Page 21 of Omega’s Oath

Chapter 8

Omega was just walking in from his confrontation with Harlan when his phone rang. He was surprised to see Mickie’s name on the screen and felt his heart accelerate with worry that something might have happened to Rose or the baby. “Hey, is everything okay? Is Rose alright?”

“Yes, Rose and the baby are fine, but her family just turned up and after meeting them and seeing Rose’s reaction, I thought it might be a good idea if you came home.”

Omega didn’t stop to ask why or question Mickie if Rose needed him; he was going home. “I’m on my way. Don’t leave her alone.”

“We won’t. See you soon.”

Omega hung up and took the stairs to the office two at a time. He told Condor he had to leave the office for a few hours tops but had his phone if they needed him. His friend didn’t ask questions, just waved him away. Omega very rarely took time off or asked for leave, so the fact that he was, his boss knew it was important.

As he drove, he contemplated the way it seemed so natural to think of Rose’s house as his home and wondered if maybe one day it would be. So far all he’d done was fuck things up between them and allow his past to dictate his future and he was done allowing that. Just the thought of anything happening to Rose or the baby filled him with terror and caused an ache in his chest that wouldn’t go away.

Omega pulled up behind a luxury maroon Cadillac sedan and hopped out of his truck. Rose didn’t talk much about her family except to say they weren’t close, and he was intrigued by their sudden appearance today. Using his key, he opened the front door and walked in, stopping short when he saw Rose on her feet and seemingly running around cooking for the four people that were now staring at him.

“What the hell is going on?”

Rose turned to him as she handed a plate of food to who he assumed was her mother. He saw the flicker of surprise on her face but, more notably, the relief at seeing him seemed to bring her and was glad Mickie had called him.

“Aide, what are you doing home so early?”

He didn’t answer but walked to her and took the plate from her hand and placed it on the table before steering her into the kitchen so they could talk in private. The fact she didn’t stop him was a testament to how rattled she was.

Sliding his arm around her back, he pulled her close to his body until her belly rested against his abdomen. When she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he gently lifted her chin with his finger. “Rose, why are you running around after everyone when you’re meant to be on bed rest?”

She snorted but not in humor. “I don’t know. I don’t know what it is about my family that makes me revert to a child that puts up with the shit they dish out. All my life I’ve been the odd one out, the one to never conform and to always disappoint.”

He clenched his fist by his side in anger that anyone had made her feel less than the amazing woman she was. “Listen to me, Rose. If they think you’re anything short of wonderful, then that’s on them but let me tell you something, nobody is going to walk all over you while I’m around.”

He saw her eyes glisten with tears and wanted to go out and rip into the people that had made her cry. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug and held her, his lips against her hair as she got herself together. “Do you want me to get rid of them?”

She lifted her head and sniffed. “Let them finish eating first and they can go but will you stay?”

The vulnerability on her face made his heart ache to fix every second of pain for her and to stand in the way of anyone who’d hurt her. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “I’m not going anywhere.” He leaned in and kissed her softly, tasting the salt of her tears. Her lips were soft under his and she opened for him, her tongue flicking at his bottom lip and he groaned with desire. All it took was one touch from this woman and he wanted her. Never before in his life had a simple kiss affected him like this did.

Omega pulled away, knowing it would be all too easy to get carried away and when he did, he didn’t want an audience or for her to feel vulnerable in any way. He braced his forehead against hers. “You okay now?”

Rose nodded but held tight to his shoulders with her hands. He lifted his hand and took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze before pulling her toward the door to the living room.

He felt the eyes of her family on him and while he’d taken an instant dislike for the way they were treating Rose and making her feel, he didn’t want to completely alienate them. Yet, he did want them to know he and Rose were a team, and it was them against everyone if it came to it.

Moving to the opposite sofa where Hayden and Mickie were seated, he led Rose into the seat at the end so she’d had the support of the arm against her body and sat next to her. Leaning forward, he thrust out his hand toward her mother. “I’m Aide Jackson. It’s nice to meet you.”

Her mother took his hand and shook it, giving him a calculated look before her father did the same, but he seemed less interested in him than the food.

“This here is my other daughter, Cheryl and my mother, Doris.”

Omega nodded at both of them but made no attempt to shake their hands. Instead, he linked his fingers with Rose’s and watched her mother’s eyes fall to their hands.

“You this kid’s father?”

“Mom!”

Omega could feel the tension in Rose as she spoke and gave her hand a light squeeze, telling her now that it was okay. “I’m pretty sure if Rose wanted you to know who the father of her child was, she’d tell you.”

Her mother made a sound of disgust. “Well, considering we didn’t even know she was having a baby, that seems unlikely, doesn’t it?”

He held her stare without flinching and tried to keep his obvious contempt of the woman in front of him to himself. Glancing to the left, he saw her sister Cheryl watching them with a look of pure hatred on her face before she caught him. Her expression cleared, giving way to a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes. He wondered if Rose and Cheryl got on and for the first time, he could understand why Rose preferred to confide in Harlan rather than her family. He focused back on her mother who seemed to be the matriarch, and noted the cunning in her eyes.