"...things rarely go according to plan

but when plan A fails

remember there are twenty five more letters to go..."

"I know..."

"You are not listening!" Russo reprimanded me. "What you have done... we won't cover you for that!"

I pressed the bridge of my nose. I did something really stupid. In a drunk fit, I paid off someone to drive into a car in Amalfi. The occupants of the car were Keira's parents. I think Mancini knows if Russo is going off on me like this.

"Does he know about the accident?"

"I'm not going to tell him it's you. But you owe me!"

"Oh thank goodness. I definitely owe you."

"Whatever you need to with Nick, wrap it up today. Everything ends today."

"What? Why the rush?"

I'm outside Maddie's preschool. I want to see her but I guess with the time crunch I might as well steal her away. They won't let me take her because Marianna is running the show now. The last time I was here I was told the Italian lady said she will sue the whole school if her granddaughter goes missing! I have to give it to her. Suing a preschool?

"Not your concern. It ends today."

"All right. Thanks for the heads-up."

I walked into the playground, sand making my heels sway. Damn this place! I waved at the little girl on the swing and gave her a big smile. I blew her a kiss.

She came running to me.

It's a preschool. It's not odd to see a parent or two here. I remember her first day. Nick didn't go to work. He stayed with her all day. I went to the spa. It's not like she would have died from being here for a few hours!

"Ready to go?" I asked her.

"Where are we going mommy?" I pulled the blue ribbons from her hair. "No mommy, I like those! Nonna made my hair!"

"Nonna is making you look like a cheap girl. Come on!" I carried her away.

"Mrs Bale!" I heard the annoying voice of one of her teachers. "Mrs Bale! Wait!"

I can't outrun her in heels. I stopped momentarily. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?" Her eyes shifted between Maddie and me.

"Carrying my daughter! What are you doing?"

She glanced at her wrist watch. "It's 10am.in the morning. You're running towards the parking lot. What are you doing?"

"Running towards the parking lot." She will not allow me to leave with Maddie. "This will hurt."

I hit her neck,right under her chin to keep her from screaming for help and pepper sprayed her face before running away with Maddie in my arms. While she's finding this funny, I'm not. This is a kidnapping! This is how I leverage Nick, when I threaten to take his daughter back to France. With this murder charge, he won't stand a chance in a custody battle. Zero.

After putting Maddie in the back seat, I drove off. The guards at the gate always check the cars. "Hide Maddie! Hide and seek! Hide so that no one can see you!"

She hid herself behind my seat.

I momentarily stepped at the gate.

"All done ma'am?"

"All done. I just wanted to see her to make sure she's fine. I miss her so much! I almost wish she wouldn't have to go to school!" I laughed and touched his arm.

He smiled at me. "We all have been there. Have a good day ma'am. See you at pick up."

As soon as they let me leave I stopped smiling.

I'll drop Maddie off at my hotel and leave her with a maid or something then I see Nickolas for the last leg of this shit storm!

k's POV

It wasn't supposed to go like this! It wasn't!

"Hey! Hey! Stay with me." I remember Ferrer saying that applying pressure to a bleeding wound helps reduce bleeding. I wish he was here right now to do something about the blood coming from Keith's neck. I wish he was here to save his life.

One of the inmates, the one he knocked out, gained consciousness and stabbed him three times. Shoulder, arm and neck. "Stay with me damn it!" The neck is the fatal wound.

The big guy is dead. I had no choice. After I saw Keith getting stabbed, something in me snapped. It became kill or be killed and I believe it is a deep instinct to survive no matter what.

"K-kei." He tried to speak with his hand trying to grip a handful of my shirt.

"Don't speak. Don't speak."

"K-kei. T-tell t-tell K-ei... I lo-ove her."

"You can te her yourself. Keith!" I'm losing him. Even his grip is weak. "Keith stay with me! Keith! Come on man! Keith!" His hand dropped and his head tilted.

He's gone. I moved my hand away, resting on my folded legs. The one who stabbed him got away. The one I suffocated is still passed out. Prisoner 5935 is dead. Keith is dead. My hands and clothes are full of blood.

Again, what is all this for?

It's when the door to the laundry room was opened that I heard the blaring of the alarm. Guards came in pointing their guns at me. In a room that had five people, two are dead. One got away. One is unconscious and then there is the man on his knees responsible for murder and this time, it's not a lie.

They cuffed me and they took me away, walking me back to my cell. The prisoners are quiet, staring at me with all this blood on me. They are moving aside as I walk past them. This is a statement. They shouldn't fuck with me. But is it something to be proud of this fear they feel when they see me? Should I be proud or should I be ashamed for taking a life? Is it guilt? What should someone feel when they kill? What?

They pushed me into my cell and closed the door. I sat on the bed, somewhat defeated and still in shock. The adrenaline is coming down. Kei's brother is dead. What will I say? How will I say it?

Dio!

What is this darkness following me around?

Nathan's POV

I wasn't surprised when Nick was accused of murder.

There's a dark raw rage that pumps through my veins and I think that he is like that. I carry the death of Kosmos Sarris with me. I remember the day he died in great detail. How my father covered it up to keep me safe. How he paid for my actions with his life. It took me a long time to make peace with all of it. I lost Maria and I lost Nicko.

When Nick was seventeen years old he shot someone. According to Gio, it was to protect him. We sent him away to distance him from the Mafia. I'm afraid of my son's dark potential. All that us left us that dark power pumping through his veins and he will not be the same. He has already lost Maddie. He lost Keira too. It's not just my face he inherited but it seems my history too.

When I got a call from the prison, I came here alone. The warden insisted that I should come. Maria is throwing fits at the preschool where Maddie was taken. I hate to be them.

This like Nicko and his episodes in high school and how Helena would make me come all the way from Florence to Manhattan to deal with it. She made it clear that she is not his mother and one difficult child in her life was enough. But she loves him regardless of her tough stance with him. She loves him because she calls every day to ask about him. She never calls every day to ask me how I'm doing. Once in a while she does and once in a while I call her. That's just how it is. I think I would have been closer to my father had he been alive.

Nicko is just seated still, very quiet, head bent, staring at the dried blood on his hands.

I asked that he is put in solitary for his own safety. The warden agreed with me. In a way he is afraid Nick may start a war in here. Nick is upsetting his balance.

"Son, say something." If I brought Maria, she would be freaking out at the sight of him. He's full of blood. They will collect the clothes as evidence. "Nickolas."

"I have nothing to say."

"What happened?"

"It was messed up." He whispered with a slight tremble to his voice. He doesn't tremble when he speaks. From very early on he has always been confident and brave. His hands are shaking. "Dad it was fucked up."

I took one of his hands, resting my palm against his. "Nickolas, look at me. Look at me son." He raised his eyes to meet mine. "Whatever happened in there, I am on your side and you can trust me."

He pulled his hand free. "It's nothing-"

"Triple murder." I whispered. "Jason and now this."

"I didn't kill Jason."

"I know that. But they don't. They will pin the deaths of both Keith and the other prisoner on you. Three deaths."

"Mancini's wanted a prisoner dead. He said that if I kill the prisoner, he leaves Kei alone. But when I got in there, I found three prisoners, each had a blade and one of them said Mancini wants me dead. Keith wasn't supposed to be there. We had it under control until the last be moment when he got stabbed. That wasn't supposed to happen. Keith should not be dead."

"Gio went to Sicily to speak to him. I believe he will stop the madness. Just stay in here alone where it's safe."

It's silent hear. The sound of absolutely nothing can be heard. I can only hear my steady heartbeat. I can only hear my thoughts. It's quiet.

Three murders will likely be pinned on me.

Three murders. Those are likely consecutive life sentences. I'm never going to see Maddie or my family ever again. This darkness may as well be my new home. .

Yet I'm still asking myself if it was worth it. I'm still asking myself why I have done this. Why? For a woman? For love? Dies it even make any sense?

I can hear metal doors. I can hear footsteps. Someone is coming. They are here to take the clothes. To take evidence of my wrongdoing. I thought they would do it immediately but they are slow.

The smell of floral perfume hit my nostrils. It's her. It's Margaux! Has she come to vex me at my lowest moment? She is wearing a floral dress, too bright even for her taste. Red shoes on her feet. My eyes dragged up the beautiful body to the pretty face that got me hooked from the moment I set eyes on her. Yes, I have a problem. I have a type. Look at where it has gotten me now.

"It's not a conjugal visit. Though I wouldn't mind something rough." She winked at me.

Rough is how it always was between us. She likes to be spanked. She likes her hair pulled. She likes it when I hold her neck down while going at it like the intention is to break her back.

"You don't get me hard anymore." I shrugged. Her smile faded. "What do you want?" She reached into her red bag and gave me a handful of documents. "What the fuck is this? I dint have any patience left!"

"Relax! Murder makes you more aggressive, doesn't it? Divorce papers. Custody papers. And this one is my favorite!" She showed me the last one. This is where you sign over everything you own to me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Here's the thing Nick. You have lost already. Look at you! You're wearing orange in solitary! How low can you possibly get before you realize you have no bargaining power!"

"How about I just add one more murder? Yours. I have nothing to loose!"

"True." She backed away. "But want about Maddie? As much as you have ruined your own life, do you want her to be ruined too? Because I can't guarantee she will grow up to be the kind of woman you want her to be! You now grandmere is harsh. Do you want the duchess raising your daughter? Do you want her calling different men daddy?" She pouted. "If you refuse to sign all three, I'm going to take Maddie. I'm her mother. I'm the betrayed wife. Everyone sympathizes with me. What is more important? Your pride or your daughter?"