A Deal with the alpha

chapter three

CHAPTER 3

Leo POV

“What the hell were you thinking giving a kid you don’t even know something that important? Shouldn’t he have started with a test run or a small delivery? What were you thinking?”

When I walked into the room, I barely noticed the small woman standing to the side of my father’s desk. I assumed she worked for us, until she raised her voice and caught my full attention.

No one who worked for us would ever talk to my father like that.

She was tiny, barely reaching anyone else’s shoulder, with long golden hair hanging past her hips. One deep breath told me she was an omega her scent was honeysuckle, sweet under all the fear. But her dark eyes were full of fire, glaring at one of the most dangerous men in the city. Her lips were tight, nostrils flaring.

I glanced at my father. He looked more amused than angry. His raised eyebrows gave him away. He didn’t see her as a threat. Just a kitten trying to roar at a lion.

“He said he could handle it,” my father said. “We took him at his word. That was his trial run. If he’d been one of our regulars, he’d have had at least three times that.”

The omega’s jaw clenched so tight I was surprised we couldn’t hear her grinding her teeth. Her little hands curled into fists at her sides. I didn’t know who she was, or what was going on, but the girl had guts.

I let my eyes travel over her. She wore a clean, simple outfit cream blouse tucked into a pink pencil skirt, soft pink heels. Nothing flashy, nothing loud. She wasn’t like the women who usually came through my club. She stood out.

If I had looked at her properly when I came in, I’d have known right away she didn’t belong here.

I wanted to know who she was, but I couldn’t ask. Not yet.

“I’m not a bad person,” she said. “I can get the money. Just give us two weeks to pay back what my brother lost.”

My father leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled over his chest. That was his usual move when he knew someone couldn’t meet his demands but he wanted to act generous. He always had a backup plan ready for when people failed.

Whatever her brother owed, it was too much. The way her eyes widened, you could tell two weeks wouldn’t be enough. Hell, two months probably wouldn’t be enough.

What was pocket change to us might be a year’s pay to someone like her.

And I knew exactly what backup plan my father had in mind.

My eyes drifted over her again, imagining her without the prim outfit. She clearly needed money fast. And I knew what kind of “deal” he’d offer next.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I knew what he’d say when they failed to pay on time. And no omega brave enough to stand up to my father deserved that kind of fate. I’d seen too many broken girls on the streets eyes dead, spirits crushed. Omegas broke the fastest.

“I we can’t,” she said, her voice cracking. “I don’t...”

She was trying hard to hide how scared she was, but her body gave her away. Her chest rose and fell fast, her face frozen. She was fighting back the fear, but her scent betrayed her.

I’d never enjoyed watching someone get pushed like this. But something about her hit me harder than usual.

“Two weeks,” my father said calmly. “Either I get my money, or I take your brother. Or maybe you instead. A sweet little omega like you could work it off fast.”

I looked at him. The amusement on his face was gone. He meant every word.

She flinched, mouth opening in shock. No one needed to explain what he meant. After a second, she took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and turned to leave holding onto what pride she had left.

It was impressive.

A couple of guys followed her out to make sure she left the property. Not that there was anything sensitive out here to see we weren’t stupid enough to keep illegal operations where we lived or ran our main business.

I walked around the desk and raised an eyebrow at my father.

“That dumb beta kid lost the package,” he said.

My eyebrows went up. I remembered him mentioning some scrawny teen who came around asking to run jobs. I didn’t know he’d actually given him a delivery.

“He lost it?”

“The Trampers took it,” he said. “Doesn’t matter. He was responsible. His sister clearly has more brains than he does.”

I clenched my jaw.

The Trampers were a new gang trying to move into our territory. We’d ignored them at first, but if they were starting to hit our runners and steal products, we’d have to put them in their place soon. Our people needed to feel protected. Our reputation depended on it.

If they were watering down our product before flipping it, that could do serious damage to the brand.

“How much did he lose?” I asked.

“Twelve kilos.”

I whistled low.

This wasn’t going away quietly.