by Serena Light
"Nicole, hey! Nicole, get up!" He tried to shake her awake, seeing the way her head lolled from side to side before he patted her cheek, even pinched her, but she didn't respond. "God, no, please," He muttered under his breath and grabbed hold of the glass of water on the trey, spraying it on her face and almost jumped up in triumph when her eyes fluttered open.
"Salvatore?" She mumbled in a daze, her eyes glazed over as she didn't understand where she was. "Baby, is that you?"
"No, sweetheart, it's me, Dave?" He looked down at her in concern.
"Dave?"
"Yeah, Davide? Don't you remember?"
"How was France?" She slurred deliriously, sweating more profusely.
"Better than you," He tried to get her to laugh, the panic welling inside his chest and forcing tears to his eyes. "You look like a corpse," He teased.
"Dave," Nicole exhaled, her head falling back like she had no control over her body anymore. "Dave, I'm Nicole..."
"Hey, I know who you are-"
"-No." She tried to tell him. "No, I'm Nicole Regnante. Salvatore Regnante's wife,"
Davide would have jumped away in shock if he hadn't been so terrified for her, suddenly understanding why she was the only one being held here and why there were so many guards.
She was an asset.
She was the asset.
"I need...I need you to find him for me," Nicole wheezed, her eyes almost rolling back into her head. "I need you to tell him where I am,"
"Okay, okay," He swallowed the lump in his throat. "But...but what if I get caught?"
"Take...take my ring to him...he'll keep you safe...okay? Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, yes, I'll do that for you," He choked out, feeling the tears welling up once more.
"Dave..." Nicole exhaled. "I'm dying, Dave. I can feel it,"
"No. No." He shook his head vigorously. "You're not dying. Not on my watch." Davide held her close, hugging her frail body as fear engulfed him to feel her bones poking him through his clothes.
"I'll get your husband to you,"
Two months had gone by, and they had no success in finding Nicole. Salvatore had interrogated, beaten, and killed countless men in hopes to learn an inkling of where she might be, but it all had been proven to be in vain. He had an entire army going to every piece of property Jayson owned and inspect the area in case his wife was kept there. Every apartment, house, warehouse, storage locker, everything that was registered under Jayson Leone's name or any one of his aliases, anywhere in the world; and the Regnante Mafia searched from top to bottom for it to be futile.
The lack of success only drove him further, drove him to stop sleeping and working night after night, grasping for clues, for hints, any indication, out of thin air. Major tried talking sense into him, but even then, the Mafia Boss proved to be uncooperative.
But the worst occurrence was when he lost it.
He had been walking back to his office when he heard someone mutter behind him that Nicole just might be dead. The fury in that man's eyes had everyone cover away, and he beat the man bloody. It took four men to restrain the Mafia Boss, and the guard had barely survived with his life.
Even now, Salvatore sat slumped in his office chair. Pages, files, notes, and clipping littered his generally well-kept space, but he just couldn't bring himself to clean anything. He couldn't get his thoughts together and as the days went by, the desperation to find her grew exponentially. Clutching at his hair, the Mafia Boss tried his hardest not to lose hope, tried his hardest to maintain composure because now the frustration was just building and building and building, waiting to explode.
"Uncle Salvi?" A meek voice called from the front of the office, Salvatore's head shooting up at the voice to see Aurora and Irene standing with the twins beside them.
"Hey," He found his voice to greet them, and even stood up from his place to walk over to them, confusion etched in the creases of his forehead as the two toddlers ran to him and clutched at his leg and to see Irene's bloodshot eyes and in the way, Aurora didn't meet his gaze. "Hey, what's wrong princess?"
"Mamma and papa are fighting," Irene sniffled, the Mafia Boss bewildered to hear such an unlikely occurrence. "And I can't find grandma or grandpa,"
"Oh, princess," He crouched before her, hugging her close as she sniffled into his shoulder. "You can always come to your uncle Salvi, sweetheart," He opened his arms as Aurora collapsed in his hold, exhaling shakily with the twins clinging to him, having missed the man they made their father, even asking about mommy.
"Uncle, can you read to us, please?" Irene asked quietly.
"Can we sleep in your room, too?" Aurora inquired alongside her sister.
Salvatore looked at the despondency on their faces, and couldn't help but nod.
"Okay, your uncle Salvi will read to you and you guys can sleep in his room tonight," He nodded in confirmation. "But first I have to shower,"
Standing up, Salvatore picked up one of the twins in his arm as the other opted to walk with his finger in her tiny hand; both Aurora and Irene beside him.
Settling the kids into his room, he showered and got changed into a black t-shirt with grey sweatpants and a hood, momentarily recalling how it was Nicole's favorite and it had a bitter taste infiltrate his mouth. Exhaling, he tried to recompose himself and went to get the children ready for bed. Aurora and Irene rushing to their rooms to get changed while Salvatore dealt with the twins. Dressing Marina in a red full-body onesie that had little cats printed on it, he put her on the floor before changing Michele into a green onesie that had brown owls on the fabric. Taking the two to his room, he settled them on the bed as instantly the wolf-hybrid and husky jumped up, lying their heads in the toddler's laps, enjoying the way the two messed up with their fur.
"We're ready," Aurora chimed as she stepped inside in a grey sweatshirt paired with navy blue pajama bottoms that were covered with orange foxes, while Irene wore a blue Cinderella shirt and trouser.
"Alright, hop on," He patted the bed, settling in the middle with an arm around the twins as the two girls sat on either side of him, cuddled into his warmth as he pulled the blanket over them, the dogs laying on top of the covers, seemingly ready to listen to the story as well. "Okay, so as per Aurora's insistence, we're reading Madeline,"
"Everyone ready?" He inquired, looking at all four kids to see if they were comfortable before he flipped open the book. "In an old house in Paris, that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..." He read as the children – and the dogs – listened intently.
No soon had been a quarter way through the book, did the children fall asleep and had him drowsy. His words grew slurred and his eyes heavy before they dropped to a close.
Salvatore couldn't have been asleep for more than 10 minutes when someone shook him awake.
"What? What?" He slurred, jolting awake, finding Marco and Major standing before him, his brother holding a finger to his lips before pointing to his bed. Looking down, it suddenly occurred to Salvatore that the kids had been sleeping in his room tonight.
Beckoning him forward, the Mafia Boss slowly got out of the bed, ensuring not to awaken any of the kids, and gently patting Michele's chest when he stirred. Tucking the covers around them, he rubbed a sleeping Hades behind the ear and stood before Marco.
"What's wrong?" He asked, catching sight of the irritation on Major's face and raising an eyebrow.
"There is this guy here, who tried to get inside, yelling that he needs to see you," Marco stated and rubbed a hand over his face. "He tried fighting the guards but is currently being held at gunpoint since he won't answer anything, saying he's here to see you. Keeps yelling it's a life and death matter."
"God, at this time?" Salvatore found himself groaning, wanting nothing more than to sleep. Sighing, he pulled on his hood before, grumbling about timing before catching sight of the look his brother and guard were passing each other. "What?"
"He...uh..." Major stammered and stepped forw
ard. "He had this on him,"
He watched as the man reached into his coat pocket, taking out a curled fist before opening it, the content glimmering in the light. Instantly, Salvatore's breath caught in his throat at the sight of it. Taking it from his outstretched palm, he held it closer, ensuring it was actually hers before turning around, grabbing at his hair for a second.
His heart stopped to see the thing in his palm.
His wife's wedding ring.
Chapter XLVI: Sunrise
Rushing down the flight of stairs, Salvatore stepped out into the late October chill as their breath fogged up. Guards creating a circle with their guns pointed at the suit-clad man kneeling on the grass with his hands behind his head and breathing heavily.
The man had brown hair that fell into his beady black eyes, a hooked nose with a jutting square jaw and had a rather pale complexion – either that or he was terrified.
"Who are you?" Salvatore stepped forward and clenched the ring in his palm, the guards stepping to the side with their guns poised.
"I need to see Salvatore Regnante," He looked up at him, causing the Mafia Boss to raise his eyebrows, realizing he had no idea who Salvatore was. "Please," He pleaded in desperation.
"Why do you need to see him?"
"I...God..." He choked out. "They took the ring and I-"
Exhaling, he tore Major's gun out of its holster, before kicking the man in the chest, a foot on his neck with the gun pointed at his head.
"Where did you get this from?" He demanded, holding up her wedding ring as the man choked beneath him. "Tell me!"
"You're Salvatore," He suddenly realized, gripping his ankle. "Salvatore, she...Nicole gave it to me to give it to you..." He choked out, the Mafia Boss removing his foot from his neck, but still had the gun pointed at him.
"She...she wanted me to find you...find you and bring you to her..."
"Who are you?" He demanded in response, momentarily taken aback when the man started crying.
"She's dying," He groaned into the grass, making it feel like someone had just torn Salvatore's insides from him and suddenly, the cold outside felt like nothing compared to the way his heart froze. "She's dying and I don't know why,"
"Who are you?!" Salvatore demanded again, pressing the gun into the back of his neck and felt the pain spreading to every fiber of his being as he clenched his jaw to keep from crying out. "Tell me!"
"Davide," He choked out, sitting up with tears streaming down his face and the gun pressed to his forehead. "Davide Esposito. I guard her during the day,"
"Jayson's man," Marco spoke and instantly took out his gun. All of Salvatore's guards holding him at gunpoint once more.
"No," He held up his hand, the men hesitantly putting away their weapons. "Has he been searched?"
"He's clear, sir." One of the men nodded.
"Bring him," The Mafia Boss ordered before turning on his heel and walking inside.
Without question, they brought him in, settling him in a private lounge in front of Salvatore with his hands tied as he struggled to wipe the tears from his face, getting a good look at the world's most ruthless Mafia Boss in lighting, and swallowed thickly.
"Now you will tell me everything, from the start," The Mafia Boss ordered him. "Or I will kill you,"
So Davide told him.
He told Salvatore about the day she was brought and how people said she was some feral psychotic bitch for having killed two men, maimed another six, and bitten off the ear of one of them. That knowledge had a certain sense of pride swell in the Mafia Boss's chest, glad to know that she fought against them and they feared her, glad that all the training put her through wasn't in vain. Davide told him how he started talking to her because he hated Jayson and she was making his life hell for him. He began interacting with her, telling her stories, brought games for her, and pulled strings.
"And I fell in love with her," Davide sniffled, instantly jumping when he heard various guns being loaded, Salvatore's included. "In a sisterly way!" He clarified.
"She's like the younger sister who was torn from me!" He exclaimed in panic. "Jayson killed my little sister, and then forced me to work for him otherwise he would have killed my then-pregnant wife. Nicole reminded me of her is all,"
Slowly the men lowered their weapons, Davide exhaling shakily before resuming.
"Nicole had begun falling sick since she was brought. It was minute at first, she thought she was pregnant,"
Instantly Salvatore's eyes widened to hear that, his heart shriveling in his chest knowing that if she was pregnant, the baby was dead. And he would never want his wife to be put through that.
"She wasn't," The man before him spoke slowly, and Salvatore had to resist the urge of caving with relief. "But then she grew worse. Coughing, weakness, headaches, dizziness, and horrible stomach aches that had her paralyzed with no pain killer helping her. She fainted mid-sentence on the day I was supposed to get off for two weeks, and I told her I won't go, but she insisted. And God...I should not have gone," Davide pressed his bound palms to his eyes, trying to will away the tears.
"I got back today and she couldn't move..." He choked out, Salvatore sitting up to hear him say that. "She has gone grey and so frail, I could feel her bones poking me. She could hardly open her eyes or move...she was like a corpse...She-she had me promise to tell you where she was, she wanted me to find you and give you her ring."
"Why are you coming now? Why not earlier?" Major spoke from behind Salvatore, leaning against the wall.
"Because I didn't know who she was," Davide sniffled. "She never told me who she was or why she was there, and I didn't pry. I wasn't supposed to talk to her, much less warm up to her. And then...then I went on vacation and I get back and she tells me she's Nicole Regnante, your wife, I didn't know what to do until she told me to find you and tell you where she is,"
"Then where is she?" Salvatore demanded calmly, surprised at how he managed to maintain composure when all he wanted to do was scream and breakdown.
"There is this...this industrial warehouse Jayson owns at the outskirts of Tuscany,"
"We've already searched that place," Marco spoke up, taking a step forward with his gun outstretched. "You're lying,"
"Did you also know that place has a hidden basement?"
"What?"
"The warehouse has a basement which is accessed from a hidden door beneath the wooden panels," Davide wiped his nose with the back of his hand before turning to face Salvatore. "I swear on my son's life I just want you to find Nicole and help her,"
"Major, get the blueprints of that warehouse and someone untie this man," He ordered, the men looking at each other uncertainly as Major went to get what was asked. "Now!"
Instantly four men clamored to get the ties off Davide as he looked up at them, rubbing his wrist when they were free of their bound.
"Know this Davide," Salvatore spoke calmly as Major put the blueprint between them. "If you are lying to me about my wife's whereabouts, I will be worse than Jayson,"
"Yes, sir," He swallowed thickly before looking down at the page. "Jayson has four men patrolling the perimeter of the warehouse at all times. The panels are loose here, and there is just one man inside to guard the way." He pointed to a corner in the back.
"They come off and there is a door beneath it, with steps leading down. Once down, you step straight into a dining area of sorts where there are at least five men at all times, and there is a door leading to the kitchen which has two guards and three armed chefs. Then there is another door leading out into a stretch of corridor with two men posted on either side every three feet, there are typically six men during the day and they guard the steel door which leads into another hallway where Nicole is being held, but it can only be accessed from the inside and there is only a single person manning her holding cell."
"Twenty-two," Marco counted. "Twenty-two men in total,"
"And that's just during the day," Davide shook his head. "At night, the guards are double,
"
After he gave them all the information that he needed, Salvatore had his men put him in a holding room of his own, just to ensure he doesn't run away in case he had been lying to them.
"What do we do?" Major asked once people had cleared from the room, looking down at the Mafia Boss who was scratching his bearded jaw in thought before he looked up at the man.
"I want you to hand-pick the most skilled men in my employment. Ones who are good with guns and have a fantastic aim,"
"I can think of thirty from the top of my head,"
"They'll do," Salvatore nodded. "Davide says that there are four men patrolling. Have two snipers situated in the trees to shoot them down, and the one man guarding the way can be taken out by the snipers as well," He stood from his seat and began walking the length of the room in thought.
"Then there are the five men in the dining area and five more in the kitchen." He murmured to himself in thought. "Do we have a stun grenade?"
"A crate full,"
"Pack some of them too," The Mafia Boss stated dismissively. "Once the man guarding the door is out, open the hatch and drop a stun grenade inside. That gives us about five to six seconds to end them. Long enough for a military able man."
"So that's the five in the dining area." Major nodded, noting down the supply being mentioned.
"Obviously from the noise, the ones in the kitchen will get out to investigate. I want a team of eight to take care of them. Now the ones in the hallway. Six men stationed every three feet from each other. That makes the hallway about nine feet, if not eleven feet long; that is within range," Salvatore rubbed his hands together, placing his fingertips to his lips in thought. "Detonate a smoke grenade and have ten more men on standby with gas masks. That's the hallway, and then the door which can only be accessed from inside."
"Two – if not one - dynamite detonations should do the trick, the suddenness should catch the man off guard which is enough to get him killed by a single bullet." The Mafia Boss nodded to himself. "Take the key from him, get out Nicole, and have an ambulance on standby since she needs immediate medical attention."