◆ 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 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
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 ◇ 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 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
•••••••••••• ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2022 by M.Z. Mauve Scenes, characters, dialogues and events in this story are all invented. This story contains mature themes, profanity, graphic violence and graphic sexual content not intended for young readers. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this story or plagiarism of any kind is prohibited by the law. •••••••••••• This is the first draft of Book III of The Heir's Secret Obsession, my first crime/psych thriller/mafia romance story. Like the sequel, this is also written in 1st person narrative. If you've come this far and have read The Heir's Secret Obsession and The Alpha's Dhampirica, thanks a million ❤ Your continued support and interest in my stories is what keeps me going. Thanks for being patient! For the new readers' sake, the first few chapters (all free!) contain scenes from the first two books in this mafia romance series to provide some context and background info on the main characters' relationships.Some chapters i
Mariangela, Umbria2 years earlier ◇ MYKAELA ◇ Answers. I needed real answers. Right now we all did. Why did these people get hurt? Not one of them seemed eager to explain. What happened to the others was even more dreadful. Just inhumane. Did the local cops find out about the ambush yet? Who wanted to murder all of them in broad daylight? The list of reasons must be lengthy. A crime this violent couldn't be just a case of mistaken identity. At times, the fine line between a horrible dream and my own reality would blur. This morning was a prime example. Bloody. Nightmarish. The total opposite of what I pictured when I said yes to Miles. Did his parents call the cops yet? They still wouldn't say who caused all of this. Maybe they all thought the secrets I shouldn't be privy to should stay that way: Well-kept secrets. Miles didn't know anything. Or did he lie to me? But why? I took a deep breath. My face mask now smelled of coffee and blood. "Shit." I leaned against the cold
The Falco Estate◇ MYKAELA ◇ "We need to talk about your family." My family? "Do you know why, Mykaela?" Mr. Falco led me inside the old storage room in Ricchar's cold basement. One of the suit-clad guards switched on the lights. Pretty sure Mr. Falco never left his house without his security detail. The door locked with a soft click. The gun-toting bodyguard snuck out of the room without sparing us another glance.Mr. Falco turned to face me, his tone low, restrained annoyance tensing up his angular jaw. It pushed a sharp, ominous feeling deep down in my gut. The cold wall behind me somehow made my palms sweat buckets. Or it was this behind-closed-doors talk with the big boss, who, for some reason seemed eager to talk about my family. Why? Did Miles share something besides my father's recent hospitalization? Why bring up my family again? Why here and why now?"I-I'm sorry. What're we talking about?" The thumps in my chest ratcheted up. Grayish specs partly obscured his attentive