Page 11 of Twisted Oath

How hadn’t we met properly before? I had no idea.

Needing a few seconds, I looked back down to my legs and bent down as I pretended to wipe away some specks of my brother’s blood.

‘What have you got to say, Romeo? Do you think this behaviour would make your father proud?’

‘No, but he’d be pleased I drew blood first.’

My anger forced my eyes up once again and I stood up straight.

Again, Salvatore showed absolutely no sign of what he thought of the answer he’d received.

‘Get up, Romeo, at least stand up and be counted when you’re confronted,’ he demanded.

Romeo stood up quickly, embarrassed at the denunciation.

‘So, this fight is about blood… Is that correct?’ Salvatore continued to question, and as he did so, he moved his boots across the sand to widen his stance and crossed his arms over the T-shirt he’d been wearing to ride his bike. It seemed that he had as much concern for conserving his life as I’d had not five minutes ago, when I’d hoped a wave would pull me out to sea.

‘It’s always about blood, Salvatore. Evenyou,a bastard, understand that,’ Zeno entered into the conversation.

‘And finally, he gets up off his backside.’ Salvatore spoke, but never turned his head to greet Zeno who was now walking over to us.

‘I was going to split them up,’ Zeno lied. I had never until that minute been ashamed of any of my family, but that changed just as soon as Zeno opened his mouth and I bit down even harder into my lip.

‘You’re not even a competent liar, Zeno,’ Salvatore spat out in disgust, and for a brief second, I saw something more than the controlled calm he had shown us so far. Then, moving one muscular arm, he swung his clenched fist behind him in the direction of where he’d last heard Zeno’s voice and knocked my brother to the ground.

Inside I cheered.

‘Now, sheath your blade and stay down there,’ Salvatore delivered his next instruction.

‘What the fuck?’ Zeno spat blood onto the sand but stayed sitting.

‘You were right about one thing, Zeno, it’salwaysabout blood,’ Salvatore replied and my eyes shot up to his face. I allowed myself to study the man stood next to me as I tried hard to work him out. Just as soon as his dark, soulless eyes found mine, I resisted the urge to look away and held them with all the defiance I could muster. Eventually, unable to read him at all, I cast my eyes down.

‘Romeo, Alessio, you both heard the order from the Crimine today. From now on, our families are to be joined together.’

So, he is part of the De Luca family.

Salvatore inhaled deeply, before carrying on. ‘Our history is to be forgotten and right now, the heads of our families are working together to achieve that. Your childish stupidity down here today could have derailed the whole process… Now, I don’t care what the hell this was about, it finishes here and now.’

‘We can never be family,’ Alessio added and I shot a warning glance in his direction. All I wanted was for us to leave the beach without incurring our fathers’ wrath and comments like his weren’t going to help.

‘Maybe… Maybe not.’ Salvatore shrugged his broad shoulders as he indicated without words that he couldn’t care less. ‘I presume the two of you were involved in a fight to defend the honour of your families. Is that correct?’

Alessio and Romeo nodded.

‘And for that you would shed blood?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yes.’

They replied directly and stood taller as they prepared to be commended for their answers.

Salvatore reached behind him and pulled a jewel-handled knife from the back of his jeans. He removed the leather scabbard and ran his finger up the edge of the blade, making a bead of blood appear on the tip of his finger.

‘I want each of you to hold out a hand,’ Salvatore demanded.

Alessio caught my eye and I inhaled sharply as I caught his look of apprehension.

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