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37 • Scapegoat
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2023-08-11 15:39:18Related chapters
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 38 • No, We're Not Friends
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆We reached her hotel room in three minutes or less. Alone. Enjoying the little privacy we still had. Once I shut the door behind us, my phone buzzed in my back pocket, but I ignored it. The feeling of her entire body leaning against me trumped everything else.In the dimness, I nuzzled the side of her ear as my hands traced the curve of her hips, earning me a muted sigh from her. A sigh of regret? Or total submission? Perhaps both. "Maxim, we can't." Adreana spoke in a hushed voice, perhaps out of embarrassment and worry. Her warm breaths fanned my cheeks and mouth, and her soft hand wouldn't stop caressing my chest."Yeah. I know.""We just can't right now. Sorry.""Don't apologize," I murmured after gently kissing her temple. "You know why," she went on upon glancing at me, her sigh prolonged. "Love, I just wanna be safe."I pulled away. Did she just say "love"? Was it a pet name she used with her other friends? Did she have any friends? "I know.""Goodnight kiss?"
Last Updated : 2023-08-12The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 39 • My Brother's A Lawless Crook
◆ LORENZIO ◆ "Two weeks. Bring her back here. " "Yeah. Yeah. Heard you the first time." "Stronzo." [Asshole.] "Nice talkin' to you, too." I scowled at the number on my screen after the beep. The petty threat behind his words did nothing to lull the violent images forming in the back of my mind. It wasn't an absolute bluff—I just got an email from one of his lawyers confirming my suspicion. Considering his obsession with Alodia didn't wane, I'd bet good money he would punish whoever he deemed complicit in his ex-girlfriend's disappearance. Even Rafa, who only hung out with my brother a handful of times, knew Leandro was the type to bribe cops and hire a hitman just to get rid of witnesses or anyone who dared to stand in his way. Shite. I'd better call Rafa now. Warn him. Convince him to give up her whereabouts. With my phone, I shut the bathroom door and sat on the edge of the cold tub. I doubted a recent video clip of a healthy, happily pregnant Alodia would be enough for her
Last Updated : 2023-08-15The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 40 • The Birthday Gift I Want
◇ MYKAELA ◇ A little after nine o'clock. Okay. Not too late. No more rush hour traffic. We'd be there in less than an hour. I glanced down at the duffel bag sitting beside me. It hid overnight clothes, some toiletries, my laptop, tablet, and some books I should read through over the weekend. I simply could not afford to fail that post-training assessment. The bag in the trunk wasn't for me, though. It contained a dozen curtains for Enzo's house. My apology and excuse to see him. All brand new, too. I leaned forward and scrunched up my nose at the strong, musky aftershave scent all over the interior. I blamed the guy sitting in front of me. "Lele." "Miss?" "You sure your boss just got home?" I sat up straight. I placed my hand on the back of the driver seat where Marco sat. Gabriele budged and stopped chewing his gum to regard me. "Yup. 'Bout two hours ago." So Enzo went out for dinner? Alone? "Where was he?" "Downtown." But where exactly? "D'you know who met up with him?" "Ju
Last Updated : 2023-08-17The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 41 • I'm Getting Hitched
Mariangela, Umbria ◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ "Why'd you get another haircut?" "I was bored." With a half-empty wine glass, I flumped down in the chair beside my grinning drinking buddy tonight. My cousin snickered. "Looks good on you." Covered up by a dark tracksuit and sneakers, Ricchar took a drag, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You look so grown up, bambino." I scoffed at his attempt to mimic my mother's voice. "Just tryna look like a respectable corporate guy," I mumbled, cringing at my own words. But it wasn't a lie. This shorter haircut should be able to somewhat improve my image, and make me look like I had my shit together. The people I worked with and the clients I handled on a regular basis wouldn't take me seriously if I kept looking like just another a drug-addled frat boy. "Did Magnus contact you again?" "This week?" I shook my head while my borderline alcoholic cousin poured more red wine into his glass. "Why? He called you?" "No." "You need to talk to him?" What for? Di
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 42 • My Love, I'm Not Your Ex
◇ MYKAELA ◇ "Sorry." I held in a sigh. The disappointed look in Lorenzio's eyes just made me wish I could disappear into thin air. "I can't this week." "Why not?" "The training. We have another assessment. I need to pass it," I explained. The thought of him introducing me to his best friend and his family as his new girlfriend living under his roof also didn't sit well with me. "Alright," Enzo muttered with a slight nod before looking away. My heart protested at the thought of leaving this place first thing, and I didn't want to discourage him further. But I just couldn't back out of that training. And I doubted we'd only spend a day in Rome if I said yes to his invitation. "Next time. Okay?" "Yeah. Alright." He nodded weakly, staring at my lips. The dismay in his deep voice was starting to chip at my resolve. I turned to the door. Before I could walk out, he blocked the doorway with his arm and leg, forcing me to turn around and look him in the eye again. "But you want to? Rig
Last Updated : 2023-08-20The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 43 • Karma's Wrath
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ "Yeah. I checked his record again. Guy's in a coma. Stuck in the ICU. Don't know for how long."The jackass was comatose in a hospital in Rome? I leaned forward and stared at my phone. Although some part of me doubted the accuracy of Niccolo's update, the information still put a grin on my face. Karma caught up to the abusive shithead, probably. "You sure it's him?""It's him. I just saw his uncle and father walk out of the ICU." "The filthy rich uncle?""Yep." Niccolo sighed on the other line, his voice nasal and quite huskier than usual. "What happened?""Car accident. Guy was rushed to the ER by EMTs two days ago."I turned my chair so I faced the blank wall behind me. "And they confirmed his identity the same day?""Positive. DUI. He was in a seaside hotel three hours before the accident.""Which hospital?" I muttered. "HC Monte Oliva.""You saw the tox report?""Sure." Nicco yawned. "Alcohol and a mix of party drugs."Okay, then. It wasn't a botched hit, or so
Last Updated : 2023-08-22The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 44 • A Strange Kind Of Love
◇ MYKAELA ◇ "Your team heard of the newest outbreak?" "We discussed it last week." Sweaty and panting somewhat, Lorenzio stared at me as he approached the dining table which I'd been using as my study desk. "Remember that five-hour meeting with Graham and the board?" I nodded. "Yeah." Graham, being Zione Bio's chief scientist, headed their team of medical and pharmaceutical researchers currently based here in New York. "The infected patients exhibit flu-like symptoms. The hospitalized ones, definitely." Standing to my right, Enzo squinted at the books splayed open on his dark solid marble dining table. "Graham and Dr. Chen went over the most recent anecdotal reports. The Board got curious enough when Graham emailed them about it." "Jeez. It's a strange one." I drew in a long breath as I updated the list of TBR medical journals on my tablet. "Seems highly transmissible," I muttered. Like some of my clinical professors, I'd been worrying about the most recent public health issue t
Last Updated : 2023-08-23The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 45 • Surprise Visit
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ "Morning." "Busy day?" "Dinner tonight?" "Adreana." "Hey. You okay?" Sent With my coat draped over the armrest of my swivel chair, I scowled at the rows of messages just waiting for a response. A simple "yes" or "okay" would be enough. I planned to ask her out. Take her to dinner. Take her somewhere nice and private. That new restaurant beside our fourth biggest hotel served great food and had enough privacy. I could take Adreana there, so we could discuss the terms in that marital agreement I drafted. But that seemed unlikely now. Five and a half days... We hadn't spoken to each other since Monday night. She wouldn't even send a one-liner reply to my texts. It shouldn't be a big deal. She could just be too busy with her workload. Or too pissed. My ego only urged me to imagine the worst. Keeping me from going to her office. Keeping me from calling her again. From grasping at straws. Sitting behind my desk, I pocketed my phone and reassembled my gun. Piece by
Last Updated : 2023-08-25
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The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] EPILOGUE • Life's Too Short For Grudges
The HamptonsNew York ◇ MYKAELA ◇ Wow. Just stunning. Every inch of this property was breathtaking, every view worth every penny. The photos my brother sent me last week couldn't compare to the real thing. This place was paradise on steroids. I should send him a big, pricey Thank-You gift for this much-needed vacation...in this private, safe, luxurious, and peaceful beachfront haven many could only dream about. The views looked like life-size wallpapers. "I could get used to this," I sighed, talking to myself while my hands got busy with the pan and spatula. If I didn't have a hospital job and if Enzo could work from home forever, I would pack up our stuff and move in here first thing. Too bad we weren't insanely rich like my brother. This was the newest multimillion-dollar property on his list of assets, and on my birthday, Magnus offered to lend this vacation house all weekend. Actually he said we could "use it whenever" we felt like going here. But of course I told him Enzo a
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 96 • You'll Always Be My Little Princess
◇ MYKAELA ◇ Before I could question him about the lawyer, one of Ilya's security staff entered the room and dropped a duffel bag on the floor. Right beside Enzo. I clamped my mouth shut, my chest and stomach clenching. The guard left the room without saying anything. I glanced at Lorenzio. I could see his scowl deepen despite his mask. Before I could unzip the small duffel, he crouched and swiftly inspected the contents. My breath hitched. I gawked at the wads of hundred dollar bills staring back at me, the shock pinning my feet on the spotless floor. Thin rubber bands bundled up the fresh bills. I'd never seen this much cash up-close, with my own eyes. If I had to guess, they probably amounted to at least a million bucks. Or more? Enzo flung me a look of annoyance, then stepped away from the duffel bag. "What's this for?" He glared at Ilya. I glanced at the piles of cash. A bitter taste settled in my tongue, my feet itching for the door. Obviously the money belonged to the m
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 95 • Welcome To The Family, Sofija
Velikov, Senjak ◇ MYKAELA ◇ This was definitely luxury real estate. A filthy rich mobster's final stronghold. I winced at the thought and the cool wind sweeping across the sprawling rows of shrubs, flowering trees, and freshly cut grass. I couldn't shake the nervous flutter in my stomach as the SUV drove away from the tall iron gates. I felt as if we're entering another world. This place almost looked like a compound. A luxurious safe haven that belonged to the man I didn't expect I'd be seeing again. The mansion right ahead looked like a modern palace by the lake. Wrapped in a knee-length coat, I stayed beside Enzo after we got out of the vehicle. The gusts sounded like they whispered more secrets about my family's mostly well-kept history. The ivy-covered fence and picturesque yard sprawled like living artwork. This was a stark contrast to our modest home in Schenectady, a place where Ilya's name was never spoken. Until Daddy Jim died. "He must be excited to see you." Magnus st
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 94 • Revenge Of The Mafia Boss
◇ MYKAELA ◇ The bulletproof SUV rumbled along the narrow, rain-soaked streets as heavy clouds cast a dreary atmosphere over us. We finally reached Senjak. The Internet said this was a residential part of Belgrade. This part of the city boasted affluent neighborhoods, some prime real estate, museums, and other landmarks of Serbian modern architecture. I thought Ilya would send a few of his security personnel to fetch us. But Magnus said this SUV would take us straight to the estate. I looked out the heavily tinted windows, the tiny raindrops running across the glass. The backseat and the rest of the interior looked high-end. Obviously this was an expensive armored vehicle. My brother didn't seem the type to disregard matters of security or take his for granted. Especially whenever he was in this country. I wouldn't be surprised if he was used to having at least five bodyguards escorting him and his wife. I could already imagine my other brothers and Ilya waiting for us in his man
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 93 • Love Is Like Cocaine
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ The turn my life had taken in the past couple of months was nothing short of mind-blowing. "Maxim, the windshield's bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason," Mamma would say. But part of me still couldn't believe the life I was living now. I just turned 30. Married now. With a kid on the way. And like Adreana's pregnancy, the outrageous numbers on my latest bank statement still wouldn't sink in. Maybe it was just unprocessed grief. Shock. Unresolved childhood traumas. Daddy issues. Or all of the above. Maybe it was just my conscience haunting me. Or Pappa. Did he hate me for killing him? For stealing his millions? For ruining his plans? Probably. Although he was a self-serving, greedy scumbag in every sense of the word, he shouldn't have died that way. He wouldn't have died that day if I didn't show up with a dangerously armed entourage. I shot him without even flinching. Murdered him in cold blood. I deserved this unending torment. ◆ I stared at my ph
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 92 • A Deal With The Cali Alpha
◇ MYKAELA ◇The party ended roughly two hours after dinner. My family and the last of our guests just left.Except Rafa. He'd be sleeping in the guest room tonight, and most likely for the next few days, until he was due to go back to Rome.Or Florence? I forgot to ask. I wasn't sure if Alodia was allowed to leave her ex's vacation house. Or if she still wanted to hang out with Raffaele from time to time.Enzo mentioned they were no longer an item.My breaths formed light mists in the crisp air as I tidied up his dimly lit backyard. The clatter of plates, clinking glasses, and the sounds of laughter lingered in my head. But the cold breeze only emphasized the emptiness I felt now.The heavy silence made room for darker thoughts. To keep distracting myself, I went back inside the house to fix the mess in Enzo's kitchen, scowling at the remnants of the party clinging to the countertops. I was used to this, though. Cleaning at the dead of night and being alone with my thoughts. I actuall
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 91 • The New Tomassini Heir
Florence, Italy ◆ LORENZIO ◆ Rain pelted on the windows as I sat next to my brother's loveseat in the middle of his spacious living room. Gray clouds hid the mid-afternoon sun, and the house, which once held memories of private and carefree moments, now felt like a comfortable prison. To me at least. This used to be my brother's favorite vacation house: a 4000-square meter countryside property with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an expensive fireplace, a huge yard, and a wide pool Leandro actually designed himself. Now that he was behind bars for violating his house arrest, he phoned and practically begged me to take his ex and their baby here. To keep them safe and away from unwanted media attention, he said. I supposed he just wanted to make sure that Rafa wouldn't be my nephew's stepdad anytime soon. The situation felt peculiar, to say the least. But I just couldn't say no to his request. An innocent child was involved. A clueless, helpless newborn. Leandro and Alodia's baby
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 90 • Impostor Syndrome
◇ MYKAELA ◇I felt like a fraud. An inadequate and incompetent failure. A liar, basically.Maybe some people I'd met actually thought I was an impostor. Nothing but a tryhard. Some days I just felt as if I were made to understand, but not to be understood. And lately I couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions redirecting the course of my thoughts practically every minute.Nothing new, though. These past few years had been a constant battle with this mindset. This anxious brain. All this negativity.But I knew I should feel grateful. Lucky. I should be thankful for a lot of things. Especially for this flawless human being in front of me.Like me, he didn't look too dressed up or underdressed. Despite his schedule, Lorenzio took the time to arrange this romantic dinner after he wasted his entire day at our graduation ceremonies, looking adorable and proud as he cheered me on and took pictures of me and Mommy Tilda all over the place.I sat back as the evening sun dipped below the cit
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 89 • Wife Material
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆I left Mamma's office and made my way to the parking lot after enduring ten minutes of small talk with some coworkers.The chilly weather seemed less hostile at this hour, as if it had sensed the shift in my mood. Alessio drove off after I told him I gotta check up on my wife.Wife.I winced. Not because Adreana didn't fit the role I asked her to play. I wouldn't have wifed her up that fast if I thought she wasn't emotionally mature enough, or couldn't handle the most basic household duties.The problem was me. Of course I was the issue. Even months after that rushed courthouse wedding, my brain still couldn't fully deal with the fact that I was someone's husband now. I couldn't even handle my own shit. Let alone another human being.It was sheer luck I found someone as caring and understanding as her. "She doin' okay?""Adreana? Yeah." Alei stepped on the gas. "Better than last month.""You sure Joachim's still in the hospital?""Hundred percent comatose. Just the way
