn’t gone back to her apartment either. It had only been a couple of days since Alaric’s lies caught up to him. Her heart was breaking, and what made it worse, she missed him.

  How could she miss a man who had lied to her? Who manipulated her?

  “Those roses, they’re not cheap, Bella,” her father said.

  “Dad, I don’t need to be bought by roses or gifts.” An hour after Alaric left, roses and jewelry had been delivered to her father’s home. She didn’t need any of the gifts. Thinking back to his words of love, she had to wonder what he was hoping to achieve.

  “I know of Alaric Patterson. He’s not a man who gives much away.”

  “He didn’t give anything away. He made me believe his name was Blue.”

  “Technically it is,” Rebecca said.

  “Are you taking his side now?” Bella asked. She was tired, and fed up, and feeling like a damn fool.

  “No. I’m in agreement, make him work for it. He hurt you, but he said he loved you.”

  “It has only been a couple of weeks. That’s not love,” she said, not believing her own words.

  “With your mother I knew within hours that I loved her, and she’d be my wife,” Jackson said.

  She turned to her father, and went to him, hugging him close. “I can put this stuff away.”