New York, how much you've shown to me will remain with me for as long as I live.

You've proven to be an experienced lover whose only task it seems is to hurt yet keep us wanting more.

With your bright lights your siren song lures travelers from afar with the promise to allow our imaginations to know no limit. You allowed us be greedy in your land filled with milk and honey.

Yet there's a side to you, a side where you leave your lovers tossed out and spent on the streets with running mascara and a broken heel.

I admit you never really did that to me; you were easy in your approach. Tender in how you loved me until you changed your tune slightly making me grow weary to remain loyal to you.

That night your sky was upset, rumbling every which way to make the drive all the more long and difficult on those roads...

No one had yet to say a thing. Knowing he was tense made me tense not knowing what was going on.

I wish I could give a detailed account of what happened. Everything seemed normal with the buildings laid out before us but with my mind a million miles away it took a slight bump on the road to snap me out of the daze to see the dirt road now gracing my vision.

Breathing picking up speed my heart was ready to burst out of my chest that restricted it from running away the way I wanted to. Nicky placed his hand on my thigh giving it a gentle squeeze sensing my panic. It wasn't long before the cars all stopped before an open field.

The scene one out of some silent film where you couldn't hear what the actors were saying. But it seemed everyone knew the assignment and I remained in my seat whilst Nicky disembarked from the car.

Observing with my own eyes, Nicky moved forward towards a perplexed Sonny who moved towards him to ask what was going on. Despite the slight agitated look on the older man's face Nicky kept a straight face keeping the answer vague. Joseph followed sharing his concern for what was happening and I could not for the life of me believe what was happening.

Without another second passing in vain more vehicles followed, their headlights casting more light to the scene. When the new guests stepped out Joseph's face turned murderous whilst without much shock on my part Sonny's face fell when Damian stood before him adorned in a black suit with Lucien by his side standing with a cocky grin. I shouldn't have been surprised that they'd be here, but I was shocked to learn they had been following us from the restaurant.

Joseph threw an immediate accusatory look at Nicky, "THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" he barked invading Nicholas' space ready to rip his throat out. His nephew remained blank and replied in a chillingly calm tone that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand, "Just resolving a matter of the past," Nicky answered keeping a firm gaze trained on Joseph whom he had been suspicious of after learning the truth.

After looking at him perplexed Joseph moved away muttering profanities I'm sure under his breath. His guards were on guard waiting for any signal from their leader to shoot whilst Nicky's men stood on guard as well.

"I hope you don't mind if we join the party, going to clubs tends to grow tedious after a while," Damian was the first to speak wearing a toothy grin.

No doubt after being incarcerated, the idea of ever getting revenge seemed bleak but with a golden opportunity placed before his feet, I had a feeling Damian along with his son would enjoy every second of it. Nicky on the other hand didn't share the same excitement. I could tell it took a lot out of him to be against men he had known his whole life to stand next to a man whom he met in jail and another who had been a rival some time back.

"Whi the hell are you?" Sonny huffed staring menacingly at Damian. Instead of evoking fear out of him, Damian took that comment from Sonny as his cue to give a discreet nod to one of his guards who disappeared for a moment to return with a man being held by another man. He was tossed onto the ground roughly and when he lifted his head I shifted forward at the sight of the bloodied face so bruised beyond recognition.

"Don't bother acting dense. Deep down you want to know how the hell I'm not in jail. I got out for good behavior, isn't that right, Sam?" Damian chuckled menacingly kicking the man lightly eliciting a groan from him.

At the mere mention of the name Sonny's face fell but he quickly recovered turning to Nicky to demand he listen to him. "Is this why we're here? You decided to betray your own family?" Sonny questioned switching his gaze to the two men who watched with nothing but amusement in their eyes.

"Fuck this, "Joseph mumbled bringing out his gun. It was an action that caused his own people to draw their weapons. However, instead of Lucien or Damian reacting they stood there maintaining their smiles that were becoming quite concerning to Joseph who had yet to come across such a reaction, "I strongly suggest if you want to get out of this alive that you lower your weapon," Nicky muttered.

"BULLSHIT! That fucker hurt my daughter and I strongly suggest you think long and hard for the choice you're making," the older man gritted out clenching his jaw tightly keeping a firm grip on his weapon which he pointed directly towards Lucien.

"I've thought long and hard about it... the last thing I ever wanted was for things to come out this way," he replied. The weight of his words hung in the balance as the forces of darkness loomed and finally he switched his gaze over to Sonny to study his profile for a second or so. It was through that inspection that the self-appointed patriarch had a gun pointed from his supposed heir. Sonny's men reacted but it was clear they were outnumbered such that their efforts would've been futile.

Sonny grew tense at the sight of the barrel right before his eyes that for the first time since I met him his face paled. In a short space of time Sonny was reduced to a mere mortal and I found myself gripping the car seat anxious to see what would happen next. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Joseph yelled, not the least bit bothered to mask his surprise as he began to panic. I could understand his reaction; after all none of us had seen it coming that the real enemy... was hiding in plain sight.

"Just doing what my father should have..." Nicky gritted out digging the barrel into Sonny's temple in anger, "kill a fucking snake."

Joseph's jaw dropped in shock at the words and before he could bark out the order for more answers, Nicky sneered at Sonny who had sobered up to the point he concealed his emotions, "Tell him." When he didn't react to the demand, no longer patient Nicky raised his hand and hit him with the butt of his gun causing Sonny to stumble back from the hit that had blood trickling down his face from his temple. "TELL HIM!"

"I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY!" Sonny bit back regaining his balance, "Whatever shit Damian told you is a fucking lie. And knowing that you're on their side makes me questio –"

"Even in the face of truth you still choose to hide," Nicky interjected shaking his head in disappointment at the man he grew to admire, "but fine, if you refuse to use whatever ounce of decency you have left in you, then by all means," he paused shoving Sonny roughly to the point he fell landing on the ground, "get comfortable."

"Uncle Joseph, meet Damian Volatelli.... the man Sonny hired to frame my father. We met in prison and he relayed some details about my father that had me questioning how he really died," he explained keeping his face blank.

I knew it hurt to have to find out what really happened. When Matt came with the file containing information on his father, it seemed everything about his life had been a lie.

Nicky had been at a wits end, hurt by the thought of anyone especially Sonny having a hand in his father's demise. "And that piece of shit, "he gestured with the flick of his wrist at the other culprit, "was the Warden. He kept receiving bribes from Sonny to keep him in prison... hell – he allowed his guards to beat my father to a fucking pulp when Sonny no longer saw his life as worthy to keep intact."

No one moved for a moment as Nicky's words sunk in. Damian had been honest about the fact he had felt remorse for what he had done. When he tried to tell Nicky or even his mother the truth Sonny had gone on to put him in jail using the excuse he tried to steal in order to get enough money to pay off his gambling debt. Considering the fact he had gambling tendencies Lucien and his sister had accepted it as truth and Lucien out of spite blocked off any of Damian's attempts to contact him until a twist of fate allowed Nicky and Damian's paths to cross.

It was only when Matt, a prison guard who had been there long enough to see things that would traumatize most had confirmed the truth behind how Victor really died that Nicky grew willing to listen to Damian. It was a death that haunted the prison guard indeed considering how well behaved Victor was. But as a man bound to carry out the Warden's orders Matt; along with some of the other guards administered a brutal beating upon Victor whose bulky build had grown weaker due to age. The Warden had taken too long to grant Victor any sufficient hospital treatment which made Matt concerned but he didn't want to push his buttons at the time before Samuel eventually retired.

And when he heard about Nicholas' arrival the guilt pushed him to offer aid in uncovering the files that took little resistance from the new Warden to provide. Prior to becoming the man in charge he had been one of the guards completely disgruntled by Samuel's actions over the years.

I had been disgusted to learn the details that manifested as a result ofthe man's greed and the heartless manner Sonny treated everyone made Nicky feel betrayed. He was hurt at the way his life had changed so drastically due to him. Joseph lowered his gun running a frustrated hand through his hair when he saw the look Nicky was giving him. Noticing Joseph begin to hesitate Sonny tried to get back on his feet to defend himself.

"Everything they're saying is a lie, Jo –" unfortunately Nicky kicked him roughly in the chest to keep him on the ground where his skin was exposed to dirt and grime. When he made a move to fight against him Nicky's gun made Sonny resort to getting on his knees.

"I raised you to know better, Nick! I would NEVER do that to you especially with the history your father and I shared!" he spat but Nicky at that point had decided to ignore him completely.

"Why should I believe you're telling the truth?" Joseph spoke wearing an expression that truly reflected how serious the situation was as he looked at Nicky.

"When have I ever steered you wrong?" Nicky challenged posing the question before him. It was a question filled with memories that have proven his undying loyalty to Joseph especially when it came to watching over his family at the times he couldn't. Joseph looked away fighting with himself over whether or not to believe him, "Do you honestly expect me to just forget the shit Lucien pulled with Marcie?"

"I admit nothing but fault on it. I know nothing I'll ever do will fix the damage Elias and I did but I wanted to make Sonny suffer by destroying each of you over one by one," Lucien said looking at Joseph with nothing but remorse that caught us off guard. Throughout the time he had been around us he hadn't really shown any regret at what he felt was justified action but there he was admitting to his mistake.

"You can't HONESTLY BELIEVE HIM?!" Sonny questioned looking desperately at Joseph who contemplated the next move to make, after all his child had been affected. Releasing a groan that unveiled the frustration he felt he said, "I hope you have serious proof, kid," Joseph mumbled and from where I sat I could see the hand holding his gun shaking before he eventually put his weapon back in his holster to conceal it. "Ever since your wife and child died you haven't exactly been the same. You grew colder in how you operated..." Joseph turned to look down upon Sonny, "and I can't exactly say with all certainty that I know you anymore."

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT, THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME AFTER EVERYTHING I DID FOR YOU!" Sonny bellowed, the rage coming off in waves. His face contorted to the point a vein in his forehead popped and I would've found the expression comical if it weren't for Nicky reaching up to hit him once again with his gun. Jumping slightly at the action, Sonny's head whipped back revealing blood gushing down his nose.

As if a switch had been flipped when he recovered Sonny's demeanour had all but changed and the disguise he had worn finally cracked at the realization he had no one on his side. "So what, huh?" he seethed spitting the blood that trickled down in an attempt to settle on his lips, "You kill me and whisk off into the sunset with your degenerate friends all because I took away your daddy?! Fine!" he threw his hands up hysterically pushing his head against the barrel, "Shoot me," he said into the open air that had grown increasingly colder at the request. His eyes bore down into Nicky daring him to pull the trigger.

At that point I was at the edge of my seat fighting with myself not to go out there. "SHOOT. ME," he stressed. "That is why you brought us out here, right?" When he received no response, Sonny grew cocky at the silence he received from Nicky believing he was unable to shoot him simply because of the history they had. "GO ON! Kill the man who fucking raised you."

"For these last few weeks I've been fighting with myself... telling myself countless times there's no way you could have done such to me. Yet in as much as I had to quickly accept what you are, I can't seem to understand why you did it," Nicky muttered. And there it was the question that had been haunting him. He tried numerous times to draw a reasonable conclusion as to what fueled Sonny to be like that...

But did evil ever need a sufficient reason to do what it did?