◇ KEL ◇
When Alessio said Miles' parents were outside, I expected both Mr. and Mrs. Falco to walk into the private room. Miles made a face and opened the door. Only his mother stood in the hallway, carrying a small basket of fruits. Her bodyguards were probably nearby. Dressed in all white, Mrs. Falco approached the hospital bed before I could greet the older woman. Eleana's mild perfume smelled like vanilla and fresh flowers. Her striking features and wavy dark brown hair reminded me from whom Miles inherited his looks. She hugged me lightly, carefully, all the while Miles stood by the door with Alessio. Both were talking in Italian."I'm so sorry." Eleana Falco pulled a face after glancing over my current condition, seeming truly worried. "How are you feeling?" Her somewhat comforting voice cracked while tears filled her beautiful deep-set eyes, her thick lashes now a bit damp.He••••••••••••ALL RIGHTS RESERVED COPYRIGHT © 2020 by M.Z. Mauve• DISCLAIMER •Scenes, characters, dialogues and events in this story are all invented.This story contains mature themes, profanity, violence, and sexual content not intended for young readers. All photos included in this book belong to the copyright owners. Full credits to the owners.Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this story or plagiarism of any kind is prohibited by the law. ••••••••••••Author's Notes:Hi, dear readers!❤ Thank you for sticking with us and for reading this draft of my crime/mafia/romance story."THE ALPHA'S DHAMPIRICA" is the title of the sequel, now published on this same profile. It was written as a vampire/mafia/romance novel again, like the original version of this book. If my schedule permits, I would rewrite a non-paranormal version of this first installment soon. I really hope you'll love the second book as well!Moreover, some chapters in the sequel also contain non-English dialogu
Copyright © 2020 by M.Z. MauveAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.Scenes, characters, dialogues and events in this story are all invented. This story contains mature themes, profanity, violence, and 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. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE PHOTOS INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK AND ON THE COVER. FULL CREDITS TO THE OWNERS. P.S. Thank you for giving this a read! This is a rewrite of my first crime/romance/vampire story now written in 1st person POV here on Goodnovel. Sit tight and enjoy! ❤ . . . E X C E R P T . . . ◇ KEL ◇It took me a while, but I finally figured it out. White mists came out of my nose and mouth, the dimness amplifying my dark imagination. The sky stayed black and unhelpful as my breathi
◇ KEL ◇His phone wasn't on loudspeaker, but I could hear enough. His dad just had this deep and clear-cut, usually authoritative voice. I grabbed my satchel and pretended not to listen in before unbuckling my seat belt. Ignoring Miles and his glances took some acting skills; I just didn't want him to think I was eavesdropping.He reclined in the driver seat, frowning, his attention currently held by an unexpected phone call from his parents. Mr. Falco asked another question over the phone as Miles parked in front of the house."Sì, Pappa." Miles pulled the car keys out of the ignition before I stepped out of the passenger seat. "Erm...sì. Aspetti, forse verrò," Miles said, his obvious reticence thinning his voice. With his cellphone pressed onto his ear, he muttered more Italian phrases and stepped out of his car, hurriedly and with a mild frown I got used to seeing every time he talked to his parents.Consistent and quite curiosity-piquing, but definitely none of my beeswax.Miles
◇ KEL ◇ "Dessert?""No thanks." I glanced around the spacious basement. Paint-smeared cans, scrapped lifesize canvasses, and soiled, overused rags littered the floor of the studio. Most of them were just days-old trash waiting to get stuffed into large garbage bags.It was the only room in the house where my artistic friend didn't observe cleanliness and order to an impressive degree. It was also the only room where I was least welcomed in. Miles loved working on his art in total solitude, quiet and undisturbed.White lights lit the basement but not too brightly. He probably liked the fairly mysterious lighting. Maybe it helped him get in the mood to paint? Miles stood in the middle of the room, and his pants looked overused with patches of different colors. "You're the only girl I know who doesn't like chocolates.""I'm just really full," I replied. My stomach just protested at the thought of artificial flavorings and processed sugars. The juicy, meaty steak he cooked for me s
◇ KEL ◇"How's he doing?""Worse, of course," my sister muttered on the other line.I shut up after Jill's reply."Just hop on a flight. Say it's an emergency leave.""Would be nice if I had the option," I sighed as I furiously rubbed a soap-drenched sponge onto the floor tiles. I cursed myself in my head, well aware of the three things Miles hated about having a roommate.Number one on the list?Sharing.Being an only child—for 27 years and counting—"sharing" wasn't particularly present in his vocabulary. All of his friends knew Miles only took me in and let me cohabit with him in his uber-expensive property out of pure pity (my parents weren't filthy rich like his), and for that one time I helped him get rid of an apparently obsessive ex.Number two?Sharing a kitchen.And third on the list:Sharing a kitchen and having a roommate who didn't appreciate kitchen hygiene as much as he did. Yep. He could be such a neat freak, too.Raspberry syrup. It used to be my favorite—like, two hour
◇ KEL ◇ Another photo shoot consumed my entire day. It was a local eyewear brand, and my agent said they paid well. Quarter past five, I took the bus and a cab to head back to Miles' house, two hours away from the photo shoot venue.His car wasn't in the driveway. It was still early evening; he was out with his best friends, probably drinking again. I locked the gates and scanned the lawn before heading to the front door. Everything looked in order.Exhausted, hungry, and alone, I retreated to the warm confines of my bedroom—the bigger one among the guest rooms—and immediately rang my sister's number. For seconds, I just waited for the ringing noise to end, eager to hear Jill's voice again."Hey. Done with the shoot?""Yeah. Home now. How's Dad?""A little better, but..." Jill's voice thinned. "The doctors don't recommend surgery. For now."So surgery wasn't an option. I scratched my forehead at the discouraging news."Still under heavy meds. He's asleep most of the time." Jill sig
◇ KEL ◇My mother's tone was not in distress, d
◆MILES ◆