◇ KEL ◇ Ospedale Santa Rossi ... The guilt had never felt this tangible. It crawled under my skin, heightened the shame, and worsened the regret that mixed with my confusion. Shame for just letting it all happen. Regret for not even trying to stop it. The dam just collapsed. Too full for inhibitions. Too full for second thoughts. Or was this a long time coming? The lights weren't bright at all, but something deep inside me just coiled at the thought of him seeing everything. If memory served me, he'd never seen me this unclothed. Not what bothered me most, though. I just wanted to make sure he's still comfortable being in the same room with me...sharing the same bed. Totally out of the blue. Totally didn't make a lick of sense. I didn't think it would go this far. Neither did he, as far as I could tell. This night was supposed to end with me dozing off over statistical discussion paragraphs, right as scheduled. Not with both of us in his new bed, undeniably naked, just awkwardl

◇ KEL ◇   "All good? Just like that?" Enzo stared.  Another frown wrinkled his sore lips, and his voice sounded weaker.  The perplexity and frustration in his tone helped his question sink into my thoughts.   Bound to happen sooner than later.  The anger.  Betrayal.  Shock.  Like he couldn't comprehend how his own brother could hurt him like that, as if punishing him for a grave misdeed.  Now it seemed all he wanted was my sympathy.   Perhaps he just wanted me to assent to his anger and sentiments because he felt pained, betrayed, and alone right now.  His fiancée just left him for another man, his brother mercilessly beat him to a pulp last night, and the closest thing he had to a family right now was his longtime bodyguard waiting outside.  "Why do you pretend it's nothing?" Enzo's brows creased more as he scowled at me.   Great.  Now he wanted to a

◇ KEL ◇   "Hi, babe. Morning. Get enough sleep?"   "No. Are you in his room?"   "Yeah. Why?" I held my phone against my ear, ignoring Miles' peeved tone on the other line.  I glanced at the sleeping patient on the hospital bed. I had dimmed the lights. Maybe I could log some Zs before the doctor checked up on Enzo again.  "Nicco okay?"   "Alive and kicking," Miles muttered. "Guards still up?"   "Alessio brought food an hour ago. The other guard left, just finished his shift. Tell Nicco to rest more. Don't overwork him."   Miles scoffed. "He'll live.  Your patient's still asleep?" Now his tone sounded genuinely curious and derisive.   "Yeah. Didn't sleep much last night." I got up from the couch to look out the thick glass windows.  The weather looked gloomier than my current thoughts. Hopefully Miles and Ricchar di

◇ KEL ◇Killed? What did he mean? That he killed his faith in God?  Or he actually killed someone? Nah. Not possible. This guy wasn't a killer by any means. I shifted on the chair to study his expression, narrowing my gaze at his still profile, waiting for him to say more.  No.  No way he meant it literally. Who on Earth would he even kill? Enzo was not the violent type. A passive-aggressive pacifist, more likely.When I first met him, I thought he looked like an athlete. Or a hard-nosed wealthy businessman who liked MMA and punching things in his spare time. His overall appearance looked that intimidating at first hello. The thick beard, his tailored suit, the bodyguard, and the wiser-than-his-years look in Enzo's eyes only added to his commanding presence. As I got to know him better months after that incident in Umbria, I gained a deeper understanding of the type of person he was. Once,

◆ MILES ◆ [ Nice, France ] "Been friends with Archambault a long time?"   "A while," the short-haired man in the collared shirt replied.  He gave me and Ricchar a grin that didn't narrow his pale green eyes.   Or were they gray?  Whatever. Who gives a shit. I only checked to see if he and Kel shared any other physical resemblance aside from their height, slim build, and dark hair.    This rich businessman—slash firstborn son of a wealthier drug lord—also looked like a regular at the gym.  He must be 6'4" at least. Taller than me, Nicco, and Ricchar. The guy's overall appearance somewhat intimidated me when I shook his hand earlier.  Then we sat down with his wife and ordered some food.   "You trust him with your life kind of friend?" Ricchar chuckled as he kept staring at our  company of one.   "Excuse me. Phone call." Niccolo got