Salvatore: A Mafia Romance

by T. O. Smith

  I stood up from the couch by the window and padded barefoot to the kitchen. I was searching through the fridge for something to eat that appealed to me when I heard the quiet click of a gun as the safety was clicked off. I froze, focusing on my surroundings.

  “Quiet, Little Sis.” My brother spoke up softly from behind me.

  I slowly stood up to my full height, swallowing down my nausea. Think clearly, Sasha.

  I turned around to face him, keeping my face carefully blank, pushing down all of the fear and the sudden churn of nausea. Come on, baby, now isn’t the time to make me sick, I softly pleaded.

  “There’s a silencer on here, so by the time your bodyguard finds your body, I’ll be long gone.” He promised.

  I backed away from him slowly, keeping my eyes trained on him. “He’ll find you, Rob.” I told him, forcing myself to make him think I was afraid.

  I knew there were knives behind me on the counter. I just needed to reach them.

  I was a fucking survivor. There was no way in hell I was going out like this.

  “I’m counting on it.” He told me, a sick, twisted grin curving his lips.

  I quickly snatched a knife from the counter, and I ducked down when I saw him getting ready to pull the trigger. I slammed the knife into his thigh. He released a loud curse, giving him away. I quickly snatched the gun up from his hand and tossed it across the room. His fist collided with my face, sending me sprawling roughly to the floor.

  The bodyguard sent a crushing blow to Rod’s face as he spoke into his earpiece, letting his team know that he needed assistance upstairs. I pushed myself into a sitting position, my face throbbing painfully. “Mrs. Bianchi, are you okay?”

  I gently cradled my cheek as I nodded at him. Fuck, he had clocked me damn good. “I’m okay.” I told him.

  “Mr. Bianchi is on his way home.” He informed me.

  I nodded silently and pushed myself up from the floor. I walked up the stairs to my room where I instantly entered the bathroom. I winced at the swelling and bruising already popping up on my skin.

  Salvatore was going to flip his shit.

  I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail and went back downstairs to the kitchen. Rod was no longer lying on the floor, but instead was sitting on the floor with his arms and ankles bound. He was awake, his mouth taped to keep him from speaking.

  I heard the front door open as I was placing ice into a plastic Ziploc bag. “Sasha!” Salvatore’s voice boomed through our apartment, anger and worry in his voice.

  “Kitchen!” I called back, wincing and hissing out a breath as pain shot through my face.

  My husband stormed into the kitchen. He sent a withering glare in my brother’s direction as he walked over to me. “Johnson, prepare the room.” Salvatore commanded my bodyguard as he ran his eyes over me, his hands gently cradling my jaw as he inspected my cheek.

  “What room is he preparing?” I asked softly.

  “Your brother has seen the last of his days.” Salvatore snarled. “It’s time to send your father a message. “Non tollererò più che si intrometta con la mia famiglia." Salvatore snarled, his rage practically bouncing off the walls.

  “English, Salvatore.” I softly reminded him as I reached up and caressed his cheek with my thumbs. “I’m okay. I know enough self-defense to protect myself, hence why he has a knife in his thigh.” I told him.

  "Ti proteggero." Salvatore reminded me softly, telling me in Italian that he will protect me. “I’m done keeping low. It’s time to show your padre not to fuck with the famiglia.”

  I got a sudden cramp in my belly, and I winced in pain, my hand fluttering to my stomach. Salvatore immediately scooped me up into his arms, barking out orders for someone to call the family doctor as he carried me up the stairs to our room.

  “Don’t leave me.” I begged, fear running through my veins that I may be miscarrying. “Please, don’t leave me.” I cried, tears filling my eyes.

  Salvatore pressed his lips to mine as he laid me on our bed. “I will not go anywhere, mia amore.” He promised. “Any more cramps?” He asked once I was settled.

  I shook my head at him. He pressed light kisses to my knuckles. A few minutes later, an Italian man dressed in scrubs and a white lab coat stepped into our room escorted by one of Salvatore’s bodyguards.

  “Dr. Bruno, sir.” The guard said as he stepped back out of the room.

  “What seems to be the problem, Mr. Bianchi?” The doctor asked.

  “My wife is pregnant, Bruno, and she has a high-risk pregnancy. She just had a cramp, and it was only one, but I will not take any chances.” Salvatore told him.

  “Understandable, Mr. Bianchi.” The doctor said, his tone actually understanding. “Mrs. Bianchi, I’m going to examine you to be sure that your cervix is still closed.” He informed me.

  Salvatore held my hand in his, whispering comforting words in my ear as I let out a small squeak of pain as the doctor checked my cervix. “Good news is that your cervix is still closed, Mrs. Bianchi. I recommend some rest for at least 24 hours. Try not to do anything strenuous, and if you notice anything even the least bit strange, I expect a call to come check on you again.”

  The bodyguard escorted him back out of the room, and Salvatore leaned over to press his lips to my forehead. “I’m going to run you a bath, amore, and I expect you to soak and relax while I deal with your brother, capire?” He asked.

  With a sigh, I nodded.

  ✣ ✣ ✣

  S A L V A T O R E

  I strode into the room at the warehouse, my hands buried in the pockets of my slacks as I strode towards Robert where he was strapped to a chair. “We’re going to call your padre, and you’re going to inform him of you situazione.” I told Robert.

  He scowled at me. “My sister must get real annoyed when you switch languages.” He snarled, trying to taunt me.

  I let a smirk twist my lips, knowing that my wife actually loved it when I spoke to her in Italian, even if she might not always understand what I was saying to her. “Actually, mia moglie quite gode when I speak italiano.” I informed him, watching as rage twisted his face when I kept switching between English and Italian. “She’s quite affettuoso of my language.”

  Vincent handed me Robert’s phone, and I flicked through it until I came across a contact labeled Pops. “He’ll track me down and kill you all.” Robert snarled before I pressed the green call symbol on his screen.

  “I’m counting on him tracking you down, bastardo.” I told him. “Because when he does, your entire family will suffer the same ira you will.” I leaned in close to him. “Tua sorella è mia adesso.”

  Robert only glared at me. “In your language,” Vincent elaborated as I pressed the green phone symbol to make the call, “Sasha is my brother’s now.”

  “She’ll never be yours.” Robert snarled at me.

  “You’re running late, Robert.” His father drawled through the line before I could respond. “You know how much I hate my schedule being off.”

  “Robert will be estremamente tardi, I’m afraid.” I said calmly.

  It was silent on the other end of the line for a couple of heartbeats, and I waited patiently for him to speak up again. “If one part of my son is hurt, Bianchi, I will destroy everything you hold dear and have worked hard for.” Dorman Reids snarled through the phone.

  "Tua figlia already did that for me.” I informed him. “I do not feel that your son’s leg will be useful anytime soon.”

  I heard something crash on his side of the line. “Sasha’s days are numbered, Salvatore Bianchi.” He sneered.

  “Come within a mile of my wife again, Dorman, and I will personally omicidio every member of your famiglia.” I warned silkily.

  I hung up the phone and handed the phone to one of my bodyguards. “Get rid of it.” I told him. I looked at Robert as I held my hand out. Padre silently placed a pair of leather gloves in my hand. I silently tugged them on as I kept my gaze trained on Sasha’s brother, watching
as the pulse at the base of his neck gave him away - showed his true fear.

  I then proceeded to send a crushing blow to Robert’s face, sending him toppling to the floor. “Right the chair up.” I demanded in my own language.

  Padre set his chair upright again, this time holding on to it as I began to beat Robert until his face was unrecognizable. I stopped once he knocked out cold beneath my fists. “I’m not near done with him yet.” I told my brother and my father in our native tongue. “But I’m done for the night. I need to get back to Sasha.”

  I tugged my gloves off, handing them off to my brother. I fixed my suit jacket and strode out of the warehouse.

  It was time to remind the Reids who ran this shit - and it certainly wasn’t them.

  T W E L V E

  S A L V A T O R E

  I shrugged off my suit jacket as I strode into the apartment. Johnson was sitting in the living room, a machine sitting in front of him monitoring any sounds coming from my bedroom upstairs. “Where is Sasha?” I demanded as I took off my tie.

  “Upstairs asleep, sir.” He replied. “I just came back down a couple of minutes ago from checking on her. The room is secure.”

  “I’ve got it from here.” I told him. “Be back at seven in the morning.” I instructed.

  He nodded once in confirmation and turned off the machine, striding out of the apartment without another word. I strode up the stairs and quietly entered our room, my eyes instantly falling on my beautiful wife asleep in our bed. I stripped out of the rest of my clothes and pressed a light kiss to the top of her head before I strode over to the bathroom to get a shower.

  I was leaning forward, my hands pressed against the tiled wall in front of me with the water raining down my back when I heard her enter. I slowly turned my head to look at her, my gaze heated as I ran my eyes over her curves.

  Fuck, I got lucky when I made her mine.

  I pushed off the wall so that I was standing up straight as she entered the shower. “Amore.” I breathed softly as I reached out and drew her against me.

  “You were gone a while.” She murmured.

  “Business, mia moglie.” I told her softly as I ran my hands over her.

  She leaned up on her tiptoes so that her lips molded with mine. I groaned softly and laced my fingers in her hair to hold her lips to mine as I slightly bent my knees so she wouldn’t have to strain upwards. “I missed you.” She whispered against my lips.

  I softly smiled down at her and reached up to run my fingertips over her cheek. “Tu sei la mia casa." I murmured as I gently pressed my lips to hers.

  The front door banged open downstairs, and I instantly jerked back from her, tightening my hands on her. I pressed my finger to her lips. “Stay.” I instructed quietly as I stepped out of the shower.

  "Fratello!” I heard Vincent call from downstairs.

  "Fanculo!" I barked, pinching the bridge of my nose. “La prossima volta, annunciati!” I shouted back, telling him to announce himself the next time he decided to barge into my apartment.

  I snatched a pair of jeans out of my dresser and slid them on, watching Sasha as she slid on a pair of shorts that barely covered her ass and a tank top. I reached out and drew her to me, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I promise I will continue that later.” I told her softly.

  She pressed a kiss to my chest before she strode out of the room and down the stairs. I stayed close behind her, narrowing my eyes at my brother as he came into view. “What?” I demanded.

  "Padre is in the hospital. Stroke.” Vincent informed me. “You were not answering your telefono.”

  "Fanculo.” I cursed, shoving my hands through my hair. “Go. We will be there shortly.”

  He nodded and strode out of the apartment, locking the door back behind him. “Get dressed, amore.” I instructed. “We need to go.”

  She nodded silently and obediently went up the stairs to go get dressed. I sighed and called the head of my security, informing him he needed a team here to keep my apartment secure while we were out. When I made it back upstairs to our room, Sasha was pulling on a light sweater over her t-shirt. I quickly donned on a shirt and pulled on my shoes.

  Padre, please be okay.

  ✣ ✣ ✣

  S A S H A

  Salvatore sat down heavily on one of the chairs in the waiting room of the hospital, drawing me down with him onto his lap. His mom was crying silently in the chair next to us, and Vincent was hugging her, talking to her soothingly in Italian.

  “Are you okay?” I softly asked Salvatore as I cupped his jaw and ran my thumb gently over his cheek.

  He sighed and shrugged, not answering me. I blew out a soft breath and began to move off his lap. His hands tightened on my hips, his dark eyes meeting mine. “Where are you going, preziosa?” He quietly asked.

  I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “To the bathroom, Salvatore.” I informed him.

  He stood up as well, his hand moving to hold mine in his own. “I will come with you.” He told me, his voice not allowing any room for arguments.

  “Salvatore, what happens if your father doesn’t make it?” I asked him as we were walking down the hallway towards the restrooms.

  Salvatore sighed tiredly. “I become head of the famiglia, which means I’m busier - and that means I lose a lot of time to be with you and our bambino.” He informed me.

  My mood dropped at that news. I wasn’t ready to share Salvatore with the rest of the mafia yet. I hated being away from him. In the short little time that we had been married, I had become extremely attached to him.

  I rested my hand over my belly, suddenly feeling nauseous. I yanked my hand from Salvatore’s and took off running for the restrooms, barely making it into one of the stalls before I emptied the contents of my stomach. Ignoring the sign on the bathroom door that said this was the women’s restrooms, Salvatore knelt beside me and held my hair back, quietly talking to me in Italian to try to soothe me.

  The lights suddenly turned off in the bathroom, and Salvatore pressed a hand over my mouth, holding me tight against his side. I could hear someone’s boots moving over the floor. I nodded against Salvatore’s hand, letting him know that I knew to stay quiet. He slowly removed his hand, and I watched as he grabbed his gun and twisted on a silencer as he listened to the boots moving over the floor.

  “I know you two are in here.” I heard my cousin Kyle call out. My stomach churned with nausea, but I willed it to stay down. “Come on out, and we can end this quickly and painlessly.”

  Salvatore pressed a button on his belt. Suddenly, an alarm went off, and I heard Kyle curse right before we could hear him flee the bathroom. The lights switched back on. “Mr. Bianchi, is everything alright?” I heard someone ask from the bathroom door.

  “We’re good, Johnson.” Salvatore informed him. “Check the building for Kyle Reids.” He commanded.

  Salvatore turned to look at me. “You’re pale, amore.” He commented, reaching up to run his thumb over my cheek.

  “I’m . . . I’m okay.” I told him, though I felt anything but. Pops was adamant to have me back dead or alive, and he was getting more persistent.

  I had a feeling it was only going to be a matter of time before he got what he wanted whether the mafia was protecting me or not.

  ✣ ✣ ✣

  S A L V A T O R E

  I turned over onto my side, letting my eyes run over Sasha’s face as she slept. After Padre had stabilized last night, I had brought her straight home and made her go to bed. She needed the rest, and more stress was the last thing she needed right now on top of everything else she was dealing with.

  My phone dinged on the nightstand, and I grabbed it, bringing it around in front of me so I could read the screen.

  “Fuck!” I roared, jerking Sasha from her sleep as I did so. I jumped out of bed and yanked on a pair of jeans. “Johnson!” I shouted.

  He rushed into my room. “Sir.”

  I handed him my phone. “Search this fucking
apartment up and down, in every fucking nook and cranny. I’m getting her out of here.” I snarled. I turned to look at Sasha. She was blinking tiredly, her confused eyes staring at me. “Amore, get up.” I told her, my voice a bit softer as I spoke to her. “Pack a bag with a week’s worth of clothes. We have to leave.”

  “What happened?” She asked as she got out of bed.

  “I got a message from a blocked number. They have security footage of you in this apartment. We have to get out.” I informed her.

  She blew out a harsh breath. “Isn’t this too much for you, Salvatore?” She asked me. I turned to her, an incredulous look crossing my face. I was fucking madly in love with her. Protecting her and our baby would never be too much. “I mean, your father has just had a stroke, and now you’ve got to uproot yourself from your home because of me.”

  “This is your home, too, mia moglie.” I reminded her. “And no, protecting you will never be too much. If I have to take drastic steps to ensure your safety until I’m one hundred years old, then I will, Sasha.”

  “He’s going to win eventually.” She muttered, sounding absolutely defeated and tired.

  I turned her around to face me and tilted her chin up so that she was forced to look up at me. “He will never win, tesoro. You are mine.” I reminded her. “You have my last name - you are my wife -”

  “He always gets what he wants, Salvatore!” She finally shouted, tears streaming down her beautiful face. My heart broke in my chest. “I betrayed the fucking family, and I’m going to have to pay eventually.”

  I drew her into me, holding her tightly against me. “He will never get you, Sasha.” I assured her.

  “And after I have the baby?” She asked. “You will have to choose, Salvatore.”

  I shook my head. “I will never have to make a choice, amore, because you nor the bambino will ever be in direct danger.” I knelt down so I was eye-level with her. “Ti amo, amore.” I told her softly.