Page 37 of Omega Scorned

"Sit, you can work in here. I want to talk to you." Daryl gestured at the coffee table.

I perched on the edge of the sofa and dumped the clothes out onto the table. My entire body was tense, ready to explode into action if needed.

Daryl reached for a shirt and I jumped. He frowned.

"I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart."

Picking up Candace's lingerie, I started to fold rapidly, stacking everything according to whose it was. I would take them all up to their rooms later before I cloistered myself in my own space.

"Look, what Rory did… it was wrong. So wrong." Daryl sounded choked up about it. He reached out to put a hand on my shoulder and I jumped sky high before shifting away.

"You didn't stop him." The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them from escaping.

Daryl froze.

I finished folding three pairs of pants before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry. You're right, I didn't stop him. I think I was too horrified at what he was doing."

Pain ripped through my chest, making me double over. It wasn't physical pain, though it certainly felt like it. The pain was my heart shattering into the final broken pieces. The process that had begun with a car crash was finalized now as the lastperson I'd thought cared in this pack, even a little bit, spoke the words that I'd feared. He hadn't helped me. He had been horrified. But I'd been the one to have the horrifying thing done to me.

The doorbell rang and I started yet again.

Daryl looked at me and then at the door. "Don't move."

He got up and went to answer it, but the second he opened it, someone shoved him hard and the door slammed against the wall. Dary stumbled backwards.

"What the hell?"

"Emilia!" Jude ran into the room, with Santi and Oren close behind him. Grayson stayed in the doorway, blocking Daryl from intervening.

"What. the. fuck?" Jude skidded to a stop, his eyes locked on my face.

"Oh, no." Oren rushed across the room and dropped to his knees in front of me. "Baby, I'm sorry, we should have come sooner."

"I told you," Jude snarled. "Who did this? Which one?"

When no one responded, he spun and went back to the door to punch Daryl in the face.

"Stop it, Jude!" Santi called out. "Stick to the plan or this won't work."

"He deserves it," Jude said.

"I know, I know, but we can't. Keep cool."

Oren was rubbing my hands in his, worried eyes fixed on my face. "Are you okay? I mean, obviously, you're not, but are you hurt any worse than this?"

I shrugged. I felt numb to everything right now. Even this rescue, if that was what they were doing. No one was trying to get me out of here.

My body started to shiver violently and Santi quickly sat down next to me.

"Can I pick you up?" he asked.

When I nodded, Santi gathered me in his arms, settling me on his lap. Oren climbed up beside us, kissing my hair and running his hand up and down my arm.

"Tell Jacob he can come in," Santi said.

More people. I didn't know these ones. They walked into the house with sure steps, looking around at everything. One took notes while another took photos.