NICK

The mafia wives cameover to discuss Donna responsibilities and to welcome Kinsley, the new Donna of the Pituccos to the four families. Their meeting may have started off rocky, but by the end of the night, they were in a good place. They are Kinsley"s newfound friends, and she can't be happier.

At the Gala, Kinsley had expressed her concern about our marriage contract. She thought I'd release her from our marriage, but that was never even a remote possibility.

Despite feeling terrible for shutting Kinsley out, I can't shake off the guilt and anger of not being there for Kinsley during such a traumatic experience.

Learning Torrance ordered his daughter Norah to kill Kinsley put me in a dark head space. To cope with my emotions, I drowned my sorrows in bottles of Jack Daniels.

Like I had said from the beginning, Norah was a pukish color on the inside. She had arranged for some frat boys to rape Kinsley right before attempting to kill her. And Kinsley later revealed to me that Norah had recorded the whole thing so she could show it to me years into our marriage. The thought of anyone doing something so heinous made my blood boil. May that despicable bitch rot in hell. Soon enough, her father will join her. It will then be time for the four families to claim their share of the Delaware mafia"s territory. But instead of dwelling on my anger and pain, I channeled it into showing Kinsley how much she means to me. Every day leading up to our wedding reception, we spent quality time together - enjoying picnic lunches, fishing, dinners under the stars, and making love every day.

I've removed all doubt that I feel differently about her because of her scar and past trauma. Kinsley is my obsession, and I fall more in love with her each passing day.

My eyes roam over my wife's figure, clad in a form-fitting white lace gown with delicate embroidery. I brush my hand over the sheer fabric covering her midsection and whisper in her ear, "I can't wait to get you out of this dress so I can feast on your radiant pecan skin."

She giggles and playfully scolds me. "Mr. Pitucco, our guests are watching us. I don't want them to see me come undone."

Kinsley runs her fingernails under my chin and stares into my eyes. "Unless you don't mind your guests witnessing my come faces."

I clench my jaw tightly at the thought.

"I didn"t think so," she smirks.

She turns her attention back to our lively reception. Some guests are dancing, while others are enjoying a meal at one of the tables decorated with silver cloths and large arrangements of pink and white flowers. Kinsley and I are seated at the designated table for the newlyweds. My brother, sister, and mother occupy the table to my left.

The three families have agreed to assist in the war that will soon take place against Torrance Aiello.

I couldn't wait to spread the word this morning about the new Donna of the Pituccos. In the mafia underworld, news travels fast. I'm hoping to provoke Torrance into making a hasty move against me and my wife this evening so I can take him out once and for all.

I bring the glass of champagne to my lips. "Ezra, how are we looking out there?"

"Boss, the snipers are in position on nearby rooftops. Our men are also patrolling the grounds disguised as civilians, just like you requested."

"Very good," I reply.

"Catch, are you ready?" I ask.

"Yes, cousin. I've got your back. You know that."

I smile, even though he can"t see it. "Thanks."

My cousin Catch works for my friend Marco Esposito. He understands the importance of having the best sniper on my team tonight.

"Ritchie, do you notice anything suspicious on the surveillance?"

"Not yet. We just need to stay vigilant. It"s a waiting game, Nick."

Ritchie is my other cousin. He works for Luca Esposito. He guards his wife, Lexis. She ran from Luca ten years ago. Ritchie found her in Chicago. He decided to keep an eye on her in his spare time. While he was there, he met a woman who was in trouble. He brought Catch in to assist. He needed more back up. So I had sent Ezra to help. That had been a long war. I jokingly refer to Tori, Ritchie"s wife, as "trouble," as she and her friends have my cousins and Ezra in a choke hold. Some women have that effect on men.

My cousin is right. I want that motherfucker to pay right now.

"I hear you, Ritchie."

"If I see anything out of the ordinary, I'll let you know."

"Ok," I reply.

My hand lingers on Kinsley's back. She's devouring my mother's carbonara.

"This is so delicious," she moans.

As I gaze into her serene chestnut eyes, the desire to sneak away from our reception and spend quality time with my new wife overwhelms me. And yet, we haven"t even had our first dance yet.

"I'll tell her you love it." I slip one of the long brown curls over her shoulder.

"Nick, you've taken like three bites of food. You need to eat."

"Kinsley, I'm too wound up to eat."

She squeezes my hand under the table. "Please eat a little bit. Just for me," she pleads.

"Ok," I say before pressing a kiss on her lips.

I grab my fork and eagerly dig into my meal. Taking a quick look around the room, I nod in acknowledgement at Dillon and Dominic, who are dining with their wives at a table across from mine. To my right, I catch Luca"s eye and tilt my head towards him and Marco, who are also sitting with their wives. It"s a rare occurrence for all the heads of the mafia families to convene in one place. Vincenzo is here tonight, but his brother, Vino, is noticeably absent. In the event that something were to happen to these bosses, Vino would inherit control of four powerful families, preserving our legacies.

"The newlyweds will now have their first dance," announces the DJ.

"All right, Mrs. Pitucco, time to dance. Your food will be here when you return."

She pokes out her bottom lip. "It will be cold."

I signal for the nearby server"s attention.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Pitucco?" She asks in a respectful tone.

"Please take my wife"s plate and place it in the warmer," I reply, gesturing towards Kinsley"s half-eaten meal.

"Consider it done." The server picks up Kinsley"s plate and heads towards the kitchen, with Cylinder following closely behind her.

We keep Kinsley"s food in a special warmer that requires a code to open. Only he and I have the code. In the mafia underworld, trust is hard to come by and you never know when someone close to you will betray you.

I stand up and take my wife"s hand in mine.

Holding onto Kinsley"s hand tightly, I guide her to the center of the dance floor.

A slow ballad fills the room, and I pull her close to me, wrapping my arms around her waist as she clasps her hands behind my neck.

"Mrs. Pitucco," I say with a smile.

"I can"t believe I"m married to Nickulas Pitucco, the man I once loved," she says.

We both laugh. "I remember you telling me how much you loved me when we were making love in that spooning position you enjoy so much."

Kinsley throws her head back and laughs. "I do love the sex with you, Nick. Always have."

I grip her chin up and kiss her deeply. "And I love it too."

Our tongues entwine as we continue dancing to the music.

Kinsley moans softly against my lips before breaking away with a dreamy look on her face.

"It's ok, I know you love me," I tell her.

As the song ends, we make our way over to the cake table.

Kinsley picks up the cake server, and I place my hand over hers as we cut a slice of cake together.

I feed her a small bite of the decadent vanilla cake, and she practically moans with delight. She grins and reaches for another piece, eager to return the favor. But before she can, the ground beneath us starts trembling and the chandeliers overhead sway violently. The room erupts into chaos as guests scream and scramble for safety.

I reach for Kinsley"s hand and yell, "Baby, take my hand."

She frantically tries to steady herself by holding out her arms, terror etched on her face.

"I can"t do it, Nick!" she cries, desperation in her voice.

In a horrifying turn of events, the ground beneath Kinsley"s feet gives way, and she falls into darkness.

Her scream echoes through the room as my heart sinks to the floor. Without hesitation, I drop to my knees and try to follow her.

But strong hands grab onto my shoulders and pull me back.

"Let me go! I have to save my wife," I shout, struggling against their grip.

"Boss, the rope is on its way," Ezra says calmly.

Relief washes over me as I realize I can use the rope to pull Kinsley back up to safety.

"Nick, what just happened?" Catch asks incredulously.

"The floor collapsed and took my wife with it," I respond with clenched teeth.

"Cylinder, get all the guests out of the building," I order urgently.

"On it, sir," Cylinder responds with unwavering efficiency.

As my eyes scan the unstable room, I see people clinging onto the edges of the broken floor and desperately trying to avoid falling into the abyss below. A group of men rush over, risking their own safety to save the others. But as they do, a dark thought creeps into my mind - what if it"s too late? What if I can"t save my wife? I try to push the negative thoughts away, reminding myself that I have to try my best. But in this moment of chaos and danger, it"s hard not to let doubt and fear take over.

A pickup truck crashes through the wall with a loud honking horn.

The stunning wedding cake has shattered into pieces on the ground next to me.

Ezra quickly attaches a rope to the truck"s grill. "Boss, go. I'll be right behind you." Ezra yells.

There"s a piercing buzzing sound that has everyone covering their ears. Where is it coming from? It sounds like feedback from a microphone. I secure the thick rope around my waist before grabbing my Glock from its shoulder holster.With a firm grip on the rope, I start to descend into the darkness below.

"Ezra, shine some light down there," I instruct him.

He wastes no time in flashing his light below us.

The structural damage of this place is unbelievable. And my wife fell with it. The owner will pay for this with his life.

My feet barely touch the dirt before I untie the rope from my waist. With my gun pointed ahead of me, I search the darkness for any threats.

I squint and make out Kinsley lying on her side, her white wedding gown visible against the dark ground. "Kinsley," I call out to her over the piercing sound.

The darkness is suffocating; I can"t see anything. Worry sets in as I shove my Glock into the back of my waistband and turn to check on Kinsley.

"Sweetheart, I"m here," I yell as I inch closer to her.

Ezra"s feet hit the ground behind me, scanning our surroundings for any signs of danger.

I reach out to touch Kinsley"s face, but my hand meets a burlap sack instead.

My nostrils flare. My enemy dropped my woman to what her death?

She's not moving. What the fuck?

My fingers tug at the fabric, revealing a stranger"s face. Shocked, I step back and my jaw drops. This isn"t Kinsley. What the hell is going on?

The woman looks at me with wide eyes, her mouth gagged.

The piercing noise finally stops.

"No, please," I hear Kinsley"s voice faintly in the distance.

"Ezra, where is that coming from?" I ask urgently.

"To the right," he replies calmly.

A dim light shines ahead. I move toward it cautiously, my gun drawn and ready for any danger.

As we get closer, we can hear a voice speaking. "Shut up and just take it," the man orders.

Dread fills my stomach as I realize what"s happening. It can"t be true.

"Hello, Nick," his voice fills the room as his face leers at us from the screen. "You"ve been a disobedient boy, haven"t you? You were specifically instructed not to go near Kinsley after my precious daughter died."

The villainous man responsible for this evil scheme is on a television screen attached to a black cart. How did he manage all this?

Kinsley's screams echo in the background of the video playing on repeat. My eye twitches and my jaw clenches as I watch in horror as the men brutally violate her.

"Do you see what happened to her when she betrayed my daughter by sneaking around with you?" he points a finger at me.

"Did you know that Norah loved you?" he growls.

"Of course not. You didn"t care about making her an honest wife once you two were married. You planned to play the field and disregard your vows," he bellows.

"I was delighted to get my hands on this tape. I watch it annually on the anniversary it was recorded," he chuckles.

My fists tighten at my sides. I am barely holding on to my composure.

"My daughter did a damn good job setting this up. Six men fucking your precious little Kinsley. She is a beautiful woman. It's no wonder you were drawn to her. I can't wait to have my turn with her."

"If you lay a hand on her, I will kill you," I roar.

He continues to taunt, knowing how much it affects me. "I will do whatever I please with her until I grow tired of her. Although, her pussy's so tight and perfect that will never happen, right Nick?"

"Shut the fuck up about my wife," I snap.

"When I feel like sharing, I'll let my men fuck her, too." His smile drops.

"You know, Nick, I don't blame Kinsley. I blame you. She was dead to me. The woman never resurfaced. It was like she was a ghost. Someone went through a lot of trouble to keep her safe. But you put her back on my radar.

I"ve been monitoring your house every day and imagine my surprise when I saw you and Kinsley walking toward your front door. And she looked angry and didn"t want anything to do with you because of what Nora did to her. So I retraced your steps from that week and discovered that you had visited the Wife for Hire Agency. That must be where you found Kinsley. But since I still don"t have access to her life, I can"t understand why she would willingly come back to you. Unless you coerced or forced her." He shrugs dramatically. "Now she'll be nothing more than my sex slave."

"Motherfucker, don't you dare lay a hand on my wife," I release the words sounding like a strangled bull.

"You"re in no position to tell me what I can and cannot do," he sneers back at me. "And by the way, tell the actress I hired that she put on a great performance. You"ll die knowing I have your precious Kinsley."

The video plays again, showing a different frat boy sodomizing Kinsley. Her face changes into an expression I"ve never seen before - feral and unrelenting. Then the screen cuts to black, but her image remains imprinted in my mind. My wife is strong; she will fight.

I return to the woman. "Were you down here when my wife fell?"

Her lips part in response as we hear a faint beeping sound.

"Nick, it"s a bomb," Ezra shouts urgently.

We make a run for it but only manage to take a few feet before the explosion throws us across the room.

"Nick, wake up," someone calls out to me.

I slowly open my eyes, squinting against the bright light of a flashlight.

"What happened?" I ask dazedly.

"We were both hit by falling debris," Ezra replies, rubbing his head.

Ezra continues. "Ritchie said he's combing the surveillance for anything odd we could've missed."

"Ouch," I blurt out, pressing a hand against my forehead. "Good. We have to find my wife."

"We will after the men dig us out," Ezra sinks to the ground.

I tap my earbud. "Stone," I say.

He's a wonderful hacker. And one of my secret weapons.

"Yes, boss?"

"Help Ritchie find Kinsley. Use the black web. Shit, use all your toys. Find her now."

He chuckles. "You got it, boss. And the Drones are going out now."

Stone lives for this shit.

"Ezra, do we have our toys?" I ask.

He smirks. "We sure do, boss."

I didn't know how or when Torrance would attack. But my men and I are ready.