Page 165 of Safe Word

Ezio faltered, quickly recovering. ‘This is my cousin.’

The old man stepped elegantly forward, his stern eyes meeting mine, then Paula’s. ‘Salvatore Moretti,’ he said, his voice deep and smooth, extending a hand towards me.

I stared at the outstretched hand for a moment before shaking it briefly. His grip was strong, his fingers calloused in stark contrast to Ezio’s frail, skeletal hands. The man’s shoulders were broad, his torso wide, suggesting he’d spent his days doing physical labour.

‘You never mentioned we had living relatives here,’ I said flatly as I turned to the monster.

‘We haven’t kept in touch,’ Ezio said, exchanging a hard glance with Salvatore, who’d moved towards Paula.

‘Paula DeLuca.’ She introduced herself and Salvatore kissed the back of her hand, as was customary in his time.

Ezio’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. ‘DeLuca,’ he repeated, as if testing the name. ‘A strong Italian name. Are you here to keep my son in line?’

‘She’s of no concern to you,’ I snapped, the sharpness in my tone silencing whatever smug remark he was about to make.

Ezio’s eyes gleamed with amusement, but he didn’t press further. He gestured towards Salvatore. ‘My dear cousin and I were just catching up. It’s been a while,’ he said in Italian, signalling Salvatore’s discomfort with English.

A muscle ticked in the other man’s jaw, his gaze hardening as he looked at Ezio. ‘Far too long,’ he echoed, his voice colder. ‘If by that you mean running while I cleaned up your mess – then yes, it’s been far too long.’

Ezio chuckled, though the sound lacked any real humour – performance more than emotion. ‘Still holding onto old grudges, are we, Salvatore?’

‘Old grudges? Is that what you call it?’ Salvatore shot back, his voice rising, then glancing at me – almost pointedly.

A strange unease crept over me. I glanced between the two men, their shared animosity so dense it filled the room like a living thing.

‘You chose to stay,’ Ezio said, more sharply. ‘I chose to leave. We all live with the decisions we make.’

Salvatore stepped forward abruptly. ‘Except it wasn’t your decision to make, was it? You took her because you couldn’t bear her choosing me instead.’

The room fell into a tense silence.

Paula shifted her weight, and we exchanged a puzzled glance.

Ezio’s eyes darkened with agitation, but before he could respond, the nurse walked in.

‘Gentlemen,’ she said, her smile tight. ‘Mr Salvatore, I will escort you out at this time. Mr Ezio needs a blood transfusion.’

Salvatore’s eyes lingered on my father for a moment longer before he gave a stiff nod. ‘We’re not done here.’

He turned to me, his gaze lingering for a beat too long before he spoke. ‘I’m glad to have finally met you, Cain.’ He paused, his eyes holding mine. ‘You have your mother’s eyes.’

There was something in his tone. Something I couldn’t place. But before I could dwell on it, he strode out of the room.

As the door clicked shut, I turned to Ezio, my jaw realigning with a question I wasn’t sure I should ask.

He chuckled, his smirk widening.

‘Well, my boy,’ he said, the notes thrumming with mockery. ‘Family is always complicated.’

I flexed my fists, fighting the urge to press further. Whatever we’ve walked in on, it was deeply personal, and it left a sour aftertaste.

Ezio shifted in bed, his bony frame sinking deeper into the pillows. His hand reached out, trembling with a dramatic, near-Herculean effort.

‘Thank you for coming, my boy,’ he rasped, just loud enough to be heard. ‘I know I’ve made mistakes… I know I’ve caused pain… but you’re my boy. My only family.’

I stiffened, my fists clenching at my sides as his melodrama unfolded like a bad stage play.

I glanced at Paula. Her scowl said she wasn’t buying it either – and the tension in my chest eased.