Page 24 of King of Omen

I shot a distrustful glance at the bodyguard before returning to the mysterious package.

My fingers trembled as I opened the lid.

The streetlamp illuminated the contents—a delicate chain with a dangling pendant. My breath caught in my throat as I recognised my mother’s necklace.

I was hit with a wild tear of delight.

‘He found it?’ I asked, eyes flicking to Mauri.

He gave me a slight smile and nodded.

The smile on my face widened. ‘Where?’

‘He said you dropped it on the terrace. He asked me to have the clasp fixed, which I did.’

‘Why, thank you. Can you please pass on my sincere gratitude?’

‘That’s not all. I have one more parcel for you.’

The man reached into his car and pulled out a substantially-sized square package.

It featured a wide black bow that glittered and gleamed.

He held it out to me. ‘Take it. It’s from all the Calibrese brothers.’

I reached for it, mouth gaping in awe.

The weight of the larger container surprised me, but before I could dwell further on the unbelievable generosity and its implications, Mauri turned to walk away.

‘Wait,’ I called out, my heart warmed by the generous gesture. ‘I want to write a thank you note.’

The bodyguard paused mid-step and rotated, giving me a quizzical glance.

‘It’ll take just a few minutes,’ I added.

He regarded me for a moment, his gaze inscrutable, nodding in acquiescence.

With a grateful smile, I closed my van door with a foot and locked it using my fob.

Then I tracked back into my cottage, the jewel box perched on top of the more significant gift I clutched.

Inside, I placed my unexpected bounty on the dining table and dashed to my writing desk.

One of my indulgences and hobbies was collecting stunning stationery and beautiful pens.

I found a sheet of lush paper infused with my homemade perfume. It came with a matching envelope, which I signed first, giving myself time to gather my thoughts and express my gratitude to Lorenzo in a meaningful way.

I was sitting at my tiny workstation, the ink soaking into the dense stock paper as I poured out my heartfelt thanks.

The words flowed, infused with genuine appreciation for his unanticipated act of kindness. After reading over the note, I folded it into a neat rectangle and sealed it in a thick stock envelope.

Hurrying back outside, I caught up to Mauri, who stood with a booted leg propped on the running board of his open SUV door.

I handed him the letter, ‘Please pass this on to Lorenzo.’

He tucked the envelope away with a faint smile. ‘I’ll make sure he receives it, Signora.’

With a nod of farewell, the bodyguard climbed back into the SUV and drove off into the night.

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