Lead Player: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Alex Grayson

I grit my teeth when Heidi’s voice hits my ear.

  “I don’t really have time to talk right now, Heidi. Can I call you back later?”

  “I have a problem,” she states, her voice quivering with fear.

  “What is it?” I have to work to keep the words from coming out harsh.

  “Do you remember my ex-boyfriend I told you about? Donnie.”

  “Yeah.”

  “When I got off my shift this morning, I saw him in a car across the street from my apartment. When I went inside, he called me, threatening to break in and hurt me.”

  “Did you ever get the restraining order? Have you called the cops?”

  “I got one, but where he was parked was just outside the range of the restraining order. And he was using a disposable phone, so there’s no proof it was him who called.”

  “Goddamn it,” I growl and bang the heel of my hand against the steering wheel, causing my car to jerk on the road. Thank fuck there’s no one on the road around me.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to do. I’m scared he’s going to try to break in. He sounded drunk and really angry on the phone.”

  This is the third fucking time Heidi’s call has kept me from Alaina. No more. After today, she’ll have to find someone else to come to her rescue. Judging by Alaina’s accusations of Heidi having a thing for me, I have no doubt Alaina doesn’t like her. Fuck if I wouldn’t be tempted to lay out any of Alaina’s guy friends if they so much as looked at her in any way other than friendship.

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell Heidi she’s on her own, but what kind of man would that make me if I left a female alone when she is in danger? A piss poor one, that’s what. Not to mention, if something was to happen to Allison’s best friend when I could have stopped it, she’d never forgive me.

  “I’ll be over soon. Lock your doors and don’t answer unless it’s me.”

  Before she can respond, I hang up. Just the sound of Heidi’s voice right now grates on my nerves. Lord help this Donnie if he shows his face while I’m there. I’m just itching to throw my fist against something solid.

  I pull up to Heidi’s apartment thirty-minutes later. As I walk across the parking lot, I take stock of my surroundings. Nothing seems out of place. No suspicious parked cars on the side of the road. No mysterious people loitering in vehicles like they shouldn’t be there.

  Taking the steps two at a time, I pound my fist against the door. Heidi’s voice comes from the other side almost immediately.

  “Come in!”

  What the fuck? First, I shouldn’t be able to come in. The door should be locked. And second, she has no fucking clue who’s on the other side.

  Gripping the handle, anger radiates through me when it turns, and I’m able to easily push the door open.

  “Heidi!” I bark when I don’t see her in the living room or kitchen.

  “I’m back here!” she calls again.

  I stalk down the hallway, looking in each room I pass and not finding her. When I approach the last door on the right, it’s halfway ajar. Suspicion forms in my gut even before I push the door open the rest of the way.

  My jaw drops for a split second before I snap my mouth closed. “What the hell is this?” I ask through gritted teeth.

  I glare at the woman sitting on the edge of the bed wearing nothing but some black lingerie. The top hugs her large breasts, but there’s really no sense to it because half of them are spilling out. Just below her breasts, the sheer material splits open, revealing her flat stomach. Her panties, even without seeing the back of them, is no doubt a g-string.

  Her expression is filled with lust as she slides her hands down her stomach, heading toward the little patch of material barely covering her womanhood. She spreads her legs even more, showing the material is wet.

  “This is for you,” she purrs, acting completely different than the Heidi I’ve known for years.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Heidi?” I demand, keeping my eyes on her face no matter how much she’s trying to pull my gaze downward. “You know I don’t see you this way. You’re my little sister’s best friend. You’re practically my sister.”

  She gets up from the bed and walks toward me, her hips swaying in what I assume is supposed to be seductive. My dick doesn’t so much as twitch. The act only heightens my anger. What the hell has gotten into her?

  “Maybe I was before,” she says, stopping in front of me. “But now, I’m not. I want to be so much more for you.”

  She puts her small hands on my chest. When she begins sliding them down, I grip both of her wrists.

  “No,” I say harshly. “This is not happening. You need to get dressed.”

  She pouts, her bottom lip sticking out further than the top. “I could make you feel so good, Enzo.”

  I lean down until our faces are nearly touching. “I told you, it’s not happening. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you, but I’ve never given you the slightest indication I was interested in you in any way.”

  Once again, Alaina’s words come back to me. How could I have missed this? Were there any signs Heidi felt this way about me? For the life of me, I can’t think of one.

  My thoughts move to the reason I’m here, and my eyes narrow. Surely she wouldn’t….

  “Donnie was never outside, was he? You never got a call from him.”

  Her eyes dart away from me. A telltale sign a lie is coming. “He was, and I did.”

  “Do not fucking lie to me, Heidi!” I boom.

  She flinches at my loud voice, and if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s lying right to my face, I might feel an inkling of remorse.

  “Fine,” she mumbles. “He was never here, and he never called me. I just needed to see you.”

  “Why? For this shit?” I don’t give her time to answer, because it doesn’t matter. “Do you even have an ex named Donnie?”

  I pose the question, never really expecting her to say no, so when she does, I almost explode. I’m here, instead of with Alaina right now, because Heidi decided to play her hand at seduction. Which also means she kept me from Alaina the night I came to fix her sink.

  I take several deep breaths to calm myself before I do something I’ll regret.

  “You are un-fucking-believable,” I grate.

  Instead of the reprimanded look I expected from her, her expression changes to determination. Before I can stop her, she drops to her knees and attacks the fastening of my jeans. I’m shocked at her bold move, so it takes me a minute to realize what she’s doing. She has the button undone, the zipper half down, and her fingers inside my jeans when I grab her wrist. Her fingertips grazing the root of my dick has my anger morphing into rage.

  I yank her hand away, grip her upper arms, and shove her away from me. Her hip hits the bed, but she catches herself before she falls all the way.

  I point my finger at her. “Do not fucking touch me again,” I growl.

  She scrambles up until she’s sitting on the side of the bed. “Enzo—”

  I cut her off. “Stay the hell away from me. Don’t call me again.”

  “She’s not good for you!” she cries. “Alaina will never love you like I do! I can do so much more for you than she can! When you came back after your tour, you were supposed to be with me! But then that bitch came along! That’s why I did this! I love you, Enzo! Can’t you see that?”

  I shoot her a look filled with so much hatred it would make a normal man quake in his boots. “Stay the fuck away from Alaina, too. If you get near her, talk to her or about her, or even so much as think about her, I’ll make your life a living hell. You got me?”

  Her lip wobbles, sending disgust through me, but she does the wise thing and nods. I wasn’t spewing shit. She fucks with Alaina, and I’ll make her wish she never knew me or my family.

  She calls my name again as I stalk down the hallway. I’m so pissed it takes everything in me to not put my fist through the wall.

  Right as I reach the front door, my shirt is
tugged from behind. I turn to face a quivering mess and sneer down at her.

  “Let go, Heidi,” I warn.

  “There’s something you need to know,” she whispers, running her fingers under her runny nose.

  There’s not a goddamn thing I need to know from Heidi. Yanking my shirt away, I grab the handle and jerk open the door.

  “She’s having an abortion,” she blurts, stopping me cold where I stand.

  I slowly turn back to her, my face a mask of loathing.

  “Do you really expect me to believe that?” My voice shrouds the utter disgust I feel for the woman in front of me. “After the shit you just pulled?”

  She straightens her spine and swipes at the tears coursing down her face. “Believe it or not, it’s true. I overheard her yesterday talking to her friend at a coffee shop. She has an appointment today.” She looks down at the watch on her wrist. “She’s probably there right now. I heard her mention it was at one today.” Her eyes are steady when she continues, “If you don’t believe me, call Allison and ask her. She was there.”

  “You’re pathetic,” I spit. “Even if by some chance what you’re saying is true, Allison would have told me.”

  But maybe she did try to tell me, my mind whispers. All of the phone calls I missed between yesterday and today. What if she was trying to tell me then?

  No!

  Alaina would not do something like that. She wouldn’t kill our baby. No fucking way in hell. And I sure as hell won’t take Heidi’s word over this. Not until I talk to Alaina myself.

  “Allison wasn’t there when I overheard Alaina talking to her friend,” she tries again. “She had stepped away. No one knew I was there. That’s the only reason why I overheard her.”

  I bark out a laugh. “It’s pretty fucking convenient for you that Allison stepped away.”

  Her eyes turn to pleading as she stares up at me. “I swear, Enzo. I’m telling you the truth.” She takes a step closer, her hands twitching like she wants to touch me again. I glare down at them in warning. “How could you want to be with someone who would kill your baby? I would never even think to do something like that. I would love our child so much. We would be so happy together.”

  Baring my teeth, I grate out, “You’re delusional.” I take a step back and grip the side of the door. “I meant what I said, Heidi. Stay the fuck away from Alaina. Stay the fuck away from me. And while you’re at it, stay the fuck away from Allison.”

  With that, I slam the door, only slightly satisfied when the loud bang resonates through the hallway.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ALAINA

  A loud pounding has me jerking awake. I sit up and look over the back of the couch toward the door. The pounding comes again, scaring me, causing me to jump.

  I don’t know if I should answer the door or grab a knife and hide in a corner. Whoever’s on the other side sounds pissed and frantic.

  “Alaina!” a deep, familiar voice calls. “I know you’re in there! Let me in!”

  Enzo. What is he doing here?

  Throwing the small blanket wrapped around me to the back of the couch, I get up and pad over to the door. I look through the peep hole, surprised to see the desperate look on his face staring back at me.

  I unlock the door and pull it open. My mouth parts to ask what he’s doing here, but he’s pushing me backward with a gentle hand on my stomach before I get the chance. Using his foot, he closes the door behind him. For the first minute, all I can do is stare at him. It’s been a week since I last saw him. The anger and betrayed look that was on his face the last time I saw him haunts my dreams. Now though, he doesn’t look angry, or rather, he does, but that’s not the expression that stands out the most. Remorse and regret. He also looks like he hasn’t slept in days. His tired eyes have dark rings around them, and his face looks gaunt. His beard, which he normally keeps cleanly trimmed, looks unkept. His hair is more messy than normal.

  As I stand there and take him in, he does the same to me. His eyes move up and down my body, assessing me for I don’t know what. Pain fills his eyes when they land on my abdomen. His hands ball into fists at his sides, and I wonder if it’s because he’s fighting the need to reach out and touch me. My own need flares hot inside me.

  “I tried calling you.” His deep rumbling voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I look up at him.

  I gesture toward the couch. “I was taking a nap. I must not have heard my phone ring.”

  He frowns, his eyes darting down to my belly again. “How have you been?”

  “I’m fine.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I shift uncomfortably on my feet. “What are you doing here, Enzo?” I repeat my earlier question.

  He stuffs his hands into his pockets.

  “Is the….” he starts, his voice hoarse before he clears his throat. “Is the baby okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Relief flickers across his face when he nods.

  After a silent moment, “I went to see my doctor.”

  His comment has my brows jumping up. “And?”

  “The test came back positive with a sperm count. It wasn’t as high as it would have been without the vasectomy, but he said it was very possible for me to get a woman pregnant. Apparently, the tubes they snipped healed over time.”

  He closes his eyes briefly before reopening them, shocking me at the pure anguish in their depths. Shame colors his cheeks and his Adam’s apple lifts and drops when he swallows. “I’m so fucking sorry, Alaina.” When he takes a step toward me, I match him with a step back. His brows slash down. “I fucked up, and I’m so goddamn sorry. I should have known you would never cheat on me. That’s not in you. I know that, and I knew it then too. I was just scared.”

  “You hurt me,” I whisper as I tighten my arms around my middle.

  “I know, and you have no idea how hard it is for me to know I did that to you. You’re the very last person I ever want to hurt.” His eyes drop to his boots for a moment. “I don’t deserve this, and I’ll understand if you can’t, but is there any way you could ever forgive me?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” I answer truthfully. “What you did….” I trail off and shake my head. “I can’t go through something like that again. It’s not just me I have to think about now. I have to think about the baby.”

  Pulling his hands from his pockets, he eats up the space between us. I back up until I hit the back of the couch. Throwing a hand up, I stop him from coming any closer by pressing it against his chest.

  “I’ll never hurt you or our baby. In any way.”

  “I know you never would intentionally. But what happens if you get scared again, Enzo? You didn’t trust me. You thought the worst of me because of something some other woman did to you. How do I know that won’t happen again?”

  “It won’t,” he says vehemently.

  “I don’t know that! And there’s no way for you to know that,” I cry. Tears prick the back of my eyes, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to stop them.

  One minute I’m looking up at Enzo, the next I’m forced to drop my chin to keep him in view as he goes to his knees before me. His head is bowed with his hands resting gently around my waist. When he lifts his head, his eyes glisten. The look is so unlike the strong and happy-go-lucky man he’s always been. His tortured expression calls to me, making my own broken heart crack even more.

  He stares up at me with pleading eyes. “Look at me,” he pleads hoarsely. “Look in my eyes, Alaina. You said you’d be here waiting for me when I realized my mistake and, baby, my mistake was huge. But I’m here, on my knees before you, begging you to give us another chance. To give me another chance. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” One of his hands hesitantly moves to my belly. “Our baby….” His eyes squeeze shut. “I’d do anything for both of you. I swear to you, I’ll never take you for granted again. I swear I’ll always be there for you and our child every single minute of my life. I trust you with my heart, because I’ve got no choice.
You already hold it in the palm of your hands. I’m asking you, begging you, to not crush it. I love you so fucking much.”

  My breath catches. Hearing him say the words I only ever dreamed I’d hear from him has something warm and comforting swelling in my chest. With the exception of the day we buried my mom, the worst day of my life was when he left me alone in my living room. I didn’t realize how strong my love for him was until he crushed my heart and left it bleeding on the floor.

  Looking down at him, at the utter devastation and longing on his face, is it possible for me to deny him? I’ve never been as happy as I was when I was with him. I fought him in the beginning because I was afraid I would get hurt, and I was hurt. But I also pushed him away because I never thought he would settle for someone like me. I’m not like the women he’s used to. The rail thin models, stunning actresses, or the groupies that would drop their panties at the first flick of his fingers. I labeled Enzo a womanizer and a flirt from his past exploits, but I’ve learned since then there’s so much more to him than that. Yes, he may have been a womanizer in the past, but I truly believe that’s no longer him. A man who’s only after a quick lay wouldn’t be on his knees right now. He wouldn’t be begging me. He’d be leaving me in the dust, pregnant and all.

  Instead of giving him a verbal response, I sift my fingers through his hair. His eyes close and something akin to bliss crosses his face. I drop to my knees to be on the same level with him and he opens his eyes.

  “I love you,” I whisper.

  His expression morphs into sheer happiness, taking away the hurt look I hate so much.

  “Thank Christ,” he mutters right before he wraps his arms around me and crushes his lips against mine. “You won’t regret this, baby. I promise I’ll never make the same stupid mistake again. I’ll make it up to you every day, over and over again.”

  “Just promise to love me. That’s all I need right now.”

  “I do. I love you so fucking much it hurts.” He kisses me again. I’ve missed his kisses. Pulling back, he cups my cheeks. “Say it again,” he demands huskily.