◇ KEL ◇       "You full?"   "Very."   "Enjoyed the food?"   "Yeah." I gave Enzo a small nod and lazily got up from my seat, putting on a smile for him when I noticed he was staring at me again.    The restaurant was about to close now, with only a couple of hotel guests lingering near the buffet table.  I cooked him a small lunch meal earlier, but I knew he wanted to eat out for dinner.  And I just couldn't say no when he invited me to hang out with him in the hotel where he's  staying.   Enzo just treated me to dinner for the third time, despite my refusal to let him pay for everything.  It wasn't like a romantic date, though, like the first few times we dined out.  Just two friends hanging out over a meal.  No more, no less.   "Thank you for dinner. My treat next time. Okay?" &nb

◆ MAGNUS ◆ [ Briggstown, Venezuela ] "Send me the details tomorrow.""Sure.""Not sure when I'll get back. Talk to the EPs and make sure he shows up first thing. Hundred percent sober.""Yeah. Got it.""Keep him on a leash." I ended the call before tossing the phone onto the nightstand, too groggy to wait for a reply or a quick goodbye. With a sigh, I rubbed the remnants of sleeplessness out of my eyes before focusing on the beachfront view in front of me. It should calm me down, but it didn't. We were still on vacation. But like always, the job followed me wherever, no matter the time of day. It shouldn't bother me anymore, but, my wife was my priority right now.This trip to another continent was meant to be a quick one. A test run of some sort. A little experiment. Just something to rekindle old feelings and hopefully get us out of the seemingly ceaseless shambles our relationship had become. I didn't expect Evie would fall in love with this place. Her choice to stay a whole mo

◆ MILES ◆ "Bambino, è un compito semplice, ma di enorme importanza." [My boy, it's a simple task, but one of grave importance.] "Alora?" [So?] I swore inwardly, waiting for him to cut the bullshit. He didn't call me "bambino" unless he wanted me to do something for him. Important or otherwise. Or he wanted to manipulate me into agreeing to something he said or proposed. "Parlagli e basta, e fatti dare le sua benestare." [Just talk to him, and y'know, get his blessing.] "Cosa sta' dicendo, Pappa?" [What're you saying, Pappa?]Get that old dirtbag's approval? What for? That nutjob Leandro Tomassini already signed the contract for the port deal, including the senior executives and the board of directors. That deal was closed months ago. Why should I ask for that dirty old creep's blessing? Shit if I had to meet with Ignazio Tomassini this week. Enzo and Leandro's uncle. Currently the head of the Tomassini empire. Since Leandro was still in training wheels, Pappa mentioned that the T

◆ MILES ◆ Meet up with his COO?  Lying bastard.  Before I could shout profanities at my phone screen like a drunken lunatic,  I rang his number and waited as my jaw tensed up.  The odd, aching sensation in my gut just got worse.  But I had to confront him now and get some things off my chest.  Not very nice things. The prick probably thought I wouldn't find out about him seeing Mykaela again.  Did he think I was that clueless and stupid? The guy picked up after two rings.  "Hey, Maxim. You got my message last time?" I ignored his question and held back a sigh of frustration.  I clenched my fist.  He just called me by my childhood nickname again, as if we were old friends.  "What the fuck do you want with her?"  I blurted.    No time for bullshit.  We'd better get straight to the point before he could think of an alibi, and

◆ MILES ◆  ... "We're cooking something up with Leandro, Lorenzio's brother. He's got a new lab." Ricchar grabbed the wine bottle in front of him.  "It's a new one. Not as dangerous as meth or heroin." "Are you kidding?" I wanted to swear at the underlying suggestion.  "You're turning into Pappa." Ricchar shrugged nonchalantly at my comment, his lips pouting somewhat.  "Leandro's chemists say it's just like taking vitamins, or painkillers. It's more of an opioid. Cheaper than blow. You could easily sell it to your friends." For Pete's sake.  Now my own cousin's convincing me to become one of their drug dealers. Chemists...  I wondered how many millions they got paid per year straight from the Tomassinis' offshore bank accounts.  "Fuck no. Not gonna happen." I chuckled and looked away from him in incredulity.  I had enough life-derailing addictions to deal with on a regular basis.  Wh