by Serena Light
Holding up his gun, he shot the enemy, his aim perfect and hitting them straight in the chest.
It felt like hours but could have been minutes, and Salvatore wouldn't know how long he had been shooting for until every single person of his enemy was lying dead at his feet.
"Have a look around," Salvatore heaved through his labored breathing sweat rolling down his temple. "Grab the best, and leave the rest to burn,"
"In position, boss," Piero's voice spoke through the device as Salvatore took a hit from his inhaler. "Waiting for your signal,"
"Then wait,"
He watched his men grab the crates and take them out of the warehouse and load them into the back of the trucks they had come hidden in. Once he was satisfied with his spoils of war he held up his hand in the air and curled it into a fist, all his men stopping and heading out.
Having a look around, Salvatore felt very smug about how much he would be leaving behind. Stepping out of the warehouse, he was met by Piero and Marco out the door, his feet landing in something wet before he walked towards them.
Marco held something out for him as the Mafia Boss took it into his hand, feeling a certain power surge through him as he turned the small device in his hands, looking up to see the sky beginning to streak in color and smirked at the two men before him.
The feral grin their boss had on his lips had the two men squirm and swallow thickly.
"Salvatore Regnante sends his regards," He smirked and flicked on the lighter as he began to walk away, both his men close behind him.
Tossing the device behind him, the spilled gasoline ignited and the flames began to eat everything in reach.
"A warehouse in Ukraine caught fire and ruined almost everything within a 2-mile radius, authorities are still trying to get the fire under control and have been unable to do so..." The news playing on T.V. spoke in the background as Nicole ran out of the room, pushing her guard back before settling in the driver's seat of the Range Rover, not even caring about the fact that she looked like an absolute mess with her hair in tangles and wearing one of her silk tank top and shorts. She just needed to get there.
It had occurred to her that her guards were clutching on for their dear life and begging her to slow down, but she wasn't going to.
Pulling into the hanger she was relieved to see the plane just having landed, but swallowed the uncertainty rising in her throat. Putting the car into parking, she stepped out, ignoring how her guards staggered out and fell onto the floor in their sickened state.
Nicole stood before the jet, waiting for the stairs to be lowered and tapped her foot impatiently.
"Hey!" Nicole called out to one of the men there. "Open the fucking door!"
Instantly he ran away and in the other direction as she groaned and began pacing, trying to look through the windows, but not seeing anyone. She saw the back of the jet get lowered as men began taking out crates from the inside. Nicole didn't even wait for a second before making her way over to the back.
"Ma'am!" Her guard tried to call out to her and stop her but instead collapsed due to their legs have turned to jelly.
"Madam," The guards stopped and greeted her with bowed head as she walked up the ramp and opened the door leading into the jet, finding Marco and Piero seated with glasses of champagne in their hands and facing her while Salvatore sat with his back to her.
Instantly the two men froze and the Mafia Boss looked over his shoulder at their sudden silence, giving her a second's glance before turning back to his drink, dismissing the two men with a nod as they stood up and lowered the stairs before stepping out.
"Are you insane?" Nicole demanded from him and came to sit down across from him, taking in her husband sitting in grey dress pants with a matching waistcoat over a white button-up, his attire paired with a black tie and polished dress shoes. Her patience running out at his silence. "Salvatore!"
Instantly her husband held up a hand, immediately silencing her as she shrunk back at the look he was giving her.
"Last I recall, I was best at running away," He spoke with an icy tone, his blue eyes hard and unmoving. "Then why the hell are you here?"
"I was upset, okay," She fumbled for words. "I was upset and I said that and I didn't mean it and I heard the news about the blown-up warehouse and I got worried about you-"
"-Oh, you were worried about me?" He asked mockingly.
"Stop it," Nicole swallowed thickly and stood up from her place. "Please just stop it, this isn't you, this isn't my Salvatore,"
"What isn't me?" He demanded. "Cold? Ruthless? Unforgiving? I think you're forgetting you married the Regnante Mafia Boss. This is me."
"No, I want my husband," She shook her head. "I want that man,"
"You hurt him, Nicole," He told her quietly and shrugged before making his way towards the exit.
"Salvatore," She choked out, grabbing onto the back of his waistcoat and forcing him to stop. "I'm sorry, please, I'm sorry, I got angry and I just said it and I didn't mean it and I..." The tears streamed down as her fingers trembled.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," She sobbed, collapsing to her knees as Salvatore stood over her in silence, watching her sob into her hands and knowing she was having it rough.
"Baby," Salvatore relented with a sigh, picking her up off the floor and holding her close as she clutched onto him tightly. "Breathe,"
Nicole buried her face into his chest and wiped her cheeks before pulling away to look up at him.
"I'm sorry for the way you left," She murmured quietly, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbones. "I know you wouldn't have gone if you had a choice,"
"I didn't have a choice," Salvatore placed a kiss on her palm. "He hurt you, so I hurt him,"
"I burned down his weapons warehouse and plummeted his business,"
Chapter XXV: Intuition
Salvatore lay staring up at the ceiling, his lamp turned on and Nicole lying beside him, asleep. He wouldn't bring himself to close his eyes, his mind too plagued with thoughts and business transactions and Mafia matters. He had managed to track down the 176,000 Euros and the man responsible, he even managed to find the man who had given away his designs and made a successful comeback. Luca was beginning to show signs of improvement, the swelling around his face having reduced considerably as he would open his eyes and look around him, but couldn't talk much as of yet.
Nicole was feeling much better now too, his family was well, his nieces – Aurora and Irene – were busy preparing for a school talent show, the twins – Michele and Marina – had begun babbling nonstop and crawled all over the place, laughing and pulling down things in reach. Alessio and Serafina were well, his parent's careers were as good as ever, and Arsenio was flying the world while Angelica left her mark through her architecture, Marco lived the life of a bachelor, and all in all, things were going well.
Yet, for some unknown reason, Salvatore was brimming with a nervous energy that had him up at this time of the night.
Exhaling heavily he turned to look at Nicole who lay with a pillow cuddled in her arms, the back of her cream silk nightgown towards him as the duvet was pulled up to her waist, her breathing slow and rhythmical. Shifting, he moved behind her and pulled her closer, his wife shifting in his hold and letting out a little groan. The sound had electricity shoot through his spine as he wrapped an arm around her waist, his hand slipping under the duvet as his fingers trailing down her leg and under the silk, causing Nicole to squirm.
"Baby..." She murmured drowsily, his actions having woken her as her shoulders tensed with his hand cupping her breast as she made a feeble attempt of pushing him away. "Salvatore,"
"I'll be quick," He assured, kissing her neck and turning her onto her stomach, hovering over her.
"I'm sleeping," Nicole grumbled, clutching at the pillow as he kissed her nape.
"I know, baby," Salvatore drew her dress up, the material bunching around her stomach. "You don't need to wake up,"
His wife grumbled something inaudible as he
r face warmed at his antics, a yelp of surprise escaping her when he entered without warning. She heard him chuckle above her as she buried her face into the pillow, while he drew moans of pleasure from her mouth with every thrust, her mewls muffled by the pillow. A gasp escaped her when he turned her over, claiming her lips in a bruising kiss before resuming his assault on her.
Nicole was quick to wrap her arms around his neck and hook her ankles across his back, pulling him impossibly closer as he smiled against her lips. Salvatore's thrust gaining speed as she arched into him, releasing with a harsh tug at his hair and a cry into his chest. Her breathing was out of control, her lungs begging for air she couldn't get enough of, his thrusts forcing her over the edge once more before he groaned above her, clenching a fist full of the sheets beside her head as he grunted into her neck, her second release being triggered as she shuddered beneath him.
The only sound infiltrating the room was that of their heavy breaths, a fine sheen of sweat covering their bodies as Salvatore lay on top of her, his head beside hers as she had her arms wrapped around his neck, gently massaging the back of his head with his body nestled between her legs.
"Can I sleep now?" She murmured into his ear, placing a kiss on his temple as he stayed quiet for a second before humming, and instantly Nicole knew there was something wrong. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," He sighed, pushing himself away from her as he sat up in bed, his back to her. "You can go back to sleep, sweetheart,"
"No, there is something wrong," Nicole kneeled behind him as her dress fell down to her thighs and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me,"
"It's just..." Salvatore trailed, running a hand through his hair in irritation. "I can't sleep," He groaned.
"It's four in the fucking morning and I haven't gotten a wink of sleep despite having been working all day yesterday and I have tried literally everything to fall asleep," He grumbled in frustration, Nicole wrapping her arms across his chest and resting her chin on his shoulder. "I stopped coffee at 6, even took a warm bubble bath, tried working out to tire myself, did meditation and yoga, counted fucking sheep, and still I can't bring sleep to come,"
His wife hummed behind him as she thought about what to do. Pulling away, she flopped onto her stomach, the bed bouncing as Salvatore watched her stretch her arm towards the side table before grasping his phone into her fingers. His eyebrows rose in surprise as she unlocked his phone with her fingerprint, and scrolled through it, tapping away at the screen.
"How'd you unlock it?" He questioned skeptically.
"You left it open on the table the other day and I added my fingerprint,"
"What are you doing?"
"I am..." She trailed, typing. "Sending a message,"
"At this hour? To whom?"
"You ask too many questions, Salvi," Nicole grinned as the text message got sent and she handed the phone back to him. "You've just earned yourself a day off,"
Looking down at the device he read the message sent to Tazio which informed that he wouldn't be coming into work today and doesn't want to be disturbed.
"Why'd you do that?" Salvatore moved the duvet around, looking for his shorts between the sheets before he finally found it and pulled it on. "I didn't ask for a vacation,"
"But you need one," She chuckled and straddled his waist, hugging him close. "You've just been so busy with work lately that your mind can't bring itself to shut off and relax,"
"Could explain it," He spoke after a moment of thought holding her close. "But that doesn't answer how I'll go to sleep,"
"Come on, lie down," Nicole flopped onto her side, her head on his pillow as Salvatore grumbled about her being on his side, his wife rolling her eyes before shifting over. Her husband rested beside her and gave him a soft smile, running her fingers through his hair and shuffling closer so that their noses almost touched. "My Yaya used to sing this to me when I was little," She confided, placing a kiss on his cheek as he looked at her with intrigue as he watched her begin to hum a tune.
"How many stars are in the sky, my pearl one," She began to sing in Greek. "And they shine one by one, and they shine one by one," Her soothing voice had Salvatore's mind tune out everything except the woman beside him, singing.
A soft smile overcame his face as he listened to her sing, her fingers combing through his hair as he felt his body grow heavy, his muscles feeling like lead as his eyes began to droop and long before the song was over, he fell asleep. Nicole continued to sing to his sleeping figure.
"Come mother and love me too," She sang gently to him. "Swing the child for me, mother," Nicole finished, placing a kiss on his forehead and snuggled under his chin, pulling the duvet over the both of them and closed her eyes to fall asleep.
Salvatore awoke late the next day, it was close to 12 when his eyes finally peeled open and he shifted onto his back, blearily looking around him as he noticed the space next to him to be empty.
"Nicole?" He called out drowsily, watching her head peek out from the walk-in closet before she made her way to him with a wide grin. Giving her a sleepy smile, he held open his arms, quick to envelop her in his hold as he inhaled the fresh fragrance of her shampoo, lying back down on the bed with her.
"How'd you sleep?" She asked from her place on his chest, her husband's breathing even and rhythmical.
"I can't open my eyes," He admitted, having trouble keeping them open as they kept closing on their own accord.
"At night you couldn't bring them to close, and now you can't open them?"
"You drugged me,"
"Yes, that's definitely what I'd do," Nicole bit back sarcastically, her husband chuckling.
"I know you would," He yawned, holding her closer. "Besides, you gave me a day off so I can stay in bed,"
"Good thing I did otherwise you'd be sleeping in the middle of the meetings,"
"You seem to know exactly what I need," Salvatore mused.
"Oh, it's nothing compared to what you'd do for me," Nicole nuzzled into his chest as he hummed sleepily with a hand at the back of her head.
"I just want to lie with you, Nicole," Salvatore blinked open his azure blue eyes, combing his fingers through his hair as he met her evergreen gaze. "Let's just lay in bed and talk,"
"About what?"
"Everything and nothing,"
His wife chuckled at him as she looked up from his chest, staring into his crystal blue eyes and just wanted to tell him she loved him. Her heart swelled to see the lazy smile on his face and the way his eyes squinted at the edges just made him look so much younger. Instead, she leaned up and kissed his chin, Salvatore laughing under his breath when he rested her head on his chest.
They spent that evening lying around in their pajamas. Neither one of them checked their phones nor catered to any business, they just lay together and talked about various things from animals to furniture and fond old memories to funny stories and rumors, they had heard. Eventually, they both moved onto the floor, Nicole's back to Salvatore's chest as he had the duvet wrapped around them despite the warm March weather, and they both watched the sunset from their window, quiet and relishing the warmth of their partner.
"Nicole..." Salvatore trailed as she hummed in question. "Have you ever thought about your kids?"
"My kids?" She asked in confusion, tilting her head back to look up at him.
"Yeah, like, when you were younger, what did you imagine your married life to be like?"
"Well..." Nicole trailed uncertainly.
"You can tell me honestly, I won't say anything,"
"Well...for the longest time I thought I'd marry Aldo,"
"Giovanni?"
"Yeah, I mean, he's about 3-4 years older than me and I used to play bride and groom with him, and if I am completely honest, I didn't mind that notion. But as we grew up, he got involved with girls and was partying and going out and he didn't seem appealing anymore. Then I dated for a while, didn't like the guy, ended it, got together with Jayson was head over heels in love with hi
m before finally ending that, and after him, I swore off dating and told dad that I want an arranged marriage to a man of his choosing. When he told me he found a guy, I was a hundred percent sure he chose Aldo,"
"But instead you got me,"
"The world's most feared and ruthless Mafia Boss,"
"Does that bother you?"
"The feared and ruthless part? God no," She chuckled at him. "I have never seen you angry, nor have you ever raised your voice, and all in all I don't quite understand why you're so feared. You're a teddy bear,"
"A teddy bear?" Salvatore raised an eyebrow at her words.
"A teddy bear," Nicole grinned in confirmation before shuffling to be kneeling before him. "My teddy bear,"
Her husband rolled his eyes in half-hearted exasperation before shaking his head at her.
Nicole noticed that as the day progressed, his nervous energy returned. He couldn't sit still and kept moving around the room. He looked troubled and she couldn't understand why, and neither could he. He called every one of his family members, asking if things were alright, called Serafina thrice and found her well, yet he couldn't rid himself of the foreboding.
"Hey," Nicole halted his pacing, standing before him and clutching his hand, seeing the distress and confusion across the creases in his forehead. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"
"I don't know," He shook his head, rubbing at his chest since it felt tight.
"Tell me,"
"I just..." He trailed in confusion trying to exhale. "I feel absolutely helpless and I don't even know why. There is this anxiety gnawing at my mind and for what I don't know, everything is fine then why do I feel like it's not?"
"Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something?"
"But what?" He grunted, pulling away from her and walking over to his side table, his chest feeling unbearably tight as he took a hit from his inhaler. "But what?"
Serafina coddled little Michele in her arms, her husband trying to lull their daughter to sleep. Putting the baby into his cot, she walked to the other room, watching Alessio strolling the length of the room with Marina nestled in his hold.