chapter 59

◆ MILES ◆

"Is the show over?" Miles looked up and watched Ricchar sit by the paved stairs facing the Falcos' oldest and biggest garden. It came with the six-foot high labyrinth and three-storey mansion Ricchar inherited from his deceased father, Stefano's brother.

"Of course not." Ricchar scoffed at him and dropped his phone onto the grass-covered ground. Probably pissed and done faking being friendly to the psychopath who just left the estate with Stefano. "It's barely the finale."

Miles glanced around the tall bushes and noticed there were more lamps around the stairs. "Cloe put up all those lights?"

"You know she hates being in the dark." Ricchar chuckled and gazed at the quiet and dim-lit maze. "In every sense of the word."

"She's not comin' back here anytime soon, is she?" Miles sat next to his cousin, who more or less had been an older brother to him all his life. They might have grown apart when he moved to Brescia and Ricchar delved into the family business before he married Cloe, but Ricchar was the closest thing he had to a sibling. Ricchar was also an only child.

"Told her to stay with her parents," Ricchar droned on. "For the time being. Maybe I'll come visit next week." He stretched his back, unwrinkling his undershirt. "If your Pappa and Leandro won't screw up my schedule. Big if."

"Kel thinks you should, since her due date's nearing." Miles put an arm over Ricchar's shoulder. "Congrats, by the way. Didn't expect that thing still worked. Thought you actually ran out of bullets or something."

Ricchar chuckled and flipped him off. "Says the guy who's never even touched his girlfriend of almost two years."

Ouch. Well, okay. It was a mutual choice, but he mostly preferred the mindless one-night stands. Kel would be anyone's ideal girlfriend, but he just couldn't make a habit of lusting over his former roomie. Although it happened several times, Mykaela's future and happiness mattered much more to him. And he was far from ideal.

"Told you she's not the type to date someone like Lorenzio."

"You're seriously reminding me of that stupid bet?" Miles snickered. Ricchar always teased him over his poor track record of long-term relationships, and months ago, Ricchar even bet on Kel only being extra friendly to Lorenzio because he helped her sort out some financial issues, helped pay off her late father's hospital bills, et cetera. With no interest, as far as Miles knew.

Apparently, Lorenzio had some semblance of a conscience, the opposite of his brother. Miles recalled something Kel mentioned about Lorenzio. He hadn't planned on blackmailing her after all. Maybe the guy actually had good intentions?

Maybe Lorenzio only paid off her loans because she saved his life. Favor for a favor. Most likely it was only Leandro planning to blackmail Mykaela into working for the Tomassinis, cutting open drug mules, stitching them back up and whatnot.

"She smells the same as last time."

"Stop sniffing her, you dirty old creep."

"I would if I could. My pureblood nose loves the scent."

"Pervert."

"Were you hiding from her again?" Ricchar glanced at the partly hidden, bushy spot he'd been sitting on just minutes ago.

"Just decompressing." Miles cleared his throat and stared at the dark maze he used to play in back when they were just clueless kids. "Gets too loud when she's anxious."

"Her thoughts? You still hear it?" Ricchar grinned. "All of it?"

"When I'm beside her, especially," he admitted. Part of the reason he was avoiding Kel as much as he could was the reality of him invading every bit of her privacy. It just felt so wrong. He thought not seeing her for months would get rid of the telepathic one-way connection, but, turns out he was just stupid to assume so. "Just turn it off, would you?"

"You just lack practice." Ricchar scratched his stubbled chin. "Might even be more sensitive than your Mamma if you just focused more. It's not like a simple switch, bambino."

"Never happens with anyone else. So I dunno what the heck you're saying."

"Like I said. Practice."

"You sound batshit." Miles shook his head. Funny how his "pureblood abilities" resembled his Mamma Eleana's telepathic senses but he couldn't use it on anyone else but Mykaela. Or not yet? He wanted to switch it off for good and tune her thoughts out of his, but sometimes he also needed to gauge her mental and emotional health. He just wanted the best for her...help her reach her goals and all.

"Why is she here?" Ricchar dropped the playful tone and eyed him. His look bordered on curiosity and annoyance. "I thought we talked about this."

"Thought so, too." Miles shrugged. "Told her not to book a flight. But you know how she is." He missed her, alright, but he didn't ask Mykaela to travel all the way here from New York just to give him another dose. She knew he could just purchase blood from hospitals--among other things--to numb the pain. She knew he had the connections, but she wanted to check up on him.

"Digging yourself a bigger hole." Ricchar tutted. They both fell silent for a moment. "Cut her off. She needs the normalcy."

"You think I didn't? I fuckin' tried, Charr." Miles gripped his phone. Did he really try, though? Did he try his best to make her life go back to normal? Or had he been just as selfish as his father? Dragging everyone else with him through the mud? "Been doin' it all year."

Miles mused over his choices. He did warn her. A lot of times. He warned Kel before to stop seeing him, stop talking to Lorenzio, and especially Andrew. Ilya Bozic could track her whereabouts, if he hadn't already.

As much as he disliked Andrew, Miles also didn't want to be the one to tell her the actual facts. After gathering evidence, Niccolo believed Andrew only befriended her and Jill possibly because he had to spy on the Falcos. Ilya thought them to be one of his biggest competitions in the business today.

For good reason. But Mykaela didn't need to know everything, all the facts. For now. Only because it would cause her more unwanted anxiety.

"No plans to settle down or get serious with her. Right? So just cut her loose. Now." Ricchar shrugged. "I have a steady enough supplier to sustain us, even Zio. If he'd stop being such a picky eater."

"Piece of cake." Miles wanted to roll his eyes. As if pushing Mykaela out of his life were that easy. That simple. As if he hadn't tried pretty much everything already. Screw it. Why did she have to be his bonded? Whatever the heck that meant?

"Back to the bigger issue. We're pushing through?" Ricchar combed his fingers through his dark, curly hair. "Regardless of what just happened back there at my damned dining table."

"Like it changed anything." Miles scoffed.

"No, but, I told you the consequences. Zio will figure it out and...he might do something to you. Or Mykaela. Me. Or Cloe. I can't do that to her. We're finally having a baby, Maxim."

"The fact that you're sure he's capable of anything should answer your question."

"Maximiliano, he's still your Pappa."

"Charr, you know I've been warning him. He knows Mamma can't even get a decent sleep. I've given him every reason to stop. He says we're just overreacting, even after she started hyperventilating and shoving him. Just doesn't give a fuck." Miles scowled. "Don't get me started on that Tomassini scum."

"He told me why he hurt Lorenzio."

"Oh, sure. 'Cause he's the type to reason rationally."

"He caught Lorenzio sleuthing on his itinerary and transactions with the Albanians. Lorenzio left town instead of staying with the don. Don Carlo had another stroke."

"Too bad, but, this shit needs to stop now, Charr. I don't need to tell Niccolo to get more evidence for the cops. That psycho needs to go. World's just better off without him."

"Worst case, Leandro spends a couple weeks in jail, bribes another judge, then kills Zio or pulls some strings to put him in prison." Ricchar stared at him. "You think your Mamma is ready for all that?"

"For her sake. Yeah. She will be." Miles gazed at the dimness before them. He made up his mind. What happened tonight drove the screws into the coffin.

Their plan wasn't anything crazy:

1) Sabotage Stefano and Leandro's international shipments

2) Rescue as many kidnapped hostages as possible

Poor things. Niccolo and Enzo just gave them proof there were kids in those containers.

All of their plans needed to happen without the help of local authorities. They just couldn't be trusted these days. Leandro knew who and how to bribe just about everyone.  Stefano also found out Enzo gave the intel to Niccolo, hence the scene earlier in the basement. Niccolo was lucky he and Mykaela were there to witness. Or else Stefano might have just offed him right then and there.

"Thank God." Faint footsteps behind them got replaced by a female voice, breathless and delicate. "Charr, your house is just insane but I gotta go. Thank you. Really."

"Anytime." Ricchar turned to kiss their house guest goodbye. "I thought your flight's on Saturday? Alessio and the guards will drive you to the airport."

Miles didn't have to turn around. Kel already hugged him from behind. A huge wave of relief and surprise overpowered his thoughts. Hers, no doubt.

"Niccolo won't come with us so just check on him every now and then. Please?" Mykaela pressed her cheek onto his while she hugged him tight. "Enzo's showing signs of concussion and rib fractures. Need to take him to the ER. Call you later?"

Miles dismissed the urge to swear, not surprised at all by her decision. The nearest proper hospital was two hours away. Of course she had to personally take Lorenzio to the ER, be his nurse and doctor at the same time. Typical Kel. "Already told Alessio what to do. Call me."

"Thank you." Kel hugged Ricchar and then turned to face him. Concern softened her gaze. "Don't go anywhere." She kissed his cheek. Miles tried not to react.

Just a peck on the side of his lips. But it was enough to leave Ricchar grinning ear-to-ear when Mykaela practically ran off. "Game's getting weak, bambino. Step it up."

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