Page 17 of Glass Omega

“Perrie,” he affirmed, straightening. “I apologize for putting you in this situation and for not being more forthcoming. It isn’t in my nature.”

“So why not let me go?” My father may have been powerful politically, but even I knew that there were more well-connected omegas in the world, hell, even in the city. I was a twenty-two-year-old woman that had barely gotten her high school diploma.

“You know I can’t do that. Your father promised you to me and I need you. Marrying me doesn’t have to be a bad thing, I will take care of you and so will my people.” His words were cajoling as he yet again shot another look over his shoulder at Rhodes who shifted uncomfortably in the stiff position he’d been standing in ever since Edison sat down.

There was something in the look they exchanged that I couldn’t quite decipher and Edison’s expression was odd when he faced me again.

“I can’t be that important, I’m barely even an omega at this point,” I pointed out with a scoff. Sure, my father seemed to have shaken both the Irish and Italians down for everything they had when it came to me, but he always did have a habit of overinflating his worth to others, so it wasn’t any different for him to do the same to me.

I’d been worried ever since meeting Pack Ricci that their expectations for me were much higher than anything I could hope to achieve—hell I wasn’t even sure my heatwouldactually happen.

The doctors all reassured me that it would happen, but I’d heard Mr. Amante and my father talk about it more than once when they thought they were alone.

“How can I be sure that you aren’t selling me a faulty product, Chandler. I’ll have you know I’ve had enough of those to last me a lifetime.”Mr. Amante’s voice echoed in my head, my heart thudding in my chest.

With Pack Ricci it had felt safer—Elio had all but told me outright that they had no interest in the actual sex part of the pack relationship and the three others had grumbled their agreement.

How they expected to have an heir, I had no clue, but it had been a relief to hear.

But with Edison Keane? I could see that he intended to be my alpha body and soul, filling me with a mixed sense of dread and the tiniest feeling of excitement.

“Besides, how do you expect me to be a mobster’s wife? I’ve never even touched a gun,” I finished stubbornly.

There was a beat before Edison burst into laughter, his mouth opening wide as he leaned back on the chaise, shaking his head with disbelief.

Even Mr. No-Expression behind him cracked a half-smile, his dark eyes crinkling in the corners as he otherwise remained still.

My face filled with warmth as the man continued to guffaw, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes as he tried to regain control of his composure again.

“Pet, what exactly do you think the wife of a crime family boss does?”

I shrugged, thinking about the mafia movies that Romey had been obsessed with when he was a preteen. My memory of it was vague but I knew that most of the women seemed likefemme fatales—all sex appeal and grit—or they were the wife getting cheated on with saidfemme fatales.

I didn’t like either of those options. I was pretty sure my sex appeal started and ended with my omega pheromones, not to mention the fact that my coordination on land left much to be desired. It was the main reason why I’d taken up swimming as a sport—you can’t trip easily in the water.

“You won’t ever see a gunfight if I have anything to do with it.” Edison’s voice was suddenly low and his expression grave ashe spoke. “But I can have Rhodes here give you some basic self-defense and weapons training if that makes you feel better.”

Rhodes’s expression shifted at the most microscopic level. I didn’t know how I knew it, but it was clear that the alpha wasn’t super enthused about becoming my own personal Mr. Miyagi a laKarate Kid.

Seeming to pick up on my sudden discomfort, Edison changed tactics. “How about this, why don’t we create a contract that benefits both of us, would that make you feel better?”

I thought about it for a moment before nodding slowly, still unsure about whether I should trust the man even to do that.

Edison’s smile was triumphant and he stood, gesturing to the gate. “Good, then shall we go to my office and get it all written out, it shouldn’t take too long.”

Six

“Why is a meal three times a day required?” Perrie asked from her seat across from me, her arms crossed stiffly over her chest.

I was already regretting my earlier words as we entered the second hour of our contract negotiation.

Offering it on a whim had been a shit idea, but I figured that she would agree to most of my requirements easily.

How wrong I’d been.

Turns out, the meek daughter of the city’s mayor was actually as stubborn as a mule—a very pretty mule, but a mule nonetheless.

We’d managed to get through most of Perrie’s items of negotiation: she wanted to wear the clothing of her choice, keepall of her hobbies, see her brother, and have autonomy over her own body.

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