Page 5 of The Alpha's Sin
“Wait—he cleaned you out completely?” Even for Dirk that’s fucking low. I can’t believe he didn’t even leave his bride enough to pay rent or buy food.
She nods and looks down at her hands. Her shoulders are slumped—she looks utterly defeated. My heart fists in my chest. Poor kitten—she’s got nowhere left to turn. I can’t think of any other reason she’d come to me.
We barely know each other. I never met her until Dirk brought her up here. I thought about warning her about him, but I was hoping he’d turned over a new leaf. I wanted to believe he really loved her. I mean, what’s not to love? She’s usually such a bright, happy, sweet little thing. And she’s beautiful too—curvy with that gorgeous hair and those big eyes…
Shit. I have to do something here. I have to make this right.
“I was hoping that…” she says something that ends in a mumble so low I can’t hear it.
“What’s that?” I raise my eyebrows at her. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
She looks up and clears her throat. Her cheeks are pink with embarrassment.
“I was hoping I could stay here—just for a little while,” she says quickly. “Just until I can get a job and get on my feet. If I could just sleep on your couch?—”
I feel my jaw clenching. Dirk did this to her—he made her come here, begging, when it’s clearly the last thing she wants to do.
“You’re not sleeping on the couch!” I growl and she jumps, her eyes going wide.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have asked.” She’s up and heading for the door. “It’s all right—I still have my car. I can stay in that.”
“What? No!” I move to block her exit. “You’re not fucking staying in your car!”
She looks up at me and I can see the fear in her eyes. She’s frightened of me again. Damn it, I have to bring things down a notch. I’m just so fucking angry at Dirk! But none of this is her fault.
“I…I don’t understand,” she stammers. “Please, I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll just go.”
I take a deep breath and rake a hand through my hair.
“You’re not going anywhere and you’re not sleeping in your car. Or the couch,” I tell her. “You’re going to stay right here with me, in my spare room while I try to find Dirk and see if I can get any of your money back.”
Her eyes widen and I see a glimmer of hope.
“Really? You’d really do that for me?”
“Of course I will.” I put a hand on her shoulder—but gently, I don’t want to scare her again. “Look, I’m sorry I got upset. I’m not mad at you—I’m angry at that little shit for treating you this way. He’s always been a grifter, but I never thought he’d do something this bad.”
“He’s a grifter? You mean he’s done things like this before?”
“Never this bad,” I say grimly. “But I’m not surprised. Did he know about your grandmother’s house and how much you were getting for it?”
She shakes her head.
“Not exactly. I mean, we were in a class together and he came over for a study session—that’s how we met. And I mentioned that the houses all around my Grandmother’s neighborhood—Seminole Heights—were selling for a lot but I didn’t want to sell and move. After we started getting serious, he convinced me to sell it and move up here to be closer to you because you’re the only family he’s got.”
My molars are grinding. That little shit used me as an excuse. And I know this is what he had planned all along. Get her to sell the house, marry her so nobody can say anything when he cleans out the bank account, and then skips town. Classic Dirk.
“God…I’m so fucking sorry.” I want to punch something to get the frustration out, but I don’t want to scare her again. I’m trying to keep my voice even. “I’m sorry,” I say again. “But he probably planned this from the start. I wouldn’t put it past him. That’s Dirk.”
She looks up at me, wounded…broken.
“I thought…I really thought he loved me,” she whispers and tears fill her eyes again. “I was hoping there might be some reason—some explanation that you might know, since you’re his brother…”
I shake my head.
“I’ve known him all my life and I still haven’t figured out what makes Dirk such an asshole. We had loving parents—nobody beat us. We always had enough to eat. There’s no reason for him to be this way. No reason for him to treat you like this.”
“Maybe it’s me. Maybe I drove him away somehow.” She’s sobbing again and it’s tearing my heart out.
