Page 140 of The Viper's Wife

A gun went off.

The baby.

I clutch at my stomach, expecting the sensation of blood to well through my fingers. Where did the bullet go? Did it hit me?

Please, please, not my baby, please.

But I don’t feel a thing.

Giovanni curses in Italian behind me.

I turn.

The entire Family pools out of the back door.

Nico passes the gun to Annetta, who stares at Giovanni with an unfamiliar, unforgiving look on her face. He takes long, angry strides past Giovanni groaning on the ground until he reaches me.

He came for me.

He lifts me to standing, his arm wrapping around my waist. His other hand comes to my cheek. “Did he touch you?”

I try to pull away—the Family, everyone cansee—but I’m so cold. It’s the adrenaline. The pregnancy. I’m shaking. “N-no.”

I glance at Giovanni. His hands are covered in blood. Nico shot him in the side.

Distantly, I wonder if we’ll still be able to convince the Family that Nico doesn’t love me now that he’s shot a man for me. I suppress a manic giggle.

“Nico, you fucking idiot!” Alessia shoves past the others and drops to Giovanni’s side. She snaps her head back toward the crowd. “Call the doctor,now!”

She gathers the ends of her skirts, tears them, and packs the material against Giovanni’s waist.

Murmurs pass from person to person.

Don Salvatore stands at the front, a phone pressed to his ear as he observes the scene with something that looks like amusement. At his side, his wife watches with morbid fascination.

It’s Ottavio who I turn from. Gaze burning, jaw clenched—he’sfurious.

I try to curl into Nico’s arms, praying that he’ll fix this, somehow. That he has a plan.

But he won’t let go of my jaw, his eyes locked onto my lips.

He’s going to kiss me.

I rear back, to protect us both, but his fingers are strong and sure as he seals his mouth to mine.

My thoughts rocket in every direction. What is he doing? What about our plan? They’ll allsee—but the scent and warmth and overwhelming sense of rightness at Nico’s kiss overwhelms my thoughts.

For the tiniest sliver of a moment, I melt into his arms and just exist.

He’s with me now. We’ll figure out the rest.

When Nico pulls away, his expression is solemn as he turns to the watching crowd. His gaze lands on his dad.

“I’m marrying Valeria,” Nico announces, just loud enough to be heard across the patio and Giovanni’s heavy breathing. “The next time anyone threatens her, I won’t miss.”

He jerks off his coat and settles it over my shoulders like a shield.

Ottavio’s scowl deepens, and next to him, Don Salvatore’s mouth flickers with something that could be a smile.