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Tag Archives: Khyff Antonello

Khyff Antonello is a character in books by Kayelle Allen.

Bro, Antonello Brothers Series

Bro, Antonello Brothers Series Prequel by Kayelle Allen #SciFi

 

The new Thieves' Guild technology might make him
invisible,
but it can't shield him from
the truth...

Read Bro for free

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The Antonello Brothers Series
click cover for book page / click title beneath cover for buy link

Excerpt from Bro

The prequel to the Antonello Brothers Science Fiction Romance series, Bro is Sci Fi from the sweeter side of the galaxy.
When you can make yourself invisible, you reveal invisible truth...

Bro, the Antonello Brothers Prequel by Kayelle Allen

Senth Antonello had attended classes at the Thieves' Guild Academy every day since he was what? Three? Yet the looming entrance to the exclusive Advanced Level access that he'd more than earned stood empty, while he skulked in the shadows like he hadn't.
Plunging through that door always felt like he was flying into a beehive while sporting hornet wings.
Enough of this.
He ought to zip up there and let idBot scan him.
He took two decisive steps forward, then pivoted and took five steps back.
"Come on, Senth," he berated himself. "Go for it. Now." He turned around and faced the entrance. "This time will be different. You can do this. Just go in there."
But did he?
No.
And why was that?
Because there were times being the best got you nothing but hated and looking like a kid got you nothing but disrespect. Being the adopted son of a former grand master had distinct perks, true. It got him in ahead of others, but then that was part of the problem, wasn't it?
Daddy had clout. Daddy belonged. People feared Daddy, for good reason.
Nobody feared a clawless halfbreed who looked twelve when he was eighteen.
"I will do this. The time to act is now." He stepped up and let the automated idBot system scan him.
"Welcome, Blue Shadow," idBot's smooth robotic voice cooed. "Cleared for Advanced Level." The door unsealed.
Why couldn't people treat him like that machine? Senth released the tension in his shoulders, and rolled his head to soothe his neck.
Maybe today would be different.
Maybe undergrads would respect him for his level.
Maybe his dad would ask him how he was doing instead of going behind his back to the Grand Master.
Maybe nobody'd meow when he entered the room.
Maybe nobody'd go, "Here, kitty, kitty!"
Oh, and maybe the Empress would eliminate taxes, and while she was at it, free all the slaves. Because, sure. That could happen.
Inside, down the first hallway, monolithic carved wooden doors of the Great Hall stood open. The pickup line for upgraded cloaks wound down the stairs and then back and forth across the cavernous hall like one of those rides at Planet Fun.
Voices. Noise. Din. A hive of thieves anxious to score.
No sound suppression in the empire could mute the hum careening off these stone walls. Not today. Not with the first cloak upgrade in ten years minutes from release.
He took one last, sole-dragging step, entered the hall, and made straight for the grand staircase.
The entire queue of lower-level thieves craned their necks at whoever had entered. Their low buzz faded from front to back, and what do you know? Right on cue, a chorus of meows rose from the anonymous safety of the back row.
Senth halted and snapped his head in that direction, but the sound cut off.
No one in view so much as cracked a smile.
He tossed them a lazy salute and turned back toward the stairs. The conversational drone kicked right back in. After all, no one important had entered. Just the halfbreed.

Where to buy Bro

Bro is available exclusively on Amazon and is free on Kindle Unlimited.
Universal book link https://books2read.com/u/bwqyAy
Free on Kindle Unlimited

Antonello Brothers Series

Meet the Bro Characters

Senth Antonello: Fun-loving. Half-human half-feline humanoid. Professional thief. What determines whether Senth can open a lock? One thing: If it's in reach.

Khyff Antonello: Hope-less. Human. Professional pleasure-giver caught in a soul-crushing predicament. What drives him? His freedom, just out of reach -- and the desire for revenge on the one responsible for his slavery; the brother he thought died at birth.

Luc Saint-Cyr: Power-magnet. Human-ish. Adoptive father of Senth. The empire calls him The Man, ruler of a thousand questionable ventures with enough power and wealth to buy a planet. What Luc wants? To protect the only person he's ever considered family.

Once these brothers meet, the Tarthian Empire will never be the same. Neither will the man who brings them together.

Bro has adult themes but NO graphic or explicit content.

 
The content on this page may use referral links for which I am compensated. The links do not result in a higher price for you. Because of promotions or relationships, these links might provide savings. Read about our cookies, our full disclosure policy and simple privacy policy under the About menu. A printable list of books can be found under About > About Kayelle. Thank you for visiting my site!

For Sale: One Invisibility Cloak #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Updated on by

For Sale: One Invisibility Cloak #SciFi #MFRWhooks

 

In this scene from Bro, Senth is playing with a new tool he acquired for work as a thief. It's a cloak that hides him from copbot sensors, and renders him virtually invisible.

Getting the Cloak

Senth Antonello signed for his new cloak, thanked the worker, and carried the midnight blue garment down the stairs. The cloak pickup line wound down the stairs and back and forth across the entry hall of the Thieves' Guild like one of those rides at Planet Fun.

Senth had skipped the line, thanks to his adoptive father's clout. It sucked being expected to live up to the Man's reputation, but there were times being the son of a former grand master had its perks.

In the foyer, he shook out the cloak. After slipping it on, he checked himself out in the mirror. The cloak looked like nothing more than a loose fitting coat, with a back that fell straight down from his shoulders to the ground. Hidden pockets allowed him to carry equipment and stash items. He could tuck his arms inside the front and wear it like a cape.

Senth pulled on gloves of the same material and then lifted the hood. Nightstealth film embedded in the cloth activated. Nothing showed in the mirror. No reflection of himself. Like he'd been erased from the room. He turned right, then left.

"Nada, zip, zilch, zero. I'm invisible." He pumped both fists. "Yes!"

If the upgrade worked on people as well as it did on mirrors, copbots wouldn't see him, and he'd be no more than a shadow to everyone else. And just how perfect was that? Now he'd really live up to his guild name, Blue Shadow.

At least until the copbots upgraded their settings. And everybody else got theirs.

Time to test it in public.

Bro

When you can make yourself invisible, invisible truths are revealed.
Take two brothers: one a half-blood thief, one a pleasure slave. Raise them in different worlds, reunite them by fate, mix in a powerful immortal, and you have Bro, the story behind the Antonello Brothers.

Want to be first to know when Bro is released? Join one of my reader groups and you'll also get an exclusive behind the scenes booklet about the brothers.

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

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If what this client says is true, Khyff will be the one paying #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Updated on by

In this scene from Bro, Khyff is about to bolt for freedom when his client says one word that stops him cold.

NOTE: Bro has adult themes but NO graphic or explicit content.

Client or Friend?

As usual, Khyff's master hadn't allowed him to eat until he'd met his quota. First up: shower, clean clothes, food. Not necessarily in that order. He kept a few stale crackers hidden in his room for emergencies. He'd satisfied his last client, and was unscheduled the rest of the day. Or at least the next six hours.

Khyff bolted toward freedom.

"So you're an Antonello."

The way the client said it drew Khyff's attention. This particular client was one of the less odious. He didn't grab or cling, he was--thankfully--clean, and he tipped well. Still, the guy was paying for sex and Khyff had no choice. Being a pleasure slave meant you serviced the clients sent to you, or you suffered for it. In Khyff's case, refusing meant risking prison.

He would never go back there, no matter what they made him do here.

Khyff clenched his teeth and pasted on a smile. "Pardon?"

"Your last name." The guy continued getting dressed, seemingly in no hurry. "It's Antonello, right?"

"Why?"

"I never noticed before. It's right here on my receipt." He picked up his mobile and turned the screen toward Khyff. "I mean I've been here what... five times now?" He poked at the screen. "Whoa! Seven. Huh. I should have a free visit after three more."

Khyff choked back a retort. His master was giving away free visits with him? It would take hundreds of client visits to earn enough in his Freedom Savings Account so Khyff could buy himself. If his master was giving him away, it would take forever.

Khyff jerked open the door.

"You don't look like the other one."

Half a step into the hall, Khyff's heart stuttered. He made a slow pivot. "Other one?"

"The other Antonello. You look different."

The world went silent. Khyff came inside, shut the door and leaned against it. "So I'm sure I heard right. You know another Antonello."

"Yeah. I saw the name, and figured you had to be related. Antonello's not common. Not on Kelthia. I'm guessing you don't have much family here."

Good guess. More than three quarters of the world's population was black-skinned. Khyff had blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin.

Could this be a link to his missing mother? Did the client know her? Khyff fought the hope that rose within him. It had been how many years? No, he would not allow himself to hope. When you hoped, people could hurt you more.

Bro

When you can make yourself invisible, invisible truths are revealed.
Take two brothers: one a half-blood thief, one a pleasure slave. Raise them in different worlds, reunite them by fate, mix in a powerful immortal, and you have Bro, the story behind the Antonello Brothers.

Want to be first to know when Bro is released? Join one of my reader groups and you'll also get an exclusive behind the scenes booklet about the brothers.

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

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Senth gets an invisibility cloak. Uh oh! #SciFi #MFRWhooks #MFRWorg

Updated on by

 

In this scene from Bro, Senth plays with his new "toy" -- a cloak that hides him from copbot sensors and makes him invisible to people.

Senth plays with his toy

Once Senth stepped outside the Thieves' Guild, he proceeded down the street, gaining the required distance from the entrance. Commit thievery on the grounds and they'd blackball you so hard you'd-- He shook off the thought. After he reached the limit, he skirted around a businessman and backed away, the man's ID in hand. Senth tucked it into one of the cloak's myriad pockets. A male worker in a dirty uniform lumbered past. No trouble unclipping a debit bracelet fastened to the guy's belt.

Of course they felt nothing--his skills ensured that, but the upgraded cloak worked so well no one even looked in his direction. For fun, Senth re-clipped the bracelet on the worker, and then followed the businessman for a block before tucking the ID back into the man's pocket.

Now to see how well the cloak would let him evade after being seen. He pushed back the hood, which turned off the nightstealth, and stepped right in front of a teenaged boy.

Senth let him get a good look at his face.

The kid glared. "Watch where you're going, you half-human freak."

"Half-human? You mean HalfKin." Senth gestured to his catlike eyes. "Get it right, kid." He bared his fangs and hissed.

The punk backed off, and then darted around him. Senth tucked the guy's debit bracelet into a pocket, and then moved off the sidewalk and raised the hood, but did nothing else to hide.

The kid suddenly glanced at his empty wrist and whirled around, his gaze searching the ground. He hurried past Senth without speaking, once in one direction, and once in the other, and kept going.

"Should I return his bracelet? No, I think he should've said 'excuse me, sir.' He owes me a 'sir-charge'." He pushed back the hood and started walking.

Bro

When you can make yourself invisible, invisible truths are revealed.
Take two brothers: one a half-blood thief, one a pleasure slave. Raise them in different worlds, reunite them by fate, mix in a powerful immortal, and you have Bro, the story behind the Antonello Brothers.

Want to be first to know when Bro is released? Join one of my reader groups and you'll also get an exclusive behind the scenes booklet about the brothers.

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

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Message deleted. What!? No way is that right #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Updated on by

 

In this scene from Bro, Senth fights with idBot over a single, deleted--but vital--message.

Message Deleted

A buzz at Senth's wrist alerted him to a message. He withdrew his mobile and set the device to read-only mode, rather than bring it up on holovid.

The message required a password, which told Senth who had sent it. His Sen'dai--guild master--and father, Luc Saint-Cyr.

The Guild didn't accept non-humans, unless they were enslaved to a human member. No one could rise past level ten, unless related to a human member. Guild-arranged marriages and adoptions happened regularly. To keep the Guild happy, Saint-Cyr was Senth's lord and master and his adoptive father.

Could his Sen'dai send a note the way anyone else would? Of course not. No, the Man had to do it with mystery and ceremony.

Folks in this town never referred to Saint-Cyr by name. You could hear the capital letters when they called him the Man, or referred to him as the Harbinger. His father was the crime lord all the other crime lords wanted to be when they grew up.

"Ooh, big scary Man." He thumbed off the device. "Please let this be a job and not him thinking I screwed up." Senth ducked into a coffee shop and made his father's handsign to the worker behind the counter, then slipped into a back room to access the password function in private. That he had no idea what the password might be did not deter him. It took seconds to break in.

"This is prolly some test to see how fast I can break these suckers." He opened the message, and then brought the device to his ear.

"A worker at the Guild says he's met a man who claims you're family. Come home and we'll discuss it. Now." The message ended.

Senth jerked the device from his ear. "No way I heard that right." He pressed play and brought it to his ear.

"The idBot messaging system regrets that your message has been deleted. Would you like to access another message at this time?"

"No, I wouldn't like to access another message. I want to hear this message." He poked at the screen. None of the usual options showed. After several fruitless minutes, he resorted to asking for help. "IdBot, how do I replay the message?"

"Message has been deleted."

"I know that, you stupid machine. Undelete it."

"IdBot is unable to comply."

Senth swore under his breath. "Why?"

"Message was delivered as hear-once-and-delete. Would you like to access another message at this time?"

"No, I wouldn't, idiotBot. Thank you not very much." Senth turned off the device and put it in his pocket. "Why is Dad sending me encrypted hear-once messages? What in the worlds is going on?"

Bro

Bro, Antonello Brothers Prequel

The tech Senth is about to claim will make him invisible. Finally, the young halfbreed thief will be out of sight and far from the taunts humans throw at him. But when that tech reveals he has a human half-brother who's bound by a cruel slaver, Senth must find a way to win his brother's freedom and save him from abuse -- even though Senth is a slave himself.
When you can make yourself invisible, you reveal invisible truth.
Get Behind the Brothers, an inside look at the characters and story behind Bro. Sign up for one of Kayelle's reader groups and get this booklet, advanced notice when the book is ready, and much more. https://kayelleallen.com/readergroups/

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

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The troublemaker was home (#SciFi Excerpt) #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

Updated on by

 

In this scene from For Women Only, Khyff is arriving home after a
whirlwind tour of ten planets as security for a Kin rock group. Problem is, even though
he works security for the feline-humanoid band, Kin terrify him. Which is a problem,
because he has one for a half-brother...

Uh oh. Trouble.

"Welcome home, Mr. Antonello."

Khyffen Antonello flinched at the disembodied android voice. He let out a frustrated sigh. "I am never going to get used to that. IdBot?"

The home security system pinged in response.

"Didn't I ask you to call me Khyff?"

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. Would you like to know the dates of your requests at this time?"

"No, I would not. Just change the greeting. Call me Khyff."

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. Greetings and welcome protocols are found in the home security system settings in the main system. Would you like to adjust them at this time?"

"No." His shoulders sagged. Talk about a troublemaker... "Remind me later. I've been away for a month, okay? I'm a little tired."

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. A reminder has been scheduled." Locks activated with an audible click, and a slight increase in pressure on his ears told Khyff the flat had been sealed. "Premises secure."

Khyff dropped his travel bag. The long commute had left him stiff, and he rolled his shoulders. In the living area, he swiped two fingers across a table and frowned at the dust. The cleaning droids had been skimping again. Not every machine was as efficient as idBot.

"Might be a good thing." Khyff stretched, working out kinks. "IdBot, play music." The blare of hard rock made Khyff jump. He clamped both hands over his ears. Drums thundered and boomed behind a wailing voice he'd heard on tour every day for the past month as security liaison for Wind and Thunder. "End music."

The silence made him groan with pleasure. "That's better." He lowered his hands. "IdBot, how did that music get on my setup?"

"Music added by roommate Senth Antonello."

"My brother is back."

"Affirmative."

The troublemaker was back. Yay.

"You could've warned me my brother was home when I got in the door."

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. Greetings and welcome protocols are found in the home security system set--"

"Never mind." Khyff rubbed his temples. A tantalizing whiff of cookies baking made his stomach growl. He entered the kitchen. The foodsynther hadn't worked since he moved in, and nothing sat on the counters.

The magnets on the fridge lit up when Khyff approached, flashing all the local specials from restaurants within their delivery area. He sniffed. None of them smelled like cookies. He'd tossed out the one from Zhkarr's. The Kin fish market restaurant might appeal to some, but Khyff gagged thinking about it. That place was for Kin, and he steered as far clear of the feline humanoids as possible.

He sniffed the air and followed the scent to his brother's bedroom door.

"Senth?" He knocked and opened the door. "Man, those cookies smell so--"

Senth grabbed at bed sheets. Beneath him, his fiancée, NarrAy Jorlan, yelped and covered herself with both arms.

"Sorry!" Khyff snapped the door shut. "Sorry!" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, man. That was more of Senth than I ever wanted to see."

In the kitchen, Khyff opened and shut cupboards, clattering cups and spoons for tea. The image of NarrAy naked burned into his thoughts and refused to go away.

His half-brother emerged from the bedroom and padded toward him, Senth's movements smooth as a cat's. He wore denim jeans but no shirt, and his tight abs gave mute evidence of his strength. Since Khyff had seen him last, the little troublemaker had put on height. Khyff was now the shorter one. Though a free man, Senth wore his curly hair even longer than he had as a slave. It fell down his back.

Senth narrowed his feline eyes. Except for his eyes and fangs, he looked human, until you got him mad.

"Sorry, Sen." Khyff stepped behind the counter, putting space between himself and the HalfKin. Khyff's stomach fluttered. "I know NarrAy's pheromones smell like butter and vanilla. I should have known it was her and not cookies, but I didn't think. I haven't seen you in nine solar months."

Senth seated himself on a stool at the island counter and played with a spoon, watching Khyff with an expectant, angry look. A low growl rumbled. The corner of Senth's mouth twitched, revealing fangs.

Sweat prickled all over Khyff's skin. His stomach lurched. "It was an accident, okay?" He fought to keep his voice calm. Senth had once ripped out a man's throat with those fangs. "Didn't you hear the Wind and Thunder music come on? You left it keyed, and when I came in, it--"

A twinkle lit his brother's eyes.

Khyff slammed the flat of his hand on the counter. "You were gonna sit there and let me ramble on about how sorry I am, weren't you?"

Senth grinned. "Nah, I always knew you were sorry."

Bro, Antonello Brothers Prequel

The tech Senth is about to claim will make him invisible. Finally, the young halfbreed thief will be out of sight and far from the taunts humans throw at him. But when that tech reveals he has a human half-brother who's bound by a cruel slaver, Senth must find a way to win his brother's freedom and save him from abuse -- even though Senth is a slave himself.
When you can make yourself invisible, you reveal invisible truth.
Get Behind the Brothers, an inside look at the characters and story behind Bro. Sign up for one of Kayelle's reader groups and get this booklet, advanced notice when the book is ready, and much more. https://kayelleallen.com/readergroups/

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

Posted in Blog Hop | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |
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