(Juliet's POV)
"This one?"
"Ugly."
"This?"
"Uglier."
"Ohhh, what about this?"
"Are you trying to find the ugly ones?"
"Down kitty. Put the claws away. No need to be hateful."
"Sorry." I sighed.
"It's fine. We know you miss grumpy." Stefano said, making me roll my eyes.
Him and Phoenix have taken me shopping. They've been doing everything imaginable the past week to keep me occupied. They even went so far as to make the kids and grandkids stop by. Of course I was happy to see them, I always am, but I miss Vince.
"How about we go get some pretzels and a slushee?" Stefano suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Phoenix said.
We left the store and headed for the pretzel stand. Once we got our pretzels and slushees, we walked around some more.
"I'm gonna head to the bathroom." Stefano said after he finished all his.
"Okay." I nodded.
The second he was out of sight, Phoenix grabbed my hand and started pulling me back the way we came.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"We gotta be quick." Phoenix said.
We didn't stop until we were inside the jewelry shop. That's when it hit me.
"Oh my geezles. You're going to ask him to marry you?!"
"Keep your voice down," Phoenix shushed. "And yes. I am."
"Hello. What can I help you with?" A lady asked, approaching us with a large smile of her face.
"He needs a ring for his boyfriend." I said smiling from ear to ear.
"Wonderful. We have a lovely selection over here."
It took Phoenix less than five minutes to find one. He quickly purchased it and then hid it in my purse. We were walking out when my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Where are you?"
"We are in Victoria's Secret." I said, as Phoenix and I darted inside.
"Alright."
We quickly pretended to be looking at stuff and Phoenix even grabbed a few things in my size and started carrying them.
"Finding anything good?" Stefano asked, joining us.
"Doesn't she always?" Phoenix said.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."
We got back home and spent the next half hour unpacking all the shopping bags. Phoenix asked me to keep the ring hidden, so I stashed it in Vince's underwear drawer.
We were watching TV when there was a knock on the door. Stefano ran to answer it.
He came back seconds later with a box in his hands.
"For you." He said handing it to me.
"I didn't order anything."
"Says it's from Italy." Stefano smiled.
I quickly grabbed it and opened it. It was filled with gifts, souvenirs, and even some candy. On top of it all was a note. In the note, Vince stated how much he missed me and how hard he was trying to get everything taken care of so he could come home.
I grabbed my cellphone and called to thank him.
I got his voicemail.
"No answer?" Phoenix asked.
"No answer." I pouted.
Stefano then checked his watch. "Probably in a meeting with his phone off. He'll call you back when it's over."
"Probably." I sighed.
The three of us relaxed on the couch to watch a movie and I soon drifted off to sleep, all while worrying about my husband who was an ocean away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Stefano's POV)
Phoenix carefully carried Jules upstairs and laid her in bed. While he did that, I plugged her phone in on the nightstand.
"That's odd." I mumbled.
"What?" Nix whispered.
"He never called back."
"That is odd."
We got back to the guest house, where we have taken residence, just in time for my phone to ring.
"Hello."
"Stef," Antonio said.
"Hey, Ant. What's up?"
"Lady Boss around?"
"She's asleep in bed. What's up?"
"We got a problem."
"What's wrong?"
"Boss is gone."
My blood ran cold.
"What do you mean gone?" I asked causing Nix to perk up.
"Gone. Gio too. Plus the others."
I put my phone on speaker and laid it on the table.
"Tell us everything. Start from the beginning."
"We were supposed to meet with Russo and his men. Supposed to talk about some business."
"That's why Boss took the top guys and Gio. Russo and his men are...unstable and untrustworthy."
"Exactly. Anyway, Boss sent Ricci and me to run an errand. When we got back.... we got back..."
"What? Spit it out?"
"Everyone was gone."
"Define gone." Nix said. "There are two types of gone. One is when you're no longer breathing and the other is when you've disappeared. Which one are you talking about?"
"Disappeared."
"Nothing was left? They just disappeared?"
"Blood. There was a lot of blood. Some of Ricci's men were there but they were all dead."
"No sign of Boss or Gio at all?"
"Just....just blood. Lots of blood."
"The rest of our guys?"
"They're gone as well. Amaro and Bruno were dead when we arrived. Shot multiple times."
"Shit." I muttered, running a hand through my hair.
"What do we do now? Ricci and I are at a lost. We don't know what to do. If Boss is gone and Gio is gone then who is in charge? The twins?"
"The twins are...unreachable at the moment. They've taken some grand vacation where there's no cell service." Nix said.
"So, no twins and no Gio and no Boss. We call Nikolay?"
"He's got his own shit."
"So what now?" Antonio asked just as there was a knock on our door.
Nix ran to open it.
It was Jules.
"Vince still hasn't called or texted me. I'm worried." She said.
Nix and I looked at each other.
"What? What is it?" Jules asked, before she looked at my phone. "Who's on the phone?"
"It....It's me." Antonio said.
"Ant? Where's Vince? What's going on?"
"I...."
"Don't say a word, Antonio." I warned.
"Antonio, tell me. Now."
"Ma'am,"
"That's an order, Antonio." Jules practically growled.
So he told her everything. We could see her start to panic, but she quickly calmed herself.
"Jules?" Nix said cautiously, placing a hand on her shoulder.
In the next instant, everything changed.
She changed.
"Antonio, take Ricci and go to the nearest safe house. Don't say anything to anyone. Don't do anything. Go there and sit. Understand me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Jules, what are you...?"
"Stefano, get the jet ready."
"Why?"
"Because I'm going to Italy to find my husband."
"Jules, Boss...."
"Vince is gone and so is Gio. The twins are unreachable and Nikolay has his own stuff to do. That makes me the Boss now. You do as I say. Got it?"
Nix and I exchanged looks.
"Your word is our command." Nix and I said at the same time.
And just like that, the largest and most dangerous mafia in the world was being run by the most dangerous piece of the board.
~~~~~~~~~~
A/N:
Mic drop. 🎤