Page 140 of King of Omen

‘Just one of the million reasons I love you, Mia Kassa Cameron,’ I rasped.

Her face lit up, her eyes shimmering with anticipation.

I snapped open the velvet case to reveal a sparkling diamond ring in the sunlight.

‘Oh Dio, Lorenzo,’ she gasped, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It’s perfect. This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.’

I released the glistening band from its hold and slid it onto her finger, its essence and weight connecting us to an eternity yet to come.

‘A ring does not capture how much I adore you, bella,’ I growled, ‘or that we were destined to be, but this just makes it official.’

‘Official?’ she repeated, still in awe of her new jewellery. She lifted her hand into the air as light glittered through the exquisite facets. ‘This is so much more than official, Lorenzo. This is forever,’ she whispered.

I pulled her close, limbs entwined. ‘This ring is a promise I will spend the rest of our lives, every moment, every breath, showing you how I love you.’

The sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the firmament in hues of orange and gold. We held each other tight as the water rippled around us.

The world faded away, leaving us two souls destined for the other until the end of time.

Epilogue

LORENZO

Abowed man in his sixties stood in line at a small bank in a rough neighbourhood of Casoria, a town adjacent to Naples.

Clutching his ID in his liver-spotted hands inside the tidy reception area, he blended in with everyone else in the room, all waiting to meet a banker.

The 67-year-old hid in plain sight, wearing a faded leather jacket, hat, and dark eye wear.

He withdrew a generous amount of cash using the alias Tito Guccino.

But as he made his way out of the front doors to a side street, a voice stopped him.

‘Eh, Carlo?’

The older man paused and whipped around.

‘Who’s asking?’

I stepped forward, lifted two fingers to his lips, and kissed them.

Although dressed in a cap, sunglasses and black sweats that disguised my identity, he caught on in an instant to who I was, and he paled.

‘It’d be too awkward to say more, no?’ I murmured.

Carlo muttered something.

‘Cosa hai fatto? What did you say, old friend?’ I attempted to clarify.

‘Fuck you, Son of Omertà.’

With a scoff, I smirked. ‘I think you’re the one who is fucked, Abrazzio.’

Carlo leaned into me, baring his ageing gums. ‘Do you think this is over?’

I inclined right in, growling into his ear. ‘It is now. I am the sharp-fanged giant serpent of your nightmares who will slither wherever you are and haunt you anyplace you go. Whatever you try, my piercing vision will find you and paralyse you as my unfortunate prey. I’ll tear you apart until you are no more. Ciao, Carlo, enjoy your new life in the hands of the Carabinieri.’

The older man panicked, head whipping around as I melted away.

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