Better give her a little bit to calm her down, he thought to himself. He couldn't have any pleasure with her in that state. He grabbed her arm, slipped it between his legs, and held it. He found the vein and injected her.
Amy felt a sudden calm. All feeling in her body was gone, and she was floating without a care in the world. She was conscious of him, but he was insignificant. Alberti went to the foot end of the bed and lifted her dress again. This time he began to push the material up her legs.
The sound of the metal bar hitting his skull made a hideous sound, a dull thud of death. Christian stepped over him and looked at Amy. Her eyes were glazed over, and she was smiling at nothing in particular. He untied the ropes, picked her up, and carried her downstairs.
When he reached the hospital, he burst through the door with her in his arms. “Get a doctor,” he shouted.
The waiting room smelled of stale sweat. It was one of those rooms that was constantly open to the public and always smelled a certain way. Amy had been in the emergency room for more than an hour. Surely they knew what was happening to her by now, he thought.
He stood up and paced around anxiously. When a nurse arrived, he took her by the arm and asked her what was happening. “The doctor will be out in a while,” she said. Another hour went by before a tall man in a white coat arrived.
“She's going to be all right. She's had a high dose of morphine, but not enough to bring any lasting damage.”
“Can I see her?”
“You can see her,” he said.
Christian followed him through two double doors and into a large room full of frightening-looking appliances. “She's in the last room on the right,” the doctor said.
When she saw him, she stiffened and sat up in bed. “Doctor!” she screamed. “Help!”
The doctor came running into the room.
“This man means me harm,” she said. “Call the police.”
“But he was the man who brought you here,” the doctor said.
She looked surprised. “Really?”
“Yes. Without him, lord knows what would have happened to you.”
“All right. I will talk to him, but only for a short time. I don't trust him.”
Christian walked to her bed and stood next to it. She looked pale and drawn. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I was terrible to you. If you can ever forgive me, I would be very grateful, because I have fallen in love with you.” It wasn’t as bad as he'd thought, getting his feelings out.
“You love me? You've got a very strange way of showing it.”
“I killed him.”
“Who?”
“The man who injected you. He's dead, and I don't think Fabio is very well, either.”
“What am I to think of you? When I first met you, I ignored the fact that you are arrogant and strut around the place as though you own it. When we made love, I was more turned on that I have ever been. But you put me in so much danger; I was almost killed.”
He took her hand. She let him. “I know I have done wrong. You are the most wonderful woman, and I don't want to live without you.”
She smiled at him. “You are an impossible man. You are dangerous, conceited, and aloof. I don't know whether to trust you or not. I'm attracted to you, but I don't like what you are.”
*****
“Have a word with your son. He's out of control. I can't handle him. I don't want him turning out like you.”
“Okay. I will. But you know, I wasn't so bad.”
“What? You killed people. You took money from poor innocent people. What do you mean you weren't so bad?”
“I was young and wild then. I've provided for you and the kids with the proceeds of honest endeavors since we got married, haven't I?”
“Yes, you have. But you were bad once. That's why I'm so scared our son will turn out like you were back then.”
“Okay. I'll speak to him. Come here.”
She leaned against him and put her head on his chest. “You know, you're still a good-looking chick, for your age. How about we go upstairs? The kids won't be home for ages.”
“What do mean, 'for your age?' You cheeky swine. Look at yourself. You're gray.”
“But you love me, don't you?” he said.
“Come on. Let's go,” she said, taking his hand.
When Christian finished and slumped on top of her, he kissed her forehead and cupped her face. “You will never know how glad I am that you gave me the benefit of the doubt after that kidnapping incident.”
“You were very lucky. I had a lot of other offers from non-criminals at the time.”
“Did you?” he said, slightly shocked.
“Yes.”
“So why did you choose me?”
“Because you were tough and I knew you'd look after me. I believed in you, despite everything.”
“But it was a year before you called me.”
“It took me a long time to get things straight in my head. Or said another way, it took a year to realize that if I didn't marry you, you would never leave me alone.” She laughed.
He put her nipple in his mouth and sucked. She gasped when he bit it gently. “You still like that, don't you? After all these years you still like having your nipples sucked.”