Page 4 of Omega in Hiding

“How old is Baby Joesph again?” I ask.

Alessio kisses the infant’s head. “He’s five weeks old today.”

The baby starts fussing and crying and Alessio gets a panicked look on his face. I watch as Alessio puts the baby up on his shoulder, patting it’s back. Alessio face is flushed and he hold the baby like he’s afraid he’ll break the child.

“Oh, dear.” Dario stands, as if he certainly has no idea how to deal with the cranky baby. “I’m much better with older babies. I know nothing about newborns.” He dangles a rattle in front of the infant’s face. “Do you want to play?”

While newborn babies have a reflexive grip, they don’t reach out and purposely take hold of things until they’re a few months old. Offering the baby a toy isn’t terribly helpful. If anything, the jangle of the plastic toy might even agitate the child by giving it sensory overload.

The baby starts crying louder, and Alessio grits his teeth. “You’re… f… fine,” Alessio mumbles, shifting the child to his other shoulder. “I just fed you. You should be happy for alittlewhile.” He gives me a weak smile. “Baby Joesph, you’re making me look bad.”

I stifle a smile and stand. “You say you just fed him?”

“Yes.” Alessio nods. “He always does this lately. He used to eat and go straight to sleep. Lately, he eats and then he fusses and cries for hours.” Alessio bites his lip, looking flustered. “Am I holding him wrong?”

Since he’s holding the kid like he’s a hot potato, I’m not sure what to say. I don’t want to criticize Alessio because thatmight make him even more self-conscious. I force a smile and say, “It’s possible he has a touch of colic.”

Alessio frowns. “I thought only cows got colic.”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound good.” Dario raises his brows.

I stifle a laugh and grab a little blue blanket folded on the couch and lay it out flat. “Nope. Babies get it too.” I take the crying baby from Alessio, and set the wiggling infant on the blanket. Next, I swaddle Baby Joesph tightly in the soft material. I carefully pick up the child, supporting his little head, and hold him against my body. I begin to gently pat him as I slowly twist side to side.

Within moments the child quiets. Alessio and Dario look at each other.

Alessio’s eyes fill with tears and he wails, “See, I’m the worst parent ever. I can’t even get my own baby to stop crying. He likes strangers more than me.”

Guilt nudges me. “No. Not at all.” I grimace. “I’ve taken care of hundreds of babies, Alessio. I suspect he has gas.” As I finish speaking, the baby gives a little burp. “See. He had gas trapped in his stomach, that’s all. Plus, the swaddling sometimes makes the babies feel safe.”

Wiping at his eyes, Alessio looks unconvinced.

Dario hovers over Alessio, worry radiating off of him. “You’re a great dad, Alessio. It’s just coincidence that Baby Joesph stopped crying.”

“I have a lot of experience with babies,” I say softly. “Please don’t feel bad, Alessio.”

“What if I never learn how to take care of him?” Real fear sparks in Alessio’s green eyes. “What if I’m just defective as an omega?”

“You’re not.” Dario scowls, moving to Alessio. “Stop saying things like that. You’re amazing, Alessio.”

Alessio slides into Dario, who wraps him in his big, muscular arms. Dario meets my gaze over his omega’s head. “When can you start?”

Anxiety eats at me because I should tell him I can’t take the job. But the way Dario is looking at me, I’m not sure I dare turn him down. He’s obviously worried about Alessio, and bristling with aggressive energy. I’m not sure what to do.

When I don’t immediately answer, Dario says gruffly, “We need yourhelp, Connor. Please. I’m worried about Alessio.” He kisses Alessio’s head. “This is too much for him, and I have no idea how to take care of a baby. Could you maybe start tomorrow? I’m willing to pay you more than the agency even asked for.”

I know begging for help isn’t easy for a prideful alpha like Dario. The fact he’s willing to show that vulnerability to me for the sake of his omega makes my heart ache. What omega wouldn’t want their alpha to protect them like that? While the concept of working for a family connected to the syndicate fills me with dread, my empathy for Alessio and Dario seems to override that.

Perhaps I could teach Alessio some basic techniques for handling Baby Joesph in a few weeks’ time. I could give him the support he craves, while also helping him gain confidence. Then I could make up some excuse about why I need to move on. I’d stay until they found a replacement, but not for the entire length of the contract. That would probably be safe enough.

Alessio turns his head and when our eyes meet, my heart softens yet again. My empathy is one reason I didn’t fit in with my violent family. It sometimes gets me into trouble, but it comes in handy working with new parents.

“Before I accept your offer to work for you, can I ask you a question?” I ask softly.

“Of course,” Alessio says, frowning. “You can ask us anything you’d like.”

“Okay, in that case…” I meet Dario’s dark gaze. “You’re Dario Coppola, right?”

His eyes flicker. “Yes.” He loosens his grip on Alessio and faces me. “Is that a problem?”

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