Like I said, I probably won't be able to update for the coming two weeks so I'm putting out the update beforehand. If I am able to then more updates for you guys, yay!
As mentioned, you will see a bit of Salvatore in this book too, so here is a chapter from his perspective, this chapter referring to the events of the epilogue of Assigned to Her.
Once again, would love to hear from you all so don't be shy to comment!

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Tuscany, Florence

The jet’s engine hummed across the hanger, rolling to a stop near the Range Rover standing in wait. Salvatore leaning against the car, a gust of hot air blowing at his air and ruffled his clothes, the Mafia Boss watching from behind his sunglasses.

Taking them off and step forward when the stairs lowered, his wife stepping out and making her way to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged and lifted her off the floor, squeezing her tight as she giggled and he chuckled against her neck. Lowering her to be standing in front of him, combing her hair out of her face.

“How was Thailand?”

“Oh! It was wonderful!” Nicole gushed, wrapping her arms around his waist as he led the way to the car. “I have so much to tell you!”

“I do, too,” He chuckled, kissing her temple before watching her get settled in the car. “I got you a little something,” Salvatore settled beside her and held up the Swarovski bag, his wife rolling her eyes at the sight of it.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing,”

“You always get me something when you’ve done something wrong,” She took the bag from him, pulling out the box from inside. Popping it open and gasped at the delicate earrings nestled inside. “Oh! They’re beautiful,” Nicole exclaimed and held it up in the light, turning to her husband and kissed his cheek.

“You like them?” Salvatore murmured, placing a kiss on the side of her neck as she admired the stones.

“I love them, and I even know what outfit I can wear these with,”

“Good,” Her husband straightened with a smile, pulling her to him so that her head rested against his chest and she leaned against him.

“You still haven’t told me what you did,”

“Later, I promise,”

“You better be the one to come clean to me, mister,”

“Yes, ma’am,”

Nicole chuckled when she entered their bedroom and found it set up with flowers and fresh clean sheets. Salvatore having picked out a couple of options for her to wear and told her he had a bath running for her. His wife grinning and wrapped her arms around his neck, pecking his lips.

“Thank you,” She rubbed her knuckles over his cheek as he chuckled. “You knew exactly what I needed,”

“Hey, thirty-two years of marriage had to pay off to something,”

Chuckling at him, Nicole pulled away and went to shower.

She waited beside her husband to tell her what had happened while she was gone. Having showered and dressed and then they even ate dinner, both of them lying back in bed and watching a movie before Nicole told him all about her trip to Thailand, the workshop she conducted and the extracurricular activities they did, she even told him about riding an elephant. Salvatore chuckling and running his fingertips over her arm, holding her against his chest.

“What about you? What did you do while I was away?”

“I…” Salvatore trailed, Nicole feeling him tense beneath her. “I visited the kids,”

“Anything to be worried about?” She swallowed the bitterness in her throat.

“No, Victoria called and asked me to come, and when I got there I found out that she was having some…issues with her new professor,”

“Maverick Turner,” Nicole recalled. “I thought you approved his employment when they asked you to review the candidates,”

“I did, I mean I do, but I didn’t expect him to head-butt my daughter and make her lip bleed,”

“Oh! He’s also the hand-to-hand combat volunteer!” Nicole sat up at the words. “Salvatore,” She tsk-ed at him.

“Don’t give me that look,”

“Well, what else can I do?” Nicole shrugged. “You went and visited the kids while I was away, and you know how much I miss them, you don’t think I want to see them too?”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but-”

“-And don’t you think you’re meddling at this point?”

“Meddling?” Salvatore echoed. “How?”

“I mean, Salvatore, look,” Nicole straightened when her husband sat up. “Victoria is twenty-eight, and Demetrio is twenty-six. They both live abroad, studying their desired field, and pursuing a Master’s degree. They have their own apartments, wired with all sorts of security measures for their safety as well as bodyguards. I don’t think you have to intervene in every little squirmish the kids get into. And you know Victoria, she likes riling up the new professors for her own enjoyment, but then settles the matter herself as well, what makes this time any different?”

“This time she called me and asked me to come to Boston,”

“Trying to prove what?”

“Trying to prove to her professor that she is loved,” Salvatore exhaled. “You know I think he keeps attacking Victoria, I mean what sort of professor tries to tell his students that they’re not loved?”

“One having to deal with Victoria, you know how easily she twists them,” Nicole rubbed a hand on his chest, coming to lie down in his arms. “Have you gotten any complaints since then?”

“No, he apologized,”

“So all is well and good?”

“Yeah,”

“And Demetrio?”

“Demetrio,” Salvatore chuckled. “That’s an amusing story,”

“Do tell,”

Chuckling to himself, Salvatore rubbed a hand over his mouth before telling her the story of how Demetrio found this café shop he’d taken a liking to and his interaction with one specific employee. Nicole chuckling as he told her how there was a misunderstanding and Matteo hit Umberto with an umbrella which led Hugo to believe that Matteo was a threat and punch him which led to a concussion.

“And you know Demetrio and his impulse to pick up strays,” Salvatore chuckled to himself. “He took in Matteo and nursed him back to health, letting him stay in his room and got him all the necessary medical treatment,”

“That’s sweet of him,”

“A little excessive if you ask me,”

“Of course,” Nicole rolled her eyes. “So what happened ahead?”

“I…I seem to have driven him away,”

“Wow. Very nice, Salvatore, very nice indeed,”

“I mean, I was sitting in Demetrio’s room waiting for him, and Matteo walks in and I assume that this is Demetrio’s new boyfriend, I mean who else would come into his room like that?” Salvatore defended. “And I said that I hadn’t heard about him and it scared him and he screamed, and you know their training, so they ran in with their guns, and in the whole settlement, Demetrio forgot his gun,”

“Don’t tell me Matteo touched it,”

“Not only did he touch it, but he also fired it, and then freaked out about there being a real gun,”

“Strange response for an American,”

“Exactly what I said, but Matteo didn’t want anything to do with Demetrio after finding out about the guns, so I guess I…nipped it in the bud,”

“What did Demetrio say?” Nicole asked after a moment of silent thought.

“It is better this way,” Salvatore quoted with a scoff.

“He’s not wrong,”

“I know he isn’t,” Salvatore rubbed a hand over his face. “But I just…I wish I was able to give them a life where they could have chosen anyone they wanted without having to worry about the Mafia,”

“Ah, there is that,”

“He really did seem to like that boy,”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I mean I hadn’t even been gone from New York for a day when he calls me to ask if he can buy a café,”

“A café?”

“Yeah,” Salvatore scoffed. “The coffee shop where Matteo works was being shut down and Demetrio decided that he wanted to take ownership and reorganize it so that Matteo and his friends could keep their jobs,”

“Huh,” Nicole pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek. “I think…this is the first time Demetrio did something that didn’t involve the Mafia,”

“Oh, ho, ho, ho,” Salvatore chuckled. “You’re wrong. To convince me, he assured me by saying that the coffee shop can be used as a front for the business he has to conduct with the New York Mafia,”

“Can he just…” Nicole groaned. “Not worry about the Mafia for one goddamn minute and just do what he wants?”

“I don’t think he can differentiate between the Mafia and his wants anymore,” Salvatore swallowed, fingers tightening against Nicole’s arm.

The next morning Salvatore sat behind his desk, eyes roaming over the text and pushed his reading glasses up on the bridge of his nose. A knock sounding on his door.

“Entrare,”

“Boss,” Tazio stood in the doorway. “ Benza e Siciliano sono qui (Benza and Siciliano are here),”

“Who goes first?”

“Uh...Boss,” His second-in-command cleared his throat. “They want to meet you…Insieme,”

“Together?” Salvatore echoed and looked up with a raised eyebrow. “Then settle them,”

“Conference room or-?”

“-Sunroom should do,”

“Yes, sir,”

Pushing his glasses back up, he finished the file in hand, checking the time once he was done. Noting that it had been a little over twenty minutes since he was informed of their arrival. Sighing, he stood from his place and put his glasses on the tabletop, turning to pull on his blazer. Buttoning the front as he made his way out of the office and towards the sunroom.

Entering, he found four men before him. Mauro Siciliano with his son, Armani, and Valerio Benza with his heir, Gabriel. All standing dressed in well-fitted suits and bowed to him, a certain tension hovering in the air.

“Gentlemen,” Salvatore took the seat opposite them. “I didn’t realize you had brought your sons,” He sat and gestured for them to the same.

Mauro opposite him with the glass table between them and the other three men on the sofa to his right. The coffee table covered with mugs of cappuccinos and refreshments.

“We decided it was high time they learned the ropes of the world,” Valerio spoke over his cup, gesturing to the two young men beside him. “They’re old enough to be introduced to you, I believe, boss,”

“Certainly,” The Regnante Mafia Boss nodded. “Always a pleasure to meet the future faces of the underworld,”

“Yes, yes,” Mauro agreed enthusiastically. “I’d like to introduce you to my heir, Armani,” He gestured to the man to his left. The gentleman dressed in a two-piece grey suit with a patterned tie and crisp white undershirt. Sun-kissed complexion with dark hair and dark eyes, a light stubble sported on his jaw.

“Boss,” The man greeted in a deep baritone with a bowed head, Salvatore acknowledging the gesture with a nod.

“And this is my heir, Gabriel,” Valerio patted the man to his right, dressed in a pinstriped navy blue suit with a black button-down. Dirty blonde hair styled to the side with his eyes a shocking grey color that reminded Salvatore of storm clouds.

Both men were in their early thirties, he calculated. Armani regarding Salvatore with a hesitant and flickering gaze that indicated his interest in the man but also his hesitance that stemmed from their traditions. Gabriel more confident that Armani and watched Salvatore over his cup of coffee, seemingly sizing him up. The expression causing the Mafia Boss to raise an eyebrow at him.

“You have children of your own, yes?” Gabriel spoke up, both fathers tensing. Salvatore was not ignorant of the way Valerio stepped on his son’s foot, the younger wincing. “Mi perdoni, Signore,” He murmured and rubbed his leg.

“Yes, I have children,” Salvatore answered after a moment, knowing that despite how tasteless their debut was, they were known.

“Two, was it?” Armani inquired and stirred the beverage in his cup. “A son and daughter?”

“Yes, that is correct,” The Mafia Boss put away his coffee, leaning back in his seat and waiting to see where this conversation was headed.

“It was a political merger, right?” Valerio asked. “Between you and your wife. A…Lombardi, was it?”

“She’s a Regnante,”

“Yes, of course, she’s married to you,”

“But our purpose for asking, signore is to prove to our sons that political mergers are a successful endeavor,” Mauro shifted to the edge of his seat. “And we thought what better way than to present a living example: you,”

“I see,” Salvatore placed his fingers against his cheek, recalling that both of Mauro’s daughter was older and married, but Valerio had an eligible daughter that could get married to Armani. Assuming that these two families were looking for a political merger between themselves, but couldn’t figure out what Gabriel’s purpose was. “A political merger is a very efficient contract between two Mafia families, it proves to be quite beneficial for both families involved,”

“Yes, yes exactly,” Valerio nodded at the two younger men. “That is what we’ve been trying to tell them,”

“Right track of thinking,” Salvatore gave an acknowledged nod. “Whom do you have in mind?” He asked and brought his coffee to his lips.

“Well, Don,” Mauro and Valerio exchanged nervous glances. “We were thinking that our sons are of eligible age, and as are your son and daughter,”

Salvatore stilled at the words, replaying the words in his mind and straightened, putting his coffee away and regarded the two Mafia Bosses with a raised eyebrow.

“Could you repeat that?”

“Everyone knows that your son prefers the company of men, and Gabriel is the same,” Valerio rushed out.

“While Armani is smitten with your daughter,”

“And where exactly did you meet her?”

“Uh…” Armani rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “At various social events, sir,”

“So,” Salvatore clarified. “You are giving Armani’s hand for Victoria, and Gabriel for Demetrio, is that correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Mauro nodded. “As you said, political mergers are very beneficial,”

“You don’t have to give us an immediate answer,” Valerio began. “Take your time-”

“-Sit down,” Salvatore ordered, all men flopping back in their seats and watched the Mafia Boss lean back, beckoning the guard behind him and whispered something into his ear. The man nodding and bowed before making his way out of the sunroom.

The other four remained seated, still and silent as they waited for the Regnante Mafia Boss to say something, anything. But instead, the man leaned back in his seat, one leg crossed over the other and knuckles pressed to his lips, gaze out of the window.

The sound of the door opening had the men look up, watching as a woman made her way inside, all of them holding their breath when she made her way to Salvatore. The man uncrossing his legs and patted his thigh. Nicole settling on his lap and gave him an inquisitive look, eyebrows furrowed.

“Gentlemen, meet my wife, Nicole Regnante,” He spoke to the men as they all stood and bowed to her. “Nicole, these are the Sicillianos’ and the Benzas’,”

“Pleasure,” She nodded. “Why have I been called for a meeting among wolves?” She smiled at her husband who didn’t return the gesture, instead looked at his guests.

“Mauro, why don’t you tell her what you told me?”

Nicole looked to the man opposite them, waiting as he cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.

“Signora,” He said. “We would like to ask your daughter, Victoria’s hand in marriage to my son, Armani, and Demetrio’s hand in marriage to Valerio’s son, Gabriel,”

“You’re offering political mergers?” Nicole blinked at them as the two fathers nodded. “For my daughter and son?”

“Yes, ma’am,”

“To your boys?”

“Yes,”

“How old are you two and what is your education?” Nicole turned to the other two men, both of them startling in their place to be addressed and glanced at their fathers. “I asked you. Armani and Gabriel, was it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Armani spoke up first, lowering his gaze. “Ma’am, I’m thirty-two and have done Masters,”

“In what? From where?”

“In…” Armani cleared his throat. “I did Masters in Chartered Accounting from Stanford,”

“And you?” She addressed Gabriel.

“I have a Masters in International Relations from University of Toronto, and I am thirty-one,”

“You want to marry my son?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do,”

“Both of you realize that whatever will happen, it will happen after their Master’s degrees, maybe even later if they want to pursue Ph.D.,”

“Uh…” Both suitors gave each other sideways glances.

“My children’s wants and desires come above any political agenda any Mafia family may possess regarding them,”

“We are aware, ma’am,” Armani moved to the edge of his seat. “We do not want to force them into anything either, we were actually saying that you take your time and think about it, we don’t need an immediate answer,”

“And if the answer is no?” Salvatore spoke up.

“We will respect your decisions, Don,” Gabriel intervened. “But I do believe that we deserve to be given a chance. Allow us a trial period with Victoria and Demetrio and let them decide for themselves,”

“You may leave,” Nicole informed, all four men looking at each other before standing when Salvatore didn’t instruct them otherwise. Bowing to the two and walked out of the sunroom, leaving husband and wife to sit alone for a moment. “Want to take a walk?” She turned to her husband, speaking softly and stood when he nodded.

They walked hand in hand in the sunlight, their shoes crushing the freshly mowed grass as the guards vacated the area, allowing the couple a moment to themselves.

“Tazio told me that they arrived,” Salvatore spoke up. “I asked which one would go first, but then he told me they want to meet me together, and I thought, okay, the second and third Mafia family are going to discuss some union, that was the only logical explanation I could come up with,”

“They did discuss a union, just not a political one,”

“It is political, it does have a political agenda,”

“Well-”

“-Think about it from their perspective Nicole. Siciliano marries Victoria, her birthright goes to them,”

“Whoever married my babies should be ready to sign a prenup agreement,”

“They don’t know that,” Salvatore shook his head. “I’m pretty sure when they came to me with their thought process being that the Regnantes would merge with them, while in reality, they would merge with the Regnantes, any marriage would mean whoever marries my children, retains his rights but does not get Demetrio and Victoria’s inheritance,”

“It…” Nicole stopped short, the sunlight blinding her as Salvatore shifted to block it from her eyes. “It sounds perfect,” She groaned as her husband looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“From a Mafia standpoint, you don’t have to worry about Benza or Siciliano ever trying anything with you because they’d be married into your family. Both are of good ages, well educated, respectful young men who are aware of their traditions and customs yet have a touch of modernity in them, and physically they’re not bad to look at. But most of all, they’re Mafia families, Salvatore, they know what we operate with on a day-to-day basis,”

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of accepting,”

“No! That’s not my place to decide, but we’d be fools to not even at least consider it,”

“Nicole-”

“-I mean, Gabriel wasn’t wrong, give them a trial period and let Victoria and Demetrio decide for themselves,”

“And how would we break it to them?” Salvatore inquired, holding his hand up as a makeshift phone. “Oh! Victoria, Demetrio? Congratulations, you both are getting married off! Yay!”

Nicole burst into a fit of laughter at the words, Salvatore chuckling at it himself and wrapped her into his arms, pulling her tight against him as she buried her face into his chest.

“It sounds so scary all of a sudden,” She exhaled shakily, Salvatore swaying with her in his arms and placed a kiss on the top of her head “One minute they would wake me up for every little thing and the next they’re halfway across the world getting their Master’s degrees and getting marriage proposals. Where the hell did the time go?”

“We can ask them to come during the winter break,” Salvatore murmured into her hair after a moment of thought. “Tell them then,”

“No, they had plans to travel with their cousins,” Nicole choked out. “They’d been looking forward to it for so long and I don’t want to take this away from them, baby, I really don’t,”

“But then I don’t want to ruin their Christmas and New Year’s either,”

“Then, then…” Nicole sniffled pulling back to look up at her husband with bloodshot eyes. “Then after the festivities, after they’ve been sightseeing, and, and, and Christmas is over, and everyone is recovering from their New Year’s hangover, we, we tell them, then, okay? We tell them after everything is settled,”

“Nicole, sweetheart,” Salvatore cupped her face into his hands, wiping the tears away. “Baby, that is four months from now. Do you really want to keep this from them for four months? Don’t you think they’d want to know?”

“I…” Nicole sniffled and looked away. “I don’t want to tell them because I feel like if we tell them, then…then it would all become so real, it would all come crashing down that they’re grown up and eligible for marriage and-”

“-I know that if I were in their place, I wouldn’t want it to be kept from me,”

“You wouldn’t?” Nicole choked out meekly. “Even if it was for your betterment?”

“Even then,” Salvatore sighed. “Because word travels fast in the underworld, and they will hear about it sooner or later, and I would want them to hear it from us,”

“But…”

“Tell you what. We’ll tell them, soon, that the Siciliano's and Benza’s have given us marriage proposals for them, but we’ll discuss it after New Year’s, hmm? How does that sound? Like this they’d be mentally prepared, we wouldn’t have jumped it on them, they get to resume their plans without any difficulty or prior commitments,”

“Okay,” Nicole sniffled, burying her face into his chest again. “But you tell them,”

“Yes, yes,” Salvatore chuckled, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll tell them,"