by Serena Light
"How did the meeting go? Hope the men weren't too much trouble to deal with." She asked, kissing the space between his shoulder blades.
"This used to be our song," His voice reached her ears, Nicole freezing in shock at hearing him speak. "So it's true," He resumed.
Nicole released her hold on him as if though he had burned her and stumbled away from him. The man turned around, holding the photo frame housing a selfie she had taken with Salvatore kissing her temple and looking into the camera as she was grinning in the photo. He was tall and lean, dirty blonde hair pushed back with the sides shaved short, grey eyes looking at her in amusement as he had a knowing smirk sported on his face.
"Jayson," Nicole breathed out in disbelief, stepping back but gasping when she came in contact with a wall, the man before her instantly having her caged in.
"You know, I heard that you got married..." He cupped her chin into his hand, tilting her head back as he looked at her with a disappointment, forcing memories to resurface as Nicole swallowed the lump in her throat with tears burning her eyes. "I was disappointed. But even more so when I learned that you married a Regnante of all people. Come on, baby, you're so much better than that wanna-be kid."
"I..." Nicole tried to say something, defend Salvatore, but her throat gave up on her, fear and anxiety surfacing and brimming in her as she just wanted to get away. She tried sidestepping him, but instead, he grabbed her, and pinned her to the wall, forcing her to close her eyes as Nicole's heart hammered against her chest, all the memories resurfacing, all that fear, all that pain, resurfacing. "Now, now, sweetheart, you know the rules." He chastised, digging his short clipped nails into her cheek, forcing a whimper out of her as she clamped her eyes shut tightly, the tears streaming down.
"You stay still while I talk to you. Isn't that right?"
"Let go," Nicole finally managed to choke out.
"Let go?" Jayson mocked with a laugh. "Oh no, sweetheart, I just found you and I ain’t planning on letting go anytime soon."
Nicole's heartbeat rapidly against her chest when she found his lips against her's, repulsion and fear overflowing her mind as she tried to push at his chest, trying to get him off her, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wanted to cry out for help, feeling helpless and pathetic in her desperate state.
"Attacco," A voice commanded from the doorway, a ferocious growl ringing through the room as Jayson pulled away from her only to get pounced on by Salvatore's large wolf-hybrid, the dog growling and snapping his jaw in the face of the man.
Jayson trying his hardest to keep the dog away from him, his hands coiling around his neck as Salvatore leisurely walked over to him.
He placed his foot against Jayson's windpipe, instantly causing the man to gag and lose his grip on the dog.
"Lo sperone (Heel)," He told the dog, instantly he got off the man, as Salvatore pressed his shoe harder into his neck, Jayson squirming beneath him and gasping, his eyes widening as the Mafia Boss took out his gun, pointing it at his head. "If I ever see you again, I will kill you without hesitation."
With that, he let him. Salvatore watching the man coughs and gag as he finally got to breathe. The Boss watched as two guards take him away.
Running a hand through his hair, he felt the ache in his chest at seeing Nicole kissing another man.
And not just any man, her ex-boyfriend.
"Salvatore," She whimpered, reaching out to touch him, but her movement faltering when he looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes an icy blue and instantly Nicole had to cover her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Knowing that he had just erected all the walls she had spent so long taking down.
"I...It's not what it looks like," She tried to explain, gasping between her tears and watched him walk towards the door without a word or a second glance towards her.
"Salvatore, please! Listen to me!" Nicole begged to grab hold of his arm, her resolve momentarily faltering to see the emotionless look on his face.
"Hades." He called out with venom lacing his voice. He did not raise his voice, nor did he yell, instead he spoke with such authority and commands that Nicole had to wince back and moved away when the dog began growling, slowly prowling towards her, not stopping when Persephone stood before Nicole, growling as well, but she shrunk back when the wolf-hybrid lunged at her and threateningly pressed his teeth into her neck, the husky whimpering before he let go upon his master's command. "Let's go,"
"Salvatore," Nicole sobbed, helplessly watching him walk out the door, and closing it behind him with a bang.
Salvatore stood on the other end of the door, his hand still on the handle as he tried to regain his composure, the ache in his chest forcing his breathing to feel restricted as if though there wasn't enough air. His throat constricted as he instantly knew he was suffering an attack. Grabbing his inhaler with shaky fingers, he put it in his mouth, taking a shot and then another. Once having regained his breathing, he slicked back his hair, standing straight before making his way downstairs.
Once he reached the ground floor, he could see all the Mafia Bosses huddled together and murmuring, the guards looking confused and concerned.
"What's going on?" One of the men asked. "Boss," He added at seeing the murderous glare in Salvatore's eyes.
"Let it be known that from now on Jayson Leone had become an enemy of the Regnante Mafia for having blatantly disrespected me and my family in my presence." Salvatore's voice rung clear, all the men and guards looking at one another in shock. "If he approaches anyone of you, I am to be informed immediately. You may all leave."
"Tazio, Piero, Marco," Salvatore called out to the three, all of them standing to attention. "With me,"
Instantly they followed him into the east wing and into his office as he stood behind his desk, his Capo's standing before him in attention.
"Tazio let everyone know to keep an eye out for Jayson and any of his affiliates," Salvatore instructed, pouring himself a glass of scotch from the crystal decanter as his second in command nodded in understanding. "Piero, double the security measures around not only the Mafia but the company and the nightclubs too. Also, check on the status of the weaponry that is meant to be delivered tomorrow, ensure its safe passage."
"Marco." Salvatore downed the drink in one go, pinching the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes as he tried to formulate his thoughts through a pounding headache against his skull. "Marco, I want you to handpick two men whom you trust, and have them shadow every single movement of Jayson. I want to know what that guy has for breakfast and what his poison is,"
The three men looked at each other uncertainly, silently questioning who asks as they looked at Salvatore standing with his gaze down, pinching the bridge of his nose, the empty scotch glass placed next to his hand on the desk.
"Salvatore," Marco spoke up hesitantly, all of them sensing the tension around him.
"Dismissed," He stated firmly, all three fidgeting in their spot and hesitating for a moment before spinning on their heels when the Mafia Boss looked up at them with ice-cold eyes.
No soon had the door closed behind them did he grab the glass and hurled it at the wooden structure, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.
Furious at himself for having let his walls down, for letting her get into his head, into his heart; for not having known better. Slamming his hands down on the table, everything rattled with the force of his action, as he felt his head pounding furiously against his skull and his heart ached, his stomach churning in unease as he tried to even out his breathing
"This is why you don't fucking trust anyone," Salvatore whispered to himself, his chest feeling tight as it ached and his voice trembling when he repeated his little facts. "This is why you don't let your walls down, not for anyone. No exceptions. No exceptions."
"No exception." He reminded himself sternly, pulling the silver wedding band off his finger and letting it fall onto the wooden surface of the table.
Leaving it to contrast against the dark wood as he m
ade his way out of the office, the doors clicking closed behind him.
Chapter XIV: Missed Calls
Tazio drove through the open metal gates, the land beneath the tires leveling out to be a dusty stretch of soil; large enclosures surrounded by white fences on either side with beautiful beasts running in the area or grazing on the grass. A beautiful white structure erected before him with triangular roofs and a large porch opening out to the front of the ranch where a black Range Rover and a matte black Lamborghini Aventador stood in the shade not too far away.
Putting the car into park before the farmhouse, Tazio stepped out in beige dress pants paired with a white button-up covered by an olive green blazer. Rubbing his hands together against the cold he looked up to see two men standing against the patio posts, one of them smoking while the other looked out at the horses in the enclosure.
"Where is he?" He directed the question to the two men.
"Riding Ebony," Both of them responded in sync as Tazio inhaled sharply at the response, running a hand through his hair in irritation.
"When will he be back?" He relented as he opened the back door of his car, retrieving all the files he had to collect from the estate in secret before coming to Salvatore's horse ranch.
"He did not say." The one smoking, Matteo, responded, putting the cigarette out. "He's been gone since 5:30."
"It's 8, now." A new voice spoke up with surprise as Stephan stepped out of Tazio's car in black ripped jeans paired with a cream-colored hood under a black jacket; his hazel hair an unruly mess as he squinted at the two guards, both of them greeting him with a nod of the head as he waved in response, watching Tazio walk towards the house with files in hand.
"You know boss's temperament these days," Matteo murmured, forcing the other man to a halt beside him. "He's not going to be happy to see him here, you know that."
"The only one who can talk to him is either his family or him," He rationalized. "And at this point, he needs someone to knock some sense into him."
Soon Salvatore came trotting on his horse, getting off with ease as he handed over his black thoroughbred to the stable boy, patting the horse's face before walking away. Making his way inside from the back of the farmhouse, he walked directly into his bedroom, seeing the suitcase placed in the corner with the day's outfit laid out, his wolf-hybrid lying on the window niche, looking out in silence.
Stripping out of his riding outfit, he stepped into the ensuite bath, showering before changing into dark grey dress pants, with a black sweater over a white button-up, pulling on his black dress shoes, he grabbed his blazer and phone before making his way out the room and down the hallway.
Stepping into the sunroom – which he had converted into an office – he wasn't even fazed by Stephan's presence, already having figured that Tazio would bring him in sooner or later.
"Don't you have a job? Or people to meet? Or places to be?" Salvatore asked his best friend, walking around the table and draping his jacket on the back of his seat.
"It's a weekend, and I moved here just two months ago, the only people I know are high ranked Mafia officials."
"Speaking of people to meet," Stephan heaved a breath. "I thought I'd come and see what my best buddy is up to, so imagine my surprise when I go over to his place and see it almost as deserted as a ghost town,"
"What a surprise..." He responded monotonously. "What's going on, Salvi?"
"Work, Stephan. I have work to get done and if you want some story why don't you go and ask one of the gossiping girls around me,"
"I'd rather hear it from you,"
"Then you can wait until I'm done."
"Then I will."
Salvatore didn't even spare him a glance as Stephen settled on the sofa in the room, putting his feet up so that he had a clear view of his best friend.
Throughout the time that he watched him work, the other man noticed that he hadn't sat down once; he did everything standing, or pacing the room. His instructions were short and clipped and his responses even shorter. His voice remained monotonous and flat and his eyes remained the same dull blue despite having received good news. Salvatore never once raised his voice – not that he ever did – but even his eyes didn't burn with fury when something went horribly wrong, he had just heaved a sigh and gotten it fixed.
Sometime during the day, his dog, Hades, came trotting in and walked over to his owner, rubbing his head against his leg and whimpering up at him, an act which Salvatore responded to with a head rub before sending him on his way.
Salvatore heaved a heavy breath, looking tired as he watched Tazio gather all of the files before taking them away. Running a hand through his hair, he walked over to the window behind him, looking out at the darkness that had descended on the ranch, time having passed without him realizing it.
"Dismissed," He told Tazio from over his shoulder, his second-in-command stopped before Stephan and cocking his head in the direction of the door, the American shaking his head to let him know that he would be staying here. Shrugging in response, he walked away and closed the door behind him; the sound of the engine revving reached their ears before the car pulled away.
Sighing, Stephan stood up from the sofa, stretching with a groan before letting out a content breath, making his way over to the wolf-hybrid that lay on the carpet. Rubbing the dog behind the ear, the poor creature let out a pained whimper, silently begging Stephen through his eyes.
"What's wrong with him?" He asked his best friend, seeing the sadness in the dog.
"Nothing," Salvatore shrugged. "He just wants to go home,"
"Last I recall..." Stephan trailed and stood from his crouching position. "Your dog had the knack of mirroring your emotional state, so is it correct to assume that you miss home just as much as him?"
The dirty look Salvatore shot his way would have had any man take a step back, but not him, never his best friend. This man had seen every possible side of the Mafia Boss and there was nothing he could do to possibly drive him away, they knew each other too well.
"What happened?"
"You already know,"
"No, I don't."
"Bullshit." Salvatore retorted monotonously, walking over to the decanter and poured himself a drink, downing it in one go before refilling it.
"Maybe I've heard a bit of what happened." Stephan relented in the elongated silence. "But I don't know the entire story, I know just as much as everyone else."
Settling down on the sofa, Salvatore ran a hand through his hair before throwing his head back, the action bringing something to Stephan's attention.
"Where is your ring?" He demanded, panic and fear welling in his chest as his stomach churned like it wanted to expel the delicious pasta he ate just a while back.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean by that?" Stephan chuckled humorlessly, coming to sit beside him, his knee bobbing up and down with his anxiety. "Where is your wedding ring, Salvatore?"
"I took it off at the estate before coming here,"
"Okay, Salvatore, buddy," His best friend chuckled in unease. "You've got to tell me what happened because my mind is making up the worst-case scenario and you know I have anxiety issues, come on buddy. Talk to me, please."
Salvatore heaved a sigh before leaning forward in his seat, swallowing thickly when he downed the glass once more.
"About three days ago," Salvatore started, rubbing a hand over his forehead as a headache pounded against his skull. "I had all my allied Mafia Bosses come to the estate for a meeting. And there was one specific Mafia Boss: Jayson Leone. This was his first Mafia meeting and I had no idea he would be here or that his father had died a couple of days ago."
"He's Nicole's ex-boyfriend of two years."
"Fuck." Stephan hissed, collapsing against the cushions as he held his head in his hands. "Oh, fuck."
"I didn't think much of it, given that not a lot of people in the underworld knew about our marriage, so I didn't worry about Jayson knowing." He cleared his throat. "So fast f
orward to after the meeting is over, I got held up with a couple of bosses while others left or went to their rooms since I was hosting a few at the estate for a day or two. Once I finally managed to get away, I thought I'd go upstairs and spend some time with my wife," Salvatore shook his head with a humorless chuckle.
"And...uh..." He trailed as Stephan balled his hands, too scared to find what happened next, but knowing he had to hear all of it to help his best friend. "Well...I found them...together in my bedroom. Kissing,"
Stephan couldn't breathe as he stood up from the sofa, hands on his hips as he paced the floor, his heart hammering in his chest with his blood rushing through his ears.
"She...she what?" He demanded again, his body feeling warm as anger clouded his mind.
"She had the audacity to cry and beg that it isn't what it looks like," Salvatore spoke gently, running his finger over the rim of the glass. "And a part of me...a part of me wanted to believe that." He chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head in disbelief at himself.
"Fuck," He choked out, pressing the heels of his hand against his eyes. "I thought we were doing well, I thought she was happy. I..."
"'You'?" Stephan prodded, his heart beating erratically in his chest as he was concerned of the next words that would come out of his mouth.
"I...I was letting my walls down for her...I was allowing her to enter my mind..." Salvatore's voice quietened with every successive word to the point that Stephan had to strain to hear his next words, "I think I was falling in love..."
"And...and her?" His best friend asked quietly.
"I thought she was too..." Salvatore spoke barely above a whisper. "But then again I thought she was happy...I was wrong."
Nicole sat cross-legged in bed, her hair a disheveled mess, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, and her lips trembling as she was wearing one of Salvatore's shirts. Picking up her phone with trembling fingers, she clicked the number, hearing the line ring a few times before his voice spoke up.