Page 3 of Omega in Hiding

I sit in silence as Da and Patrick drink themselves into a stupor. Even though my head is pounding and I feel broken, exhausted and numb, I’m determined to wait them out. I know how they are. They’ll drink until they pass out. It’s their little ritual, and they’re buzzing with excitement about the merger. They’re laughing and making plans at my expense. My bones ache from sitting on the cold floor. My face is swelling more with every passing hour, but neither of them offer me ice or anything to help with the pain. That’s how little I actually mean to them. Blood or not, I’m nothing but chattel.

When they finally slump onto the table, drunk and snoring loudly, I slowly get to my feet. My heart pounds as I eye them. While I hate them, they’re my family. There’s a perverse sense of melancholy as I study them, knowing I’ll probably never see them again. It’s hard to imagine, but I used to look up to them as a child. I thought they were powerful and honorable. I don’t know if they’ve changed or if I’ve changed, but either way, I can’t stay.

I creep to the kitchen door, fear eating me alive. When Patrick grunts and mumbles something in his sleep, I freeze. But then his snoring starts up again, and I let out a long, shaky breath. I carefully open the door and slip out into the damp night.

It’s winter and there’s a light, chilled rain coming down. My breaths hang in the frigid air, but I don’t dare go back inside and grab a coat or anything else to take with me. I wish I could have planned my escape, but this is how it has to be. This isn’t the optimum time of year to run away, but I have no choice. Staying isn’t an option for me. If I don’t take this opportunity to save myself, I might never get another chance.

While I know that’s true, that doesn’t mean I feel confident about running. I don’t know where I’m going to go. I might easily starve to death. I might freeze to death. I might be murdered out on the streets. But still, I push onward, trying to get as much distance between me and my family estate as possible. While the unknown is frightening, that fear pales in comparison to the certainty of what will happen if I stay.

Running won’t be enough. My father and brother will look for me, of that I have little doubt. They’ll have many eyes and ears out on the streets. I’ll have to be very clever to stay out of their clutches. I’ll need to change my name and become invisible. I’ll have to reinvent myself. I’ll do whatever it takes to disappear.

As of tonight, Conrad Murphy no longer exists.

Chapter One

(Six years later)

Connor (Formerly Conrad)

The handsome omega, Alessio, sits on the couch, holding his infant son. With his silky blond hair and jade green eyes, he’s one of the prettiest male omegas I’ve ever seen. He’s talking about his son’s eating and sleeping habits, and he looks and sounds exhausted. Newborns will do that to you. They’ll deprive you of sleep to the point where you become a zombie.

Next to him sits his dark and brooding alpha. The childcare agency sent me to this appointment with very little information. Usually I don’t mind that, but as I stare at the alpha, recognition hits me. He’s definitely Italian Mafia. I’m positive he’s Dario Coppola, Valentino Syracuse’s second in command.

A chill zips down my spine as I meet Dario’s dark, assessing gaze. If I’d known who this interview was with, I’d have turned it down. I do my best to avoid all things Mafia related. Not that I think Dario would know who I am. The Irish and Italian syndicates don’t tend to mingle too much, and I was never a high ranking member of my own family’s mob. But just being around anything related to the Mafia makes me uneasy. I left that life behind for a reason.

“I work long hours,” Alessio says, looking down at his son with a guilty expression. “I don’t feel like I’m giving Baby Joesph enough attention. I don’t want him to grow up feeling neglected.”

“You do your best,” rumbles Dario, rubbing Alessio’s back. “Baby Joesph is a very happy baby.”

“I just know I should do better.” Alessio’s mouth turns down.

Dario shakes his head. “Nonsense. You’re an amazing father.”

It’s weird seeing Dario Coppola doting on his omega. From what I’ve heard he’s a violent, cold-blooded killer. But you’d never know it watching him with Alessio. His expression is gentle and his voice warm.

Perhaps even rattlesnakes have feelings?

I clear my throat. “Being a new parent is an exhausting endeavor.”

Alessio nods. “It’s so much harder than I imagined. Maybe if I didn’t work too, it would be less tiring. But I get the feeling babies are draining no matter what.”

“They definitely are.” I smile politely, trying to think of how I can cut this interview short without insulting them. I could lie and say I have another job offer already. I could fake a phone call and say I have a family emergency. But the way Dario is eyeing me, I’m nervous about lying. I get the feeling he’ll know. I’m sure he’s an expert at reading people.

“I don’t know how to run my business, but also be a good omega to my child. It… it’s taken me a while to admit it, but I need help.” Alessio’s cheeks are pink as if confessing that wasn’t easy for him.

Dario’s expression is tender. “We all need help sometimes. How is this any different than any other job? If I need help with something, I hire someone to make my job easier. Why shouldn’t an omega have the same right?”

I find myself nodding in agreement. “Exactly.” It’s rare to find an alpha who respects how hard it is to take care of a baby. I’d never have thought a ruffian like Dario Coppola would be so enlightened. “Raising a child is no little thing. I’d wager to say it’s every bit as important as a job outside of the home.”

“Indeed.” Dario grunts. “Alessio has that too. His plate is full. That’s why we need you, Connor.

Alessio laughs gruffly. “I don’t think I was born with the typical omega skills. I struggle more than some seem to. If maybe you could show me some things to get the baby to sleep through the night at least. There must be a way to succeed at my work and being a good omega. So far, I can’t figure out the secret. I fear I’m failing at both.”

Alessio’s insecurities about himself touch me. Dario would never have settled for an inferior omega. He couldn’t, not in his position. I have no doubt Alessio has impeccable breeding and is very intelligent. Yet, he’s buzzing with a definite lack of self-confidence probably brought on by a lack of sleep and little knowledge about babies. His self-doubt makes me want to help him. In other circumstances, he’s exactly the sort of client I’d gravitate to. He’s willing to learn. I want to lift him up and show him just what an amazing parent he can be.

However, I know that taking this job could be risky. While the Italian and Irish mobs don’t mingle much, it’s not inconceivable that Dario’s syndicate, the Black Knives, might do business with the Murphy Clan. While my family’s syndicate is looked down upon by the bigger Italian syndicates, business is business.

Would I be a fool to let my empathy for Alessio make me take this position? Probably. But as I study Alessio, taking in his pallor and the lines of strain on his handsome face, myheart twinges with compassion. My brother always called me a simpering wimp. Maybe he was right.

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