Undercover Omega: Billionaire Alphas Book 2

by Richmond, Skye R.

  “Anytime. That omega of yours never asks for help and I’ve missed this little guy,” his housekeeper said, smiling.

  Doris was right. Riley would have never asked her to watch Max if Grayson hadn’t insisted he did whenever he was tired, for the duration of the pregnancy.

  Grayson made his way up to Riley’s room, opened the door and walked in as quietly as he could, so he didn’t wake Riley up.

  His omega was asleep on Grayson’s side of the bed, curled up in a ball. He couldn’t help but smile. Even while sleeping Riley still had his hand on his baby bump like he was protecting their baby.

  Grayson leaned in and pressed a kiss to Riley’s forehead. He was about to leave when he saw the baby memory book they had been putting together. He was kind of sad that they didn’t have something similar for Max.

  He went to take it out of Riley’s grasp, careful not to rouse him. He frowned when he realized there were two, and then smiled when he realized he was probably holding Riley’s own memory book from when he was a baby.

  It was probably where Riley had gotten the idea.

  Grayson picked both up, and moved to the small sitting area with wing chairs. He figured he could peek at what Riley had added today, and maybe see what Riley looked like as a baby.

  Grayson opened the one that said Memory Book of Baby Boy Sinclair.

  The first picture was an ultrasound and Grayson smiled, since that was also one of the first pictures in the baby book they had started. He could see where Riley had gotten the idea.

  Although, Riley had insisted on a picture of Grayson, Max, and Riley going first.

  Grayson flipped the page and found another ultrasound picture, but beside that one there was a picture of Riley’s carrier–––at least he figured it was Riley’s carrier, the resemblance was uncanny–––with his shirt off, and a small baby bump could be seen. The writing below it said three month check-up.

  Grayson kept flipping the page and it was much the same all the way through, an ultrasound picture and the younger Riley lookalike.

  Grayson finally got to the last page, and there, was a picture of the Riley lookalike in a hospital bed. Holding a new-born in his arms, looking very much like they were crying as the picture was taken.

  Grayson didn’t think anything of it. He’d felt tears roll down his eyes, the first time he met Max, and held him in his arms. It wasn’t until he looked at the date written below the picture that Grayson frowned.

  What was this? Unless Riley-carrier looked exactly like Riley currently, then Grayson wasn’t sure what he was seeing.

  Because Riley-carrier would have to look like a teenager still, if the photos were taken four years ago.

  Grayson was still studying the photos when he heard sounds coming from the bed that signified Riley was waking up, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the book in front of him. Something was niggling and he couldn’t figure out what.

  He flipped to the next page to find a hospital tag that had Riley Sinclair printed on it. Folded beside it was a document.

  Grayson picked the document up and opened it up. It was a termination of parental rights document. With Riley’s name on it.

  “What on earth?” Grayson said, but this time he didn’t use his inside voice, because his brain was putting things together, and he wasn’t sure he could believe what they added up to.

  “You’re home,” Grayson heard Riley’s sleepy voice say.

  Grayson looked over to Riley and saw the omega’s gaze on him, a small smile on his face, but for the first time, Grayson ignored it. He looked at Riley then his gaze fell back to the book in one hand and then to the document in the other.

  “Grayson?” He heard Riley call.

  Grayson looked up at Riley then lifted his hands, so Riley could see what was in his hands.

  Riley's face became a shade of white Grayson had never seen on a human, his eyes widening with panic, his voice came out as a croak as he stammered out, “Where… how… what are you doing with those… that?”

  Grayson ignored the question, “Did you have a baby? I mean, before the one you’re having now?”

  Of course, it was before the one Riley was having. Grayson’s brain was working overtime. It felt like there was something right in front of him, but it hadn’t clicked, although now his brain had figured it out.

  Grayson looked at the picture in the hospital, and the date, and the termination of parental rights.

  Then it clicked, the date, the termination of rights. Grayson lifted his head up slowly, processing what he had just realized. How could he have missed it? The way Max was drawn to Riley immediately. Why Riley would leave a nursing career for a job as a nanny. Why Grayson had felt there was something familiar about Riley.

  But he had never imagined…

  “So, that’s who you are? Max’s biological carrier?” Grayson whispered, “That’s who you are.”

  Grayson now saw all the pieces fall into place, but he didn’t like the picture they made.

  32

  Grayson

  How had he never seen it till now? How was it possible that he had never noticed how much Riley and Max looked alike. It wasn’t anything overt, nope. Sure they were both blond, even though Riley’s was more white-blond to Max’s honey.

  It was around the eyes, the jaw, the bone structure. Grayson would wager that Max grew up to be a version of Riley. Depending on how he presented.

  Grayson repeated his question, his voice coming out hard, “That is who you are, correct? His biological carrier?”

  If he wasn’t so mad for being lied to and being taken for a fool, Grayson would have been concerned about how pale Riley was.

  Fuck, he was still concerned, but he needed answers.

  “Answer me Riley,” Grayson snapped, “I know you know how to use words, since you’ve been using them to lie to me from the beginning.”

  “I…” Riley started, but trailed off.

  “Say something,” Grayson roared, but it gave him no satisfaction seeing Riley flinch. He had never wanted to get that reaction from his omega, never wanted Riley scared of him, but Grayson’s emotions were all over the place.

  He was so mad he couldn’t see straight.

  “Yes,” Riley whispered.

  And somehow the whisper and the fear on Riley’s face angered him more, but not for the reasons he would have thought.

  Grayson wasn’t supposed to feel bad, for being angry. He had every right to be angry.

  “Yes, what?” Grayson snapped, “Yes, you’re a liar? Yes, you came into my home under false pretenses? Yes, I don’t know who you are?”

  Grayson’s volume increased steadily with each question, and it brought him no joy seeing Riley flinch, as he fired them at him.

  However, Grayson was bleeding and it was wrong of him, but he needed Riley to bleed too.

  Who was this man? Did he even know him? Was everything between them a lie?

  “Was it all a lie?” Grayson asked. He was trying to sound angry but somehow, to his shame, it came out as a plea. What a failure as an alpha he was.

  “No, I swear,” Riley replied. His voice a plea, “You have to believe me. Please, give me chance to explain.”

  “You mean a chance for you to tell more lies, or are you going to tell the truth for a change?”

  Riley moistened his lips, and raised his head, finally meeting Grayson’s eyes, “I never lied to you. Not once,” Riley whispered.

  “But you never told me,” Grayson spat, “Forget the fact that you never told me Max was your child. You never even mentioned you’d had one.”

  “You never asked,” Riley murmured.

  “Dammit, I never thought I had to,” Grayson objected, “But I would have listened. I loved you, Riley, I would have listened to anything you had told me.”

  He paced back and forth, his body too wired to stay still.

  From the corner of his eye, Grayson saw Riley flinching like he’d been struck, and looked away.

  �
��Loved,” Riley whispered, “You mean…” Riley didn’t finish the sentence, but it was obvious what he was about to ask.

  Grayson wished it was that easy. He wished that the betrayal meant all his feelings disappeared.

  “I told you there was an alpha before,” Riley whispered, “I told you that he hurt me. I told you there was more.”

  “But you didn’t tell me this. I never imagined this. Never this.”

  “Guess my parents were right. An alpha couldn’t want an omega with another alpha’s child,” Riley said, his voice filled with bitterness.

  “Don’t,” Grayson said, in a warning tone, “Don’t even use that. This has nothing to do with that, and everything to do with the fact I can’t trust you. How can I trust someone I’m not sure I even know?”

  “You know me,” Riley sighed, “you know every important thing about me.”

  “Do I?” Grayson said, defeated, “Do I really?” He walked towards the door, needing space, air, something…

  “You promised,” Riley said, and Grayson froze. “You promised you’d give me a chance to explain. You swore you wouldn’t hate me.”

  Grayson heard the pain in Riley’s words, and the tears he didn’t need to see as the omega spoke.

  He didn’t hate Riley, not even close. He didn’t think he ever could. But he didn’t know… Grayson felt like for the first time in his life he didn’t know anything. He just needed a moment to breathe, without feeling like he was trapped underwater, his lungs filling.

  33

  Riley

  He would come home. Gray would come home, Riley kept telling himself, those words over and over again. He had to, he just had to, Riley thought as he paced the floor of their room, back and forth.

  He had to give Riley a chance to explain. He had to let Riley tell him just how much he loved him, and how when he had come to find Max, he hadn’t expected Grayson, hadn’t expected someone that made him feel like he mattered, like Riley was seen and heard and appreciated.

  Why hadn’t he just told Grayson about who he was to Max from the start? Now it might be too late.

  Riley placed his hands on his not-quite-showing baby bump. It couldn’t be too late. Riley refused to believe that everything between them would just end. He loved the alpha. He loved Max and their unborn child. He hadn’t fought his parents when they’d told him giving up his baby would be the best thing for his life. That no alpha would want him with another alpha’s child in tow.

  He guessed they were right, giving up Max had led him to Grayson and he would fight to let the alpha see that his omission, you mean flat-out lie, Riley, had nothing to do with the way Riley felt about him. He had to get Grayson to see that he hadn’t come into his home with the intention of tricking him. Riley had genuinely believed he could spend the next fifteen or so years, in the background, only there for Max.

  How was he to have known that he would meet his future? He could have never dreamed up Grayson. Riley never thought he deserved love after Max’s donor had disappeared.

  He certainly never thought any alpha, let alone one like Grayson would want him. And now it was up to Riley to prove to his alpha––and that was what Grayson was, his––– that it wasn’t just Max who had his heart.

  Riley did something he hadn’t done since he handed Max over to the nurses, and even before then.

  “What’s up, honey? Didn’t expect a call… how’s that hot marshmallow of an alpha?” Luca asked instead of a hello.

  His friend managed to get a smile from him, for the first time since Michael walked out.

  Riley sighed heavily.

  “That’s not a happy sigh, and I don’t hear gushing about how perfect your men are. The big man and the little guy.”

  “I fucked up Luca… majorly,” Riley sobbed.

  “Oh sweetie, tell Luca what happened. My life may be a clusterfuck of messiness but I’m here for you.”

  “We can talk about you,” Riley said, but he kind of didn’t mean it. At least not right now.

  Luca snort-laughed, “Oh babe, I know you want to mean that, but you so don’t. Don’t worry, we’ll get to me soon.”

  Riley’s laughing turned to tears, and he blurted out the whole story. From getting pregnant, to his parents hiding him away, to the adoption, and then his search for Max to now.

  “Wow,” Luca said, “and I thought I was good at keeping secrets. I have nothing on you, honey.”

  Riley sighed, “It wasn’t really a secret, I just never had anyone close enough to confide in, I guess.”

  “You’ve got me now.” Luca said simply.

  “I know I’m a mess, but you know I’ve got you too. Any day. Any time. When you decide to stop hiding.”

  Luca sighed, “I know, I just... I never thought I would find myself here. But we’ll have time for me another day... and sweetie, your alpha, if he’s yours—and I think he is—he’ll come back. You just gotta show him he’s more to you than just a ticket to your child. That he’s more to you than just Max’s father.”

  “He is,” Riley whispered.

  “I know honey… but does he?” Luca said, although it wasn’t really a question.

  “You’re so smart,” Riley found it in him to tease.

  “Stick with me, kid,” Luca quipped.

  “Thank you, Luc,” Riley whispered.

  “Call me after you’ve ridden that knot a couple of times, after you’ve made up with the hunky alpha.”

  “You’ve not even met him,” Riley said.

  “I have internet, duh,” Luc replied.

  “Stop ogling my alpha and get off my phone,” Riley smiled, then hung up.

  He checked his phone to see if he had a message, or a missed call from Grayson, but there was nothing.

  Riley had reached stalker level with the number of missed calls he had left for Grayson, begging for his alpha to call him and give him a chance to explain.

  Gods, please give me a chance to explain…

  Riley fingered Max’s baby book. He would never regret getting this time with Max. He would never regret meeting Grayson. He would never, ever, regret his new baby. He hoped like hell he wasn’t left with just his memories when all this was over.

  Riley said a prayer that he never had to look back at the past few months as the good times. He hoped there were more good times coming, and he hoped they all featured Grayson, Max and their new little one.

  I’ll do my best to keep our family together, little guy, but if you have any help from, you know, wherever you were before, put in a good word for daddy and papa.

  34

  Grayson

  Grayson felt the fool. He should have known when Riley hadn’t questioned what he meant about him not being able to call Dakota Max’s other dad.

  He should have even caught it when Riley had changed his phrasing from ‘carrier’, to ‘other dad’, but Grayson had been too caught up in his feelings to see that yet another omega had come into his house under false pretenses. How could he have been so blind? All the signs were there.

  Grayson thought back to that look on Riley’s face when he’d mentioned Max being adopted. It hadn’t made sense at the time, but it did now. It was guilt, pure and simple.

  Max, his son, was a naturally shy kid, until he became more comfortable around newcomers, he would hide behind Grayson, but he had practically flown into Riley’s arms. Like he had known him all his life, and Grayson guessed he had. There were stories about carriers and offspring connections, but since his parents had never even shown that they cared about Grayson, even his papa. He had never put much stock into it. He should have.

  Of course, Riley loved Max as his own, he was his own, Grayson thought. He remembered thinking he never would have considered the possibility of a relationship with Riley, if he hadn’t been sure he would accept and love Max with his whole heart.

  He needn’t have worried.

  “So what did you do, kick him out?” Nickolas asked.

  “How can I kick him out? H
e’s the father of my children. What is it about me that screams I can be taken for a fool? This is the second time, the second omega.” Grayson said angrily, “Can you believe he asked me if I knew anything about Max’s birth parents? Probably wanted to cover his tracks.”

  “Please, I met Riley for five minutes and I know he doesn’t have a conniving bone in his body,” Nickolas asserted.

  “Could have fooled me. He’s just another Dakota, using me for his own ends,” Grayson scoffed.

  “Oh come off it. Water and wine, my friend. Water and Wine. Those two are not the same in any way whatsoever. Maybe because you’re in the middle of it, so you can’t see it, but Dakota used you because he was selfish and manipulative. He honestly only cared about himself. Riley, well, Riley did everything to be with his child. Can you really fault him for that?” Nickolas said reasonably, which annoyed Grayson no end. He was in no mood to be reasonable.

  “He lied to me, and he would have carried on lying if I hadn’t found that baby book,” Grayson said, his voice rising.

  “What kind of person keeps a baby book for a child they know they are giving up…? Think about that,” Nickolas defended.

  “Can you stop with the reasonable points, I don’t feel reasonable,” Grayson growled, frustrated.

  “If you had wanted someone to get you riled up, you would have called one of the other guys. You know the ones who aren’t mated, especially Linc. He would have been happy to espouse the pros of single life, but you came to me, and I know you Gray,” Nickolas said.

  Grayson knew Nic was right. He came to Nic because his other friends wouldn’t get it. They wouldn’t get how a part of him loved Riley a little more, because he was just beginning to realize how big a heart Riley had, but he also felt like someone had plunged a sharp object into his heart.

  Riley had betrayed him. For some reason, Grayson had never thought of that being a possibility, and just maybe it was his fault for having the omega on some kind of pedestal.