Page 54 of Depths of Hunger

I nod, tension coiling inside me. Luca still hasn’t put it together, but Nico has. I can see it in his clenched jaw, the tight line of his lips, the way his hands grip the chair so hard I half expect it to break under the pressure.

“Why the fuck would I care about the Duomo di San Gimignano?” Bewilderment etches Luca’s face.

“Because,” Nico replies, his voice laced with anger, “it’s where our mother was killed.”

Luca blinks, sucking in a sharp breath, and I can see the realizationhit him hard. He’s the youngest and doesn’t remember much about our mother. She died shortly after he was born. Nico is different. He remembers her well. They were close—much closer than she and I ever were. I loved my mother, but she was not an easy woman to love. She was ambitious, cruel even. I’ve often wondered if she was only with our father because he’s a vampire king. My father adored her, but I’ve never been convinced it was mutual.

“Nico?” I ask, keeping my voice steady, though it’s laced with concern. If my brother can’t handle going back to the site of our mother’s murder, I won’t force him.

Nico’s eyes burn with a mix of rage and pain. “I hate that place, but I won’t let you down. She wouldn’t want that.” He stands abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor, and storms out of my office without a backward glance.

Luca watches him leave, still shaken. “I didn’t realize it was the Duomo di San Gimignano.”

I sense the surge of emotion in my brother, the storm brewing beneath his calm exterior. “It’s okay if you don’t want to go,” I say, my voice softer now. This is the only time I would ever let my brothers off the hook. We stand together, or we fall apart—it’s never been truer than in this moment.

“I… I don’t remember her very well, and what I do remember… well, she was…” Luca’s voice trails off, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

Mean? Cruel? Not the kind, nurturing figure others assumed she was?

Luca’s eyes widen slightly, and he gives a small nod.I always thought it was just me, that I’d somehow offended her.

I snort, bitterness lacing my tone. “No. She was a cruel and devious person. I never got along with her and hated the way she treated our father. I’m sorry she treated you the way she treated me. I thought she would’ve been kinder to you, like she was to Nico since you’re the youngest. I should have been around more.”

“I don’t blame you for taking off,” Luca says, shrugging. “I did the same as soon as I could. But it’s all in the past, and I don’t have a problem going to the Duomo di San Gimignano.”

“Thanks.”

Luca gives me a curt nod. “I’m going to make a few calls and then feed. Do you need anything?”

I shake my head, watching him leave. Vampires have the same family issues as humans—it took me centuries to realize that. My mother was horrible to everyone except Nico. I always assumed she wasn’t as bad to Luca as she was to me, but knowing the truth just solidifies my theory. I’ve always suspected Nico wasn’t my father’s son, that he was sired by another. I’m equally sure my father knows and doesn’t care. He’s always treated Nico as his own, and I love my brother—it doesn’t matter to me who his father is.

But deep down, I think Nico knows, and it matters to him.

A problem for another day… if we live that long.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Isit at the kitchen counter, slowly picking at leftovers. I’m not hungry, but with Albert gone to his event and Renzo and his brothers going over last-minute details in my former office, there’s not much else to do. Renzo still won’t let me in on their plans, but at least I know he’s taking Luigi. That makes me feel a little better. Luigi knows how to deal with the ‘Ndrangheta—he’s been doing it for years. He’s the one who initially opened the door to the truce, and his territory borders theirs. A few independent families exist between Luigi and the ‘Ndrangheta’s sectors, but they’re nothing too strong or crazy, just smaller groups feeding off the scraps left behind by both sides. Except for Rome. Rome has always done its own thing.

I hear the office door open and footsteps echo down the hallway. My heart clenches, and I blink back tears. This is it—the last time I’ll see my husband. I can’t live in a world where I don’t matter, where I’m always on the outside looking in. I can’t live with a vampire. That level of monstrosity is unfathomable, beyond terrifying, at the same time alluring. I can’t allow myself to be drawn in. Staying would be signing my death warrant. Maybe I’d get a few years, but eventually, he’d have to kill me. It would be safer for him and his family. I knowtheir secrets, and the expiration date on my existence is looming. Better to run and give myself a chance.

I stand and walk into the hallway, forcing a smile as they approach the door. “Good luck,” I say, my voice wavering just a little.

Nico gives me a quick nod, his expression unreadable. Luca stares blankly, like he’s not really seeing me. Renzo stops in front of me, his gaze softening as he takes my face in his hands. “We’ll be back before dawn,” he murmurs, running his knuckles along my jaw. He leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “Sleep while you can because once I’m home there will be no sleep.” He kisses my forehead, lingering for a moment longer than usual, and then he’s gone, the door closing with a finality that echoes through me.

I walk to the living room window and watch them get into the convoy of SUVs waiting outside. The line of vehicles resembles something a visiting dignitary and their entourage would have—all they need is their own flag to fly. They are royalty, and everyone knows it.

My heart pounds as a thought seizes me—what about the police? Once the Carabinieri know Renzo is alive, will they go after him for Russo’s murder? Will Renzo end up in jail? I snort at the absurdity. Even if he does, he won’t stay there long. But would that create an opening for me in the family? Hope sparks, only to flicker out immediately. Even if Renzo is jailed for a short time and I take over, I’d be right back where I started the moment he’s freed. And if he never gets out, the families won’t keep me at the helm. The ‘Ndrangheta would revolt for sure.

No, it’s better to go. Now is my moment. Time to strike out on my own and pray no one can track me down. I turn away from the window as the last SUV disappears down the drive and climb up to the bedroom. I pull out a duffel bag and throw in a few days’ worth of clothes, an extra pair of shoes, and the blonde wig. I change from my dress into jeans and a sweater, pulling my hair into a bun. I glance around once more before grabbing a bracelet with a universal key hidden on it—just in case I get handcuffed along the way. "You never know," my mother used to say.

And she was right. I sure as hell didn’t.

I slip on my boots and grab my phone. I call Ralf. “Hey, Ralf, I’m going to meet Luna at the café in town. I want to leave in five minutes.”

“Si. Five minutes,” he replies.

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