◆ MILES ◆   "How's the baby?" "Baby Jules is healthy, and ready to go home," Ricchar announced over the phone. "And Cloe?" "She's doing fine. Tired and bled for a few hours, but, all's good. Doc said it's normal." "Congrats." I smiled and pressed my phone onto my ear, the pinch of panic after hearing Cloe just gave birth now subsiding.  At least my cousin had good news for me tonight.  Good enough to distract me from the sense of imminent doom creeping into my thoughts.   "Still no sign of him?" Ricchar sighed after a stretch of silence. "Don't bother." I lit a cigarette and glared at a black  SUV as it snuck into the half-empty parking lot beside the nightclub.  "He's prolly holing up in a beach house somewhere with his whore." "And Zia?" "Mamma's home. Resting

◇ KEL ◇   "They think we're dating." "Why?" Enzo snickered and picked up his glass of wine. He sat next to me, watching the casually dressed guests chatting and enjoying the snacks and party favors. It's the day of my niece's christening. Baby Meesha's much-awaited party.  After Mommy Tilda's request, Enzo had agreed to be one of the godfathers, even though he just met my family a few hours ago.  He'd met Mom several months ago the last time he was here in New York for a few days, but it was more like he dropped by just to make sure I was still alive and coping well with med school. That was shortly after Daddy Jim's death.  So far, the demands of my chosen career path hadn't killed me yet. "I haven't even held your hand since I got here," Enzo murmured as he sat close to me. We'd been getting curious gazes from my mom and Jill, my sister, who must be convinced that Enzo's the new man in my life.  J

◇ KEL ◇   "Ciao." "Ciao, Signore Tomassini." I grinned and approached the guy leaning against a shiny gray convertible.  As per usual, he gave me a hug, then a kiss on both cheeks.  Except...when he kissed me this time, his lips lingered a little too close to mine, and the kiss lasted a moment too long.  Just like his hug.  Not too tight, and not pervy in any way.  But the gesture still pricked tiny needles deep into my gut.  I didn't back off, though.  I missed him.  We hadn't seen each other in weeks.  I would text him twice a week.  Check on him.  Ask about his family and all.  Some nights, he would call me and we would video-chat for an hour or two.   But I still craved his company.  Sheesh.  Not a good sign.  It's my fault, though.  I just hoped

◆ MILES ◆ "Magnus called me again. He wants your number.""Why?""My guess?" Niccolo sighed on the other line. "He's gonna try to convince you to send Kel's new address and number."Persistent son of a bitch.  "Tell him I'm too busy for his bullshit." I shook my head and put my phone on speaker, sitting alongside stacks of paperwork in front of the wide desk, all alone in my mother's office.  Privacy wasn't an issue in here, and she was stuck in another meeting in the conference room upstairs. "Already did. He badly wants Ilya's money; he's not gonna stop till he finds Kel.""Magnus tried to bribe you again?" "Yeah. Twice now," Niccolo replied, chuckling as though he found the whole thing amusing."Where's Ilya now?""Still in Belgrade. Getting treatment. His liver's shutting down. He needs a transplant this week.""You called him up?" I grinned to myself.  "And said

◇ KEL ◇ Half past ten, his driver took us to Enzo's new house with his chatty new bodyguard. It was a hilly area. Nice views. Pretty city lights dotted the night sky. Some trees lined either side of the road. Large, beautiful houses competed for attention every quarter of a mile or so. The new property Enzo bought, as I'd guessed, belonged in a private neighborhood. Spacious lots. A newly developed suburb. Peaceful. The yellowish outdoor lights gave the house a more rustic look. "Your nearest neighbor's house is minutes away." "That's sort of the point." Enzo looked up from his phone just to give me a close-lipped smirk.I chuckled. "Gotcha." "After you." "Thank you."With his arm loosely draped over my shoulder, Enzo led me past the large front doors made of expensive hardwood. We stepped inside the house after his security staff did a routine inspection, then a quick sweep of the surroundings. They probably checked every room. Although I didn't quite expect he'd buy a house t