Page 83 of Devoted

Nico stopped moving, just the smallest hesitation, but I caught it. The freezing of his hand, the way his breath stilled, how his attention flicked to me, face filled with hope.

“So,” my husband went on, “I forgive you for being a stonewalling asshole and not trusting us. And I’m sorry I sent you through the window.”

“Valeria says she’s going to send you a bill for the doors,” Luca said cheerfully, between bites. “They were expensive.”

“That fall was a bitch, not going to lie.” Some of the tension eased out of Nico, his shoulders relaxing. “But not half as bad as you, dropping on top of me. You weigh as much as a fucking truck, by the way. Next time, land somewhere else.”

Dante’s lips quirked. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’m not my father,” Nico said quietly. “No matter what else happens… I am not him. I will never be him.”

30

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Luca finished off another plate of slightly burned pancakes and bacon and eggs, stretched and announced he needed another nap, then headed for his bedroom.

Valeria was at another council meeting. Hopefully, not stuck making small talk with Blackwood all day while he ogled her, but that was probably too much to expect, given that vampire was a pig.

“I’m out, too. See you in a few hours. Gabriel wants to go over some spy shit.” My husband kissed me on the cheek, grabbed a handful of bacon, and left, leaving me alone with Nico. After last night, I didn’t even know where to start, so I found a sponge and started wiping up grease splatter.

“You really are a slob, you know,” I scolded. “And I’m not your maid.”

“I never said you were.” He tipped his head, smile brightening. “But if you’re interested in some role-playing, I wouldn’t be opposed. I’m free tonight. Maid and master. I already have some ideas.”

“Gods, you’re insatiable,” I murmured, scrubbing at a stubborn spot that wouldn’t come up. “How about I be the master, and you can be the maid?” I tossed the sponge into the sink and found him watching me with unusual intensity. “You know, forget I said anything. Actually, we both have better things to do today than work. Come on, let’s go for a walk on the beach.”

I had questions, and I didn’t want Valeria—or gods forbid, Rocco—walking in on us when I was asking Nico if he’d turned into a giant monster last night in my dream.

“A walk? Ah,” he said gently, stacking the pans in the sink and running water on them, as if that helped. “How much did you hear last night?”

“Everything,” I admitted, hip-checking him out of the way to wash my hands. “And before you say a word, I saw everything, too.”

“Shit,” he muttered. “I really didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet not, and yet… it did. We need to talk, Nico. Now get your ass down to the beach.”

“Yes, master.” He bounced his eyebrows up and down. “Your wish is my command.”

A strong breeze whipped my hair around my face and tugged at my clothes. Barefoot, my feet sank into the soft sand with every step, and I didn’t stop walking until we’d rounded the bend and the villa was out of sight.

“First, I want to make it clear I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Your asshole father woke me up, and I couldn’t help following the sound of your voices. And then I couldn’t stop listening.”

And how those words, uttered with such casual cruelty, would haunt me.

“Pretty weak on the apology front, but I’ll take it.” Nico settled onto the sand just above the tide line. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. He’s never been known to mince words.”

“Hearing about your childhood made me hate him even more than I thought possible.” I dropped down next to him, leaning close enough our shoulders touched. “I’m sorry you had to live like that. Sorry there was no one to protect you from him. Sorry you were all alone.”

“That’s a lot of sorrys in a row, princess. And don’t feel sorry for me. I got out. Walked away and didn’t stop until I’d gone far enough, he could never find me.”

“I can’t even imagine what that was like.” I touched his hand, every piece of my heart aching for the boy he’d once been. “And by sorry, I mean I’d like to eviscerate him for you.”

“Well, that’s much better. I love when you get all murder-y,” he said fondly, emotion blazing in his eyes. “But I’m afraid you’ll have to get in a very long line. A line I am currently at the head of. The problem is, killing my father leaves a huge power vacuum in Rome and destabilizes the Bellamorte Dynasty. There are some decent family heads sitting on the council, but most of them are shit.”

“Power vacuums within a Dynasty can be dealt with. Your father is a danger to the power structure of our entire world. Not to mention a threat to our lives and our freedom. I, for one, am not bending the knee to that fucker.”

“Severin has a plan in the works to take my father down, but it’ll take time to implement. First, we need to deal with Giovanni. Kill your uncle, push Blackwood out of Venice, then rebuild the council back to its former strength so he never gets a toehold in Venice again. That’s what makes the most sense.”