The Alpha's Property

*** Salma ***

I stay at Eva's for dinner, I end up ordering pizzas for us and 'nug nugs' for Summer and I try and get Eva to open up about what is going on with her and Ryan.

I have known Eva for years, we hung out in similar circles, went to the same clubs as teenagers and even went on a girl's holiday together. I was pissed off about six years ago when her husband Ryan got posted to Germany and she went with him as the dutiful wife at just 19 years old. When she returned from two years living in army housing in Germany, she seemed different.

To my surprise she came to see me about working in my new nightclub, Paloma Azul. It was a surprise because Eva was an intelligent girl, she had been at college and for a few weeks before she had hastily married Ryan and moved to Germany, she had been studying medicine at university. She used to tell us all about her plans and timetable for her life and her path to becoming a doctor, and then in the blink of an eye, it just stopped. Ryan had enrolled in the army and when he got posted abroad, he asked Eva to marry him so she could go with him.

"I just need a few hours a week, Sal, so I've got some money of my own," she explained to me, but it did not really explain why this bright and clever girl was not pursuing her dream.

I got her a job on the membership desk, knowing she would cause a stir if I put her behind the bar because despite what Eva believed about herself, she was a little beauty: 5ft 2in tall with deep, mesmerising blue eyes, lusciously thick, dark locks, and a figure to die for. She could have had a pick of the men, but she was faithful to Ryan who she met at school. Yes, that old classic.

Ryan Jefferson was her childhood sweetheart, and while he is not ugly in the physical sense, there is something about him that I have never liked and although I would never say this to Eva, I do think she deserves much better than him.

Eva had been working for me for a few weeks when there was a brawl in the bar and one of the security guards had been shot. Whatever I had thought of Eva before that incident ceased to matter; that woman kept my member of staff alive and she kept calm, which in turn calmed the rest of the staff.

Most of all, and probably more significantly, she had kept quiet about everything that happened that night which is extremely rare and coveted in my line of work. Eva knows how to be quiet and not question things. I know she has suspicions about my family and their line of work, but she has never asked or probed, and I love that about her. The less she knows, the better, that way she won’t get hurt.

I keep my close circle small, so while Eva and I are tight as friends and I adore little Summer, there will always be a side of me that she will never get to know simply for her own safety. The thought of my cache of guns and my ability to wield a variety of weapons would be enough to turn her hair grey. Not to mention the nature of work my father and family are entangled with has the ability to not only put her in mortal danger but in legal jeopardy too.

After Eva has put Summer to bed, she plonks herself down on the sofa next to me and I pass her a glass of wine. “Come on Eve, tell me what’s wrong.” I’ve always called her Eve, a special name between us. For a second, I see the tears filling her eyes before she closes them and the steely determination takes over her demeanour once again.

“I’m okay Sal, really, I am just so annoyed with him. If you had not been able to collect Summer tonight, I would have been screwed and he still hasn’t even called to make sure she is safe, never mind me.” I know she feels shame telling me this, she thinks he treats her this way because that is what she deserves when the truth of the matter is Ryan Jefferson was always punching above his weight when he landed Eva.

“You know I don’t mind helping with Summer, she is a little cherub and I love her.” I bite my tongue before I say anything else, it's not my place to get involved in her marriage and my friendship with her is worth more than my opinion of her douche of a husband and his callous treatment of her and their baby.

We share a drink before I call it a night. My driver comes to collect me because I have had a drink and I leave my keys with Eva. “Use my car until you sort your own out, I don’t need it for a couple of days.”

I give her a hug as I leave and watch her retreat into her home before turning to my driver.

“Willy, take me to The Royale please, I have to pay Mr Jefferson a visit.” He nods before opening my door to allow me to climb in.

“Yes, Ms. Morales, will you be needing your bag?” I give this some thought, after all Ryan was a soldier until last year.

“I don’t think that will be necessary this time Willy, but I am not ruling it out should he continue to be a moron.” I see my driver smile.

The drive to The Royale is quiet, I quickly check my CCTV surveillance and call the club to ensure everything continues to run smoothly in my absence. One of my men, Karl, calls to tell me he still has eyes on Ryan, and he hasn’t moved from the poker table.

As I walk in, people scatter. My reputation precedes me and I make no effort to change their perception of me. I want them to fear me, I want them to know that I am not to be crossed.

As I march through the room towards the poker table, Ryan looks up, his eyes go wide and despite his drunken and drugged up state he tries to get away because he knows I will kill him.

I pounce on him, squashing his head to the table, sending all the drinks set on there flying through the air. “I fucking warned you. I warned you and you did not listen to me, did you? Do you know what happens to people who take the piss out of me, Ryan?”

He starts to cry. “Please don’t hurt me, I promise I’ll go home and be nice to her. And the kid. I promise Salma, please”.

I raise my hand and one of my men places my favourite pair of pliers in it. “Pathetic little-dicked wasters like you lose fingernails.” I place the pliers next to his index finger and he starts to scream. “For the sake of your two-year-old daughter, I won’t pull them this time. Get home, Ryan, you pathetic waste of organs. Next time I will fucking kill you never mind pull your fingernails out.”

He runs from the room and I am sure he has wet himself with fear. I tell Karl to ensure he goes directly home, hand my favourite pliers back to Willy, and smooth down my skirt. I’m in the mood for ice cream!

*** Eva ***

Ryan eventually crawls home at 1am, stinking of booze and stale urine. I’m surprised about him actually being here, he does not usually bother coming home anymore. I’m less surprised about the state of him, he has been on this downward spiral for a long time, and I will be damned if I let him take me and Summer down with him.

He tries to climb into my bed, ranting and raving about it being his house and he will sleep where he wants. After screaming at him, asking nicely, and trying to kick him out forcefully, I give up and go and get into bed with Summer. I hate living like this and for the countless time, I cry myself to sleep.

The next morning, I am getting Summer her breakfast before she goes to daycare when Ryan swans in. “Can you shut her up? I am trying to sleep.”

I glare at him; he has got to be joking. “Shall we sing Daddy a song, Summer? Which song is your favourite?”

My daughter giggles and squeals in delight, she is such a cutie and I encourage her to sing loudly and clap her hands while Ryan calls me a stupid bitch as he makes himself coffee. "I keep telling you, Eva, I am not fucking DADDY, I am just Ryan."

“Why are you here, Ryan?” I ask him when Summer and I finish our very loud version of Incy Wincy Spider.

When he looks at me, I am sure there is disgust in his face and it makes me feel awful. “This is my house,” he shouts as he snarls at me.

“No, Ryan. This is my house, in my name, with my mortgage. I do not want you here. I needed you yesterday, our daughter needed you, but you were nowhere to be found. This house is paid for by me, this is my home, mine and my daughter’s, and you cannot just turn up when you please. You are either part of our family or you are not. I have had enough of the limbo and never knowing where you are, never being able to rely on you.”

He is brooding, as always, but I think I have actually had enough. I may as well be a single mother, I am so alone and unloved. I do not expect him to say anything so when he does, he catches me off guard.

“Why did you need me?” An unexpected wave of emotion hits me as he asks the question; it's almost like the old Ryan is talking to me. The Ryan I fell in love with. His tone is softer, almost caressing me with its gentle warmth.

“My car broke down. Again. And you had cancelled my breakdown cover. I had no one to help me or pick up Summer from daycare. I am so sick of doing this alone when you are my husband and Summer’s father. Where were you? Where are you all the time, Ryan? Because you are not here with us. If there is somewhere else you would rather be, then be my guest, but do not come back here again if you do.”

“I wondered why you had Salma’s car. Look, I am sorry, I was busy trying to rustle up business. But I am here now.” He looks like he means it, but I have fallen for this before just for him to drop me like a ton of bricks as soon as he has his feet under the table.

“Why did you cancel my breakdown cover? I had to get the car towed, it's going to cost a fortune now.” That is what has annoyed me more than anything. I am an adult. If I want to cancel my cover, I will, but I did not want to cancel, I needed that cover.

“Baby, I am sorry, I was just trying to save you some money. You said the kids' childcare was costing you most of your wages so I thought that would save you a bit.” He tries giving me the puppy dog eyes but he has just reminded me of why this does not work anymore.

“The kid? The Kid? Do you mean our daughter? Do you know what? I have to go. I have an appointment at a car showroom to lease a new car, so I don’t have time to argue with you anymore. I do not want you here when I get back. Keys.” I hold out my hand, making it clear I want my keys back.

He refuses to hand over the keys. “You know I don’t mean it like that, come on, Eva, why are you being so touchy?” He is stroking my arm and then brushes his fingers against my cheek. It's been so long since anyone has touched me or held me that I just melt into his arms. I hate myself and feel so pathetic and weak.

“Why don’t you blow off the car place, drop the kid.. I mean Summer off at daycare and we spend some time together, you know, getting reacquainted. It's been a while for you, huh?” Ryan has never known when to quit while he was ahead.

“No, I am going to get a car and Ryan… that should have been ‘it’s been a while for both of us, huh’?” I see the colour drain from his face and he disgusts me more than I disgust myself with my weak neediness.

“I am coming with you then. They will try to trick you because you’re a woman.” He is puffing his chest out all importantly.

“I am leaving in five minutes. I don’t care if you come or not, but I am not waiting for you.” I go to get Summer's shoes and coat while Ryan dashes off to get his clothes on.

I get to the front door, and he comes charging down the stairs. “I’ll drive us, give me your car keys,” he demands.

“No, I will drive. You still stink of booze, you’re not on the insurance, and most importantly, Summer is in the car.”

He climbs into the passenger side and waits, not once offering to help lock up the house or help secure our daughter safely in the back.

I drive Summer to the daycare and leave Ryan waiting in the car while I take her in. When I come back out, he is messing with the music system. This car is high tech, I would not expect any less of Salma, and by the time I start the car again he has the sound system linked via Bluetooth to his phone.

As I approach the car showroom, Ryan starts again trying to dissuade me from getting a new car and my temper is right on the surface, ready to erupt.

“Ryan, this is my money and my choice. If you actually contributed to the household, then fair enough, I would consider your opinion, but you don’t. I do not see a penny off you, not for me, for the house, and especially not for your daughter. Why would it be any different now with a car?”

His snarling face is back, long gone are the tender words and comforting embrace.

I pull into the showroom’s car park and before I can finish my argument Ryan has a text message. Since his phone is linked to the car, I quickly press read.

Mel

Where r u baby, why aren’t you home?

“Who the fuck is Mel?” I ask him accusingly as he pounds the screen, trying to rid it of the incriminating evidence that is already committed to my memory.

He tries to deny any knowledge of Mel, says it is a wrong number but it's too late. I saw the look of recognition in his eyes and his frenzied panic assured me of his guilt.

“Get out of this car now Ryan, give me back my house keys. Leave me alone and do not come back.”

He jumps out of the car but still refuses to give me my keys. “You are such an uptight, sanctimonious bitch Eva, is it any wonder I don’t want to spend time with you?” He shouts all over the showroom car park before running off, leaving me red-faced and ashamed.

I am early for my appointment, so the fact that I am crying in Salma’s car is not an issue. I knew he was seeing someone else; he hardly comes home anymore. He has not touched me since I announced I was pregnant with our child, so I had surmised he has been getting his pleasures elsewhere. That does not mean I am happy about it. He is my husband, and I meant my vows when I made them. How can I stick to my vows when he is shitting all over his?

As I get out of the car to go to my appointment, I notice quite a few burly men looking in my direction. It intimidates me, like they are all watching me, so I put my head down and rush inside. I am standing at the desk inside giving my name when a ruggedly handsome man comes out of the office. I notice a flicker of recognition in his eyes, but I do not think I know him.

As he walks to me, I take in his appearance. He is tall, maybe 6ft 3in, with dark hair and a pale complexion with green eyes. He works out; despite wearing a suit, I can see hard-as-steel muscles rolling under the fabric. When he is directly in front of me, he asks me my name, so I give it and tell him I have an appointment at 10am and that Colin sent me.

“I know you, have we met before?”

I shake my head in response. I would remember meeting this man.

He leans in a bit closer and sniffs, taking in my scent. “You smell so good!”

Who is this weirdo? And why have his eyes turned so dark, like they’re almost black?

“Erm, I have an appointment to lease a car?” I try to remind him but he is not listening to me. He leans over and gently lifts my chin so my eyes meet his. It's been a long time since anyone has looked at me with such desire, such adoration. I should not like this, it's creepy and strange and yet I feel a connection with him. His voice is deep and sensual and turns my insides to jelly.

“You are so beautiful. You are mine!”