by Serena Light
"How are you and Salvatore?" Arcangelo inquired finally after some time of silently watching the babies playing.
"We're fine," Nicole sighed. "Although, Salvatore has trouble sleeping and hardly eats until I force him to get something down, so I'm a little worried."
"Try warm milk," Rosalie stated.
"Warm milk?"
"Yeah, whenever anyone of my kids had trouble sleeping I'd give them a glass of warm milk,"
"Hey!" Arcangelo spoke in aghast.
"I'm sorry, we'd give them a glass of warm milk,"
"That's better,"
"And it works?" Nicole asked with amusement.
"Oh, like a charm,"
"Okay," Their daughter-in-law shuffled closer. "What else?"
"Back rubs," Arcangelo stated. "When he was younger, he had trouble sleeping due to the tightness in his chest, and he felt that backrubs eased the pain,"
"Salvatore takes a shower in the morning right?" Rosalie inquired while sipping her juice watching as Nicole nodded. "Warm or cold?"
"Oh! Freezing," Nicole shook her head with a scoff. "I decided to join him once and that was the worst decision I ever made wit..." She trailed, suddenly realizing what she was saying and to whom. "I mean..."
"Have him take a hot shower before bed to relax his muscles after a long day, makes him feel lethargic," Arcangelo ignored the obvious awkwardness.
"And you might want to towel dry his hair," Rosalie added after a moment of thought. "There was always something about the towel rubbing against his head that had him drowsy when he was younger,"
"Okay, so, warm milk, back rubs, and warm baths," Nicole repeated.
"Oh and running your fingers through his hair," The parents spoke together. "He liked head messages,"
"Okay-"
"-Hello," A voice spoke from behind Nicole as she looked up to find her husband standing in the doorway, wearing grey dress pants with a blazer, his tie in hand with the first two buttons left open.
"Hey," A wide smile overcame her face as she got up from her seat and greeted him with a hug and a quick peck to his lips. "How was work?"
"Not as interesting as what's happening here, obviously," He stated and pulled away from his wife and greeted his parents in turn, hugging his father while his mother placed a kiss on his cheek. "What were you guys talking about? She seemed like she was in a trance?"
"You," His mother chuckled, noticing the adoring look in her eyes.
"Me?" Salvatore asked slowly, looking around his parents and moving them to the side as he looked at the place they were seated.
"What are you looking for?" Arcangelo asked his son in confusion as he took a full circle around them, looking his father up and down.
"Photo albums," Salvatore stated, looking up at his parents. "Do you have any photo albums on you?"
"No..." His parents trailed in confusion.
"Praise the Lord," Their son heaved a sigh of relief before stepping away and going to the little babies on the floor, his wolf-hybrid jumping at him and licking his face in greeting.
"I've seen them all though," Nicole informed smugly from her place behind the couch, her husband looking up at the words. "Even the embarrassing ones,"
"Traitors," Salvatore looked at his parents as they just shrugged in indifference while his wife chuckled.
"Lunch?" Nicole asked the people before her as the parents looked at Salvatore for an answer.
"In a bit, let me freshen up then we can go down for lunch," He told her and stood from his place.
"Okay, sure," His parents nodded as Salvatore took off his blazer and draped it over the back of the couch, rolling back the sleeves of his blue button-up while making his way into the walk-in closet.
Excusing herself, Nicole went after him and found her husband washing his face. The moment he turned off the tap and grabbed a towel to dry himself with, Nicole wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged his side; earning herself a chuckle.
"How have you been?" He turned to be facing her as she looked up at him.
"Not bad," She shrugged. "Got to sleep in, but did wake up with the panic that I'm late for work before going back to sleep. Spent the entire morning with the twins, Alessio was kind enough to feed them breakfast before he left for work and then your parents came so I've been with them,"
"What were they telling you about?" Salvatore rubbed circles onto her side as she gave him a sly smirk in response.
"I'll show you tonight,"
"Uh..." He trailed with an uncomfortable expression. "You see, that doesn't sound like something I want to know, especially if my parents told you then I'd rather stay oblivious,"
"Oh!" Nicole caught onto his meaning and flushed before bursting into a fit of laughter. "No! No! It's nothing like that! Very innocent, I can assure you,"
"You promise?" He raised an eyebrow and held up his pinky finger.
"I promise," She grinned and locked her small finger with his. "Now, where is my kiss?"
"Right here," Her husband smirked before leaning down and connecting his lips to hers.
Soon they all were sitting in the dining room and enjoying a nice lunch while chatting about mundane matters, asking their son how he was doing and how work was going, all in all, they chatted to get their mind off the current reality of the situation.
"Arcangelo," Rosalie spoke quietly from beside her husband, tearing her gaze away from the passing scenery.
"Yeah?"
"I'm worried about Salvatore,"
Her husband looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant.
"Why?" He inquired. "He's the strongest out of all of our kids, emotionally and mentally obviously, physically Marco can beat him in a fight."
"No, he's not," Rosalie shook her head. "I know my kids, he's very sensitive and Serafina's condition is affecting him a lot more than he lets on, I'm worried because unlike the others, he's repressing it all inside him. You know he hasn't shed a single tear since Serafina's accident? I mean I've been a mess, so have you. Marco came the other day for a hug and to cry, as did Arsenio and Alessio, everyone has had some form of catharsis to help them deal with this situation, everyone, but Salvatore,"
Arcangelo furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember how their son had been since their daughter's accident. Opening and closing his mouth to contradict his wife's statement, but realizing she was right.
"What do you suggest we do?" He relented, turning to look at her in the confines of the car.
"I don't know...talking, maybe?" She questioned, not sure on how to approach this matter. "Because I'm scared that because of him repressing it all inside it's all just going to build until he burst at a point of no return. He needs to let it out, Arcangelo, he's poisoning himself. You saw that for yourself, he's hardly sleeping or eating and you noticed how tired he looked and hardly ate anything at lunch,"
"The nurses at the hospital told me that at his last shift, he played the violin, and he played such a heartbreaking symphony that it had everyone crying," Rosalie breathed out and rubbed a hand over her forehead. "He's not letting it out and it's going to manifest in unpleasant ways,"
"Would talking help, though," Arcangelo inquired in thought. "Because he's not 13 anymore,"
"I don't know," Rosalie shook her head. "I don't know anymore. He is definitely your son,"
Arcangelo raised an incredulous eyebrow at the words.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I don't know if it is him growing up and becoming like you were before you met me, or it’s this Mafia Boss position making him so cold and cut off,"
"He's not becoming like me-"
"Arcangelo, for the longest time you believed emotions were a weakness, and we tried our level hardest to raise our kids with the exact opposite mindset but I think we failed in achieving that," Rosalie let out a shaky breath, feeling worried about her son. "I'm just...I'm scared, Arcangelo. About you, and Alessio and Serafina, and Arsenio and Marco and Angelica, and Sa
lvatore and Nicole, and Aurora and Irene and Michele and Marina...I don't know what to do anymore and it's scaring me,"
"Hey," Arcangelo called out to her softly, taking hold of her hand in his own. "We'll figure it out, yeah? Together,"
"Okay," She sniffled and snuggled into her husband's side. The car suddenly jerking and swerving out of control as they both tried to grab onto something, closing their eyes when the car hurtled towards a tree, but stopping mere centimeter away from the bark.
"What was that?" Arcangelo demanded with heavy breathing, his heart beating in overdrive and sweat forming on his forehead.
"Someone shot our tires," The man in the front seat spoke taking out a gun and loaded it, the driver doing the same as Arcangelo and Rosalie looked at one another before reaching for their own semi-automatic pistols. All four of them sitting with their guns loaded and raised, the couple watching the two men in the front nod to one another and meet Arcangelo's gaze in the rearview mirror before swinging open the door and stepping out, the sound of gunshot ringing through the evening air.
"Okay..." Rosalie exhaled; sweat beading her forehead as adrenaline surged through her veins, one hand gripping the door handle. "Arcangelo Regnante, I love you with all my heart and if something happens to me out there, I just want you to know, that I lived a beautiful life with you and our children and that I have no regrets,"
"Rosalie, nothing will happen," Arcangelo assured with a heaving chest. "But if something does, I want you to know that you were it. You were the one for me."
She smiled at her husband, giving him a quick peck before they both sat up with their guns ready and their fingers around the handle.
"Ready?" He asked, listening to the sound of gunfire.
"As I'll ever be," Rosalie stated just as they both swung open the door and stepped out, firing round after round of bullets into their enemies.
Chapter XXXI: Mind’s need to blame
Sighing tiredly, Salvatore pulled off the t-shirt he wore, lazily stretching out on the bed before covering his eyes with his arms. Inhaling deeply he took hold of his phone and checked to see if he had any messages.
"What are you doing?" Nicole's voice inquired in exasperation as he scrolled through the device.
"Just checking for messages,"
"We agreed, Salvatore," She admonished and plucked it from his hands before putting it onto his side table.
"Fine, fine," He relented and lay back on the bed. "No phone,"
"That's right," She grinned at him and hitched up her silken nightgown to straddle his waist watching Salvatore let out an exhale before she intertwined their fingers together. "No phone,"
"This is new," Salvatore noticed the grey satin nightgown she wore that was pooled up to her thighs.
"No, not really, I just haven't worn it,"
"It's cute," He admitted, giving her once over as she smiled at him.
"You think so?"
"Yeah," Her husband nodded and rubbed her bare arms. "So what were mom and dad saying? You said you'll tell me tonight,"
"Not tell you, show you,"
"I am still very concerned,"
"There is no need to be," Nicole laughed at her husband and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Okay," She untangled her fingers from his and held up her hands to show him before moving closer to tangle them in his hair.
Salvatore watched her in silence as he felt her fingers comb through his hair, her fingertips gently massaging his scalp as he lay quietly beneath her. He lifted his head from the pillow when she moved her hands to the back of his head and the base of his neck, his eyes closing on their own accord as the sensation had him feel lethargic.
"It’s nic – Ow," He began to say before crying out in pain and grabbing hold of her wrist to stop her movements.
"What?" Nicole asked in a panic.
"Your ring," He groaned. "My hair is stuck in your ring,"
Pulling a grimace, she did her level best to untangle his hair from her ring, Salvatore hissing as she apologized.
"Okay, okay, it's out," She assured and held up her hands as he rubbed at the abused spot. "I'm sorry,"
"Is that what mom and dad told you?" He squinted at her. "Tangle my hair in your ring?"
"No, they were telling me things they used to do when you had trouble sleeping,"
"Let me guess: warm milk, hot baths, and towel drying my hair, and messaging my head?"
Her cheeks flushed as she looked down and bit her lip, looking up at him from below her lashes.
"Yeah,"
"They did all that when I was like 10, it's been 20 years to that, I don't even know if they'd work anymore,"
"It was worth a try," Nicole shrugged as he lay back down.
Sighing, she made a move to get off his waist as Salvatore let out a sound of protest.
"What?"
"Stay right here," He settled her back with his hand on her waist, Nicole looking at him with a raised eyebrow and amused smile.
"Why?"
"Just because,"
"What are you planning?"
"Nothing,"
"Liar,"
Salvatore chuckled at his wife as he cupped her cheek into his hand, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone and watched Nicole lean into his touch, placing a kiss on his palm. She inhaled deeply when his hand trailed from her cheek to her waist, gently caress her sides through the thin fabric of her nightgown, a shuddered breath escaping her when he caressed her thighs, hitching the hem higher up as Nicole clutched onto his shoulders.
"Where are they coming from?" Arcangelo groaned in irritation when the men around them wouldn't reduce, both him and his wife burning through their mags.
"Call Salvatore!" Rosalie called from the other side, both of them hiding behind the car doors, and shooting from the side.
Lowering his gun for a moment, Arcangelo ducked inside and dialed his son's phone.
The phone rang on the side table as Nicole clutched onto her husband's shoulder, her breathing uneven and labored as Salvatore's lips wandered over her body.
"The phone is ringing," He murmured against her stomach, about to pick it up when Nicole pulled him back.
"It's probably some Mafia boss," She cupped the back of his head and pulled him back for a kiss. "Ignore it,"
"He's not picking up!" Arcangelo groaned in frustration and ducked low when a bullet shot through the window sending shards flying all over him.
"Try again!" Rosalie reloaded the chamber when her husband threw away his semi-automatic pistol and pried the assault rifle out from beneath the car seat, loading it he looked around the door, firing at the men before him.
"A little busy here!" Her husband called out, breathing heavily and bleeding from his temple where the glass cut him.
"Shit!" She hissed and took out her phone, dialing her son's number and holding it to her ear as she tried her best to stay hidden behind the door.
Salvatore kissed Nicole breathlessly, her fingers threading through his hair as he grasped her hips into her hands, pulling her flush against him. Nicole moaned into his mouth when the phone rang once more.
"What the fuck?" Nicole groaned in frustration at the phone.
"This is the 2nd call in the last 3 minutes," Salvatore muttered in realization, pulling away from his wife as she groaned at the lack of his warmth. Picking up the device he noticed it was a call from his mother. "Mom?" He called into the device, being greeted by the sound of gunfire in the background, his heart instantly dropping to his feet.
"Mom!"
"Salvatore!" Rosalie's voice called out in relief. "Thank God! Listen we're under attack-"
Her words cut short by the gunfire.
"Mom? What are you-?"
"-Highway...home..." Her words came out in clipped and short sentences, Salvatore not understanding what she was trying to say before her scream had his blood run cold, the call coming to a sudden end.
"What happened?" Nicole sat up, noticing the paleness of her husband's expression. "Salvatore?" She rea
ched out to him, Salvatore abruptly standing up and holding the phone to his ear.
"Tazio, gather men we're heading out, mom and dad are under attack near the highway; have them all ready to leave within the next 2 minutes,"
"What?" Nicole gasped at his words, following after him as he rushed to his walk-in closet, pulling on whatever came into his hands. "Are they alright?"
"I don't know," Salvatore shook his head, grabbing the gun at the bottom of the wardrobe before stuffing it in his waistband. "Stay here," He instructed before sidestepping her figure and running out the door.
Nicole changed from her nightgown to shorts and a t-shirt under a long cardigan and waited for any news, pacing the length of the room as she waited for a call or a message, even a messenger, anything to let her know what was going on.
It had been over an hour since Salvatore had gone and Nicole had begun losing her composure when her door swung open, Marco standing in the doorway, disheveled and out of breath, blood smearing is cheek and staining his clothes as he beckoned her forward.
Running after him, the two were headed to the hospital, arriving in the parking lot, Nicole ran out of the car and into the building. Taking the stairs two at a time and nearly stumbled into a guard who apologized and moved to the side as she ran down the hallway, finding Salvatore standing with his back to her.
"Salvatore!" She called out to him as he turned, Nicole relieved to see him unharmed, just a little winded, but not hurt. Rushing to him, she hugged him tightly, her heart settling to know her husband was alright. "What happened? Where are mom and dad?"
"They're being taken care of," Salvatore informed her. "Dad got a cut on his forehead and mom has a broken arm, but otherwise they're fine,"
"And causalities?"
"Four dead,"
Nicole grimaced and instantly grabbed hold of his hand, giving his palm a reassuring squeeze as he let out an uneven breath and rubbed his forehead, looking completely worn out and exhausted. Taking a glance around herself, she found Arsenio and Marco talking in rushed whispers not too far from them with Alessio making his way out of one of the hospital rooms.
"What happened?" Alessio approached them, Salvatore turning to him with a weary sigh.