Hero (Alpha Mountain 1)

I didn’t care right about now.

Slowly I made my way through the house. It was a living room, dining room combo, but my desk took up that area. The kitchen was galley-style, and I couldn’t go into it without stepping on a dish or strewn napkins or silverware.

I did a U-turn and went down the short hall to my bedroom. I didn’t even enter because it was too destroyed. I turned around and peeked in the bathroom where my towels, medicine and toiletries were all over the tile.

“I don’t have anything of much value,” I said, walking back to the living room. They hadn’t followed—because it would’ve been too crowded—and had been patient while I looked. I pointed to my desk. “My laptop’s still there, but it’s old and not worth anything. The same goes for my TV.” I glanced to the older model that was a hand-me-down from my parents, which nobody would find of any value. It was also probably a hundred pounds. I wasn’t around to watch it much.

“Prescription drugs?” Dan asked, scratching his head with the back of his pen.

“Like Oxy?” I asked, making sure he didn’t want to know about birth control.

He nodded.

“Nope.”

Dan jotted that down on his little notepad.

“How did you find out this happened?” I wondered.

“This morning, a neighbor was walking her dog and saw the door open. She knew you were away and called us in,” Megan explained.

“Mrs. Schmit.” The older woman took her miniature Schnauzer, Mitzi, for a walk around the block at seven every morning.

Megan nodded.

“She didn’t see anything though? I mean, whoever did this?”

She shook her head. “No. We think it happened overnight, but we can’t be sure since you’ve been gone.”

“My mom texted yesterday morning, saying she stuck a casserole in my freezer. She would’ve called you if she found the place like this, so I think you’re right,” I surmised.

“Do you have a cat?”

I frowned. “No.”

“Well, the door was open long enough for someone’s cat to be inside. We shooed him—or her—out when we didn’t see a litter box.”

I closed my eyes for a second. “Were my parents called?”

Dan shook his head. “Not that we know of. We hadn’t even had a chance to call you yet. I’m going to assume that since they’re not here, they don’t know about it.”

“Yet,” I added.

They were going to freak, and that was the last thing they needed.

“I’ll call them,” I said, not looking forward to telling them about this since I hated to upset them.

“Got any idea why someone would want to do this?” Dan asked.

I shook my head. I had no clue.

“What the fuck happened here?”

At the booming voice, all three of us whipped around toward the open front door. Dan pulled his gun from his holster, but lowered his hand when he saw who it was.

Ford practically filled the doorframe, all alpha lumberjack and fury while holding the clothes from the other day, panties and sports bra on top.

Megan eyed my underclothes then me. She gave me a look, but I wasn’t in the mood to explain.

“I had a break-in,” I said, stating the obvious.

Ford’s long legs closed the distance between us in two long strides, and he tossed the clothes he’d held on the floor. He grabbed my arms and looked me over. “Are you hurt? Did they touch you?”

I blinked, stunned by his rage and the gentleness of his hold. Just like that, all my past pining for Ford—the gigantic crush I’d believed was true love—returned in a rush. It had been moments like this that had forged my attachment to him. He’d always been protective. Equally or more so than my own brother. When I was twelve, he’d carried me home from the park in his strong arms when I sprained an ankle. As the high school football star, he was already bulging with muscles and potent pheromones that worked their way into my senses and left me impossibly infatuated.

This moment was no different. His large hands were closed softly around my arms, his blue gaze filled with concern.

I cleared my throat. “I wasn’t here.” My voice came out sounding breathless. “I’ve been on a trip since Tuesday.”

He sighed, took a moment to study me, then looked around. “Anything taken?”

“Not that I can tell.”

“Hey, Ford,” Dan said. “Didn’t recognize you with the beard.”

Ford ran his hand over it as if he’d just remembered it was there. “Dan, Megan.” He nodded at the two law enforcement officers. “Got any idea what the fuck is going on here?”

Dan shook his head. “Like Indi said, nothing appears to be missing.”

Ford glanced my way. “Cash?”

I thumbed over my shoulder. “Maybe a few dollars on my dresser in the bedroom, but I’m not rich.”

They might not know my bank account balance, but all three of them knew I worked as a wilderness guide and paid my own way. I wasn’t rolling in money. Neither were my parents running a small-town hardware store.