Page 16 of King of Omen

Studying him for a beat, I noted how his slicked-back dark hair ruffled in the breeze and the faint scar on his jawline, suggesting a turbulent past.

‘I noticed you’ve helped out a lot today. Who was she to you?’ he murmured.

I sighed. ‘My de facto aunt, a sponsor and mentor in other ways. My mother cleaned her house for her and then became her housekeeper. When my mother passed, Bianca took me under her wing. I’ve been taking care of her affairs since she left us.’

Lorenzo’s head tilted. ‘M. Kassa, from the emails? That you?’

I nodded.

He whistled under his breath. ‘Fuck. I assumed -.’

‘You’re an ass,’ I stated with cold annoyance.

He reared back in surprise. I guessed no one had ever spoken to him like this.

His navy azure gaze locked on me, unsure how to react, until he huffed. ‘You’re a spitfire, Miss -?’ he trailed off, prompting me to fill in the blank.

‘Call me Mia,’ I offered.

‘Mia,’ he drawled, extending the vowels, savouring them.

That deep aqua regard stayed on me for another long moment before I saw his face soften. ‘I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for my careless assumptions. It seems you are family, after all.’

Our gazes clashed until I looked away.

‘My brothers and I owe you a debt of gratitude,’ he rumbled on. ‘We had no way of accomplishing all you’ve done here without your help. We tried booking flights but didn’t reach here in time, so your help has been priceless. Grazie.’

I conceded, swinging my eyes back to meet his. ‘I understand; you explained it all in our comms. It wasn’t a hardship. I’d been looking after her for weeks prior. I liaised with the doctors, nurses, funeral home and the priest. Everyone loved her, which made it all so much easier.’

I tagged the shock in his face as he realised the massive job it’d been taking care of his aunt in her last days.

‘I don’t know what to say, but grazie mille, thank you,’ he uttered.

‘You don’t have to thank me any more,’ I breathed. ‘I did what needed to be done. She was family to me in every sense of the word.’

Lorenzo’s eyes mellowed, a flicker of understanding passing between us.

His guarded demeanour faltered in that moment, revealing a vulnerability that mirrored my own. ‘Family isn’t always blood,’ he murmured, his voice just above a whisper.

Nodding, I swallowed the lump in my throat at the truth of his words. Bianca had been more than just a relative; she had been my anchor in a sea of anguish and torment.

Lorenzo’s eyes glimmered with empathy. ‘She was married to my father’s brother and visited my family in Italy often. She stayed with my brothers and me after our parents were -.’

He paused, clearing his voice. ‘She did not need to, but she took us under her wing and for that, we were forever grateful. After that, she travelled each year to Naples to visit us. I was unaware of her affiliations in Sydney, so it’s excellent to learn she had a friend in your mother and someone who cared for her in you,’ he rumbled.

A slight smile played on my lips. ‘She was one of a kind. I owe her everything.’

‘She was lucky to have you by her side in her final days. Please understand we, the Calibrese brothers, are grateful. We thank you for how much you’ve done, even without meeting us,’ Lorenzo repeated once more, his voice carrying a sincerity that caught me off guard.

‘It was my pleasure.’

‘If there’s anything we can do, anything at all, please let me know.’

Lorenzo’s empathy added an unexpected twist to an already emotion-charged day.

‘How close were you with her?’ I blurted out, surprising myself with my sudden curiosity.

His face flickering with melancholy, he hesitated for a breath before speaking, his voice tinged with a hint of regret.

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