Page 191 of Safe Word

Vinnie’s stare turned into knives.

Cain’s movements stilled. He met his best friend’s gaze – and something changed. His face hardened. Shoulders lowered like a bull’s, muscles bunching beneath his jacket. Armour, forged in a primal sort of instinct, snapped into place.

‘What?’ he asked flatly. Not a question – a threat dressed as one. A dare.

Vinnie didn’t respond at first. Just wiped absolutely nothing from his chin, as if he needed something to do with the rage humming through him.

He hadn’t said anything. Cain’s eyes narrowed at him.

I could count the beats of my heart until—

‘This won’t be a problem.’ Cain’s voice was too low to make out, but I heard it anyway.

Vinnie tipped his gaze towards me, but lowered it right after.

‘No. It won’t,’ he murmured into his chin, and I felt a sudden urge to tell Cain the truth – that it wasn’t about us working together. But then… Vinnie didn’t know. He didn’t understand what Cain was to me. What I was, hopefully, to him.

The waiter arrived with the menus before I was able to open my mouth.

Timing – always the killer of truths.

As he began reciting specials, then the wine menu, Genevieve returned, launching into a breathy conversation about the Viking novel. Her voice filled the void with polite chatter, and I realised I wasn’t going to be able to offer anyone any answers. Not here. Not now.

Dinner dragged like a funeral procession.

Food came. Food cooled and was cleared.

The reporter asked question after question. Cain and I answered like we were under a spell. Pretending.

But Vinnie… Vinnie barely touched his meal. He scraped his fork across the porcelain or circled his fingertip along the rim of his glass as if he were trying to remember something he rather wouldn’t.

And the more I watched him – how quiet he’d gone, how far away he seemed – the more I wondered what the hell I’d broken.

When my purse vibrated, it felt like salvation.

Until I fished out the phone and saw the name flashing on the screen.

Leo.

Excusing myself from the table, threading my way towards the terrace, I cursed under my breath.

I hadn’t called my brothers. Not once since last night. Uncle Alessio had definitely been in touch with them, and God only knew what kind of story he’d given them.

The line connected with a sharp beep.

‘Do you own a fucking phone?’ Leo snarled immediately.

I flinched, holding the speaker slightly away from my ear. ‘Hey, Leo… yeah. Sorry. It’s been a weird day. I’m just finishing up an interview.’

‘An interview?’ His voice climbed. ‘After everything?’

I sighed, already dreading the rest of the conversation. ‘Did Zio—’

‘You bet your skinny ass he did. Where’s that piece of shit now?’

‘I don’t know. Cain beat him up and he left.’

Silence. Not a single breath on the other end.