Page 41 of Depths of Hunger

The waitress approaches, asking if we’d like dessert, and though I have no appetite, I order a chocolate soufflé just to buy more time. Pippa follows suit, and we continue chatting, dragging out every minute. The desserts arrive, and I can feel Luca and Nico growing restless. Good. Let them wait.

As the birthday celebration reaches its peak, Nico and Luca stand guard at the entrance to our section of the restaurant, keeping watch as the family sings and moves around. Pippa takes the opportunity to slide the fake documents across the table discreetly. My heart races as I slip them into my purse without a glance.

“When are you leaving?” Pippa asks, her voice soft, but laced with urgency. She coughs into her hand.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I might not have time to warn you. I’ll just try to disappear. But I’ll contact you eventually. I’ll send you a postcard.” I take a sip of water. I’m feeling a bit woozy. Has to be the stress.

Pippa squeezes my hand, her grip fierce. “I’ll wait for your postcard, and then Luna and I will come find you.” She coughs again.

I nod, holding back the tears. “I’d love that. I’ll let you know when it’s safe.”

The singing dies down, the candles are blown out, and Nico and Luca are suddenly at my side. “Time to leave,” Nico says firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. He coughs and then glances at Luca, who also starts to cough.

I stand, hugging Pippa tightly. “Thank you so much. I needed this more than you know.”

Pippa smiles, though there’s sadness in her eyes. “Let’s try to do this once a week, huh?”

“I’d love that,” I say, my voice struggling to hold steady. The words are barely out when a sudden tightness grips my chest, and I start to cough. My throat feels like it’s closing, and I can’t seem to get any oxygen. Panic floods me as I try to suck in a breath, but it’s like the air has turned to smoke. My eyes dart to Pippa; she’s coughing too, her face twisted in alarm. Around us, everyone in the restaurant is coughing, gasping for air—Luca and Nico included.

Before I can make sense of what’s happening, Nico lunges forward, his grip like iron as he grabs my hand and yanks me up. I barely register the chaos around us before he sweeps me into his arms, moving with a speed that blurs the world around me. In seconds, we’re outside, the cool air slamming into my lungs, but I’m still struggling to breathe. Luca has Pippa in his grasp, and they rush us both into the limo, dumping us unceremoniously onto the seats. Nico and Luca climb in beside us, slamming the doors shut as Ralf floors the gas, the limo lurching violently as we speed away.

“What the fuck?” Pippa’s voice is raspy, and she continues tocough, tears streaming down her cheeks from whatever filled the air back in the restaurant.

My chest feels tight, each breath a struggle as I wheeze, trying to force the panic down.

“Did someone just try to kill us?” I manage to squeak out, my voice thin and trembling. The reality of what just happened is sinking in. I clutch at my throat, desperate for air, my mind racing with fear and confusion.

Nico’s eyes are wild, darting around as if scanning for threats even within the limo. His suit is disheveled, his usual calm shattered by the sudden attack. “I don’t know, but it looks like it,” he spits out, his voice edged with fury and something darker—fear. The fact that Nico and Luca are both affected by this, and worse, they’re afraid, terrifies me. What on earth can make a vampire fearful?

Luca is on his phone, barking orders in Italian, his voice sharp and compelling, a stark contrast to the panic simmering in the car. Pippa leans against me, still coughing, her fingers gripping my arm tightly as if I’m the only thing anchoring her in this madness.

I try to piece together what just happened, but my scattered, incoherent thoughts slip through my fingers. One minute, we were laughing over chocolate souffle, and the next, the air had turned toxic, thick with something that choked the life out of the room. I shudder, images of people gasping and struggling to breathe flashing through my mind. “The family. You have to find out about that family, Luca. Did they make it out?”

Luca ignores me and stares out of the window, but I can’t help thinking that he’s busy somehow. Like maybe he’s communicating with someone.OMG, can they speak telepathically? Jesus, is there no end to what vampires can do? Thinking of the times I’ve thought I’d heard Renzo’s voice in my head I am certain they can, but I resolve to ask Renzo as soon as I can. I need to know what I’m up against.

The car races through the streets, a blur of motion as we put distance between us and the restaurant. I stare out the window, watching the city flash by, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re not safe—not from whoever orchestrated this, not from the world Renzohas plunged me into. My heart pounds, every beat a reminder of how close we came to losing everything.

I look at Nico and Luca, their faces set in hard, determined lines. They saved us, but the weight of the unexpected attack hangs heavy in the air. This was no random event. Someone knew where we were. Someone wanted us dead.

I clutch Pippa’s hand, my own still trembling. I don’t know who’s targeting us, but one thing is clear—this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

We pull up to the house, the heavy iron gates swinging open as the limo glides down the driveway. My nerves are still frayed, my heart pounding from the chaos at the restaurant. As we come to a stop, I see Luigi’s car pulling in behind us. He parks quickly, the gravel crunching under his tires, and he strides over with urgency, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a tightly controlled mask. But his eyes—those dark, watchful eyes—betray his concern. Pippa has always been his favorite and seeing her in danger has him rattled.

“I came straight here as soon as I heard,” Luigi says, his voice gruff as he looks at Nico. “What do you know about it?”

Nico shrugs, his expression tense and guarded. “Nothing yet, but we will find out. You can count on that.” There’s a dangerous edge to his voice, a promise of retribution that sends a chill through the air. Nico turns and starts up the stairs without another word. Luca lingers just behind, his unreadable gaze flickering over me.

I step out of the limo and pull Pippa into a tight hug. I hold on for a second longer than necessary, soaking in the comfort of her familiar warmth. “Thanks,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “I’ll call you later, okay? I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Pippa nods, but her smile is strained, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. The reality of how close we came to death hangs between us, heavy and unspoken. She bites her lip, fighting to keep her emotions in check, and I wish I could do something, anything, to take away her fear.

Luigi moves closer, his expression softening as he gently pulls Pippa into his arms, holding her as if she’s something precious that he nearly lost. “It’s okay,dolcezza,” he murmurs, rubbing her back in slow,soothing circles. His voice is low and reassuring but there’s an undercurrent of fury simmering beneath his calm façade. He releases her only to guide her over to his car, opening the passenger door with a protective tenderness that tugs at my heart. She slips inside, looking back at me with a tearful wave, and I force a smile, giving her one last wave.

As I watch them drive off, I feel a pang of guilt. Pippa got dragged into this situation because of me. She’s strong, but this life, this danger, is not something I ever wanted for her. I can’t let this happen again. I can’t let anyone else suffer because of me.

We enter the office as Renzo barks, “What the hell happened? I thought I said to stay close to Mia. I thought I was very clear. How could you possibly let her get hurt?” He walks over and grabs my upper arms, waves of rage rolling off him, his eyes dark and seething. His voice is sharp and cuts through the tense air. The fury radiating from him chokes the space between us as his gaze darts all over me as if to reassure himself that I am okay.

“I’m fine, Renzo, but your brothers—they don’t look so good,” I say, my voice trembling as I point to Nico and Luca. I thought vampires were supposed to be incredibly strong; Renzo survived being shot without flinching. But Nico and Luca are now slumped on the sofa, sweating and pale, looking worse than I’ve ever seen them. They’re both gripping their stomachs, their faces twisted in pain. It’s unsettling, seeing them like this—so vulnerable, so…human. Renzo never looks like this.

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