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And this was a business deal. I needed a finale for the auction, and Cadence needed the money to save her brother from what would happen if we didn’t get paid.
I could tell she was surprised when I stepped back, and I almost reached out to grab her again when she swayed, but I forced myself to hold still. I couldn’t think with my cock right now, no matter how much it demanded I cram my knot into her. They owed us money, and I was giving her a way to make that money, plus providing something our associates would find valuable.
It was a win-win situation.
Except for my aching cock.
I called one of the girls from the back of the stage to show Cadence out. She was still standing where I’d left her, staring at me with a torn expression. Good girls wouldn’t agree to sell themselves, but she didn’t have a choice, and I was taking advantage of that.
I almost felt bad for a moment.
If Cadence hadn’t been a virgin, I could have done what I’d wanted to do and got her out of my system. I didn’t keep a woman around longer than once or twice unless she was one of the working girls and knew it was nothing more than a transaction. I could have pressed my advantage while she was torn and confused, assured her everything would be okay, then had a taste of her addictive honeysuckle scent.
I’d already been interested in her, but knowing she was untouched was like waving a red flag at a bull. The thought of having to wait until someone else deflowered her to make a move had my fists clenching and my erection going soft.
The men who would be at the auction were cruel. They’d leave her broken, no matter how strong she seemed, but I needed a grand finale that would impress everyone, and having a virgin omega as the last girl up for bid was perfect.
She also needed the money, because my father was serious about not letting her brother get away unpunished. With a little sister of my own to watch over, I understood her drive to protect her family. I doubted she would let her brother face any kind of consequences without trying to step in and take his place.
Even if it meant selling her innocence and risking being broken in ways that could leave lasting scars.
Sucking in a breath of her lingering scent as I watched her walk backstage, I already knew there was no way I was letting anyone else get their hands on her.Iwanted her, and I was going to own her in every sense of the word, if only for one night. I had more than enough to outbid the other fuckers, especially since a lot of them would waste their money on the earlier girls to be sure they didn’t miss out.
I pulled out my phone, making the first call to set things in place. I couldn’t bid on her myself, that would look bad, and we’d lose trust, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have someone bid on her for me. Not all of our associates were familiar with each other.
I obviously wouldn’t be making money off her sale, but I didn’t care about that. It wasn’t like we needed it. My father would get his share and not care about anything else. This had been my idea, and I wanted to set it straight. Owning Cadence would be worth whatever it cost.
And keeping her away from what I knew the others would do to her soothed the part of me throwing a fit over putting an innocent omega in danger.
It took a bit of work to convince my cousin to attend the auction since he didn’t usually associate himself with the less legal parts of the family, but I pulled a few strings and got him to agree. He was one of the few I could trust to do this for me that the others coming wouldn’t recognize as one of our men. I didn’t explainwhyI needed him to come Saturday night, but I was sure he knew I’d blackmailed him for a reason.
He'd return the favor when it was beneficial to him.
That handled, I went back to making sure everything was ready for a group of the most dangerous men in the area. The decorations had to be classy, the liquor rare, and bribes had to be paid to assure no one looked our way while they were all gathered here. It took a lot to make this type of thing run without a hitch, and our reputation was on the line. I had to be sure there wouldn’t be any issues come Saturday night, or my cousin just might have to rescue me as well.
Chapter Seven
Cadence
My hand trembled as I dialed the number to Frankie’s. In all the years I’d worked there, I couldn’t remember calling in a single time. No matter how tired I was, we had always needed the money too much for me to lose a shift since the tips were what kept us fed.
I stumbled through the lines I’d rehearsed for Frankie, the tremor in my voice helping add the edge of truth to me saying I didn’t feel well. It was actually surprising I didn’t get sick often considering the stress I was always under.
His only response was a grunt, even when I said I wouldn’t be able to work my shift the next day either.
“You better be in on Monday, or I want a doctor’s note before you come back.”
“Of course. I’m so sorr—”
He hung up before I could finish apologizing again.
My stomach was in knots, and I’d barely been able to sleep last night. I still hadn’t told Michael what I was doing to get the money to clear him, and I hoped I’d never have to. I didn’t want that guilt on his conscience. This was my decision. He didn’t even know yet that I wasn’t going to work, but I was sure he’d notice in a couple hours when I didn’t leave at my usual time, and when I didn’t return until tomorrow.
Crunching on another handful of Tums, I turned on the shower and waited for it to warm up before stepping in. I washed my hair with the scentless shampoo I found a way to afford since artificial scents gave me headaches, scrubbed and shaved every bit of my body, then stepped out and stood staring into the mirror.
The girl who looked back at me was a pale waif. Dark eyes that were too plain when everyone wanted blue, and a body too thin when most alphas preferred a curvy omega. Gazing at myself with the critical eye of someone who knows they’re going to be naked in front of a stranger, I noticed so many flaws I was fighting back tears as new fears bloomed inside me.
None of it mattered. I had to do this. I’d tried everything else, and there wasn’t any other choice if I was going to save Michael.
