Page 27 of Omega in Hiding

No doubt he’s already planning revenge against the O’Sullivan Clan. I’m uneasy that it was an Irish syndicate that made that move against Paolo. The O’Sullivan Clan and the Murphy Clan often work together. I have to wonder if my family was also involved in the attack. If so, why? Why would the Irish be coming against the Italians?

I leave Dario without another word. When I get upstairs, Alessio is in the nursery with Baby Joesph. They look so peaceful together, I decide not to interrupt them. Alessio was shaken, that much is obvious. He needs to be alone with his baby right now. I don’t think he’ll need me for a while. Odds are he won’t let Baby Joesph out of his sight for the rest of the night.

I’m not sure where Paolo went after we got back. He’s not with Alessio anymore. I search the house and peer out the windows at the grounds below, but I don’t see any sign of him.Did he go to his room to lick his wounds? Probably. He was obviously embarrassed at needing to be saved. I really wish alphas weren’t so prideful. It causes problems where there don’t need to be any.

If our positions had been reversed, I wouldn’t have resented Paolo for saving my life. The point is to not die, right? But it’s obvious he was bothered by the fact that I reacted quicker than him. What he doesn’t understand is, growing up, my life was much more violent than his. He was insulated from much of the day to day violence. Valentino took the brunt of that.

I was a part of the violence growing up because Da always worried I was too soft. He didn’t shield me or let me avoid the bad stuff. He forced me to be a part of that side of the Mafia life, whether I wanted it or not. It was never in my nature to be violent, but I did what I had to do to survive. I think Paolo was far more sheltered. I don’t get the feeling he’s a naturally violent person either, which is a plus in my eyes.

Probably not Dario’s or Valentino’s though.

I decide the only way I’m going to be able to talk to Paolo is if I go to his room. I make my way through the large home until I reach the bedroom I know belongs to Paolo. I softly knock on the door, my pulse racing. I don’t know how he’ll react to me, or if he’ll even bother to open the door. But I’m compelled to try and talk to him.

He doesn’t answer the door immediately and I’m forced to knock again. I’m about to give up when the door opens. Paolo stands there in a brown silk robe. His hair is damp and he looks clean shaven. My pulse speeds up even more at the sight of him. I really am so damn attracted to him, it’s a problem.

When he sees it’s me, surprise flutters over his angular features. But then his face goes blank. “What?” he asks, not at all friendly like earlier in the day.

My face warms at his cool reaction to me. “Can I talk to you?”

“Why?” His eyes narrow. “You didn’t have a word to say to me earlier. Why talk now? Because you feel sorry for me?”

“No.”

“Sure.” He shakes his head.

I sigh and glance around. “Can I come inside? I don’t feel comfortable talking about anything out here in the hallway.”

“What is there to talk about, Connor? You made it clear you don’t want anything to do with me earlier today. I got your message loud and clear.”

“Look, that wasn’t my idea.” I wince and once more glance around. The last thing I need is for Dario to come upstairs and overhear me throwing him under the bus.

“What does that mean?” He frowns.

I say under my breath, “Please, let me come in to talk to you in private. I won’t stay long.”

He hesitates, but then he relents. “Fine. But just for a little bit. I have to get back to those boring books, or Dario will report back to Valentino that I’m a failure on all fronts.”

“Jesus, Paolo, you’re so hard on yourself.”

He doesn’t speak he just gestures for me to enter his room.

I brush past him, shivering at the clean scent of his aftershave. Maybe it would have been smarter to just let him be angry with me, instead of coming to his room. It certainly wouldhave been safer, considering how attracted to him I am. But I can’t stand the fact he’s so upset with me. His displeasure is eating away at me.

He closes the door to his room and faces me, arms crossed. “What do you mean being standoffish with me wasn’t your idea?”

I push my hands into my jean pockets, uneasy about being truthful. But it’s not really fair of Dario to ask me to shut Paolo out. Why is it any of his concern if Paolo and I form a friendship? I never planned on it being anything more than that. “I worry about being too honest with you. I don’t want to cause any issues between you and anyone else.”

He huffs. “You mean Dario, right? You’re afraid of Dario.”

I frown. “I’m not afraid of him, but I don’t want to get fired.”

“Why would you get fired simply for talking to me?” He moves closer.

I grimace and admit, “Dario doesn’t want us to get too close.”

“What? Why would he care how… close we are?”

I lift one shoulder. “He’s looking out for you. He doesn’t want anything to distract you from why you’re here. You have a lot to learn.”

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