Page 9 of Lured By the Cartel

"Boss,"one of them greeted cautiously, eyeing Lucas beside me."What's going on?"

"Not your concern,"I barked sharply, glaring down at each man until they looked away. Good. I didn't have to say much else to get my point across.

Their gazes flicked back towards Lucas then, curiosity clear in their expressions. Yeah, they were wondering too. Wondering what an omega was doing wandering around Nightshadeterritory, accompanied only by some random girl we hadn't seen yet.

"You shouldn't be here,"I said firmly, turning to face Lucas directly, ignoring the pang of regret stabbing my heart at the words."This place isn't safe for omegas. Especially not ones in heat."

His brows furrowed, confusion flashing across those expressive features."But-"

"No buts,"I cut him off harshly, holding up a hand to silence whatever protest he might utter next."I won't risk your safety any longer. You'll return to your friend, go back home where you belong."

Something flashed behind those dark eyes, something defiant maybe. Or maybe just stubbornness. Either way, it made my cock twitch beneath my jeans, eager to tame that fiery spirit within him. If only I wasn't the leader of the cartel…

"You can't just kick me out,"he stated boldly, chin jutting out stubbornly. Goddamn, he was adorable when riled up."You are still suspicious about me, remember?"

Suspicious or not, I wasn't having him stay another minute without proper security measures in place. Not when my control wavered precariously whenever he was near.

"I remember, of course,"I growled lowly, leaning closer until he took a step back."But things have changed and I don't care so much anymore that I'm suspicious. And now, you leave. Right now."

Fear flashed briefly, quickly replaced by determination burning bright in his gaze."No,"he declared, meeting my stare head-on despite the tremor running through him."I'm staying. At least until my heat passes."

Fucking hell, this kid had balls. More than most alphas I knew, apparently. Respect swelled within me alongsideirritation, making it hard to maintain composure. I didn't think he had it in him.

"If you think testing my patience will gain you favor, think again,"I warned, teeth gritting tightly together."Don't push your luck."

He swallowed audibly, Adam's apple bobbing nervously. Yet still, he didn't back down entirely, simply nodding once."Fine. Then let's get this over with. Take me to Kessia."

All of a sudden, we heard hurried footsteps approaching, followed closely by raised voices and muffled curses. What the fuck? What was happening now?

I turned to see my men dragging a lifeless form between them, blood trailing behind like a grim trail. My stomach churned instantly, knowing exactly who—or rather, which cartel—the corpse belonged to. Dammit all to hell! Couldn't they have waited even five more minutes before bringing their fuck-ups to my attention? I almost had everything with Lucas under control.

"What is it?"I demanded sharply, striding forward to meet them halfway. The body dropped unceremoniously onto the ground as soon as they reached us, revealing the familiar face of a man I'd been wanting dead for years. I just never thought it would happen today.

"Rival scum,"one of my men spat disdainfully, nudging the corpse with his boot."Caught him trying to sneak onto our land. Took care of 'him real quick-like."

Great. Just fucking great. As if dealing with Lucas wasn't enough trouble already, now I had to worry about retaliations from the DeLuca family. They wouldn't take kindly to losing their precious heir apparent.

Before I could respond further, I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Lucas stood rooted to the spot, face pale as he stared wide-eyed at the bloody scene unfolding before him. Shit.In all the commotion, I'd almost forgotten he was there, and that was saying a lot, considering how obsessed with him I was.

"Lucas..."I began softly, moving towards him instinctively. But he flinched away before I could reach him, shock and fear written plainly across his features. Double shit.

He was surprised, but he shouldn't be. He knew that danger followed me.

It hit me then, how naive he really was. How sheltered, how innocent despite being an omega in heat. Sure, he'd shown sparks of defiance earlier, but seeing violence up close... well, that was different altogether. And now, he was afraid. Afraid of me. Of my world. Fuck, I hated seeing that look on his face. I wanted to change it, but couldn't do it. It just wasn't something easy for me to do. I didn't think that anybody could do that, to be honest. It was outside of anybody's control.

"Hey,"I murmured gently, keeping my distance deliberately this time."It's okay. Nothing to worry about here."

Knowing it was pointless didn't prevent me from trying. At least later I could say that I tried.

His gaze flicked uncertainly between me and the gruesome sight nearby."B-but... but what happened? Who... who is that?"

"It doesn't matter,"I dismissed firmly, waving a dismissive hand."Just some scumbag who thought he could trespass on Nightshade territory. Got what he deserved, and that's all you need to know."

Lucas bit his lip, looking unconvinced but too polite to argue. Smart boy. Too bad he couldn't keep that innocence forever. There was so much worse he could learn about me. If he learned everything about me, he would never approach me again.

But for now, I needed to get him away from all this. Away from the gore, the tension, the danger lurking around every corner. Away from me.

"Come on,"I said gruffly, turning towards the path leading to the main gate."Let's go find your friend."

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