"Fuck," I growl. That’s when darkness overwhelms me.
When I open my eyes next, I am on the bed again and he’s standing in front of me. The intruder's body is gone, along with the blood, and all of the pieces of glass have been swept away. I glance at the window to find the pane has been replaced. Huh?
"My men cleaned the room." The man scowls at me, "Also, replaced your bedclothes. You’re welcome."
"How is she?" I rasp.
"If you mean Theresa, she’s shaken, but she’ll survive."
Theresa, so that’s her name."Asshole threw her against the wall," I try to ball my fists and find I am clutching something between my fingers. I glance down to find I am holding something purple in color…something that resembles a hair tie.Herhair tie? Green eyes, thick auburn hair, curves that could drive a man to madness. Anger sweeps through me as I close my fingers around the colorful restraint. "He pointed a gun at her," I cough.
"Now, you know," the man retorts in a hard voice.
"What the fuck do you mean by—" I burst out coughing. When the bout subsides, I sink back against the pillows.
The man, who is not me, but looks a helluva lot like me, snatches up the glass of water with the goddamn straw and holds it to my mouth. Fuck, if I don’t hate being an invalid, but the burning in my throat demands that I lock my lips around the straw and suck. The water trickles down my throat, soothing it somewhat. He places the glass back on the bedstead. "I would introduce myself, but you know me already."
"Do I?" I rasp. My throat hurts, my head throbs, and underneath it all is a lingering heaviness, probably from whatever drugs they are pumping into me.
"You shot at me?" The man curls his fingers into fists.
"Join the queue," I drawl. "You’re not the first man that I pointed a gun at, and you won’t be the last. But as to who you are?" I reach into my memories but a white haze engulfs my brain. "Nope, sorry; don’t remember. Clearly, you weren’t anyone of consequence, else it might have stuck in my mind?"
His jaw tightens, "To answer your earlier question, you held a gun to my wife’s forehead, youtesta di cazzo."
"Did I, now?" I pretend to think, not that it matters. I can’t remember shit of what happened to land me here in this bed.
"Yes, you did, youstronzo.You pulled a gun on her. You blackmailed her into helping you spy on me and my family, or don’t you remember that either?"
That seems about right, though I can't say I remember all of the details. Apparently, the one time I am telling the truth, no one wants to believe me. What a fucking joke. I roll my shoulders. Hold on, do I know my name at least? "I’m Axel;" the words are out before I can stop myself.
The man scowls at me. "Evidently, you can remember your name."
"It must be instinctive," I say slowly. The breath whooshes out of me and my muscles relax a little. Thank fuck, I was able to remember my name, at least, but why the hell had I shot at this man, who is, clearly, related to me? Or pointed a gun at his wife.
"What else do you remember?" The man’s jaw hardens.
"What’s it to you?" I yawn, and his features grow angry.
"I should have let that motherfucker ‘s bullet take you," he snaps.
"Why didn't you?"
His features contort. He closes the distance between us, then grabs the front of my hospital gown. "Now listen here, youpezzo di merda,if you think I am going to let you get away with this pretense of losing your memory, then you don't know me, you—"
"Christian, let go of him," a man admonishes as he enters the room.
I take in his build, his features, the dark hair. He resembles the other guy, so I guess, his features resemble mine. Authority rolls off of his shoulders as he pauses on the other side of my bed.
"Let go of your triplet, Christian."
"Triplet?" I stare between them as Christian releases me and steps back. "Did you say triplet?" I ask again.
She, too, had mentioned triplets, hadn't she?
"Didn’t you notice the resemblance?" the newcomer asks.
"He’s nowhere as good-looking as me," I retort.