Aleksander cracked his knuckles while his eyes wracked over the three suits laud out before him. His eyes taking in every seam of each one, pairing each with possible shirts and ties. Making nine possible combinations for wear then groaning at the fact that he wouldn't decide which was best suited.

Should he go for a traditional white button-down or opt for a different color? Tie? No tie? Two-piece? Or maybe three-piece? Monochrome or should he mix and match?

Grunting at his own indecisiveness he grabbed all three of them and tried on every possible combination, deciding that seeing them would allow him to choose better.

When he stepped out dressed in the fourth combination, his wife turned around in the middle of getting dressed and giggled at her husband, shaking her head at his antics.

"We're invited for coffee, babe, I doubt a suit is the decorum," She snapped her blush shut, and fixed her hair in the mirror.

"I still want to look good,"

"Oh, my baby," Sofia cooed and stood from her place, making her way to him to wrap her arms around his waist and placed a quick peck against his lips. "You'd look good no matter what,"

"Not in front of the Regnante Don I won't," He grunted and pulled away from his wife, dissatisfied with this combination as well.

"You're the Romanov Pakhan," Sofia sighed and settled on the edge of their bed.

"I'm nothing compared to Salvatore,"

"Oh, stop it. So what if he has more experience in this field? I can assure you that he's damn proud of you,"

The sound of shuffling stopped from their walk-in closet, her husband stepping out in charcoal grey dress pants and a black turtle neck in hand. Looking at his wife with eyebrows raised and eyes wide.

"Really?" He asked in a voice hardly above a whisper.

"Yes, really," Sofia smiled at her husband, chuckling to watch a grin split across his lips before he pulled the turtle neck over his head and fixed the hem. Grabbing the matching blazer, he stood in front of the body mirror.

Sofia coming to stand behind him dressed in black stockings with a corresponding leather skirt and black blouse. Her boots laced up to her knee and her hair falling over her shoulders.

"Yes," She grinned at their attire, coming to stand beside him and interlacing their fingers together.

"Why do you think Salvatore hasn't reached out for the past week?" Aleksander turned to his wife in the back seat of the car.

"Hmm?" Sofia looked up from her phone.

"I've been here a solid seven days, I'm going back in three days. Why hasn't Salvatore reached out over the time I've been here? He wasn't there when I went to visit mom and dad. Or Serafina for that matter. Neither was he there when I went with Arsenio. I haven't heard or seen from Salvatore at all. Is he avoiding me?"

"Babe," Sofia shuffled closer to him, taking his hand into her own and placed it onto her lap. "I may have gotten close with him over the last four years, but that doesn't mean I know what goes on in his head. I'm sure you're overthinking things,"

"Yeah, you know what? You're right. He must have been busy with the Mafia,"

"Yeah, you see? Nothing to worry about,"

"And the nightclubs,"

"If you say so,"

"Then there is Armamentarium,"

"Yes, babe,"

"But this is Salvatore we're talking about," Aleksander turned back to her, as his wife threw back her head and groaned. "He is such a family man! He would have made time to see me,"

"Aleksander,"

"I mean it's the only logical explanation as to why he hasn't come to see me! He's avoiding me,"

"Or you know," Sofia shrugged when the car stopped outside the estate. "He's dead," She stated nonchalantly and stepped out of the car, leaving her husband to sit stunned for a second before leaping out after her.

"Honey, don't give me such heart attacks," He rushed behind her.

"Then stop overthinking things,"

"But-"

"-You know what?" Sofia halted him with a finger to his lips. "Just ask him yourself," She gestured to the grand entrance before them.

Their coats got taken along with any other accessories as they were told to wait in the lounge.

Sofia settled down on the couch like she had done this a hundred times before, while Aleksander remained standing, looking around at the lavish interior of the estate. The white walls with their golden framed paintings. The marble pedestals with crystal vases and blooming flowers. The rich decoration pieces. The crystal chandeliers glittering overhead. The velveteen sofas and glass coffee tables. It all struck a familiar cord in his sternum that had warmth flood him.

"Uncle Marco! Aunt Sofia!" Victoria and Demetrio called from the stairs, bounding down the marble steps and flying into their arms. "You came!"

"Of course, we did," Sofia grinned and squeezed Demetrio into her arms.

"How could we not when you two invited us?" Aleksander looked down at the girl in his arms as she grinned up at him. "Say, where are your parents?"

"Oh, mom was telling dad to come downstairs," Demetrio informed from his place beside Sofia.

"Demetrio!" Victoria hissed at him.

"What?" Her younger brother shrugged. "That is what she was doing!"

"You're not supposed to tell people that!"

"But why?"

"Well, sweetheart," Sofia turned Demetrio to be facing her after noticing the paler of her husband's expression. "Conversations between the parents stays between the parents, okay? Other people don't have to know about it until your parents tell it themselves, okay?"

"Oh!" Demetrio's eyes widened in realization. "I see,"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah,"

"Eto byla oshibka (this was a mistake)," Aleksander muttered to himself and turned around to make his way out of the door. His heart sinking to realize that his brother didn't want to meet him.

"Uzhe ukhodish'? (Leaving already?)" A voice called out from the top of the stairs, the voice having Aleksander freeze in his steps and whirl around to find the Regnante Mafia boss standing at the top of the stairs. Dressed in a two-piece navy blue suit with a grey waistcoat and white button-up, under a navy tie. His wife's arm linked with his as she regarded him with a raised eyebrow, dressed in a burgundy pencil skirt dress under a cream woolen cardigan.

"Everything alright?" Nicole called out to Aleksander, watching him open and close his mouth silently as they made their way down the stairs. "You don't look too well there,"

"Nothing a splash of vodka can't help," Salvatore spoke as they came to stand on the landing. "That is what you drink, isn't it?" The Italian looked up at the Russian with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Isn't it a little early to start drinking?" Sofia tangled her fingers with her husband, raising an eyebrow at the man before her. "Eh, Salvi,"

"It's 8 pm somewhere, Sofie," Salvatore winked as Sofia chuckled at him. "Please, let's go to the sunroom," The Mafia Boss gestured the way. Victoria and Demetrio running ahead and dragging Aleksander behind them.

Throwing the doors open, Aleksander was momentarily blinded by the whiteness of the snow outside the glass before marveling at the warmth of the interior. Being directed to an alcove in the corner where a round table for six had been set up for them.

Sofia settled down beside Aleksander, Salvatore opposite him with his arm thrown over the back of Nicole's seat. The children between the two men.

Sofia and Nicole began talking about one thing or another, Aleksander opening his mouth to direct a question to the Italian across from him, but before he could. Demetrio grabbed his wrist, redirecting his attention to the younger who instantly launched into an account of his new Bionics toy which Victoria played with three times a week at which time he would get a turn to play with her dollhouse.

"It's huge!" Victoria nodded enthusiastically at the mention of her dollhouse. "Dad had it made for me for my 10th birthday!"

"Wow," Aleksander nodded and shot a look to Salvatore across the table, the man's attention on the food and refreshment being placed before him. Muttering something into one of the men's ears, who nodded and retreated from his side.

"Please, dig in," Salvatore gestured to the spread laid out before them with an assortment of bread, cookies, and biscuits. Jams and marmalades and butter too. Glasses of milk and a plate of chocolate chip cookies placed before the kids, Salvatore stealing one from their plate and biting into it as they cried out in indignation while their father only winked at them in response, turning his attention to the coffee placed before him.

A momentary lull fell over the table, Aleksander watched form below his lashes as Nicole leaned towards her husband, whispering something into his ear as he responded just as quietly. A man walking up behind Salvatore's seat and leaned down to whisper in his ear. Salvatore nodding and about to get up, Aleksander's heart sinking to realize he was leaving.

"I'm sorry, Tazio," Nicole spoke over her coffee cup, a hand on Salvatore's thigh. "But my husband is indisposed at the moment, please discuss business at another time," She looked up at the second-in-command. Tazio turning to his boss for confirmation who dismissed him with a nod.

"Kids, why don't you go play upstairs for a bit?" Nicole suggested to the two when they drank the last of their milk. Both of them nodding and jumping out of their seats, making their way out of the sunroom. "Oh! That reminds me, Sofia I wanted to show you what I bought the other day," The Grecian clapped her hands together and looked to the woman in question.

"Why don't you join me?" She smiled and beckoned her as she stood up from her place, Sofia nodding and getting up to follow. Salvatore seemingly doing the same before Nicole placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back into his seat. "Not you. You stay right here,"

The Italian Mafia Boss muttered something under his breath and stirred his coffee in silence as the two ladies walked out of the sunroom. The door closing with a click and leaving Salvatore and Aleksander alone in the confines of the large space that seemed to be closing in on them, the Russian clearing his throat and pulling the edge of his turtle neck, feeling suffocated.

"This weather must feel like nothing after the winters of Russia," Salvatore stated from across the table, Aleksander jumping in his seat at the words.

"Well..." He cleared his throat. "Both places are cold in their own right. The winters there cuts through the bone, but the winds over here are brutal,"

"Ah,"

"Yeah,"

"Enjoy being back with your wife?"

"Yes," Aleksander chuckled. "It's nice having my wife back,"

"Just nice?" Salvatore raised an eyebrow at the words.

"Oh, no I didn't mean-"

"-I'm teasing,"

"Oh,"

A silence fell between them as Salvatore tapped at the table's surface, Aleksander clearing his throat and rubbing his hand over his nape. Jumping to his feet when the Regnante Boss got up from his seat.

"Well, I have some business matters to deal with," The Italian buttoned the front of his blazer. "It was nice having you here with us, Aleksander, have a safe trip back home," He nodded to the Pakhan. Aleksander's mouth opening and closing as he strained to get some words across, but ended up grimacing and bowed his head to the Don before him.

His gaze downcast as the man's footsteps grew further and further away. The Russian sighing in defeat as he flopped on his seat and stared out at the snow-covered view before him.

"You..." Salvatore's voice had him look up to find the Italian Boss standing with his hands stuffed into his slacks pockets. "You made quite a name for yourself, I hear,"

"You could say that," Aleksander shrugged.

"Would you...would you care to tell me about your strategy? I mean if-"

"-Yes!"

"Want to...want to tell me in the car? I'm in the mood for a drive-"

"-God, yes," Aleksander exhaled and hurried across the room, standing before the Italian Boss with glinting eyes and a wide grin on his face, waiting for him to lead the way then staying hot at his heels.

Salvatore listened intently as Aleksander retold him everything the younger did to rebuild the Romanov Bratva form the ground up. Making friends in all the right places, getting introduced to various people and using their specialties to build his empire. Carefully choosing partners and ensuring every possible security measure. Building a clientele and training employees to give the best of the best to ensure that people returned for more. Utilizing every secret that could be sold and gaining intel about any and everyone. Then watching all the money come pouring in on its own.

"That's how I did it,"

"An impressive feat to pull off in two years," Salvatore nodded as he took a turn.

"Hey, if you could dismantle it in two years, why can't I rebuild it?" Aleksander's eyes glinted as they both chuckled in the confines of the car.

A silence falling between them.

Aleksander looked down at the silver wedding band on his finger, his eyes catching sight of Salvatore's golden one glinting against the steering wheel, his throat running dry.

"Are you mad about what happened?"

"Depends on which event you're referring to,"

"Can I please talk to my brother?" Aleksander whispered, looking up at the older man from beneath his lashes. "Please,"

"Marco Regnante doesn't exist,"

"Marco Regnante has always existed!" He slammed his hand on the dashboard. "Please, Salvatore, let me talk to you,"

The Italian didn't move an inch from his place and regarded him in silence waiting for him to say something.

"Now, I understand that you're mad about what happened with Demetrio and Victoria-" He began slowly as Salvatore scoffed at the words. "-And I am too!" The words having the Mafia Boss look at him with a raised eyebrow and a tilt of his lips, clearly not believing him.

"I did not know what Nikolai was planning, I never knew that man would go so far as to hurt them!" The words tumbled from his lips as his heart raced in his chest. "I would have never allowed a finger to be laid on them, and you know that! You know I would have had him kill me before I would let anything happen to any of them! You know that, Salvatore. I only found out about the attack after it had happened. I had heard they were dead, and God," He choked out, tears welling in his eyes to recall the moment he had been told.

"God, I was ready to kill Nikolai, I had the gun pointed at him and I pulled the trigger, but his guard pushed me and forced my aim off, and I..." He exhaled shakily, bracing his knees and lowered his head. "I love them, you know I do. I love them enough to put my life on the line for them, completely disregarding everything else,"

"And then...and then, not even three months after their attack the foundation began to crumble, and I was so dense that I never put two and two together until you showed up and shot Nikolai," He inhaled deeply and straightened. "I was...excited and confused and just so damn happy to see you, and then...it hit me. You were the one to ruin the foundation. This was your retaliation to the attack on your children. And it all made such perfect sense that I couldn't believe that I never saw it. But then...you shot me," Aleksander's voice cracked as he felt a dread well in his chest like it had when the bullet pierced him. He could almost recall the stabbing pain and the wet sensation of his blood as he slid to the floor when the fear of the action had the strength to leave his legs.

"But you never had the intent to kill me," He swallowed. "You deliberately gave me a nonfatal wound – and don't you dare say you missed – you are a man I would trust to point a gun to my head without pulling the trigger. You did not miss, you deliberately shot my side."

"And my question is why?"

Salvatore listened to him in silence, not interjecting, watching him with his cold blue eyes once he had finished before returning his gaze to the road. Aleksander swallowed thickly and watched him straighten before stopping the car to the side of the road, putting the gear into park and leaning back in his seat.

"I will not deny that I didn't know that you had no idea about the attack until after it had happened," He told him calmly. "Nor will I deny that it greatly traumatized both Demetrio and Victoria to the extent where they could not sit in a car unless Nicole or I were with them,"

"And I had...two reasons for shooting you," He spoke after a moment of silence to let his previous words sink in. "One, because as I said, I didn't know you had no idea about the attack, so, in my mind, you had made your choice and put the lives of my children on the line."

"And second, because if I shoot you, the mafia bosses would see that I have severed my ties with you by making an attempt on your life. And by doing that, they would leave you alone," Salvatore exhaled.

"So..." Aleksander choked on the lump in his throat, staring back at his brother. "You don't hate me?"

The incredulous laugh that Salvatore let out had him jump back in surprise as he watched with bloodshot eyes when the Italian smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"You were my first practice of being a dad," He chuckled, patting his hair. "I could never hate you."

The Russian let out a choked sound as the tears streamed down and he jumped up from his seat, hugging Salvatore tight as the Italian let out a rush of air at the sudden attack. Chuckling before holding back just as tightly.

"Forgive me for shooting you,"

"I should be apologizing for not having seen through Nikolai," He sniffled as he pulled away and scrubbed at his face.

"Forgive and forget?"

"Forgive and forget,"

"Good, now should we move onto the alliance negotiations?" Salvatore gestured to the stretch of road before them, the younger grinning at the words and nodded in confirmation.

The Pakhan stayed in Italy for four more days after the negotiations. Reunited with his family and loved ones before he helped Sofia pack up her belongings since she refused to be left behind.

No soon had he returned to St. Petersburg, he couldn't even help his wife settle down before he was making preparations for the meeting where he would be formally introduced as the new Pakhan of the Romanov Mafia.

Sofia leaned against the doorway of the washroom, dressed in one of Aleksander's oversized t-shirts as she admired her husband's profile dressed in a two-piece black slim fit suit with a black button-up and double-breasted blazer as he ran a hand through his hair. Ready to leave.

"Go show them what you're made of," She muttered when he approached, smirking before pecking her lips in farewell.

"I will," He grinned before making his way out of their bedroom and towards the car waiting to take him to their rendezvous point.

The warehouse was sandwiched between two more port warehouses at one of St. Petersburg ports. Various cars lined the area outside as Aleksander stepped out to find the guard turning to look at him, judging him by his young age, given that he would be the youngest Mafia Boss present.

Overlapping chatter overwhelmed him when he entered the sunlit room, finding numerous men dressed in immaculate suits and seated at the table, a few noticing his arrival and smirked before they stood up to greet him. He greeted the men with a nod of his head and walked across the room to the other end of the table, standing beside his chair as the man watched him take off his gloves and scarf before one of his men stepped forward to help him with his coat.

A few of the Russian bosses expected him to settle down and began to drag their seats towards them before they halted to find the Romanov Pakhan still standing, instant murmurs resonating in the space as the younger smirked at them, glancing down at his watch before shaking his head to hear the door creak open.

The sound of the door opening had everyone turn to look as the sound of clacking shoes resonated in the sudden pin-drop silence that fell over the room. Every man paling as Salvatore Regnante walked up to the head of the table, dressed in a two-piece black suit with a black turtle neck underneath as he removed his overcoat, no man having the audacity to speak as they stood stunned in silence.

"Gentlemen," Aleksander's voice echoed in the silence once Salvatore was ready to get down to business, the youngest sharing a knowing smirk with the Regnante Mafia Boss as his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Shall we begin?" 

Thank you everyone for embarking on this crazy journey with me and i would love to hear what you all thought. Be it in comments, in the DMs, or on my email account ([email protected]). I hope you guys enjoyed this last chapter before the epilogue. 

Before I sign off, I wanted to know how you guys would feel about a bonus chapter depicting Salvatore's married and domestic life? Let me know in the comments below and tune in tomorrow for the Epilogue of Assigned to Her! 

Thank you all once again! 

Lot's of love, 

Serena Light