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9 • A Dangerous Love Affair
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2023-06-15 18:13:35Related chapters
The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 10 • My Name's Adreana
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ • Valle Astra, Italy •"Where's your Mamma? She's not answering." "Home." "Alone?" Ricchar coughed. "You called her guards?" "Two hours ago. She's prolly asleep in her room," I replied to his mumbled question on the other line, putting the call on speaker mode. "She didn't answer my text." "Exhausted. Sleeping it off." I took off my vest as Alessio, my bodyguard, parked the car in the garage. The numbers on the top of my screen said it was past midnight. My poor, hardworking mother wouldn't be up and about this late after that horrendous three days of internal audit. That Interpol douche had been pressing not just the DEA, but also the local authorities to help nab my "international drug lord" wannabe father. Stefano Falco was now a flat-out guilty fugitive as far as every citizen in this wretched country is concerned. Last I heard, whoever caught him alive would get a hefty reward or an outright promotion. I'd chip in a few million euros if I had the cash. Un
Last Updated : 2023-06-17The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 11 • The Tick Of The Clock
◇ MYKAELA ◇ The deafening silence only thrust more negativity into my thoughts as the minutes stretched between my slow, controlled intakes of breath. What just happened? I wasn't sure why he didn't want to talk. Or look at me. Did I do or say something wrong? Did I upset him? Because this wasn't part of the plan? Or was it because I didn't say no or try anything to stop him? My insides somewhat burned after every breath I silenced with effort. I stayed put on the left side of his bed, my hands clammy, my backside growing warmer on his soft pillow. Enzo sat on the other side, completely still. Also naked. Merely inches away from me. Scowling. Fairly distraught. He stared at something on the floor. The padded covers hid his crotch and nearly both of his bare, muscular legs. What now? Was he waiting for me to start a conversation? Explain myself? Crap. I should bolt. This was not the way I imagined this night would end. Not while I was in his embrace and he was kissing
Last Updated : 2023-06-18The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 12 • Polizia
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ "Does it still hurt?" "I'm alright. Why d'you keep asking?" "Just being proactive." I rested the back of my head on the pillow and checked the numbers on the nightstand clock. A little after four in the morning. But like myself, my female companion didn't feel like sleeping in. Adreana dragged herself out of my arms and pinched my cheek. "Quit it." "What?" "You're being sweet. Stop. I might read too much into it." Funny. I actually liked her sass. Her usual banter couldn't compete with my sexting game, but I appreciated her willingness to show vulnerability. "Am I?" I propped my weight on my elbows and watched her smirk disappear. "Stop it. I honestly can't afford to fall in love with you." With her hand on my chest, she closed her eyes and looked ready for sleep, her warm thigh stuck between my legs. "I have money." Adreana giggled. "I don't care. You're not husband material." That I wouldn't argue. But it was a subject we could discuss another time. "You wo
Last Updated : 2023-06-19The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 13 • Best Man
• Florence, Italy • ◆ LORENZIO ◆ "Nah. You'll still see me 'round once in a while. And if you need anything, just email me." "Sì, sappiamo. Ma ci mancherete molto, capo." [Yeah, we know. But we'll miss you a lot, boss.] "I'll tell Raffaele to make this a thing, and pay you more." I faked a grin for Davide, one of our pharmacy chain's oldest branch managers, aware that our new pharmacists were all eyes on us from their dining tables. Davide laughed with his tubby hand on his beer belly. "Così va meglio." [That sounds better.] "I know." We did a quick toast with our wine glasses. The clinking noises made me squint as I put on another chuffed smile. That ibuprofen pill was no match for this bloody jet lag. "See you soon." Grinning from ear-to-ear, Davide nodded and raised his glass. "Happy birthday! Enjoy New York." "Thanks." I turned around, the midday sun warming up the rest of my face and neck, forcing me to step away from the windows. Holding my empty glass, I headed towards t
Last Updated : 2023-06-21The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 14 • Not A Callgirl
◇ MYKAELA ◇1:49PM•••"Greetings from SBNYC! LORENZIO RUSSO TOMASSINI has sent USD35,000.00 to your account ending in '97033'. For any concerns, please contact the sender. Should you require further information about your account, call or email our Customer Care Desk."•••Thirty-five thousand in cash! Straight into my account? What on Earth?My legs numbed after my phone buzzed the second time. Another fund transfer notification with Enzo's full name just invaded my email inbox.After reading the rest of the text in the email, I glanced around the spacious library, almost cussing at the familiar pang in my lower abdomen as I tried to sit still beside my stalker—the money sender's bodyguard.One of his youngest security staff. Lele from Rome. A year my junior. The guy chewed gum as he stared at me with some amusement. Unlike the last time we saw each other, his blond hair looked shorter and gleamed under the ceiling lights. Neatly combed back and tapered on both sides. The colorf
Last Updated : 2023-06-22The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 15 • The Ultimate Betrayal
• Months earlier •◆ LORENZIO ◆ "Now what?" I leaned forward and stared at the Falco heirs, feigning a poker face to mask the days-old panic, guilt, and profound regrets that kept me tossing and turning in bed until dawn. Ricchar, like Maximiliano, didn't look eager to sift through the evidence. The look in their scrutinizing eyes bordered on judgmental, even. Doubtful. Most likely they doubted my account of what happened. Their partly confused, sometimes nonchalant reactions to the photos could be due to distrust. Of me. Of my family. But I already saw this coming. "You tell me." Ricchar tilted his stubbled chin. The chandelier above his desk highlighted the curls in his hair and his curious stare. "I... Tell you what?""Let's cut the shit. Yeah? When you decided to come here, did you expect a certain reaction?"Bollocks. Why did it matter? Of course I expected them to react a certain way. Not just squint or stare at me as if they were merely watching me weave an elaborate web of
Last Updated : 2023-06-29The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 16 • Friends With Benefits
◇ MYKAELA ◇ Two and a half days. Almost three days of complete silence. Another day of ignoring his messages, calls, and not hearing his voice would only make me feel like the most selfish, immature drama queen. Holding grudges wasn't my thing. Especially if my friendship and relationship with the person outweighed the cons of being their friend. I mean, I knew better than to assume that it was more than a "friends with benefits" kind of thing for Enzo. Maybe he believed my relationship with Miles equated to a FWB setup, just long-distance. Not accurate, but, also not that far from the truth. I stared at my phone, waiting, making up scary and unlikely scenarios in my head while grimacing at the familiar aches in my pelvic area. They felt like throbbing, gut-wrenching darts of pain. As usual.Lorenzio (new)"Please call Lele and Marco now. Tell them to stop following me."Sent "Just got home. They're still outside. Did you talk to them? Can I call you?"Sent Pretty sure he'd alrea
Last Updated : 2023-07-01The Mafia Heir & The Secret Heiress [Mafia Games XIII] 17 • Carelessly In Love
◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆ Blood. Too much blood. It smelled like her; it could only be hers. No one else would have bled that much under the covers. I unlocked my phone screen. No texts. No calls from her. Nothing. Shit. If she actually left without telling me anything, and she left right after those Carabinieri guys showed up, then that chick was definitely up to something. "Adreana?" My voice echoed across the hallway as I dashed past the door to the guest room. The bathroom closest to the kitchen was also empty, like the room we slept in. Right now she could be anywhere outside those gates. Or hiding somewhere in this house. But why would she hide? What other secrets did she have to hide? Or someone could have told her that the police were outside. "Adreana?" I ran out of the hall as calmly as I could, my heart closer to collapsing by the second. This stupid hide-and-seek just felt like the longest five minutes of my life. The dining room looked empty. Like the rest of the rooms on th
Last Updated : 2023-07-02
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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
