Page 49 of Depths of Hunger

I’ll go with you, Father, Luca volunteers, his tone determined.

Guilt gnaws at me. As the heir, I should be going, but the ‘Ndrangheta meeting is tomorrow night. I can’t miss it; this meeting will set the future in stone. Mia is good, with the potential to be great, but she’s too green to handle this alone. I can’t risk it.

No, Luca. I need you and Nico in Genoa with Renzo tomorrow night,Father says firmly.I hope to have answers by then, but until then, be careful. The idea that we can be hurt is unsettling, and you must take extra care. The connection ends as my father’s voice fades.

Luca immediately reopens the link.Father must be truly worried to be traveling during daylight.

He’s probably already at the portal,Nico adds.But yeah, it’s unlike him to rush.

I grind my teeth, torn between my duty and the importance of tomorrow night.I should be with Father, but this meeting…

You heard him, Nico says.He wants you at the meeting. He knows how much it means.

Nico’s right,Luca agrees.You’ve earned this, Renzo. You’ve brought the Valdici name to the top of the mafia world. Achieving peace with the ‘Ndrangheta is crucial. We need it to keep the Albanians and other enemies at bay.

I close my eyes and inhale deeply, the support of my brothers buoying me.Thank you. I’m glad you’ll be with me tomorrow night.

See you later, Luca replies.

Nico’s voice follows,We’ll be over just after dark.The connection breaks, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I lean back in my chair, grateful for my family’s support. It hasn’t always been this way, but now, their belief in me means everything. I push thoughts of our vampire troubles to the back of my mind and focus on tomorrow night’s meeting. With Angelo gone, may he rot in hell, I need a new consigliere. Mia would be perfect, but the ‘Ndrangheta would see her presence as a weakness. I can’t afford that. I need someone who knows the game, someone trustworthy without the ambition to betray me. There’s really only one choice.

I glance at the clock. Too early to call, though he’d take it. Better to rest and reach out later. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m still not in top form. And that means my brothers aren’t either. The thought is unsettling. After this meeting, we need to turn our full attention to who’s trying to kill us. It’s the only way we’ll survive.

Chapter

Twenty

I’m thinking of going to the spa sooner rather than later. Just wanted to give you both a bit of notice.

Ihit send, and the text flies to Luna and Pippa. They won’t be surprised that I’m leaving, but I don’t want to just disappear without giving them a warning. I’m going to make my break for it tomorrow night when Renzo goes to his meeting. It’s the one time I know for sure he and his brothers will be otherwise engaged. It will be much easier to shake any security detail assigned to me if they aren’t vampires.

I have a stun gun I can use. I have access to real guns, but I’m not going to shoot anyone. If I don’t make it out of here, killing one of Renzo’s people will only make things worse. Funny. A month ago, I never would have dreamed of killing someone, and now I seriously weigh the option. I am becoming my mother. Nothing frightens me more.

I can now see why she made some of the choices she did. They make sense when it comes to the business of the family—like sendingme away. If I had grown up here, I wouldn’t have any chance of having a career. It would be unthinkable.

Going to school in the States and getting my business degree gave me options. When I do something reckless, my mother can blame it on my time in the US. It’s genius when I think of it. It means I get a chance, and it still provides her and my father coverage if I do anything to embarrass them. Just like I’m about to do.

I watch the setting sun dip below the horizon. Renzo went back to bed this afternoon and will be asleep for a while longer. I notice he’s sleeping longer during daylight hours. One more day, and I will be gone. I’ve thrown around a lot of ideas, but Australia still wins. It’s the opposite side of the world from where my parents will think I’ve gone. I can get lost there with ease, and I can build a life without having to learn a new language.

I’ve checked the flights out of Nice, and I’m sure I can be on a plane before the meeting is over. There are three or four options that work. I can go to Geneva, Copenhagen, Paris, or London. From each of those, I can catch more flights. I’ll have to bounce around a few times, but it shouldn’t be too long before I reach my destination. I’m glad Pippa provided me with three different passports. The variety will make it much harder to track me down.

I run my mind over the list of items I need. Clothes and the essentials—I’ll pack light, just a backpack. The big thing will be to change my look. I smile. In my box of toys, Pippa and Luna included a blonde wig. “Nothing like a bit of dress-up to spice things up,” the card on the wig had said. They have no idea just how spicy my sex life is. Of course, they don’t even know yet that Renzo is still alive.

I cast a last glance at the setting sun. Renzo will be up soon. He and his brothers will spend the night ensconced in the office, going over plans and strategies. I asked to participate, and Renzo just shook his head. “Later, gattina, maybe we can find a project for you. I need to take care of a few things first.”

Later.I suddenly realized that I would always be an afterthought. I would never get my chance. That was the final nail in the coffin, Ithought, laughing at the irony. Vampires don’t live in coffins—at least mine doesn’t. My grin fades. My vampire.

Renzo is mine and leaving him is harder than I ever thought it would be. Much harder. I’m falling in love with him. We could have an amazing life together if he would let me be his partner. But there would always come a day when he’d have to kill me. As a human, I would hold him back, and I do not want to become a vampire. Not ever.

I enter the kitchen, and Albert is busy preparing dinner. “Signora Valdici, is there anything I can get for you immediately? Supper will be ready shortly.”

I shake my head, inhaling the delicious aromas. “It smells lovely.”

Albert smiles warmly. “I thought you might enjoy some homemade pasta this evening with a bit of seafood. I’ve made it in an arrabbiata sauce.”

“Sounds delightful,” I say as I take a seat at the breakfast bar. We’d established that dining in the formal dining room was reserved for when company was present. Renzo rarely ate with me, so it didn’t make sense otherwise.

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