Page 177 of Made in Love and Blood

“Well, that’s that,” Carina sing-songed to her husband.

23. — all that is left...

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Staten Island, New York

Frankie, Gallo Estate Guesthouse

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The sight of the guesthouse’s white curtains backlit from dim light told Frankie two things as her gaze cleared of sleep. Morning arrived and she had fallen asleep again.

The gentle shift of the body she cuddled against, and the low exhale somewhere above her head followed the sensation of soft fingertips stroking circles along the top of her shoulder.

“It’s almost six-thirty,” Nico murmured softly. “Go back to bed.”

“Wasn’t supposed to sleep, anyway. Not if you weren’t.”

“If one of us can sleep, one of us should,” he returned.

Using the middle of his chest as a pillow, she couldn’t bear to look at him. His lack of sleep only meant one thing to Frankie. Even if he bent down to cup the side of her head before kissing her hair.

“You’re still mad at me,” she whispered.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Nico sighed hard. “Frankie—”

“You’ve been up all night. Why else would you stay up all night, if you weren’t mad at me?”

“You don’t know that I didn’t sleep.”

Finally, she lifted her head. His face told the story.

“You didn’t sleep,” she said, the truth final.

“Okay, I didn’t, but you did. That’s what matters. Between us, you’re the only one who really needs the rest.”

“You—”

“Stop,” he murmured, but not sharply. “I’m not mad,” Nico said after she laid her head back down on him. She traced lines along his chest, watching how his breathing steadied at her touch. “What did we say last night, Frankie?”

“It’s over. It’s done.”

His fingers left her shoulder to comb through the hair that had fallen alongside her face, brushing it back behind her ear. “What’s over—done?”

Pressing her lips together to suppress a smile, she failed miserably. “The fighting.”

“Why?”

“You’re insufferable.”

“No, just making sure you didn’t wake up with a different opinion than the one we settled on last night.”

“That’s unfair.”