Page 92 of Omega in Hiding

Paolo’s expression tenses. “I’m glad you escaped.”

“Me too.” I meet his eyes. “I worry sometimes they’ll come and try to hurt us. They don’t want us happy.”

Paolo swallows hard. “You don’t have to worry about that, Connor.”

“Well, I know my Da. When he hates someone, he never gives up trying for his revenge.” Fear shivers through me.

Paolo drops his gaze, a line between his dark brows. “I promise you, Connor, he can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Yeah, but who can ever really be sure of that sort of thing?” I laugh gruffly.

He meets my gaze and something dark and haunted shifts through his eyes. “You can be sure.”

Uneasiness nudges me. “Paolo, do you know something I don’t?”

The muscles of his throat move as if he’s trying to stop himself from saying something. But then he smiles and leans down to kiss me. “No, of course not, love. I only mean that I’ll protect you no matter what, okay? You have the entire Syracuse Mafia watching over you.”

His smile is warm, but there’s something lingering in his eyes. I touch his cheek. “You know you can tell me anything, right? We’re not supposed to have any secrets from each other anymore. No more hiding, remember?”

He nods. “Of course. No more hiding.”

Paolo looks more like Valentino than I’ve ever seen in that moment. Despite his words, I know he is indeed hiding something. But I also know that he’d never hurt me and his only goal is to make me happy. I trust him. I trust that if he has a secret, he keeps it for a reason.

I smile up at him and he looks relieved when I don’t continue asking questions. “What shall we name our baby?” I ask quietly. “Any ideas?”

Paolo smirks. “Something Irish I think.”

I laugh. “Really?”

“Sure. Our baby is a blend of both Irish and Italian. He’ll have an Italian surname, so he should have an Irish first name. Maybe Liam or Ronan. You choose. Just make it nice and Irish.”

“How very considerate of you, dear husband.” I narrow my eyes. “Any other reason for your suggestion? Maybe a less noble one?”

He looks like he’s trying not to laugh. “I can’t imagine what you mean.”

I laugh. “Yes, you can.”

He twists his lips and then grins. “Well, I do think it will be fun as hell to see Valentino’s reaction when we tell him our son’s Irish name.” He snorts a laugh. “I can hardly wait.”

I sigh and reach for his hand. He grabs mine immediately, bringing my hand to his lips. “You Syracuse men,” I mutter. “You’re always looking for a fight.”

“Yep.” He nods. “But we’re also very good and loyal alphas. You should be very thankful you met me and fell madly in love with me.”

I look down at our son and then up at Paolo. I grin and say cockily, “That’s the luck of the Irish for you.”

Epilogue

(One Month after the Birth of the Baby)

Paolo

My home office is filled with the warmth and chaos of new parenthood. There are blankets, toys, and a crib set up in the second study, which has been converted into my own private office. Connor and I toyed with the idea of moving into our own home, but it’s safer here in the family Syracuse mansion, and we have built in babysitters.

I’ve been excelling at running the ports with Alessio. We’ve done so well as a team, Valentino has decided we should keep it that way. With Alessio and I both handling things, there’s time to still enjoy our family life.

It’s evening and I’m done for the day. Outside, I see Connor pushing our son Ronan toward the play area Valentino had built. There are so many new babies being born, he figured it was a good investment. Sentimentality isn’t Valentino’s strong suit.

Watching Connor, I’m reminded of when I lived at Dario’s home. That’s when I met Connor. I remember being captivated by him on sight. I smile and leave my study, eager to join my omega and our son outside.

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