Page 185 of Made in Love and Blood

His voice, sleepy then, brought her back from a place she had forgotten existed.

“Where did you go, Frankie?”

“That’s all that’s left of them, you know? Just a fucking ring and a pile of money that I can practically never spend. That’s it.”

“No, there’s you, too. And our baby. This is not it. If you want a different ring, just say so.”

“I can’t believe someday we’re going to have to tell our kids that we had to scream at each other for two hours just to get engaged. And then you gave me a ring after I sucked—”

“Yeah, don’t tell your dad that. And not the kids, either.”

She took the ring out, holding it between two fingers to twist it back and forth, admiring the design. Under the wings, the metal prongs meant to hold the wings almost looked like bird feet, and like they could really sting. “I was told it hurts to take it off.”

“Really?” Nico asked.

“Yeah, because it’s not supposed to.”

“I get to design the wedding band, right?” Nico asked her, grinning sleepily from the bed.

“To match?”

“Oh, I got ideas already.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I got a whole stack of ideas.”

She cocked her head sideways. “A stack?”

“One for every baby.”

“My finger is not that big.”

“Good thing you’ve got nine others.”

“We’re not having that many kids, either.”

Nico smirked, eyes closing. “Would you just put that ring on so people will stop calling you my fucking girlfriend?”

So, she did. On the verge of tears.

Happy ones, finally.

24. — don’t touch...

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Staten Island, New York

Nico, Gallo Estate

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The gentle taps of Nico’s fingertips against the blood red tulle covering Frankie’s twenty-five-week swell matched the tune pumping out of the black Suburban. One of two, running and ready. Larkin sat in one, not playing the music, and another driver chosen by Salvatore sat in the one that would take Frankie and Nico to his father’s holiday party.

Frankie’s hips moved side to side slightly along with the beat, but it was the eventual kicks that found Nico’s taps that had his grin blowing wide as he glanced up at her. It never failed with his kid, that boy knew...

Already Daddy’s boy.