18. Milo
MILO
“Mmmmm,” I say, my eyes slowly opening.
I wake up slowly to the soft grey light of dawn filtering through the huge windows. The apartment is quiet, the kind of peaceful hush that only comes right before the city fully wakes up.
For a moment I just lie there, warm and cocooned in Maxim’s big bed, the sheets still carrying his scent. My body feels pleasantly used… a reminder of last night’s incredibly intense sex and the tender way my Daddy carried me to bed afterward.
But something else stirs in my chest. A quiet ache. A memory.
I close my eyes and let it come…
MANY YEARS AGO…
I’m eight years old, standing barefoot on the cool stone terrace of a rented villa on the Amalfi Coast. The sky is just beginning to blush pink at the edges.
Papa is beside me, his big hand wrapped around mine.
He’s wearing an old linen shirt and swim trunks, hair still messy from sleep, but his eyes are bright and full of life.
“Early bird gets the best water, piccolina,” Papa says with that big, warm laugh of his. “Come on. Race you to the beach!”
We run down the winding stone path together, laughing the whole way.
The sand is still cool under our feet when we reach the shore. The Mediterranean stretches out before us, calm and glittering in the dawn light.
Papa scoops me up and runs into the water with me shrieking happily in his arms. We splash in up to our waists, then he lets me go and we swim together.
The water is perfect: cool but not cold.
We bob side by side, floating on our backs, watching the sky turn from pink to gold. Papa reaches over and takes my hand again, squeezing it gently.
“You know, Milo,” he says softly, “I may not live forever. None of us do. But my spirit and everything I know… it will always be inside you. You carry me with you, no matter what. Understand?”
I nod solemnly, even though I don’t fully grasp the weight of his words yet.
“I understand, Papa.”
He smiles, that bright, mischievous smile that always made everything feel like an adventure. “Good. Now… race you back to shore! Loser has to carry the towels!”
We kick off, splashing and laughing.
I win by a hair because he lets me, I’m sure of it.
Then we walk back up the beach hand in hand, dripping wet, sand sticking to our feet, the rising sun warming our skin. Papa swings our joined hands as we go, humming an old Italian song under his breath.
A memory I will never forget. A moment that felt so incredible, even at the time.
I miss him.
I would do anything to have Papa back…
PRESENT DAY…
Back in the present, I wipe a tear from the corner of my eye before it can fall.
The ache in my chest is bittersweet. I miss him so much it hurts sometimes.
But that memory also reminds me of who I am: a Lentini, yes, but also someone who knows how to survive, how to fight for the people he cares about.
I slip out of bed, pull on one of Maxim’s soft robes, and pad quietly into the living area. The apartment is still dim, but I can see him immediately.
Maxim is sitting at the chess table near the window, staring at the board with that intense, focused expression he gets when he’s thinking several moves ahead. He hasn’t slept. I can tell from the faint shadows under his eyes and the half-empty glass of vodka beside him.
I walk over and sit in the chair opposite him without saying anything at first. He looks up, and the hardness in his gaze softens just a fraction when he sees me.
“Hey,” I say softly. “Have you really been up all night?”
He nods his head. “I said I would be. Too much on my mind.”
I reach across the table and take his hand. “I want to contribute, Maxim. If there’s a war… I want to help the Kovalev side. I know things about my uncle’s operations. Contacts. Weak points. I’m not just a pretty trophy. Let me be useful.”
Maxim’s thumb strokes the back of my hand. “I’m grateful you want to help. Truly. But I cannot risk anything happening to you. You’re too important to me now.”
The words warm me, but frustration bubbles up anyway. “I’m not fragile. I grew up in this world too.”
“I know you’re not,” he says gently but firmly. “But you’re mine to protect. That’s not negotiable.”
I sigh, seeing the long game even through my irritation. Pushing right now won’t help. He’s in full protective Pakhan mode. I squeeze his hand instead.
“Okay,” I say. “For now. But I’m not going to just sit on the sidelines forever.”
A small, proud smile tugs at his lips. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
The tension eases. I glance down at the chessboard. “Want to play? A real game. Not against the AI. I think I might actually stand a chance against you when you’re tired.”
Maxim chuckles. It is a low, warm sound that makes my stomach flutter. “Bold claim. Alright. Set it up.”
We clear the board together and reset the pieces. The familiar ritual feels grounding. As we place each piece, our fingers occasionally brush. The air between us feels charged but comfortable.
“You can be white,” he says, gesturing to the side.
I grin. “Feeling generous this morning?”
“Confident,” he corrects, eyes sparkling with challenge.
We start playing. The game moves slowly at first, both of us testing each other. I make an aggressive opening, pushing my knight out early. Maxim counters calmly, but I can see the faint surprise in his eyes when I anticipate one of his moves.
“You’ve got game,” he murmurs after I capture one of his pawns.
“Been practicing against the engine while you were out,” I admit with a smirk. “Figured I needed every advantage against the great Maxim Kovalev.”
He laughs softly. “Keep talking like that and I won’t go easy on you.”
“Good. I don’t want you to.”
We play for nearly an hour as the sun rises higher, painting the apartment in warm gold.
The game is close. Closer than I or Maxim expected. I can see that Maxim is clearly tired, but his strategic mind is still sharp. I manage to trap one of his bishops, but he counters by threatening my queen.
“Check,” he says quietly, moving his rook.
I study the board, biting my lip. “You’re good at this.”
“So are you.” His voice is softer now. “You think several moves ahead. That’s rare.”
The compliment warms me more than it should. We continue playing in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds the soft click of pieces and our occasional breathing.
Eventually I lean back, stretching.
“Truce?” I offer with a smile. “I think we’re evenly matched right now.”
Maxim studies the board for another moment, then nods. “Truce. For now.” He reaches across and takes my hand again. “Thank you for this. For being here. For wanting to stand with me.”
I squeeze his fingers. “I’m trying. This is all still new… and scary. But I’m here.”
He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. The gesture is so tender it makes my chest ache.
We sit like that for a long time, our hands linked across the chessboard, the rising sun warming the room around us.
The future is uncertain. War may be coming. But in this quiet morning moment, with Maxim looking at me like I’m something precious, I feel a fragile kind of hope.
And despite what Maxim says, I’m determined to play more than a background role…
The same grand department store we visited for toys feels completely different this morning…
The marble floors still gleam under the crystal chandeliers, and the gold-plated elevators still shine, but the atmosphere is heavier.
Purposeful. Maxim’s hand rests possessively on the small of my back as we step out of the private elevator on the top floor.
He leans in close, voice low against my ear.
“I have a controlling stake in this business,” he says, a knowing smile on his face. “One of many legitimate fronts. No one will disturb us here.”
I nod, trying to keep my expression neutral even as my pulse quickens. The idea that Maxim owns a place like this—this beautiful, historic landmark—shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but it does.
My Daddy moves through the world like it already belongs to him. And I love how that makes me feel.
We walk down a quiet corridor lined with original oil paintings and enter a large, wood-paneled office at the end. Several men are already waiting around a long mahogany table.
I recognize Kobek and Michael immediately, but the others—six senior generals by the look of them—are new to me. They’re all hard-looking men in expensive suits, eyes sharp and assessing.
The room falls silent the moment we enter.
Maxim gestures for me to take a seat in a comfortable armchair near the window, slightly apart from the main table. “Stay here,” he murmurs. “Listen. But do not speak unless I ask you to.”
I settle in, heart beating fast. Maxim takes his place at the head of the table, commanding the room without even trying. His presence fills the space. The generals straighten in their chairs, giving him their full attention. Even Kobek and Michael look alert, ready.
“Gentlemen,” Maxim begins, voice calm but carrying absolute authority. “We are facing a potential fracture with the Lentini family. Paolo has been approached by the cartel with a better offer. Or that’s how he sees it. He believes he can play both sides and come out on top. He is wrong.”
I listen as Maxim lays out the situation with cold precision: the meeting yesterday, Paolo’s threats, the intelligence they’ve gathered. I watch, mesmerized, as my Daddy commands the room.
His posture is relaxed but powerful, every word measured.
He doesn’t raise his voice, yet every man at the table hangs on his every syllable.
Arousal and pride mix hotly in my belly. This is my Daddy: the man who spanks me, bathes me, holds me through the night, and he is reducing hardened Bratva generals to attentive silence with nothing but his presence and his mind.
When Maxim mentions that Paolo is likely to head for protection over the border with the cartels at the first sign of real trouble, something inside me snaps.
I can’t stay silent.
I stand up.
The generals shift, several of them frowning. One older man with a scarred cheek actually grumbles audibly. Maxim’s gaze snaps to me, but he raises a hand, silencing the room instantly.
“Speak,” he says, voice steady.
I take a breath, trying to keep my voice clear.
“My uncle has a secret house upstate. A coastal property. It’s been the Lentini family’s hidden base for over fifty years.
He thinks no one outside the inner circle knows about it.
It’s heavily guarded, but if he’s planning to run, that’s where he’ll go first.”
The room is dead silent for a second. Then more grumbling breaks out… low, skeptical murmurs from a couple of the generals.
Kobek leans forward. “Have you ever been there?”
“Once. As a kid. I was maybe nine or ten. My father took me there for a weekend. I don’t remember the exact route, but I think I could recognize the area if I saw a map. The house is right on the cliffs, with a private dock.”
Maxim’s eyes meet mine, intense and approving. “Kobek, find the location. ASAP. Use every resource we have. Milo will help.”
Kobek nods sharply and starts typing on his laptop.
I sit back down, heart pounding. I feel proud, really proud, that I could contribute something useful to Maxim’s side. To our side.
But I also notice the way two of the older generals are looking at me. Disgruntled. Almost resentful. It’s like a boy, especially a Lentini, shouldn’t be speaking in this room at all.
The meeting wraps up quickly after that.
Maxim gives clear orders, assigns responsibilities, and dismisses the men. They file out, some nodding respectfully to him, others casting sideways glances at me. When the door finally closes, it’s just Maxim and me in the big office.
I stand up and walk over to him. He’s still seated at the head of the table, looking every inch the powerful Pakhan.
Without thinking, I slide onto his lap, straddling him. His hands settle on my hips immediately, pulling me closer.
I can feel him… hard, thick, pressing up against my ass through his trousers.
Maxim’s breath catches. His fingers dig into my hips. “Careful, malysh. We still have work to do today.”
I rock against him slowly, smiling. “I know. But I wanted to thank you for letting me speak. For trusting me.”
Maxim’s eyes darken with heat. One hand slides up my back, tangling in my hair. “You did well. Very well.”
I lean in and kiss him, slow and deep. His cock twitches against me, and I smile into the kiss, feeling powerful in my own way.
I’ve made progress with Maxim, I’ve shown I can be of value.
And now it’s time to cement my place even deeper…