Chapter 2

"Gina, can you hear me?" Eliav asked.

Gina nodded, her hands trembling around a mug of hot tea as she huddled beneath a wool blanket.

Her cheek was swollen beneath a white plaster, matching the one taped across her forehead. There were bandages around her fingers and wrists as well.

"Good. Now, what happened?"

"Easy," Faris said, stepping between them with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Eliav pressed forward, leaning into her space. "Gina, what happened? You and Benita went shopping, Benny texted me a photo of you two—"

Gina's eyes were wide. "Y-yes."

"What happened?"

"Eliav, please, she's trying—"

Eliav snapped. "She is here. Benita is not. If she has useful information that can help, she can start talking."

Gina's hands shook so hard the tea sloshed over the rim. She set the mug down blindly, tears threatening to spill. "I don't think, I mean, oh God. They pushed her out of the car!"

"What?" Both men said.

"It was a mistake. They were supposed to push me out. They wanted her, but the goons mistook us. Later, at the warehouse, the guy was disappointed when they took the bag off my head—"

Eliav ran his hand through his hair. "What warehouse? What 'guy'?"

"I'm so sorry. I should've screamed when they threw her out. I was so..."

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." Faris pulled her against his shoulder, glaring over her head at Eliav.

Eliav stood up, smoothing the front of his jacket. "I have just one more question."

Faris sighed. Beside him, Gina tilted her face up to meet Eliav's eyes.

"How did they get to you two?"

"Um... we were in the changing room, so our guards were down."

Eliav held her gaze for a long, freezing silence before giving a single nod. "Expect proper interrogation when I get back. You're under lockdown."

"Okay," Gina whispered, resting her temple against Faris's chest.

~•~

Once the nurses finished drawing blood and checking her vitals, the lady excused herself to the bathroom.

When she stepped back into the room, the siblings were seated on the plastic chairs, deep in conversation.

She paused, looking between them until Chams noticed her and smiled.

"You okay?" Chams asked.

"Truthfully?" The woman responded. She exhaled. "I found something, well, two things."

Abby leaned forward. "Oh yeah? What?"

She held up the photocard. "This picture of this man... he looks familiar, really familiar.."

"Maybe your husband or brother?" Chams asked.

"There's also a name, 'Eliav', tattooed on me." She gestures to her side. "Like just under my boob here—" She glanced at Abby. "Sorry."

"It's totally fine."

"Let me see the photo. Maybe I can run some Web searches." Chams offered.

"Of course." She extended it to her.

Chams got right to scanning with her phone. "That jawline though."

The lady giggled. "He is really cute, is he not? Could he be Eliav?"

Abby stood up. "I'll leave you two to gush over potentially dangerous guys. I'm grabbing chow. Want some?"

She nodded. "If it's no trouble."

"it's not." He grinned then nodded to his sister. "Chamanea, I'll be back." He closed the door behind him.

"Chamanea?"

"You can just call me Chams."

"I hope my name is as beautiful."

"Thank you." Chams watched her sit at the edge of the bed. "Still no idea on your name? Let's see. Joan? Emily? Sophia? Judith? Michelle?"

She laughed. "No. Nothing rings a bell."

"Elizabeth... Zoe... Benedicta—"

"Wait."

"Benedicta?"

"Beni...Benita."

"Benita? That's your name?"

"I think so."

Outside, as Abby approached the reception lobby, he spotted a man waving his arms, loudly explaining to a nurse that his wife had a condition that made her forget things and wander off.

"Her name is Benita. She's not too tall, chubby cheeks with the cutest bangs. Oh please, you must've seen her." He flashed a grin, pulling out his wallet. "If you let me, I'd like to take her to our own hospital. Let me just cover the bills." He winked. "Leave you a little tip too for all your help."

Abby spun on his heel and sprinted back toward the wards.

He burst into the room.

"Abby, you're back. Good news and bad news. Good news, she remembers her name!"

"Benita."

"Bad news. This Eliav guy is anonymous as f*ck, cause I can't find a thing about him online. Nothing on reverse image searching either."

"Wait, your name really is Benita?" Abby asked as he rubbed his forehead. "There's a man outside—"

The heavy wooden door clicked and swung open.

It was the guy from the lobby.

He wasn't alone. There was a bodyguard next to him.

He looked between them and smiled. "Baby~ oh gosh, what happened to you? Oh no, no, my darling."

Benita stared at him, her gaze tracking across his expensive suit to his hair packed into a slick bun. Her shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry. I don't know you."

"You can't remember," he said. "I am Eliav, your husband."