His grip tightens on me. I cough.
"Now," Michael snaps.
Christian grits his teeth, but he releases me. I collapse onto the pillows, draw in a lungful of air and my chest hurts. Fucking hell, I really am weak at the moment. No sense antagonizing these chaps when I am unable to hold my own against them. "Trust me, I have no reason to be lying about my predicament."
Michael lowers his arm to his side, "I do believe he’s telling the truth."
Christian turns on Michael, "So, you’re willing to forget the fact that he threatened you, as well?"
Michael surveys my features, "Only because the doctor backs him up."
"Maybe the doctor is wrong," Christian growls. "Maybe this asshole got to him and has been able to get him to lie on his behalf."
Michael tilts his head and looks at me. "Have you gotten the doctor to lie on your behalf?"
"Me?" I widen my gaze, "Of course, not."
"See?" Michael raises his shoulder.
"Fucker’s lying," Christian tightens his fists at his sides.
"Stay back,fratello," Michael says in a soft voice. "You’re still grieving for your triplet and seeing him is bound to trigger memories."
"Fuck that," Christian shakes his head as if to clear it. "This asshole can’t be my brother."
"The resemblance is uncanny, you have to admit." I shrug. "Not that it isn’t creepy to be talking to someone who looks very much like me."
"The resemblance is all we have in common." Christian widens his stance. "After what you did to my wife, I’ll never accept you as my brother."
"Speaking of," I glance between them, "does our triplet have a name?"
Christian’s shoulder go solid.
Simultaneously, Michael says, "Xander. His name is Xander."
"So, when do I get to meet this Xander?"
Christian draws himself up to his full height. "You don’t." Spinning on his heels, he heads out the door.
"What was that about?" I frown after him.
"Xander’s dead."
I turn to Michael, "He’s…dead?"Wait, I think Theresa mentioned that...
"He was the unfortunate victim of a car bomb that our father planted in my wife’s car."
Damn, can’t trust family these days, can you?
"So, let me get this right. You tell me that I am one of a trio of triplets, then inform me in the next breath that one of them is dead?"
"You can see why it feels to us like you are Xander returned to us?" Michael murmurs.
"I am not Xander, though."
"And no one knows it better than I. I was the one who had to identify his body at the morgue."
"It was us who buried him though…all of us." Another man strides into the room, then pauses when he sees us. His features pale, before he wipes all expression from his face. He walks over to stand next to Michael. "I’m Luca," He jerks his chin.