Page 188 of Made in Love and Blood

“Do all the work for me,” Frankie interjected, nodding. “I know, Daddy. I got this.”

Nico kissed the spot beneath Frankie’s ear, combing the waves of hair back behind her shoulder. “The dress is a distraction, but you do the rest.”

Every bit of it. “So beautiful; all mine,” he added.

Frankie’s cheeks pinked sweetly when he pulled away. “Don’t do that too much tonight, okay?”

“Do what?”

“You know what.”

“Oh, I think he will,” Salvatore said, coming to stand in front of the Suburban. “You get to be entirely his for the night. No lying needed.” His gaze dropped to her midsection. “Mostly.”

Nico looked forward to it.

The best thing he’d ever done would stand at his side for everyone to see, and he dared anybody to try and take it away from him now. He had one word for someone in the mood to try him and learn it: homicide.

“Okay,” Salvatore said, clapping his hands, “let’s hit the road. Frankie, get in the vehicle and turn that racket off. I need to speak with Nico.”

“Did you just call my music a racket?”

“Well—”

She served him a deadly side-eye as she headed past him for the SUV. “Whatever you say, old man.”

Nico pressed his lips together.

Salvatore just cleared his throat, waiting for the slam of the Suburban’s rear passenger door. A second later, the music quieted as well.

“Well, there’s that,” Salvatore muttered unhappily, “that finally happened.”

“She didn’t mean it, she’s preg—”

“Oh, she meant it. And it is a fucking racket. A lot of the crap you two blast day in and day out gives me a headache on a regular basis.”

“On the regular,” Nico corrected. “If you say it that way, she won’t call you that thing you don’t like.”

Salvatore scowled.

Nico tapped his temple and pointed at Sal. “When you know, you know.”

“Behave tonight, kid.”

Serious at once, Nico nodded. “Of course.”

“And don’t let Marco bait you.”

“He hasn’t been able to in months.”

“Good, because he’ll test you a lot tonight. He’ll have plenty of reasons.”

“I know, and I’ve got a whole list of my own to let it slide right off. Don’t worry.”

The man dragged in a heavy breath, glancing over his shoulder to eye the two waiting vehicles. As his attention came back to Nico, his voice lowered significantly. Not that it mattered, but the people inside probably couldn’t hear them anyway and cameras didn’t exist inside the many buildings on the estate. Only the outside property.

“I have to tell you something now, Nico.”

He just waited Sal out. Whatever it was.