Page 97 of Venice Vampyr: The Beginning

“Yes,” Nico continued, “what if they all have code names they call each other by, so that if they are being overheard, their true identities won’t be revealed?”

Lorenzo’s spirit lifted. The find hadn’t been for naught. “Then we simply have to figure out the code. Knowing that Massimo, Giovanni and Salvatore have to be on the list, if we can decipher what their code names were, we can get behind the logic of it and figure out the remaining names.”

Nico grinned. “You’re taking the words right out of my mouth, my friend.”

“Excellent!” Dante slapped Nico on the shoulder and looked into the round. “Let’s get to work then.”

As his friends huddled together to pour over the list, Isabella rose from her seat and approached him. In a low voice, she addressed him. “Lorenzo, I think you should take your wife home. She seems unwell.”

Instantly, his gaze shot to his wife, and indeed she looked somewhat pale. “Thank you, Isabella.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it before he strode to Bianca.

“My sweet, let’s go home.”

Bianca gave him a grateful smile. “If you need to stay, I can go by myself.”

Lorenzo pulled her up to stand. “I’d rather spend the rest of the night with you than with my friends.” Then he snaked his arm around her waist. “Now come, you need to rest.”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

He smiled at her attempt to brush off his concern and made his excuses before he led Bianca out of the house. Glad that his house was only steps from Raphael and Dante’s, he lifted her into his arms and carried her, ignoring her protests.

“I can walk.”

He pressed a quick kiss on her lips to stop her from talking, then carried her into their home and up the stairs. “I like having you in my arms.”

In their chamber, he gently set her on her feet. She instantly swayed, then ran for the commode which held a pitcher of water and a bowl.

“Oh, no!” she wailed, before she bent over the bowl and cast up her accounts.

With two steps, Lorenzo was behind her, slid his arm around her waist and supported her. Despite the fact that she was unwell, he couldn’t suppress his smile. His sweet little wife was giving him the most amazing present.

With his free hand he poured her a glass of water.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong. Maybe the meat I ate was spoiled.”

“Drink.”

She took a gulp of water, washing out her mouth, then spit it out. “I’m better. I’m sorry you had to see this.”

Lorenzo’s hand slid possessively over her stomach, and his lips went to her ear. “My sweet, I’ll be here whenever you need me. And now that we can be relatively certain that you’re enceinte, we have a decision to make.”

“Enceinte?” Bianca gasped and turned to face him.

“Yes, my love. There can be no other reason for your sickness. And if you need any more proof: you’ve not once rejected my advances in the last weeks and claimed to have your courses.”

“Oh, my God.” She looked down at herself and pressed her hand onto her stomach, then looked back up at him with wonder in her eyes. “A child.”

“Yes, our child. But we have to—”

She grabbed his hand. “Lorenzo, will it be vampire like you or human like me?”

“That is for you to decide.”

Bianca gave him a confused look. “But how?”

“If you decide you want a human child, there’s nothing for you to do. But should you decide you want a child that’s half vampire, half human, for it can never be fully vampire, you have to drink my blood while the child is in your womb. You have time to decide until you’re four months along.”

Would she want a child that was part vampire? Lorenzo knew what he wanted.