The Enemy's Daughter Read online

  Rebecca shrugged. “What more could you do? Trust yourself, and try to have a little faith in the opposite sex. He went to you with a puppy, right? Try to trust in that.”

  “Not all pet owners are good people.”

  “Not all old men are dirty.”

  Bella’s cheeks heated recalling how dirty Blue got.

  “You’re right. I really do need to get a life, don’t I?” she asked. She sucked some spaghetti into her mouth, and watched as Rebecca chewed as she thought it over.

  “You have a life. I can see why you’re hesitant in starting anything. Really, I can. Let’s see. You have Bill, the teacher. He was … weird.”

  “He was after my father’s money. Did you know he even went to my father to try to blackmail him?” Bella sighed. It was always depressing thinking of her past loves. “He liked to have sex in the bedroom, lights off, and half the time I can’t even be sure if we were having sex.”

  Rebecca laughed. “Then we’ve got David. The science nerd. He had potential, if it wasn’t for his views.”

  He had been religious, and didn’t believe in sex before marriage. When Bella suggested they do it, he’d treated her like some kind of criminal. “I’ve got nothing to say about him.”

  “Then the cheater, Ryan. He was an asshole.” Tears filled Bella’s eyes, and she dropped her head down. “Oh, sweetie, you’re not still in love with him are you?”

  She waved her hand in front of her. “No, I’m not in love with him. Just remembering some of the horrible things he said after I caught him screwing someone else. You know, it was just hurtful.”

  “I can’t even believe you thought I would want you, Bella. You’re fat, you’re fucking plain, and to be honest, I don’t like even looking at you because you make me sick. Sex with you was like fucking a hippo, and being squashed by a whale. The only good thing about you is your dad’s money. He’ll be the one to see if a man sticks around.”

  “As parting words go, he really cut me to the core, and it has been a hard, long road to get over that. I’m sure you can understand.”

  “He was a nobody, honey. You shouldn’t take his words and allow them to have any meaning.” Rebecca placed her hand on top of hers. “I hate men.”

  Bella smiled. “You don’t. You love men, and often, so you’re screwed.”

  “Very true. I just wish I could find someone who sticks, you know. Who can deal with my personality, and the fact I like to be everywhere, and anywhere, you know?”

  “I do. I know what you mean.” She squeezed Rebecca’s hand, trying to give her friend comfort. “Besides, if no man comes around, we’ll always have each other.”

  “And don’t forget battery operated kinds. They are a lifesaver, and they never complain, ditch you, or make you wish to kill them.”

  Bella didn’t say anything else. There was no point.

  A battery-operated boyfriend could give many things, pleasure being the biggest one. The device couldn’t keep her warm at night, or make her laugh, or enjoy her food, or even give her a family.

  “To love,” she said, holding up her glass of water. They clinked their glasses, and finished the rest of their lunch.

  Bella made her excuses and headed back to the veterinary practice where she could pretend for a little while that her life was normal, that she didn’t have any other concerns to speak of.

  For now, it would have to do.

  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?”

  “Because I love it here. There is a lot of good that happens here. You probably don’t see it because you’ve seen me cry, but there are a lot of pets, yours included, that are looked after. Taken care of, and loved. That’s really important to all of us, that they’re loved.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll be okay. This just hurts more than normal. He had a good life, a great one, and horrible thugs took it away from him. You know.”

  He knelt in front of her, running his hands up and down her thighs. “I’m not leaving you alone. I’m going to stay by your side. I’ve got Buster in my car.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me like this. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m not taking no for an answer. We’re going to go out, and I’m going to take care of you. No questions asked.”

  She smiled. “I talked about you today at lunch.”

  “You did?” he asked.

  “Yeah, with my best friend Rebecca.”

  “I hope you told her good things.”

  “I did. Or at least she told me to trust in this, and to trust in you, us.”

  He reached up to push a strand of hair out of the way. “I
hoped you’d trust me by now.”

  “We barely know each other.”

  “Does that really matter?” he asked. “Can’t you just go with what you feel?” Alaric didn’t even understand why he cared. This wasn’t about making Bella feel happy. This was about getting what he wanted.

  “I don’t know, Blue. I really don’t know.” She touched his cheek, her thumb caressing his skin.

  Help her.

  When she was no longer crying, and seemed to get her wits back, they made their way back out to the main reception.

  “You’re going home,” Deidre said. “Don’t even try to fight me. You’ve dealt with enough for one day.” She turned to him. “I can trust you to look after her? Take care of her?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  He waited for her to grab her stuff from the staffroom, and then took her out to his car.

  “Can I see Buster?” she asked.

  “Sure.” He went to the trunk of the car, opening it up.

  The pup was wagging his ass and pressing against the cage. “Oh, he’s so sweet.”

  Opening the cage, Alaric caught him up in his arms, taking the licks on the face.

  “He’s telling you he loves you. You’re his family, Blue.”

  There had to be a way to get her to know his real name. He was tired of being called Blue. That wasn’t who he was.

  Staring into his dog’s eyes, or his pup’s, he wondered what he was going to do with him once all this was over.

  “Here, have a cuddle,” he said, handing him to Bella.

  A lot of what he was doing was starting to get blurred. This had never happened to him before. He never lost sight of what he wanted or how he wanted to get it done.

  “Sweetie, you are so beautiful. You really are.”

  “If you love dogs and cats and rabbits so much, why don’t you ever get one?” he asked.

  “I work, and it feels wrong getting a pet just to send him to a kennel or something to be taken care of. When I’m ready there’ll be no stopping me.” She kissed Buster’s head. “I bet you’re going to be spoilt this Christmas. Do you celebrate it?”

  “Christmas?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Not really. It’s just me, you know. I tend to work over it.”

  “Oh, that’s really sad. I have a tree up, and sometimes Rebecca, my friend, she comes around, or I go to my dad’s if he’s not got guests of his own. He works too much. I’d love for him to find someone,” she said.

  “Just not a younger woman?” he asked.

  “Young, old, I don’t care so long as they love him for him, not for his bank balance.” She gasped. “Crap, I didn’t mean to say that.”

  “Your father is wealthy?” It only seemed right to ask that question seeing as many others would.

  “Yes.” She bit her lip. “This is where everything goes wrong.”

  “Why?”

  “A lot of people only like me for my father’s money. It sucks but it’s the truth, and I’ve suffered in the past because of it.”

  “I’m not here for your father’s money, Bella. I’ve got my own, and I’m very happy. I’m here because I like you, and what we shared on Saturday, I want that again.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, I do.” He cupped her cheeks, and leaned in close, pressing his lips against hers. “Isn’t that what you want? A man who understands and gets you? Someone who doesn’t want to change you, or reject you because you like to be loved?”

  “Loved? That’s a pretty strong word.”

  “I’ve got plenty more.”

  She smiled, and Alaric was just happy to see that damn smile on her lips.

  “Don’t think about everything, Bella. Just feel.” Kissing her lips once again, he ran his thumb across her lip. “I’ve got a better idea for what I want to do to those lips.”

  “You’re a charmer.”

  She kissed Buster’s head before handing him back. “I’m going to head home. Thank you, Blue. For everything.”

  Alaric watched her go, stroking Buster’s fur. “Do you think we’re getting through to her?”

  Buster’s only response was a lick of his tongue.

  ****

  Bella tucked her hair behind her ear as she made her way toward her door. She had left Blue at the veterinary practice, and was wondering if she should have followed him back to his place or something.

  Opening her door without checking who it was, she was surprised to see Blue standing there.

  “Blue.”

  “I went and got a babysitter for Buster.” He held up a bottle of wine. “I figured you’d want some company, and I did promise your boss that I’d take care of you.”

  “That’s really not necessary though. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m used to taking care of myself.”

  “And now you don’t. Come on, some wine, some good food. I can smell something. What do you have cooking?”

  “I have a chicken parm bake in the oven.”

  “Smells amazing. Come on, what do you have to lose?” he asked.

  She leaned against her door, smiling at him. How could she not? He had to be the sweetest guy she had ever met. “There’s no way you’re human.”

  Moving out of the way, she let him enter, and closed the door behind him.

  “I’m not human?”

  “You know? Being all sweet and charming. It’s a little unnerving.”

  “I’m all about unnerving you, babe.”

  She closed the door and put her hands into her the pockets of her jeans.

  “I see you’re wearing your cute glasses,” he said.

  Bella pushed them up her nose. “I wear glasses, and sometimes contacts. Crying today, I had no choice but to change. They hurt my eyes, and they felt like they were bleeding.” Walking past him toward the kitchen, she took down a couple of glasses waiting for him to open up the bottle of wine. “This is really thoughtful of you.”

  “I wasn’t going to leave you alone. Not a chance.”

  “Again, you’re sweet.”

  He opened the wine and poured them both a generous glassful. She took a sip and tasted the delicate grapes and citrus.

  “This is nice.”

  “Good. I like good wine. Can’t have a good meal without good wine.”

  “I usually just take water or a soda.” She took another sip of the wine. The taste really was exquisite.

  “Did you cook the food?” he asked.

  “Yes. Everything I eat is home-cooked unless I go to a restaurant or a café. My mom was a firm believer in home cooking. She grew up on it, and I remember her always being in the kitchen, you know?”

  “No, I couldn’t have imagined.”

  “Your parents didn’t believe in being around the table?”

  “No. We usually went out to dinner. My parents weren’t interested in being part of a family. If your father is wealthy, why didn’t she hire a cook or something like that?”

  Bella smiled. “That’s what a lot of people have asked me. She loved to cook, and was a down to earth kind of woman. Money didn’t mean anything to her. She saw it as ugly, with how it affected everyone. From when I was young, she always drilled into me how to appreciate everything I have. Hard work is nothing to be shunned but embraced. It’s why I love working at the veterinary practice, and why my father doesn’t mind me having a career like this. Wow, and I’m probably boring you.”

  “Not at all.” He took a sip of wine. “It’s refreshing to hear of a woman not afraid of hard work.”

  She chuckled. “I’ve also inherited my mom’s keenness to cook. I love it, and when I’m cooking I feel like I’m closer to her, you know?”

  “I can imagine.”

  Bella placed her glass on the counter, and went to her small collection of books to pull out a large notebook. “This was hers. She wrote notes about everything.” Handing him the book, she picked up her wine. This was the first time that she had shared any part of her mother with anyone.

 
He opened it up. “From my mother, to me, now to my darling daughter, and to her daughter.” He read out the first words that had been printed in the center of the first page. “She wrote that?”

  “Yes. She wanted to create something where this book, and all others bound to that get handed down to the daughters who love to cook.” She sipped her wine as he flicked through the pages.

  “Notes on pizza, and toppings. There’s problems, and solutions. This is like a piece of family history.”

  When he got to the back, she tensed up.

  “The handwriting has changed. Is this yours?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Mom told me that every cook should make notes on what they cook, and find ways to improve, and make something be as good as it can be. You know?”

  “Yeah. This is amazing, Bella.”

  “Thank you. I don’t know if it’s amazing, but I have her with me, and the recipe I have right now, I’ve adapted from one of hers.” She grabbed her oven gloves and pulled the dish out, revealing her casserole. “Are you sure you’d like some?”

  “Yeah, I really would.”

  She dished them up a plate each, and they took their food into the living room. She took a seat on one end of the sofa, and Blue took a seat near her. Tucking her feet up beneath her, she took a bite, and closed her eyes. “Without a doubt, whenever I feel sad, or lonely, I just have to make something, and she’s right there, beside me, and everything is going to be okay.”

  Bella watched as he took a bite, and waited for his verdict. If he didn’t like it, then he was getting his ass kicked out. Her mother once said that any guy who didn’t appreciate her mother’s cooking, didn’t deserve to be given a chance. It was probably a joke, but she was doubtful. Her mother had a great deal of pride in her kitchen.

  “What do you think?” she finally asked when he didn’t make a comment.

  “It’s beautiful. I love it. This has to be the best chicken parm I’ve ever tasted.”

  “I’m glad.” They ate their food, and when she was full on one plateful, Blue asked for seconds.

  “I sound like a pig.”

  “Not at all. My dad couldn’t refuse her chicken parm. He always ate loads of it.”