All Chapters of Sweet Hope for the Alpha Kingpin: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

HOPEI jerked myself awake with a gasp. I was having a nightmare, the same one I had at least three nights a week. In my dream I was reliving the first time my stepdad had sold me to one of his friends in exchange for drug money. The man hadn’t been gentle, and he liked it that I fought and screamed as he thrust himself into me over and over, tearing me and making me bleed. It was traumatic and I usually woke myself up screaming the way I screamed when it had first happened to me four years ago.I lay still, breathing in and out, repeating my mantra to myself. “I am strong. I am safe.” I opened my eyes and focused on the ceiling of the 1999 Toy0ta van that I currently called home. It wasn’t much but she was fully paid for, cheaper than an apartment and had the advantage of being able to easily move if my past got too close to me.This was the week that the mechanic shop I worked for was offering half off oil changes, and we were booked solid. I couldn’t afford to show up exha

NICCOI waited in the car for about a half hour. This was how it usually went when we were dealing with humans. The boys went in, cleared the home and then roughed up the guy for a little bit. I would join them later. Today I was waiting for the missus.I saw her pull into the driveway and I got out, pocketing my cellphone in my hip pocket. She watched me cross the street, warily. I gave her a wide smile, trying not to look threatening. From the way she widened her eyes, I probably wasn’t successful.“Amy?” I asked, pleasantly. She nodded and then looked nervously at the house. I could hear a muffled scream coming from inside. “What’s going on?” she asked, clutching her purse and backing up. I continued up to her and took her elbow, using my other hand to gesture in front of me. “Let’s go inside, shall we?” I tugged gently on her arm, but she wasn’t having it. She stayed put. “Tell me what’s going on.” Her voice was flat. I sighed. “We’re having a little conversation

NICCOI checked my watch impatiently. Hope struck me as the type of girl that was early to everything and I hoped she was. I valued promptness. I didn’t even know why I was doing this. My wolf was thrilled but the businessman and Alpha in me knew that this was a really bad idea. I was mated to a human and the sooner I rejected the mate bond the better it would be for my business and for my Pack. I had heard stories of other Alphas being mated with humans and their Pack embracing the change. Most of the time it worked out, the human Luna a meek head of the Pack. Usually in those cases, the Beta’s wife was the one with the real power. That wasn’t going to work for me. My Pack was also part of my business, and I needed a partner that would be ruthless and know the games of the profession. I sighed. This was a really bad idea. I should have just walked away.Her black van pulled up, five minutes early and she slid out of the driver’s seat. I could see that her hair was wet a

NICCOI watched Hope try to lick the chocolate off from her face and I could feel myself stiffen in my pants. She was so sexy. My wolf was right below the surface, yelling at me to take her and mark her right there in the middle of the restaurant. I handed her a napkin and she scrubbed at her face, her cheeks red with embarrassment. For some reason, this endeared her to me even more and I felt my smile widen. My watch dinged and I looked down. Vinnie had just pulled up. I stood up and helped Hope up. She was a little wobbly and I looked at her with concern. She really didn’t hold her alcohol well. It was not safe to take her back to her van. “Thank you for dinner,” she said primly. “It was very good.”“It was my pleasure,” I said. And it was. She was fun to be around, sexy as hell and smart. I enjoyed dinner. She stumbled a little and I put my hand around her waist, supporting her. She moaned a little and my wolf went crazy. She can feel the mate bond, Lupo screamed

HOPEMy day turned into a whirlwind. I had given directions to a department store where I could find something cheap and comfortable to wear today, but Nicco nixed that plan. He took me to another boutique shop, and he picked out the outfit he wanted me to wear. I grinned at myself when I saw my reflection in the mirror. He had chosen a white, sleeveless polo dress with a blue belt. I had a pair of white sandals waiting for me when I came out of the dressing room. I had taken the time to braid my long hair over one shoulder and Nicco spent a moment playing with the heavy plait. I put my phone in the new bag he insisted on buying, and tucked my hand in his before leaving the shop.“Thank you,” I said, again, for the umpteenth time. Nicco looked pleased. “I like buying you clothes,” he said. I laughed.“Why?” I asked, genuinely curious. I didn’t really care about clothing, probably because I never had the money to care about the clothes. He looked at me sideways. “You have