Unknown Territory: Mafioso Series Book 3

by Serena Light

  "I should have fucking told you." She sobbed, her heart beating in overdrive as she couldn't bring herself to calm down, her tears choking her as her breath came out in short pants. "I should have told you..."

  "You should have told me," Salvatore agreed in an icy voice. "Because if I had known, I would have killed that motherfucker when I had the chance. I would have killed him, I would have known about all this ahead of time, you wouldn't have had to face this on your own and we fucking wouldn't be here."

  He clenched his fists, reigning in his anger as Nicole sniffled behind him, wiping at her tears. Inhaling sharply, he spun on his heels before he crouched before her, grabbing her chin a bit rough as he forced her to look up, a quiet whimper escaping her at the action as she dug her nails into the leather of the bench.

  "The next time you treat me like your fucking mother or father, whom you have to keep secrets from, Nicole," He growled at her lowly, his eyes burning with anger as his voice had fear prickling at her from every direction. "It will be the last time you make such a mistake. From now I want to know such things from you, personally, you get that?"

  Sniffling, she nodded, the tears flowing down her cheeks as her lips wobbled.

  Heaving a heavy breath, Salvatore placed his hand against the back of her head before pulling her to him, hugging her tightly as she desperately clutched onto him sobbing into the crook of his neck. The sound feeling like a heavy weight on his heart as he knew he couldn't do anything other than hold her.

  After she had settled a bit, Salvatore lifted her off the bench and into his arms before putting her onto the bed, about to leave when she asked him where he was going.

  "I'm getting us something to eat," He informed her, sitting at the edge of the bed.

  "No, just have someone get us something." She shook her head. "Stay here."

  A soft chuckle escaped Salvatore as he made a quick call, informing one of his guards to get them something. Heaving a heavy breath, he leaned forward, running a hand through his damp tresses before looking over his shoulder as Nicole placed a hand against his back, placing a kiss on his nape before resting her head against his shoulder.

  "Come to bed," She murmured gently, running her fingers up and down his spine. "Please."

  Nicole lay down as Salvatore joined her. Holding her hand out to him, he interlaced their fingers before she was tugging at his arm. He looked at her in amusement before straddling her waist, letting out a chuckle as she pushed up his t-shirt, forcing it off, both of them stumbling over the material.

  "Okay, okay, I get it." He laughed at her, removing the t-shirt and throwing it onto the chair before looking down at her. "Is this what you wanted?"

  A sly smirk crossed Nicole's face as she bit her lip, running her down his chest and to his abdomen, her fingers tracing the seam of his jeans.

  "These too," She murmured, running a finger down his jeans from the button to the end of the zipper.

  Salvatore raised an eyebrow at her, smirking as he popped open the button. Getting off the bed to remove the jeans before he moved to be on top of her, covering her body with his as he rested his palms beside her head.

  "Better?"

  "Much," She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down, placing a kiss against his neck and his cheek before hugging him close, his head resting beside her's as he gently lowered his entire weight on her, relieved to hear nothing that would indicate her discomfort.

  He forced her to arch her back a little as he snaked his arms beneath her, wrapping his arms around her waist as a small smile overcame her lips as he buried his face into her neck, gently blowing cold air onto her skin as she giggled.

  "I'm so sorry, Nicole," He murmured into her hair, Nicole falling silent as she waited for him to continue. "I'm sorry because I never stopped to listen or consider that it actually isn't what it seems like. I'm sorry that I left you like this for four days. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry that I blatantly ignored you. But most of all, I'm sorry that I forced myself to believe that I hated you."

  She didn't say anything as she held onto him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder and inhaling his familiar fragrance. Suddenly throwing him off as he fell back with a surprised sound.

  "You took off your ring," She exclaimed, sitting up in bed and rummaging through the drawers. "How dare you?"

  "I got angry," He spoke in shame as she took out his silver wedding band.

  "Oh, so every time either one of us gets mad, we take off our rings? Is that how it works, now?"

  "No, of course not," Salvatore shook his head, bracing himself on his elbows as she straddled his waist and grabbed his left hand, putting the ring back on his finger.

  "The next time you take your ring off would be when you're giving me a divorce," Nicole told him, rolling off since her leg ached from the action of straddling him. "The next time you take your ring off I'll know that this won't work anymore."

  "Wow, okay, so every time I have to wash my hands, or I have to shower or do other activities that require me to take off my ring mean that our marriage has failed?" He teased and Nicole flushed at realizing he was right. "Is that how it works, now?"

  "Oh shut up, you know what I mean." She grumbled in embarrassment, slapping his chest as he chuckled at her, pulling her into his side and placing a kiss on her temple. They both lay in momentary silence before Nicole buried her face into his neck, wrapping herself around him like a Koala bear.

  "I missed you," She told him gently, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I couldn't eat because I kept throwing it up. Nor could I sleep, the bed felt too big, and besides, I couldn't stop crying," She chuckled uneasily.

  "I was told that you'd been going around to various houses asking for me." Nicole nodded in confirmation, not trusting her voice to not crack. "You were that adamant on telling me the truth?" He murmured gently, cupping her chin as he rubbed his thumb over her jaw when she nodded.

  "I couldn't live with myself, letting you think that I had eyes for someone other than my husband, least of all my abusive ex."

  "Oh, so you have eyes only for me?"

  "Of course, I married you, didn't I?"

  "Hmm..." He chuckled at her, placing a kiss on her forehead and her temple, before lowering to her cheek. Nicole resting on her back as Salvatore leaned over her, a hand cupping her chin as he kissed her other cheek and then the tip of her nose, his lips hovering over hers as Nicole looked up at him in anticipation, waiting for him to connect their lips.

  Nicole heaved a heavy breath as she brought her hands up, her fingers caressing his cheeks as his eyes looked her over. From her disheveled hair to the warmth of her green eyes; to the gentle arch of her nose and the subtleness of her lips; to the way the silk clung onto her and her chest heaved with every deep breath she took.

  Leaning down, Salvatore brushed his lips against hers, sending electricity through the both of them as she let out a small gasp. Gently pressing his lips to hers, he pecked them once, twice, three times, as Nicole wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair on his nape. Letting out a relieved moan when he properly kissed her.

  Nicole's fingers tugged at his hair as Salvatore snaked an arm beneath her, forcing her to arch into him as he let out a low guttural sound at the way her body was pressed to him. Their kisses grew more rushed and a lot more intense than what he had initially anticipated, both of their breaths coming out in short pants as they couldn't get enough.

  Needing more.

  Their kisses suddenly slowing down, and Salvatore pulled away, feeling like they were being watched.

  "What's wrong?" Nicole asked, her fingers still in his hair as he pushed himself off her and straddled her waist as he turned to look behind him. A groan escaping him to see his siblings standing at the foot of his bed with smirks and raised eyebrows.

  Rolling off her, Salvatore muttered something incoherent under his breath and pulled on his jeans as Nicole's face flushed at the sight of the three.
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  "So, bro..." Marco trailed with a sly grin. "Enjoying being back home?"

  He was only responded by Salvatore throwing a pillow his way as his younger brother dodged, sending the other two into a laughing fit.

  "Don't worry, Salvi," Serafina spoke after her laughter, making her way to the flustered Nicole. "You two can do whatever you guys want once we leave."

  "Don't forget to use protection," Arsenio reminded as Nicole flushed deeper.

  "Oh, fuck off, old man," Salvatore grumbled, snatching the shirt out of Serafina's hands as his siblings chuckled.

  They were soon joined by their parents and then the rest of the family, all of them coming in to see how Nicole was doing, Salvatore's siblings elongating the visit since they knew he was impatient for them to leave.

  Eventually, he lost it and shoved them all out, locking the door behind him before turning back to his wife.

  "It was sweet of them to drop by," Nicole informed looking down at the get well card Aurora and Irene had made for her.

  "Yes, it was," Salvatore agreed, making his way towards her as he pulled off his shirt. "But right now it's just you and me, baby." He grinned, pulling her closer as she giggled at him before he hungrily devoured her lips with his own.

  Having missed her.

  Chapter XVI: Code Words

  Nicole's leg had begun to heal, but she was still confined to bed rest. Salvatore tried to spend as much time with her as he could, but generally, within 3 minutes of his arrival, an urgent matter needed his attention. She would chuckle then, but in all honesty, she just wanted him beside her, not even talking if he didn't want to, but just there beside her. Nicole found herself spending a lot of time with the dogs, her Husky begging for belly rubs as the Wolf-hybrid would just yap at her or play with her white beast.

  She laughed as Persephone licked her face, Hades sitting at the foot of the bed, watching the two.

  "Scendere," A voice commanded her husky bounding off the bed and towards Salvatore, yelping up at him as he tossed a treat her way. Walking towards Hades, he lowered his hand before the dog instantly nibbled the treat on his palm. After rubbing him behind the ear, he came and settled on his side of the bed, clad in navy blue dress pants with a light blue button-down under a pinstriped blazer, matched with an olive green tie and a navy blue peacoat, his fingers covered by the leather glove with a roll in his hand.

  "How are you feeling?" He asked Nicole as she shuffled closer to him, placing her head on his shoulder.

  "Lonely," She admitted.

  "Why don't you invite over some of your friends?"

  "Yeah..." She sighed dejectedly, figuring out that her husband didn't even consider the possibility that she might be missing him.

  "But before you invite your friends over, I wanted you to know a few things." Salvatore sat up, taking off his gloves and coat.

  "Okay..."

  "For a start, you were kidnapped by Jayson's men – his second-in-command having been the head of the operation. And since he was the head, as retribution, I sent his head to Jayson,"

  Nicole squeezed her eyes shut as the gory image of a severed head infiltrated her mind.

  "No, you have to understand that whatever action is taken against me has an equally worse reaction," Salvatore told her sternly.

  "Why are you telling me this?" She asked in a shaky breath, the image seared into her mind.

  "You're the one who wanted to know what I do for a living. This is what I do."

  A silence fell between the two as she swallowed thickly, watching him walk over to the cabinet, opening it to reveal a mini-fridge as he took out a carton of apple juice.

  "And second," He walked back to the bed. "Here," Salvatore handed her the scroll he in hand.

  Rolling it open, she looked at the various words written on it in two columns, her eyebrows furring in confusion.

  "What is this?"

  "Code words," Salvatore sat beside her once more. "If you ever use 'hubby dear' in a conversation, text, or phone call, I will instantly know you're in trouble."

  "Okay..."

  "And since you said that a man came to you stating that I was injured which had led you to get kidnapped in the first place. If ever such a situation arises where I am injured and have sent for you, the man will give you a code word: Poughkeepsie."

  "Why such random words?" Nicole read the list.

  "Conversations tend to be random, and this is just for our use."

  "What is 'chewing gum' for?"

  "'I'm being followed',"

  "And...Cream puree?" Nicole giggled at the absurdity of the words.

  "I'm being held at gunpoint,"

  A laugh burst through Nicole at the words and their contrasting meaning.

  "You want to know why I thought these random words to be most suitable."

  "Please do tell," She chucked.

  "When being followed, the men are like chewing gum to your shoe, hard to get off," Salvatore explained as she saw the logic. "And cream puree, because that is exactly what your brain will look like if you're shot in the head. And hubby dear, because there would never come a time where you would refer to me like that,"

  Instantly her laughter died down in her throat as an uncomfortable feeling settled over her, forcing her to squirm.

  "Keep this with you," He stood from his place, putting on his coat and gloves. "I'm heading out again, I'll see around dinner time,"

  Nicole simply nodded, watching him walk out of the room as she collapsed back on the bed, an arm covering her eyes.

  Dinner was brought upstairs for her as she asked where Salvatore was, her guard informing her that he had a dinner reservation with a representative. Nodding she ate dinner while watching a movie, deciding on some sappy romantic movie, not even noticing the time pass as Salvatore entered near the end of the movie.

  "Dio mio," He spoke, looking at what was playing on the T.V. "Turn that thing off, will you."

  "No." Nicole shook her head, not even tearing her gaze away from the movie: Safe Haven.

  Salvatore looked at her with a raised eyebrow but didn't say anything as he made his way to the washroom. He hadn't even been in the room for more than 5 minutes when Marco came running in. The younger Regnante looked around the room, turning toward Nicole as she begrudgingly pointed towards the side room. She watched him run in, as their voices were muffled. Seconds later, Salvatore was leaving the room once more, his tie and waistcoat discarded.

  Sighing heavily, she turned off the movie and even the lights as she pulled the blanket over herself, a lump forming her throat.

  She had no idea when he returned to the room once more, this time locking the door behind him as he maneuvered his way in the dark. After 5 minutes, she felt the blanket shift as he got under the covers.

  "I've invited friends over tomorrow." She spoke with her back towards him.

  "Mhmm," He hummed.

  "For lunch," Nicole continued. "They're all Mafia."

  "You've invited people from other Mafia households to my headquarters?" Salvatore braced himself on his elbows. "That too without my consent?"

  "A bit hypocritical, no." She muttered bitterly. "The fact that I need to have your consent before doing anything, but you never ask me if it's alright for you to do something,"

  "Want to know why that is?" Salvatore growled lowly, Nicole having struck a nerve there. "Which one of us the Boss here?"

  "No."

  "No, what?'

  "No, I'm not going to indulge your mind games."

  Salvatore glared at her in the darkness before turning on the lamp, forcing Nicole to groan at the brightness as he got out of bed and made his way over to her side table, pulling it open, he took out all the medicine his doctor had given her as he read their names, Google searching their side effects.

  "What are you doing?"

  "No,"

  "I swear to God, if I could walk, I would have walked out of here."

  "Tell me exactly what issue you have," Salvatore crou
ched before her.

  "No,"

  Inhaling deeply, he watched her turn away from him as he put everything back, closing the drawer before moving back to his side of the bed, turning off the lamp and getting under the cover.

  "Your friends are not coming anywhere near the third floor or the East Wing," Salvatore told her. "I will have my men ensure that,"

  "Fine by me," She grumbled in distaste, turning her back towards him and closing her eyes to fall asleep.

  Nicole woke up about two hours later, blearily sitting up and drinking a glass of water, suddenly noticing that Salvatore wasn't beside her. Stepping out of the bed, she walked towards the side room, surprised to see her husband sitting in his walk-in closet, softly smiling at a bunch of pictures in his hand.

  "What are you doing up?" She yawned from the doorway, watching his sigh before putting the pictures into a box beside him, closing the lid and standing up, storing it on his top shelf under a few clothes.

  "Nothing, I just couldn't sleep," He shrugged, standing with his hands in his sweatpants.

  "Salvatore-"

  "-Who have you invited?"

  "Uh...Luca and his brother, Aldo Giovanni, Carlo Donati, and Fedele Milano, then there is Sofia Giordano and Norah Venturi."

  "The Giovanni's and Regnante's don't have good relations, and I have quite strained relations with Donati, but Milano, Giordano, and Venturi are all allies," Salvatore muttered. "Alright, I'll have the guards keep an eye on them."

  "Salvatore," She spoke gently as he made his way towards her, stopping before her as he jerked his head in question. "It's unlike you to be unable to sleep."