◇ 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
◆ 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
◇ 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
◆ 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
◆ LORENZIO ◆ "So, to be clear, it's not just a BDSM thing?" Hurting people like that? Physically injuring another person and drinking their blood? If it was just some stupid kink, I'd rather not ask why she agreed to participate in such acts. I had an inkling Maximiliano eagerly talked her into it years ago. "No. No. It's not like that." Mykaela covered her eyes and shook her head, the grin on her lips forced. "It's really not about that." "Ah. I see," I muttered as I sat next to her, both of us hunched over on my couch. I had been keeping my reactions of pure shock and doubtful interjections to a minimum, just trying my best to listen and digest her every word, my sleep-deprived head struggling to comprehend it all. It didn't help that she'd go off on a tangent every ten seconds or so, too quick for my foggy brain to keep up. It wasn't an overdose of caffeine, though. Mykaela rarely used coffee as an energy drink. Or was this her idea of a sick joke? Quite an elaborate prank. I'd
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ "It's fine. I'll just go back to bed." "You want me to leave?" "No." Adreana made a face, the tone of her raspy voice somewhat alarmed. "Not really. But if you have somewhere to be, then go." Fighting off the almost painful boner she just gave me, I stood by the foot of the bed. The last thing I wanted to do was leave her in here, completely alone and overworked, while the murderous drug lord downstairs was seething with the urge to behead me. It was Leandro, and my loaded pistol couldn't wait to say hi to him face-to-face. "We can, erm, talk again tomorrow," Adreana murmured with her back to me. She wouldn't look me in the eye. As if our steamy encounter just minutes ago gave her nothing but embarrassment. "Or whenever you're not too busy. Just phone me." "Right." I stepped away from her, studying her mostly awkward movements as she tidied up the nightstand. "I'll be here. Or working OT in the office." "Want me to get you a new phone?" "No. But thanks. Just co
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ Lying bitch. Of course she knew him. She knew the Tomassinis and she lied. Fucking lied to my face. I'd rather not know the actual number of times she deceived me. Probably way more than twice. Must be part of her job. I wouldn't be surprised if she also lied to me about that night we met. "Nicolas was Leandro and Ignazio's guy in Rome. One of their most trusted washers." With Alessio standing beside me, Dominico casually explained some of the Sonnenbergs' involvement in his father's clandestine deals before Dominico walked out the glass doors with his bodyguards. The guy wouldn't bullshit me. Why would he? Lying about meeting Adreana and her ex wouldn't benefit him in any way. Apparently Dominico met her in Rome. Back when she was still living with Joachim. And she lived with the prick for a year or so. Because she thought they would get married eventually? Maybe. Either Leandro or Dominico's piece of shit father paid Adreana to spy on me. Or was it just Mamma o
◇ MYKAELA ◇Vampirars and secret vampire clans...Cousins marrying each other to keep the bloodline pure...Sex-for-blood deals...Drinking human blood for a chronic liver disease...Old money families practicing other strange traditions...Witch curses and blood pacts...I wanted to tell him the rest of it. All of it. Every single thing I learned about the Falcos. But it might backfire.Lorenzio had heard enough for one day. Everything I'd told him about Miles and his family... Surely it pushed the boundaries of his imagination. Against Enzo's will, for the most part.If I didn't pump the brakes yesterday by distracting him with the pregnancy test kits, he might've dropped me off at the nearest psychiatric facility. Perhaps he thought, Miles treated me like he owned me because of the scars he left on my body.Not the real story, though. I often chalked it up to my masochistic alter ego. But I could tell Enzo didn't really believe it was all consensual. And I didn't know what else to
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
◇ 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
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
◇ 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
◆ 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
◇ 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
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
◇ 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
◆ 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