29. Vitorio
Itry to say her name, but my throat clamps around the sound it is trying to make.
I fight against it, wanting to call out to her. I can hear her voice. I can hear her sweet, beautiful voice.
"Nicki." A harsh dry sound rattles from my lips and burns my lungs.
"Vito?"
She is closer now.
"Nicki."
I feel her warmth hovering close to me as I try to force my eyes to obey me. They are so heavy I am struggling to open them.
"Vito it's me. I'm here."
I feel the gentle touch of her fingers on my cheek and lean my face into her hand.
"Doctor." She shouts loudly, sounding excited.
I blink, then blink again. My eyes are open, but I still can't see through the blurry fog of my vision.
Nicki is laughing, a beautiful musical sound. Her happiness touches my heart. It starts seeping warmth into my body.
I hear footsteps as people start rushing around me. Nicki's hand disappears and is replaced by a rougher hand. A doctor. Or a nurse. The continuous beeping of the machine over my head is driving me crazy.
I blink again and faces begin to swim into focus.
"Vitorio. Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?" A man is standing over me.
"Hospital - I - assume." My voice doesn't sound like my own.
The doctor chuckles. "Yes, you're in the hospital. Listen, we have to check you over. Just be patient, ok. The nurse is bringing a fresh bottle of water."
I nod. All I want is Nicki.
"How long?" I whisper.
"You have been here for nine days. This beautiful girl has not left your side once in that entire time." The doctor presses his hand against my wrist and nods at the nurse standing opposite him.
"Replace the saline bag. Let's get some extra nutrients going."
"Yes sir."
"Heart rate is good. Blood pressure is good."
He leans over me again. "Vitorio, do you want to try and sit up? Can I raise the bed?"
"Yes."
I move slightly and pain shoots through my body.
"No, don't move, let me do it. I am just going to slowly raise the back of the bed."
For twenty agonizing minutes, the doctor and physiology therapists analyze me. It isn't the pain of my body that is grating against me - it is just that I want all of them to leave me alone now so that I can be with Nicki.
After what feels like an eternity the doctor says, "Ok, that's enough for tonight. We will have to start again tomorrow. Vitorio, it is so good to see you awake, and you are looking strong. We are going to leave you now, but if you need anything at all just press that button and we'll be back."
The hospital staff filter out of the room one by one, and the last person left behind is Nicki. She steps closer to my bed with the most beautiful smile on her face and tears falling down her cheeks.
I reach my hand out and she wraps her fingers through mine.
"Come here, lay next to me." I smile.
She gently climbs onto the bed and rests her head against my chest as I wrap my arm around her. I don't care that it hurts. It hurts more not having her against me.
"Vitorio…" her words choke back as new tears fall down her face.
"I know, baby girl. I missed you too." I chuckle, and the movement sends shards of pain through my stomach. "Ouch," I say, taking a slow breath. "No laughing allowed for now ok."
She starts giggling and I laugh again. "Ouch. No. I mean it."
But it feels so good. And having her here at my side when I woke up, just means the world to me.
"Nine days huh?" I kiss her cheek softly and she turns her head up towards me.
"It felt like years." She shifts slightly, carefully moving her lips closer to mine then gently she presses her mouth over mine, and electricity shoots through my body.
She kisses me tenderly, for a long time, our lips together, and our tongues dancing, my entire soul feels like it is merged with hers.
When she stops, she giggles again.
"Well, at least we know that is working." She glances down the bed towards my swollen cock. The grin on my face stretches from ear to ear.
"When do you think I will be better enough to test it properly?"
"Don't you even think about it. You have to behave. You have to do everything the doctor tells you to do. I want you better already."
"You really didn't have to stay here the entire time, Nicki. You must be drained. Exhausted. Why don't you go home and get some proper rest tonight?"
She looks horrified by my suggestion, which floods me with relief because the last thing I want is for her to leave me.
"I'm not going anywhere; besides, we were just getting to the good part of the story. So close your eyes and let me finish this chapter so we can find out what happens next."
She grabs the book off the side table and then snuggles back against me, moving carefully and gently.
I stare down at her as she flips through the pages, finding the right one, and then I watch her face as her lips move while she reads.
Her beautiful face, her soft voice, the warmth of her body. I brush my hand through her long silky hair, feeling the texture of her. I can't stop grinning.
My heart is full and happy.
I close my eyes, feeling drained even though I just woke up. My body feels like I was hit by a train. I have so much recovery time ahead of me - it is going to be a long journey. And I need to process everything that I found out about my father and Luca. I can't believe he…
Then my eyes shoot open again as an urgent memory slams into me.
"Nicki," I say with fright. "I didn't tell you."
I feel her body go rigid against me as the shock of my tone runs through her. She shifts, dropping the book, looking up at me with wide eyes.
"Vito, what's wrong?"
"Your father…"
"It's ok, I was there when we found out what happened remember."
"No, just listen. I got a call - from your father."
She sits up suddenly, knocking me and sending pain rushing down my side. I wince and my lips lift in an expression of pain, but I hold back from crying out.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to - I thought you said you got a call from my father." She stumbles over her words. Her round eyes are glittering wildly.
I grin. "I did. I got a call from your father." She shakes her head, almost looking angry at me for playing such a twisted game. But I am not playing any games.
"Vito…" her voice is tight, uncertain, tense.
"He called me and told me what happened all those years ago. He said that he found out about the bounty they put on his head. He knew he would be killed if he stayed so he fled the country. He knew he couldn't safely be around his family with the mafia hunting him down like they were. He went into hiding. Then recently he got word that Luca was being exposed, and he knew it was time to come out of hiding. He couldn't come back yet or let anyone know he was alive until the bounty was lifted off his head."
"My father?" she is crying, raw heavy tears of confusion and pain mixed with joy. "My father is alive?"
"He's alive. He has been living in Vietnam. I will make arrangements for Marco to have the bounty removed from his name so that people know he is not a target anymore. I have already arranged his flight home for next month. We wanted to give it all enough time for things to settle down. I was so desperate to tell you as soon as I found out, but I just didn't know how to get hold of you. Nicki - he's alive. He's coming home."
Nicki is staring at me with a completely blank expression on her face. Her eyes are glazed over, and her lips are parted. Her cheeks look pale.
"Nicki?"
She blinks twice. "I have to tell my mom. I have to phone my mom and my sister."
"No, not yet. Let's get the bounty lifted first. We need to be one hundred percent sure he is safe. There are still probably some of Luca's associates out there who would go after him just as a vengeance plot if they found out he wasn't actually dead. I want to play it safe."
"Ok." She still looks blank. It is going to take her a really long time to fully absorb this news. In fact, she might not believe it for sure until she sees him with her own eyes.
I leave her in her thoughts for a little while, then decide to redirect them so that she can come out of wherever her mind is running.
"Um, on another note, what happened with Danny? Everything was such chaos, but I swear it looked like Sasha knew him?"
Nicki blinks a few times then sighs. "Um - Danny - Danny - right, yes, oh my goodness they were married apparently. I have no idea what the hell that was about. She said they were still married, and then he asked me to leave with him, but then he bolted when the chaos started again. He just made a run for it before I could find out anything else."
"And you haven't heard from him since then?"
"Nothing, but I have been kind of preoccupied with waiting for you to not die on me."
I chuckle. "Fair. I guess we can try and figure that out some other time."
"Yes, I've had enough weirdness for a while. I just want to help you heal and get strong again. It's time for us to focus on us. All of my energy is focused on you now."
I stroke my hand across her cheek and smile at her.
"Even with the mystery of Danny, things turned out really well in the end."
"It's not the end yet - I think they are just going to keep getting better still."
She snuggles back down on the bed next to me, and I carefully wrap my arm around her again. She picks up the book and stares at the pages for a moment. I wait, watching her, knowing that her thoughts must still be processing the shocking news I just gave her about her dad. It blew my mind as well when he called me. I even made him FaceTime me just so that I could see this wasn't some sick prank pulled by my brother. It was him though. Leonard Dellacroce. Alive, healthy, and living in Vietnam.
Nicki smiles to herself - a soft, warm smile.
"My father is alive." She whispers, as though she doesn't believe it, but also as though it is the most beautiful thing in the world. Of course, it would be. I would give almost anything to find out my father was also still alive.
Then she flips the page and starts reading the story again.
I close my eyes letting the words dance in the air around me and drift off to the sound of her voice.
The next few weeks are grueling.
I have to work with the physiotherapist twice a day at the hospital. Rebuilding my stomach muscles, healing my body, and finding my strength again.
When they finally allow me to go back home, Nicki comes to stay with me to take care of me and I continue to do physiotherapy daily. It still hurts, but it is the type of pain that lets you know you are making progress.
I can't believe how amazing Nicki has been. She is so attentive and aware of my needs that she does things for me before I even ask for help. I am falling more in love with her as each day goes by.
We aren't stressed or worried or on the run anymore and that allows us to really enjoy each other and get to know each other on a new level.
"Vito?" She calls from the kitchen.
"Yes, my love?" I am sitting in the living room with my feet up after a particularly difficult session with the physiotherapist.
Nicki wanders through carrying two plates of tagliatelle Alfredo and hands one of them to me before curling her legs beneath her on the couch next to me.
"I've been staying here for a while now."
"Do you want to move in permanently?" I ask immediately because I have been waiting for the right moment to ask her. The words burst out of my mouth before she even had the chance to finish her sentence.
She laughs loudly.
"Actually, I do." She grins.
I put my plate of food down on the side table and reach over to Nicki, taking her hand and pulling her closer to me.
"Nicki, the only future I see is with you. I don't want anything else. I don't want anything at all if you are not there too. I didn't tell you, but my Uncle Marco called me yesterday and offered me a very high position within the family. I turned him down."
"Why? Why would you do that? I thought that is what you wanted?" She says shocked.
"Once upon a time, it is what I thought I wanted too. But now I want something completely different. I want to make you proud. I want to give you a life worthy of a soul as beautiful as you are. This life in the mafia is not what you deserve. Yes, I will still have a role to play in certain businesses, but I am stepping back from all of that to build something with you."
"Vitorio, I don't want you to let go of your dreams for me."
I chuckle, and then it turns into a low rumbling laugh that vibrates through me. "Nicki, you are my dream," I say, looking into her beautiful eyes.
A few weeks later the big day arrives.
"Hurry. We are going to be late." Nicki squeals in her overexcited state.
I laugh. "Nicki, we are a few hours early already," I say, climbing out of the car parked on the tarmac of the airport.
"They said his flight was landing earlier than expected." She speaks quickly, rushing through her words and looking around in every direction.
"Not that early." I walk over to her and pull her into my arms.
"I even told Mom he was arriving early. They are waiting for us at home."
"I know, your mom has been messaging me as well. I promised her we would bring him straight to her when he arrives."
"So - I mean - we are an hour early?" she looks around, pulling her mouth to the side.
I laugh again.
"But don't worry, I knew you would want to be here early, so I have a little surprise for you. Come on." She tilts her head with her eyes narrowed towards me and a slight grin on her face.
I lead her over to my private hangar at the airport where I have set up a champagne breakfast that we can enjoy while we wait for her father's flight to arrive.
She grins, shaking her head. "I think you know me too well."
The breakfast is the perfect distraction to calm her nerves while we wait.
And when her father's flight does land, the glass and a half of champagne she has had also helps to calm her. She isn't fidgety and rushing anymore. She is just smiling and glowing with happiness.
When Leonard steps out of the jet, a loud gasp escapes Nicki and her fingers dig into my hand. She goes stiff and I can see how hard she is trying not to cry.
"It's ok, Nicki, don't hide your emotions."
She glances up at me and her eyes swell with watery tears that immediately run down her cheeks. Her father steps onto the tarmac and within seconds she is running towards him and practically bowling him over with her embrace.
They stand there holding each other for a long time. Both of them are crying now. Sobbing.
My heart is pulling so tight in my chest that I have to clear my throat several times not to start crying myself.
I am so happy for her, but I can't help thinking about my own father, and how I wish I could have this same experience with him.