The Code of The Alpha

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Overexposed

"You bought them cars?" I asked in disbelief.

My jaw was on the pavement as I stood outside the dealership where two identical, white, four-door Jeep Wranglers were parked next to each other.

I watched as Luca shook hands with the dealer.

"Always a pleasure, Mr. Ronan," he said, handing the keys to Luca.

"Likewise, my friend," Luca returned.

He threw a set of keys to me and a set to Norah.

"Ben can drive Norah's car home and you guys can take the Jeeps. We'll keep them at my place tonight and drive them over tomorrow before the party," Luca said.

"You bought them cars?" I asked again.

Luca nodded nonchalantly.

"You can look around while we're here if you don't want to drive my car everywhere anymore," he offered.

The dealer's ears perked up immediately.

"Yes, ma'am. We have a new line of luxury SUVs if you'd be interested," he said, thumb pointing towards the lot behind him. "You look like a Mercedes woman to me..."

I laughed nervously.

"Maybe another time," I said.

Norah and I walked over to where the Jeeps were both parked.

"What the hell," I whispered, eyeing the massive tires and shiny rims. "I didn't even get this nice of a car after I was working full time."

She laughed.

"Luca wasn't so generous when I turned eighteen," she said. "But, he did buy my wedding dress and pay for my wedding, so I let it slide."

I shook my head in disbelief.

Although Luca certainly wasn't stingy, I couldn't imagine what it was like to have so much money that I could just up and buy cars for people and pay off five figures worth of debt at the drop of a hat.

"Are you sure he's not secretly part of the Italian mafia?" I asked Norah, whispering.

She threw her head back and laughed.

"No, the pack is much worse than a mafia would be."

I followed Norah and Ben as we drove home, Luca driving behind me. I rolled down the windows to let the summer evening breeze blow my hair every which way. I also cranked the radio up as loud as I could bear it, hoping the melody would drown out the fears and anxiety that still lingered after our conversation with Bates earlier that afternoon.

"We'll see you at the party tomorrow!" Norah yelled, hopping in her car with Ben as soon as we'd arrived back home.

Luca and I both waved as we went inside.

Still tired from the lack of sleep the night before, I immediately resigned myself to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

As I was leaning over the sink, rinsing the cleanser from my face, I looked up in the mirror to see Luca standing behind me, leaning against the doorway of the bathroom.

I jumped with a fright.

"Jesus, Luca," I said, patting my face dry with a towel. "You scared the shit out of me. What are you staring at?"

I suddenly felt self conscious, just standing there in panties and a tank top.

He just shrugged, smiling slightly.

"Fantasizing, if I'm being honest."

"It's creepy," I told him, despite the blood that rushed to my face.