Page 6 of Mated into the Mob

This man, my mate, a club employee, had trespassed. But he did it on whose orders? Because he wasn’t a shifter, that ruled him out as being from a rival pack, though it wasn’t unheard of for other Alphas to hire unsuspecting humans to spy on their competitors.

Or he was from law enforcement. My grandfather and father would have returned him to his bosses in pieces, no matter that their hearts were breaking. They put the pack and the business before everything else, and up until now, so did I.

“I’ll shoot if you make a wrong move.”

“How do I know the difference between a right and a wrong move?” He peered up at me, and I removed the gun from the holster.

What the fuck? He was mouthy, and if he’d been anyone else, I’d have shut him up permanently. But my wolf was amused and was enjoying our mate’s feistiness.

More like foolishness. But I had to admire him a little. No one spoke to me like that. It would have been refreshing except he’d broken the rules.

“Shut your mouth.” The inner turmoil, twisting my belly in knots, added a hardness to my voice, along with confusion as to what I was supposed to do with him.

Getting the guy down the stairs and into the car posed a problem. If he bellowed that I’d taken him prisoner, there might be a mass exodus from the club. While we didn’t let just anyone into La Luna Noir, patrons weren’t all shifters. I foresaw many frantic calls to 911, resulting in the police turning up.

I had many of the local police on my payroll, but there might be a good samaritan in uniform who’d sniff around. That would lead to questions and eyes on our business. While I could offer more bribes and favors, it was a hassle I’d rather avoid.

I smoothed my wool-and-cashmere suit, enjoying the soft fabric beneath my palm, and replaced the gun in the holster.

“If you try to escape or yell for help, I’ll shoot you.”

“Doubt it,” he jeered. “It’d draw too much attention.”

My stomach clenched, and I made a fist. Connecting it to his jaw might shut him up, but I resisted. I’d never put up with anyone giving me lip, even my brothers when we were kids. Butthis guy? This human, who the universe told me was my mate? I’d earned respect as the Alpha, and this outsider threw it back in my face.

“Fine. I’ll finish you off right here, right fucking now!” I was shrieking, and my hand shook. This guy showed nothing but contempt.

“Don’t, please!” He raised both hands. “I’ll do as you ask.”

My heart rate slowed. Why did this guy have to stumble into my life? I was fine before he arrived. Better than fine.

“Get up.” I dragged him to his feet, noting he didn’t weigh much, and I studied the bruises on his cheeks, the split lip, and bloody nose. His uniform was smattered with blood. Emilio knew better than to leave a mark.

Rather than leave with a gun to his back, I’d pretend we were old buddies. A guffaw, an elbow to the ribs, a “Remember when we were kids and…” had a better chance of not getting attention than me kidnapping him.

“You’re my new best friend.” I lifted my jacket, allowing him to see the gun in the holster. “One wrong move.”

“I still?—”

Gods, I’d fallen into that trap. My wolf moved to the forefront of my gaze, and I stared at the guy, my mate, whose name was… I yanked him around to face me and read his tag. Tony.

His eyes widened, but he puffed out his chest before my beast fell back. I had to admire his courage. Maybe this human would surprise me, but it was for nothing. There were rules for a reason. He’d broken one deliberately and the other just by being human.

Hauling him into my private bathroom, I shoved his head under the faucet and ignored his groans as I threw water on his face. When I yanked him up, we both stared into the mirror, and I compared my broad shoulders and chest to his small frame. But I avoided his gaze when I took a coat from the closet andmade him put it on, though it didn’t escape my notice that he sniffed at the fabric. If he snarked that it stank of wet dog, I’d lose it.

I slung an arm over his shoulder, and we strolled out. Or I did. He was limping.

“Why didn’t you tell me you needed a job, you devil.” I slapped his chest. The security guy stood to the side. “You and Emilio really fucked with my head tonight, pretending you were in trouble. Same old Tony. Always a practical joker.”

I tightened my grip around his neck as we made our way along the corridor and out the private entrance to my car with darkened windows.

“I’m not getting in the trunk.”

I had no intention of putting him in there because I wanted to have my eyes on him. Not only because he might try and draw attention to himself—he’d probably seen the same programs I had as a kid where anyone kidnapped and put in a trunk should cut the wires to the taillights. Instead, I shoved him in the front seat and got a pair of handcuffs from the glove compartment.

His brow shot up, illuminated by the dim light from inside the car, accompanied by a smirk. “It’s like that, is it?”

I tried to process what he was saying, and then it hit me. He was insinuating I enjoyed kink with my sex. My nostrils flared, and my wolf tempered my anger by repeating,He’s our mate.

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