Page 96 of Made in Love and Blood

Carina shook her head. “No, I’m gonna go puke. Third time today.”

Nico made quick work of moving his ass out of the way. She even shoved her Birkin into his grasp before she darted up the aisle. Not two seconds later, someone else had clearly noticed something changed a couple of rows back.

Salvatore, glancing over his shoulder, waved two fingers at Nico. A silent call for him to come down. He did.

“What’s wrong?” Sal asked, eyeing the pup hiding at Nico’s front with both amusement and disbelief. “Where’s Carina?”

“Morning sickness.”

“It’s three in the afternoon.”

Nico didn’t know what the man wanted him to say. “Are you pregnant?”

Salvatore blinked. “No.”

“Right, well, I’m not, either. So, I’m not gonna comment on when or why she pukes. You know? Seems...not right.”

The man just rolled his eyes, but he stood from his chair after leaning over to whisper something to Sissy at his right. In the aisle next to Nico, he took the purse Carina had left behind.

“If I’m not back before they throw the caps—”

“I’ll let her know where you are,” Nico assured.

Salvatore nodded. “All right. I heard you and Frankie have plans later?”

“I thought she should celebrate in a way that makes her happy. You know, before she has to do it the way everyone else wants to.”

“Well, you know the rules in the meantime.”

“Yeah, about that.” Nico peered down at the graduates, seeking Frankie out while he said, “I packed my shit up at the guesthouse this morning. I have a place in Vauxhall. Big Mike’s signing over the deed next week. I won’t be coming back at three like usual. I just thought you should know. You did give me the okay to look for a place. One just happened to find me first.”

Salvatore chuckled. “And I suppose that’ll make it far easier for you to spend your entire nights in bed with my daughter now, instead of just the wee hours, won’t it?”

Nico turned back on the man, meeting his gaze blatantly and unashamed. “I’m sure you’ll be the first to know if, or when, she doesn’t want me to be in her bed, too.”

•••

Frankie played with the red tassel on the graduation cap, observing the passing streets in silence as Nico navigated the Mercedes from behind the wheel.

“Do you think she’s gonna keep the baby?” she asked suddenly.

He knew exactly who she meant.

“I think it’s not our business, babe.”

She rubbed her lips together, shaking her head subtly but he didn’t miss the annoyance in the action either. Especially with how she kept staring out the window instead of at him, even when he reached over to grab her hand and weave their fingers together.

“Hey,” he murmured.

“My father said the same thing. It’s her choice. Her body, whatever.”

“You can just say you want her to have the baby,” Nico said, squeezing her fingers with his own. “You can voice that to me. It’s just me here. Say it, if that’s what you think and feel.”

“I don’t know what I feel or think.”

He seriously doubted that. “Frankie—”

“Shouldn’t I be jealous or something?” she interrupted, looking his way then.