13. Victoria Galli
Chapter 13
Victoria Galli
My eyes flutter open. The light is harsh and blinding, and I squint, my head pounding like a drumbeat. I blink several times, trying to clear the fog, but my body feels foreign and heavy. I can’t move; my limbs feel like they belong to someone else. I try to lift my hand, but something is stopping me. I feel cold. A shiver runs through me as my brain struggles to catch up with what’s happening.
Beeping. It’s all I can hear. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Is that monitors? They’re like a constant pulse in my ears. I turn my head, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Everything is blurry, and I can’t focus. Where am I? What happened? My thoughts swim in a haze of confusion.
Slowly, I manage to look around the sterile, white room. The smell of antiseptic stings my nose. The walls are pale, and the only movement comes from the blinking lights. A hospital. I’m in a hospital. But why? What happened?
Then, I see him. Elio. My Elio.
His head is resting on the edge of my bed, his hand clutching mine. His hair is disheveled, and there’s a deep exhaustion etched into the lines of his face. I don’t know how long he’s been there, but it’s enough to make my heart ache.
I try to move, to make a sound, but it comes out as a low grunt, a weak attempt to wake up. My body’s still fighting me, not ready to face whatever nightmare I’ve just emerged from. But I need to know.
I squeeze his hand, my fingers trembling. His head lifts, and his eyes lock onto mine, dark with something unreadable—relief? Worry? I can’t tell.
“Elio...” I whisper. “Are you okay?”
He chuckles softly, shaking his head as if he can’t believe my words. “You’re asking if I’m okay?” His voice is a little hoarse. “You’re the one who got poisoned and almost died. I’m fine. Are you okay?”
Elio brushes a stray strand of hair from my forehead, his touch feather-light, as if I’m made of spun glass.
“Are you with me?” he asks. “Your eyes-–they’re glossy.”
Am I here? Is this real? I don’t know right now...
I see the tremor in his fingers, the blue shadows under his eyes, and the way he flinches at a sudden beep from the heart monitor.
Is this a dream? Am I still affected by the poison?
My lips curve into a weak smile. “I’m... I’m here. I think,” I whisper, barely hearing myself. The words feel muffled, like they’re traveling through water to reach him.
“Good.”
But am I really here? Or am I still trapped in that warehouse, in the grip of that monster?
Elio’s thumb strokes the curve of my cheek, tender and grounding.
“Tell me something,” I murmur. “Tell me something only you would know.”
He frowns, eyes narrowing as he concentrates.
My head is throbbing—a dull ache that pulses behind my eyes.
“The gargoyle fountain,” he says. “At the mansion... when we were kids, you always said it looked like it was crying. Not just spouting water.”
I wince. The memory lands—true and sharp.
But the vision of Eddie still tries to claw its way in.
Then Elio adds, “And that time when Gambini added too much cayenne to the meatballs, and you swore you could breathe fire... had to drink all the milk.”
A shaky laugh escapes him—a thin sound in the sterile hum of machines.
He cups my face again, thumbs tracing my cheekbones. The warmth of his skin...
It’s real.
He’s here. I’m here.
It’s all real.
A faint smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. I try to return it, but—
My side burns like fire.
I bite down on my lip, swallowing the ache, trying to stay present.
“You’re in pain,” Elio says, his brow knotting with concern.
“I’m fine,” I murmur. “What happened? Eddie? Is Celeste okay?”
His expression darkens, eyes flicking away before finding mine again. “Eddie’s dead. Celeste and Maria are safe.”
I exhale slowly, relief pouring through me like warm rain.
“You killed him?” I ask.
He hesitates. “Well… Vinny did.”
I blink. “Vinny? Vinny saved us?”
Elio nods, the corner of his mouth twitching—somewhere between a smirk and a grimace. “Hard to believe, right?”
I stare at him in disbelief. Of all people… Vinny?
Before I can process that, the door opens with a soft creak. A doctor steps in, smiling as she approaches the bed. Her white coat rustles gently as she checks the monitors.
“How are we feeling, Miss Galli?” she asks, adjusting the IV with practiced ease.
I nod slowly, taking stock of everything. “Tired. Everything hurts.”
She chuckles lightly. “That’s to be expected. You’re recovering from a serious poisoning, but you’re stable now. Just a few more days of monitoring, and if all goes well, you’ll be out of here soon.”
I nod again, but my thoughts are scattered, my body heavy.
Elio’s hand tightens around mine, anchoring me.
“You’re doing good,” he whispers.
I don’t even realize I’ve been holding my breath until I let it out in a long, shaky sigh. “I’m glad you’re here,” I murmur.
“Where the fuck else would I be?”
The doctor nods to Elio. “She’s doing well. You can help her sit up if she’s ready. I’ll check on you later.”
She leaves, and Elio immediately moves to help me sit up. His arms are strong, careful, holding me steady as the world tilts for a moment. My head spins, but he never lets go.
Then he kneels in front of me, something intense in his gaze. I blink at him, still foggy, confusion dancing at the edges of my mind.
“I never did this properly,” he says.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box.
My breath catches. I freeze.
“Elio—”
“Shhh—please. Let me. I can’t wait any longer.”
He opens it slowly, revealing a ring—sparkling, stunning, more than I ever imagined. The diamond catches the light, casting shards of brilliance across the sterile white room.
It’s perfect.
His eyes lock onto mine, full of something raw and real. Something only for me.
“Victoria Galli,” he says, voice low but sure, “will you marry me?”
Tears sting my eyes. My chest tightens. My heart’s racing before I even realize it. Relief. Love. Fear. Joy. It all crashes into me, drowning me.
I break.
“Yes,” I choke out, barely able to breathe. “Yes. Again. Yes, I’ll marry the shit out of you.”
Elio’s smile is breathtaking. Genuine. Like he’s been holding his breath his whole life for this one moment.
The world narrows—just us, here, now. Together. And nothing else matters.
He’s so beautiful. And he’s mine.
He leans in, slow and reverent. His hand cups my face with a tenderness that squeezes something fragile in my chest. His lips find mine—tentative at first, a question. Then deeper, hungrier. Not soft. Not careful.
Starving.
I melt. My body answers him instantly. His mouth is heat and spark all at once. Everything else falls away—the pain, the exhaustion, the sterile walls. There’s only him.
But then the pain in my side flares, sharp and mean, slicing through the haze.
I whimper, pulling back, breath hitching.
He pulls away instantly, eyes filled with concern. “Nica—”
“Don’t,” I whisper, gripping his shirt like it’s the only thing tethering me. “The pain… it’s worth it. This is worth it.”
His eyes soften before he slides his hand to mine. Slowly, carefully, he picks up the ring from the box, the diamond catching the light again, casting tiny rainbows in the room.
My finger is swollen from the injuries, but I want it. I need it.
Elio slides the ring onto my finger with a look that promises forever. It’s a tight fit, my finger protesting, but I don’t care.
“Forever,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my forehead.
I nod, tears still falling freely, and smile through the pain. “Forever.”
And as his lips meet mine again, more gentle this time, more intimate, the world outside doesn’t matter.
There’s just us.
* * *
I’m still sitting up in the hospital bed when the door creaks open and Jackson limps in. His face is bruised, and he’s in a hospital gown like me, but there’s relief in his eyes. He leans heavily on the doorframe, scanning the room until his gaze lands on me.
“Vickie,” he says hoarsely, stepping forward with a grimace, favoring his leg. “How’s the bride-to-be holding up?”
I can’t help but smile, despite the pain in my side. “A lot better than you, apparently.” I arch a brow at his limp.
“I’m good,” he mutters, easing into the chair beside the bed. He winces as he settles in.
Gio and Vinny follow behind. Gio crosses his arms, face unreadable, while Vinny strolls in like it’s just another Wednesday. He drops into the seat beside Jackson, slinging an arm over the back like they’ve been best friends for years.
“Elio, buddy,” Gio says with a brief nod, settling in the corner.
“You’re looking like shit,” Vinny tells Jackson, flashing a grin, though his tone is strangely soft.
“Yeah, well, you’re no better.” Jackson’s voice is strained but steady. His eyes settle on me, and something gentle flickers there. “I’m glad you’re alive.”
“I guess I’m still needed here,” I say, shrugging slightly. “Maybe just to keep you two idiots in line.”
I glance at Vinny. He’s sitting a little too close for comfort. The old anger simmers under my skin, but I shove it down. Not now.
I exhale sharply, locking eyes with him. “You’re on parole, you know that?”
Vinny raises an eyebrow, his smirk gone. “Fair enough,” he murmurs. “You’re a tough one.”
“I learned from the best,” I mutter, almost smiling.
“Elio’s always been a good teacher,” Vinny says, smirking. “Fucking Shadow King.”
But the smirk doesn’t last. His expression shifts, darkens.
“So… what’s the deal with the Rodriguez family?”
Jackson clears his throat. “They’re all gone. Eddie, Pedro, Naomi… all of them. No siblings left. No surprises. I checked. Twice.”
I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Good. That’s the last of them.”
Vinny shifts in his seat, then nods toward my hand. “Nice ring.”
I glance down at the sparkle on my finger. The weight of it, the truth of it, still knocks the wind out of me. But I love it.
“Not too shabby, right?” I say, flexing my fingers. My knuckle’s still a little swollen, but I don’t care. The ring belongs there.
Elio’s eyes gleam. “We have a fucking wedding to plan, you know. You’re getting married soon.”
“Soon, huh?”
“I’d have done it yesterday, but you were unconscious,” he says, winking.
“Sorry about that. Needed my beauty sleep.”
I blink up at him. God, he’s so damn handsome today—casually perfect in a crisp white T-shirt and grey slacks. He looks like a million bucks without trying. The watch on his wrist gleams under the hospital lights, but my eyes catch on the bruises across his knuckles, the sling cradling his wounded arm.
But he’s here.
He’s alive.
And he’s mine. Forever.
The thought makes my heart stutter.
I clear my throat, forcing myself to focus. “Where’s Tuvio?” I ask, glancing around the room.
A beat of silence. No one answers.
Then Gio exhales through his nose, arms crossed. “He’s coming soon.”
Something flickers in Elio’s expression—concern, maybe. But he doesn’t say anything.
I’m probably imagining it in my haze. Maybe he’s drinking again.
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s just finishing up something.”
Now it’s Jackson’s turn to shift in his chair. He looks uncomfortable—but determined.
“Speaking of finishing things...” he says, reaching into the pocket of his jacket. He pulls out a folded piece of paper and hands it to me.
I glance at him before opening it. “What’s this?”
“My resignation,” he says quietly. “From the force.”
I blink, tilting my head. “Wait—what? Why?”
He doesn’t answer right away. His gaze drops to his hands, the weight of everything we’ve been through pressing down on his shoulders. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking while I’ve been stuck in this hospital. And if you’ve got room for an employee at your private investigator bureau...” He looks up at me, serious. “I’m free for a job. A real one. With real purpose.”
“You want to work for me?” I ask, caught off guard.
He nods. “Yeah. I’ve been sober for the first time in... a long time. Being here, going through all this—it made me realize how far gone I was. I kept thinking my wife was murdered. That Eddie or someone else was behind it. But she... she really did take her own life. And the booze—it just twisted everything. Made me paranoid.”
My heart tightens. I reach out, resting a hand on his arm. His honesty floors me.
“That’s... huge,” I whisper. “I’m proud of you.”
He gives a half-smile. “Thanks. So what do you think? Partners?”
I hesitate, a laugh slipping out despite myself. “Jackson, I’m not even sure I can afford coffee right now, let alone an employee.”
Elio cuts in with a smirk, “I can chip in if you need help funding your new PI empire.”
I shoot him a look. “Don’t you dare. I’m doing this by myself.”
He grins, completely unfazed. “Knew you’d say that.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling too. There’s no edge to it. Just warmth.
Jackson clears his throat. “Well... lucky for you, I’ve got enough disability pay to work for free for at least a year. But—” he gestures to his bandaged leg, “I’ll be a little slower on foot for a while.”
I laugh. “I can live with that.”
And god, I haven’t felt this excited in years. The thought of building something from the ground up—something real, something mine—with people I trust?
It’s exhilarating.
Or maybe it’s the drugs. I don’t really care.
Jackson shifts, adjusting the hospital gown that’s slipping down his shoulder. “Jesus, these things are a nightmare,” he mutters, pulling it back up. “No dignity in hospitals.”
Elio smirks. “You were never big on dignity, anyway.”
Jackson flips him off without missing a beat.
“So, first order of business...” I sit up straighter, my voice firm. “Clean up the city. Mafia out.” I turn my eyes to Vinny. “That includes you, Vinny.”
Vinny grins widely, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. “Aye, aye, Captain Galli. Just kidding... fuck off,” he jokes.
I can’t help but laugh. “Good. Now we can get to work. We’ve got a city to save... and a wedding to plan.”
I look at Elio, and at that moment, I know—everything will be okay. It’s not just a fleeting thought; it’s a deep, undeniable certainty that fills every part of me. It’s us.
His eyes meet mine, the same fierce, steady gaze that’s always anchored me, even when I wasn’t sure of myself, even when everything was falling apart. But with him... everything makes sense.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he says.
I smile, the warmth inside me spreading, pushing away the remnants of fear, the remnants of everything that’s come before. “I know.”
He steps closer, his hand finding mine, fingers lacing together.
My breath catches. I lean in, closing the space between us until his lips are inches from mine. I can feel his heartbeat, feel the pull, like magnets drawing us together.
It’s not a simple kiss. It’s slow and intense, a promise, a vow. It’s everything we’ve been through, everything we’re going to face, all wrapped up in one moment. I feel his hands pull me closer as if he’s afraid I might slip away, as he needs me to stay just as much as I need him. His lips are gentle, then urgent, then gentle again. The world around us fades, leaving just the two of us here together.
I pull away just enough to catch my breath, my forehead resting against his.
“I love you,” I say quietly.
“I love you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”
I feel safe. I feel loved. I feel complete, as if I’ve finally found the piece of myself that was missing, and I know—I know—we’ll face whatever comes next together. Because it’s us.
Always us.