Page 85 of Omega in Hiding

I get in the back and I lay down. I cover my face, still shaken by the violence of the night. “I’m not cut out for this shit,” I rasp.

Valentino starts the car. “No, maybe you’re not.”

“But you did well, Paolo.” Dario looks at me over his shoulder. “I mean, you took out the bad guy. Yeah, you puked your guts out after, but that happens sometimes.”

“I don’t want to do this stuff. I did it for Connor, but I don’t want to ever do that again.” I sit up, and I gulp down some water. “I’ll run the ports or launder money, but I’m not doing that shit ever again.”

“Okay, okay. That’s fine. I never expected you to do the dirty work, Paolo. Dario and I were going to handle that tonight. You took the initiative because your life was in danger. That was a smart move.” Valentino watches me in the rear-view mirror. “But you need to pull it together. Connor can’t know where you were tonight, capeesh?”

“I know.” I look out the window at the dark night. “I just need a minute to get a grip. I’ll be fine by the time we get home.”

“Hope so.” Dario fiddles with the air vent. “Because Connor can never know about this. You might think that he won’t care because they wanted him dead, but they were still his family. He can never know you did what you did, Paolo. I mean it.”

“I know,” I say gruffly. “I’m not an idiot, Dario.”

“We don’t think you’re an idiot, Paolo.” Valentino’s voice is patient. “But we know you’re soft hearted and you might be tempted to come clean to Connor. Our suggestion is don’t do it.”

“I won’t say anything.” I close my eyes again.

Tonight wasn’t what I’d expected, but I’m glad it’s done. Seamus and Patrick were never going to stop coming forConnor. That was unacceptable. We did what we had to do to protect Connor and our unborn baby. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a small part of me that isn’t ashamed of what I did. I had no choice, but I still feel sick at the violence I took part in.

But despite all the shameful feelings, I’d do it a hundred times over if it meant keeping Connor safe.

Chapter Nineteen

(Six Months Pregnant)

Connor

I scowl at my reflection in the mirror. I’ve been trying for twenty minutes to pull on a pair of the dreaded maternity jeans Paolo bought me, but they seem to have shrunk since the last time I wore them.

“I thought these were supposed to be stretchy?” I grumble. “They don’t stretch at all.”

Paolo sits on the bed, rifling through some tops I might wear to lunch. He knows I’m in a grumpy mood, so he promised to take me to lunch to cheer me up. Food always seems to cheer me up.

I try again to get the jeans up over my hips, but they’re not cooperating. “This is ridiculous. Are these a hundred percent cotton or something?”

Paolo stands and comes to me. “Can I help?”

“Do you have a crowbar?” I mutter.

Paolo reaches around and gently tugs on the waistband, trying to help me get into the jeans. But even he can’t get them to budge. “Let’s try another pair, okay?” Paolo goes to the bed and grabs another pair of maternity jeans.

I eye the jeans he’s holding. “They look even smaller than these.”

“Just try them,” he says patiently.

“Okay.” I try to peel off the jeans that are halfway on me, but now I can’t get them off. “Shit, I think I’m stuck.”

He laughs. “Stuck in your pants? Is that even a thing?”

I scowl and try to push them down, but they aren’t budging. I try to take little steps to the bed, but my feet get tangled and I start to fall. Paolo bugs his eyes and grabs me before I hit the ground.

“Geeze, Connor. Be more careful.” He rasps, steering me toward the bed. He makes me sit and then he tugs on the legs of the jeans. “You have to remember that your center of gravity is off right now because of your belly.”

“Thanks for reminding me I look like a whale.” I narrow my eyes.

He grimaces. “You know I don’t think you look like a whale. You’re just grumpy because you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

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