Page 72 of King of Omen

Taking his sweet time, he tightened and loosened his grip, letting his ire leak out while I stared into his gaze with defiance.

Finally, he spoke in a hoarse rasp.

‘Woman, what you did was reckless as fuck. You might have been killed.’

He was incandescent with rage.

‘But I wasn’t,’ I clipped. ‘I took a calculated risk which paid off.’

Lorenzo’s eyes glowed with a wild, angry glint as he stared at me. I tagged the remnants of tension on his face, but I understood why he was so amped up. He was a fighter, a protector, and I’d thwarted his efforts in this regard.

He leaned in close, his breath warm on my cheek. ‘What will you do when you’re not so lucky next time?’

‘We’ll deal with it then,’ I snarked, pulling back, meeting his eyes with a bold gaze.

‘You better never do something like that again,’ he growled, gruff and guttural. ‘I would have killed them all if you were hurt. Do you understand me?’

I twisted my head to meet his glance, unflinching. ‘I grasp what you’re saying. But I couldn’t stand by and let this turn into a blood bath. Not when I knew my father was involved. Besides, I have my Angus’ promise that he won’t touch you, which is his way of saying we’re now under his guardianship, from afar, of course. He’ll rescind the contract as long as he can trust you to keep me safe.’

He hesitated for a moment, arms tightening around me. ‘Si, bella. You have my protection and my loyalty. But fuck, we came close to the edge today.’

He tugged me into a tight hold, trembling, the first sign he’d given of his sheer terror, not for him, but for Mauri and myself.

His hands stroked up and down my body, shaking with relief.

That he cared so much was touching.

He leaned back and locked eyes with me. ‘Let’s go home. Along the way, bella, you’ll tell me about your father because I thought all this time you were alone, without family.’

I gave him a wry smile. ‘I am because, despite Angus’ displays of affection, he’s never really stepped up for me. He tends to disappear at a whim. His gang wars, ambushes, drug trade and his biker way of life have always been more important than those who love him. That’s why my mother left.’

Soon, we settled back in the car, and a stone-faced Mauri drove us to Sydney.

I sat in the backseat for the rest of our journey home, Lorenzo holding me close, arm tight around my shoulders, while Mauri focused on the road ahead.

I shared my life story as the mountains gave way to the edges of Sydney’s urban sprawl.

‘Dad, whose full name is Angus Hurricane Cameron, was a working-class kid who joined the Australian Army at 19 and served for 12 years. After his honourable discharge, he settled in Bathurst as a truck driver. Even as a child, I saw how much people were drawn to him. He had this way of making you feel special, igniting your passion and making you believe anything was possible.’

‘He established the Cyclone Knights in his garage as a trucker protection ring. It morphed into a biker gang that got into territory wars with other outlaw motorcycle groups. His military experience gave him an advantage at organising men, and he soon became the leader of the state’s fastest-growing riders’ club. He named himself the ‘supreme general’ and ruled the gang with an iron fist, gathering together lost souls who fantasised about being mercenaries. In just a few years, they were one of the most violent of Australia’s many outlaw biker clubs.’

‘How about your mother?’ Lorenzo asked.

‘Angus dated my mum Trina, whom he met in a bar, but she hated the biker subculture, the violence and the way the girlfriends and wives of the bikers were considered to be ‘property’ and the rider girls treated as sex toys.’

Lorenzo made a noise, shaking his head.

I went on. ‘When I was four, she ran away, began a cleaning business, and avoided Angus. He tried finding us, but in true fashion, he soon got distracted by his gang. When I was in high school, he reached out again, and I had a few summer holidays with him at his farm, where I learned how to snipe, shoot and handle my shit. After Mum died, he disappeared, apparently grief-stricken and unable to deal with her passing. I haven’t seen much of him since then.’

‘Damn, bella,’ Lorenzo murmured. ‘What a life, what a story. Has it caused you much pain?’

‘Don’t be sorry for me. I’m used to him not being around. When my mum died, and Bianca was watching over me, he pulled back, perhaps afraid of your aunt and her badass reputation. Plus, the fact she gave him quite a few tongue lashings over the years. Still, when we met up, which was rare, we shared love and affection because, under his gruff beard, Angus can be a sweetheart.’

‘Well, he confirmed Carlo is still gunning for us,’ Lorenzo sighed. ‘We have to up the stakes on security. I’ll need a few hours with my brothers when we arrive. Grazie, for sharing your story with me. Your courage, cara, is matchless, and every day, I’m more in awe of you.’

His words hit hard, and I inhaled, tears threatening at his sweet.

He tagged them and kissed the corner of each eye, folding me even tighter in his grasp.

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