Claiming their Omega (Suzi de Beer) novel Chapter 12

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She stirred and turned her face away from my touch. A soft sigh fell from her lips, but a moment later she tensed and sat up.

Wide green eyes blinked at me. Colour flooded her cheek but it drained just as fast as it appeared, leaving her sickly pale again.

“You said that we were going home,” she said softly.

“We’re being followed,” I told her softly. “Don’t start panicking again.”

I reached up to cup her cheeks so she would keep her focus on me. “I need you to listen to me. Stevens is driving up to an old apartment building. We’re going to pretend that we live there. Once Stevens parks the car in front of it, we’re going to get out and enter the building.”

She swallowed.

“Elias will be waiting for us.”

“What if he’s not?” she breathed.

I leaned closer until a few inches separated our faces. “Then he’s running a few seconds late due to traffic. He’ll be there, Daisy–girl.”

Reaching up, she gripped my wrists and closed her eyes. My eyes narrowed as I watched her suck in deep breaths.

“Are you going to have another attack?” I asked her.

She shook her head.

“What triggered it?” I questioned. “Was it the crowd?”

“The cameras,” she whispered. “The flashes. It just…I’m scared it will happen again.”

“Look at me,” I ordered. “Daisy–girl, look at me.”

She shook her head slightly but opened her eyes. They were filling with tears again. My chest constricted. Please don’t fucking start crying.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” I told her.

“Promise?”

“I can’t.” It pained me to say those words but I wasn’t going to make any promises I knew I couldn’t keep. “Life is unpredictable and there’s nothing we can do about that, but for as long as you live under my roof, I will try my damn hardest to make sure that your past is not repeated.”

Daisy stared at me, eyes darting over my face. “Okay,” she said softly.

“Good.”

My eyes dropped to follow my hand as it slipped down to the side of her slender neck. I could see her pulse beating erratically beneath her skin. I pressed my thumb there, closing my eyes.

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Was it the fear making her pulse race, or was it my touch or the fact that she’s sitting on my lap?

“You said you won’t fall into my bed.”

My eyes snapped open.

“I did.”

“You’re scent is changing.‘

I sucked in a breath. “So is yours.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

Her lips parted but she said nothing. With a little shake of her head, her hands loosened around my wrist and then fell away. She sat silently, waiting for me to do something.

But a glance out the window made me push her off my lap. I sat up a little straighter and cleared my throat.

“We’re here,” I told her.

The car slowed and then pulled up to a spot directly in front of the door.

“Wait a few seconds and then leave. Circle back and take care of the asshole,” I ordered Stevens.

I got out of the car and walked around to the other side to open the door for Daisy. My eyes darted around until I spotted the guy who’s been following us.

“Daisy,” I growled impatiently when she didn’t get out of the car. “Get out.”

“I–I can’t.”

I looked at her. I had seen the same look on Elias’s face when he was released from the hospital and when he woke up after having a nightmare.

Crouching, I gripped her hand and squeezed.

“I’ll carry you,” I offered. “You can close your eyes and pretend that we’re somewhere else.”

I expected her to refuse but she nodded and turned towards me. Straightening, I leaned into the car and wrapped and arm around her waist. My other hand gripped her thigh to guide it around my hip as I pulled her against my body and straightened.

Daisy instantly pressed her face to the crook of my neck and held on tightly.

“I don’t like coffee,” she muttered. “But I like the way you smell.”

I lowered my head and sniffed her. “You don’t smell so bad yourself, Daisy–girl. Sweet and spicy, just the way I like my women.”

My lips curled up into a smile when a soft gasp fell from her lips.

Jerking the door open, I stepped inside and headed straight for the stairs. I made sure to walk past a few

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windows so the asshole could see us before I headed to an emergency exit at the back of the building.

Opening the door slightly, I peeked outside.

“Is he there?”

My eyes darted around until it locked on the familiar truck. “Yes, he’s here. Think you can walk the rest of the way?”

She raised her head and frowned at me. “Am I too heavy?”

“What? No. I just thought you wanted to walk.”

“I don’t. Not really.” Her lips twitched. “I figured that since you’re not going to hold me like this again, I could enjoy it.”

I stepped out of the building and softly closed the door behind us. I hoisted her higher before I slipped my other arm under her ass.

“Are you propositioning me Daisy?” I asked her softly.

“What if I am?” She pressed her nose to my neck and sucked in a breath.

I almost missed a step. “Stop that,” I growled. “You’re going to make me trip.”

Daisy pressed her forehead to my shoulder and remained silent.

But her words continued to replay in my mind. I didn’t even like her, so why the hell was I thinking about it? The women I slept with were nothing like her, and since it has been established that I couldn’t use her to blackmail John, it was best to keep my distance.

It’s going to be a few weeks before John will manage to get even half of the money he owes me. I could at least have some fun while I wait. But that would lead to complications.

“I don’t date,” I told Daisy. “Relationships are not my thing. I already know that you can’t control your

emotions, so I think it’s best that we don’t go any further than this…whatever this is.”

Daisy said nothing which was for the best because we had reached the truck. I stopped next to it and knocked on the window. The door was pushed open a second later.

I lowered Daisy to her feet and then leaned down to look inside the truck.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Elias winced. “Migraine.”

“Jesus Elias. And you fucking got behind the wheel?”

I stormed around the truck and jerked the door open. Gripping his arm, I helped him out of the truck.

The dark sunglasses he wore hid his eyes but not his sickly pale skin and pursed lips.

“Is he okay?” Daisy asked, concern coating her voice.

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I ignored her and gave Elias a gentle push towards the other side of the truck. “Get in. I’ll drive us home.”

Without waiting for them, I got into the truck and twisted the key in the ignition.

“Come on before you decide to puke all over Daisy.”