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I rub the back of my head and my arm trembles.
I hate being so damn weak. The doctor who’d examined me had told me that it’s a miracle I had managed to get on my feet and avoid the intruder who had broken in. By all accounts, I shouldn’t have been able to move my limbs without assistance, not after being unconscious for more than two weeks. But the adrenaline pouring through my veins had propelled me to fight back, and thank fuck I had, else I’d be in a coffin by now. At least, I’d have family at my funeral… My breath catches. The fuck am I thinking? These guys… While they may be blood relations, are definitely not my family. They are… I am not sure, exactly, what to call them… Acquaintances, at best. Enemies, at worst. More probably, the latter.
I push myself up to sitting position, then swing my legs over the side of the bed.
"The fuck you up to, brother?" Luca rises to his feet. "What do you think you’re doing?"
I place my feet on the ground, push up to standing position. My thighs burn, my calves hurt, and sweat breaks out on my forehead. "Fuck." My knees tremble. Luca closes the distance between us and grabs my shoulder but I shake it off. "Keep the fuck away from me, asshole."
"Hey," he holds up his hands, "just trying to help."
"Well don’t," I grab the edge of the bed to steady myself, then holding onto it for support, I take a step forward, then another. My muscles protest, my arm hurts, and my head throbs with such intensity that the edges of my vision begin to darken. I take another step and my entire body sways.
"You’re a stubborn motherfucker," Luca says mildly.
"Didn’t get to where I am by being lazy," I say through gritted teeth. I take another step and my knees give way. I topple forward and hit the floor. "Fuck," I growl. Pain shoots through my chest, my arms. My legs feel like they have turned to jelly. I manage to turn over on my back and lay there panting. "The fuck, asshole?" I glare at him, "You could have, at least, stopped me from falling."
"Thought you didn’t want my help." He smirks, then holds out his hand.
"Fuck off," I grab the side of the bed, pull, but my muscles refuse to cooperate. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." I grit my teeth, hold onto the side of the bed and push up…only to fall back panting.
"Come on, don’t be an idiot." Luca lowers his arm until his palm is in my line of sight. "Take my hand, asshole," he drawls, "it’s not a sign of weakness to take help when you need it most."
I glower at his palm, then raise my hand and manage to grasp his. He pulls me to my feet and I lean my hip against the bed. He releases me, and I fall back onto the bed and lay there panting. "Fuck, I need to get back on my feet."
"Keep pushing yourself like that and you’ll do more harm than good."
"We’ll see about that."
"Do you really think you are going to be back on your feet in two weeks?" He arches an eyebrow.
"That’s the plan." I haul myself up the mattress, then collapse with my head on the pillow. Sweat drenches my shoulders and the hospital gown sticks to my chest.
"Want some more water?" Luca holds out the glass of water with the fucking straw—I hate that straw. When I am better, I am going to ensure I am never near another straw for my entire bloody life. For now, though, I lean forward and take a sip of water, then another, until I have chugged down all of it. He places the empty glass back on the bedside table.
"You know, you are as pig-headed as the rest of us."
"Spare me the comparisons," I growl. "I am not one of you. I’ll never be one of you—"
"Is that why you wanted to kill one of us? Because you hold a grudge against our family?"
5
Axel
Michael prowls into the room, followed by Christian and three men who I don’t recognize, but with their dark hair and features that resemble Michael’s, they must be some of the seven brothers Theresa alluded to.
Michael walks over to stand at the foot of the bed. Christian comes to a halt next to Luca. The biggest of the new arrivals stalks over to stand on the side of the bed opposite Luca.
"I’m Massimo." He tilts his head.
"And I’m Seb." One of the other guys jerks his chin as he comes to a stop next to Massimo.
"Adrian," the third guy offers. He walks over to stand between Michael and Seb. The brothers surround me. If they plan to show me how outnumbered I am, then they are not succeeding. What they don’t realize is that I do best when I am challenged. When the odds are stacked against me, I rise to the occasion—no pun intended.
A fourth guy closes the door behind them, no doubt, standing guard outside.
"Why did you threaten Aurora?" Christian folds his arms over his chest.
