“Dante I swear on everything I love, I will come down there and drag you out of your cell personally.” Victoria yelled into the phone as she tossed a pillow across the room. It had been over a week since Dante’s bail hearing, and it had taken Victoria a few days to gather up the funds to bail Dante out much to his displeasure.
“This isn’t something you should be worrying about after what you’ve been through.”
“This isn’t something your sixty-five year old mother should be worrying about. Elijah and Martina are already there you should be getting out soon.”
Dante let out a long sigh and Victoria could imagine him rubbing his head, she knew that he was having a hard time coping with the situation.
“I’ll pay you back,”
“You're damn right you will, I want a picket fence, 2.5 kids and another dog.” She said without even thinking.
“2.5 kids huh?”
“Disregard that last part, I’ll see you when you get out.” She said quickly before ending the call. She popped herself in the forehead as she cursed herself out.
“Why would you say that?” she groaned Victoria didn’t know what had come over her, she could see herself living happily married to Dante but she didn’t want him to know that just yet.
“Good morning Pancake,” Gaby sung as she floated into the room.
“Ma I’m thirty years old can you please stop calling me that.” Victoria grumbled as she tried to reach for her makeup bag she had tossed across her bed during her conversation with Dante.
“You can be seventy years old and you will still be my little pancake,” Gaby gushed as Victoria rolled her eyes.
“Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes this hospital is nice and everything but I am ready to go.”
“Just promise me that you won’t overdo it, I know you want to help clear Dante’s name but…” Gaby paused as she held Victoria’s hands and made sure they locked eyes. “You have to think about yourself as well, your body needs time to heal, that is your main priority right now.”
“But ma-“
“-Victoria I am serious, you can do more damage to yourself if you don’t allow yourself the proper time to heal. I am telling you this from experience.” she said as she subconsciously touched her right shoulder, shaking her head to clear her mind she returned her attention back onto her daughter. “If you act up I will drag you back in here myself do we have an understanding?”
“Yes ma’am,”
“Good girl,” Gaby kissed her cheek as she stood up. “Let’s get you ready, your father will be here in an hour.”
*****
Anthony watched as his wife walked into their bedroom looking shell-shocked. She had been out all night again and he knew exactly where she had been. With a sigh he ignored her and turned his attention back onto getting dressed. He froze when he felt her arms wrap around his, her cheek pressed against his back.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing I just…” Melissa trailed off as tears burned her eyes, she couldn’t say anything else so she just held onto him tighter.
“Lissa I have to go to work,” he said prying her off of him, when he turned around to finally look at her he noticed the tears streaming down her face. Anthony could see Melissa slowly unraveling, he had an inkling of what she had been up to and he was determined to have no part in it.
“Anthony I messed up,”
“Lissa I don’t have time for this, I have to go.” He said as he grabbed his suit jacket. “We’ll talk later,” he said on his way out the room.
“Jeffery is losing it and I’m afraid he’s going to kill me!” she said as she ran after him. “He’s going to kill me!” she said as she collapsed on the stairs as she began to cry. Anthony cursed under his breath as he turned around and looked at his train wreck of a wife.
“I told you to stop dealing with him but you let your lust for power go to your head. You know exactly what you need to do and when you are ready to do it then we’ll talk.” He said handing her his handkerchief before leaving.
Melissa knew that Anthony meant for her to turn herself in and tell the truth but there was no way she could turn Jeffery in without implicating herself. Her only option was to run. She tossed clothes into a suitcase, as was ready to leave and never look back when the doorbell rang. She tossed her suitcase into the garage before answering the door, and she immediately knew that it was a mistake.
****
Victoria squealed with excitement as they pulled into the driveway of her parents’ home. She could barely contain herself as Zachary and Lucas helped her out of the car and into her wheelchair.
"We decided to put you in dad's office it'll be easier for you to get around, but that doesn't mean you get to go crazy." Gaby said as she walked behind them and Elijah wheeled his sister up the temporary ramp they had built.
"I got it ma, I won't overdo it."
"Ya'll came just in time lunch is ready," Isabelle said as she walked out of the kitchen.
"Grandma!" Victoria squealed as she attempted to get up but was quickly reminded that she was still broken.
"It's so good to see you piccolina," Isabelle said as she cupped Victoria's face in her hands and showered her face with kisses.
“Isabelle stop smothering the child and let me have my turn,” Nick’s mother Paige said as she tried to pry Isabelle away from Victoria.
“Will you relax; you got to see her yesterday. How are you feeling?”
“Hungry,” Victoria answered with a giggle.”
“The food was the only thing she complained about while in the hospital. She didn’t complain about being in pain, or needing a sponge bath, just the food.” Gaby said shaking her head as everyone moved into the living room.
“She is definitely your child.” Isabelle said “You are the only woman I know who in the midst of child birth demands a sandwich.”
“I was hungry; delivering two boys is hard work.” Gaby said with a shrug. Victoria just sat back and watched as Gaby and Isabelle bantered while the rest of the family interacted with each other; she couldn’t help but feel out of place and she wondered if she would ever feel like she belonged again.
“I don’t have time to argue with you Gabrielle, the child is hungry.” Isabelle said as she swatted Gaby on the butt. “Zachary bring your sister into the kitchen so she can get something to eat.”
“What about meeeeee,” Aaliyah whined as she trailed behind Isabelle.
A wide grin spread across Victoria’s face as soon as Isabelle placed a plate full of her handmade ravioli in front of her. Tears pricked her eyes and she sniffled as she bit down into the ravioli. The symphony the savory tomato and cheese created in her mouth was heaven to her.
“Are you crying?” Aaliyah asked as jealously watched her sister eat.
“I’m… not…. crying” she said in-between gulps. “It’s just so good, I’ve missed this,” she said with a sniffle before taking another bite.
“Grandma I’m hungry too,” Aaliyah whined.
“Then help me set the table so we all can eat,” Isabelle said as she handed Aaliyah the cutlery.
“Here Vic your phone is ringing,” Zachary said handing Victoria her cell phone.
“Hello,”
Zachary was busy trying to steal ravioli from Victoria’s plate when Victoria suddenly became still and her phone dropped to the floor.
“Vic what’s wrong?” he asked as he looked at her, her eyes wide with shock as a tear ran down her face.
“Vic what’s wrong?”
“I have to go,” she said unlocking her chair.
“Go where?”
“To the police station get mom, we have to go.”
******
Dante inhaled deeply as he stretched, after being locked up for over a week he suddenly had a new found appreciation for his freedom.
“You look like you've aged twenty years,” Elijah said as he slung his arm around Dante’s shoulder as they walked to Elijah’s car.
“You really know how to comfort a guy Elijah,” he said pushing his arm off of him.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s the truth,”
Dante ran his hand under his chin feeling the weeks’ worth of stubble that had graced his face.
“Everyone is waiting for you at home, Victoria was discharged today, and she should be at the house by now.” Elijah said as they got into the car.
“Can you take me home first; I need to make myself presentable first,”
“I see Victoria is starting to rub off on you,” Elijah said with a chuckle.
“That she is in more ways than I could ever imagine,” he said with a smile, thinking about seeing Victoria again and knowing she was fighting for him kept him from going insane, he couldn’t wait to see her.
*****
“You feel like you’re getting a fever,” Gaby said as she pressed her hand to Victoria’s forehead as they waited for Director Fortune to join them. Victoria had rushed out of the house after James called to let her know that they had finally caught up with her attacker. Victoria wanted to see his face again as she confirmed his identity.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, are you ready Vic?”
“Yes,” James escorted Victoria and Gaby to the viewing room.
“I just want you to confirm if the man we have in custody is indeed the man who attacked you. He’s in the next room you will be able-”
“Uncle James you can save your energy I know the routine,”
“I’m sorry I forgot I am dealing with a professional,” James said with a chuckle as they entered the viewing room. The minute she laid eyes on him her heart rate began to pick up as flashes of her attack and the memory of how helpless she felt resurfaced.
“Victoria is he man who attacked you?” James asked Victoria’s eyes glued onto the man. The man looked up and seemed to staring right at her, Victoria started to pick at her thumbnail as she began to feel uncomfortable.
“Is this the man that attacked you Victoria?” he asked again and she shook her head yes.
“Yes that’s him,” she said never taking her eyes off of him as she steeled her nerves. “What’s his name?”
“His legal name is Eliot Coburn but people call him Chibs because of the scar left on his neck when he was stabbed by his father.”
“Has he said anything?”
“No, he seems to be pretty loyal to Jeffery, but we don’t need him to talk, he’s done,”
“When you find out who the prosecutor is let me know,”
“Uh-yeah sure but why?”
“Can I go now?”
“Yeah, “
“Make sure you come by for dinner tonight,” Gaby said to James before wheeling Victoria out.
*****
Alone for the first time in what seemed like forever Victoria sat up in bed she could hear her family laughing and everyone talking over each other. As much as she wanted to join them her body wouldn’t allow it but her mind would not rest. She had to plan her next step, she couldn’t afford to be blindsided by Jeffery anymore. A soft knock at her door caused her to look up and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized the smiling face staring back at her.
“It’s about time you got here Mr. Jones,” she said as heat crept up into her cheeks.
“I’m sorry I had to get pretty for you,” he said as he closed the door behind him before walking over to her.
“You’re looking much better,” he said as he touched her face as a tear slid down her cheek.
“Hey what’s this?” he said as he brushed the tear away “Why are you crying I just got here,”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a sniffle.
“Sorry for what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I shouldn’t have gotten you involved in all of this; you went to jail because of me,”
“No I went to jail because that bastard lied on me but I shouldn’t have attacked him. You have nothing to do with this,”
“But-“
“-I don’t want to hear any buts Victoria. The only thing I want to hear from you is what you told me while we were on the phone the other day.”
“What are you talking about?” she said avoiding his gaze.
“You know exactly what I mean, you said it pretty fast but I heard it, now say it again.” He said with that smirk that annoyed Victoria to no end.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Mr. Jones,” she said turning her head to stare at the wall. Dante chuckled as he cupped her chin and turn her head, their eyes locked as he bent over to level with her. She could feel the shadow of his lips over hers, just a few centimeters closer she could have the kiss she had been waiting for. Her eyes pleaded with him but Dante stood firm.
“Say it first,”
Victoria took in a quick breath and held it as she studied him; she knew that he wasn’t going to give her what she wanted until he got what he wanted first.
“I said…I love you,” she said causing her heart to skip a beat.
“I love you too,” Dante said before giving her a devastatingly sensual kiss that left her breathless and silently cursing her broken body.
Someone cleared their throat breaking the couple’s attention away from each other and towards the doorway where Nick and Gaby looked on. Gaby smiling like a giddy school girl while Nick looked the least bit amused.
“It’s time for dinner,” Gaby said as she pushed Nick out of the way to grab Victoria’s wheelchair.
“Dante would you mind helping me out,” Victoria said and Dante scooped her up out of the bed holding onto her tightly. Victoria knew that at least for the night she could let her guard down and feel at ease.