Page 99 of Sweet Deception

I look over at Kylie's dad standing at the entrance of the building, shoulders hunched and his eyes anguished. I move to him and place my hand on his shoulder. "We got to her in time."

He snaps his gaze to mine. "He didn't …"

I shake my head. "No. He was about to. If we were even five minutes later, it would have been too late, but we did stop him in time."

I've never seen a man slump in relief and horror at the same time, but I understand it. The ramifications of the timing are too profound.

"He's also dead. You won't have to worry about him ever again." I squeeze his shoulder before turning to help Gio with Talia just as the police and ambulance arrive.

Chapter forty-two

Kylie

An annoying and persistent beeping is the first thing I register as I'm dragged back into awareness, but the exhaustion is strong and pulls me back under.

The next time awareness comes, there's still the annoying beeping, but also a quiet conversation taking place close by. I want to open my eyes, but the darkness takes over again.

It isn't until the third time I struggle to wake that I finally succeed in opening my eyes. It's also when the aches and pains slowly make their presence known. Mostly the headache that gets worse from the bright light flowing in from the door. I turn my head away and into the softer light of my room. My heart jumps when I see the outline of a man in a chair who's currently snoring.

Dad.

A calmness settles over me as a familiar hand squeezes mine on the other side of me and I drift back into sleep again.

When I wake the fourth time, the fog is gone, and a scene plays out in my mind as my dad tells a story about my encounter with a goat when I was little. I keep my eyes closed as I listen to him tell about the time my parents took me to a petting zoo where we fed the animals.

"She spotted this smaller goat off to the side that kept trying to come closer to eat, but all the big goats kept pushing in front of him. She was so upset, she beggedme to help him. I should have known she wouldn't be happy until she could feed the little guy, but I didn't expect her to crawl in between the wooden boards of the fence to try and get to him. I was leaning over trying to move some of them back when she slipped through—"

"And I was walking back from the vendor with more food when she climbed in. I screamed at Kurt to grab her and mayhem descended."

"You would've thought those goats were starving and hadn't been eating out of people's hands all day long."

"Oh my gosh, I will never forget seeing her in that pink dress running after the small goat who turned and ran from her because he was terrified. All the adult goats turned with her and chased her for the food she had fisted in her little hands."

"I hopped in and ran after them, but it wasn't easy pushing my way past, especially since they were all running in total chaos."

I can envision my dad shaking his head as he says this.

A low rumble of laughter coming from Luca beside me fills me with so much warmth, my lips twitch.

"Kylie?"

I open my eyes to find Luca hovering over me, brows lowered in concern.

"Hi." My voice croaks.

Luca's eyes close briefly. He leans down and places a light kiss on my forehead. "How are you feeling?"

I frown, suddenly realizing where I'm at. "What happened?"

My parents move closer to my bed, both looking as concerned as Luca.

"Pumpkin, do you not remember?" My dad asks, searching my face. Luca brings my gaze back to his when he cups my cheek.

I frown, trying to think back, and remember a hand covering my mouth. I focus back on Luca with a gasp.

"It's okay, you're safe now. So is Talia." He reassures me.

"Talia?" I scrunch my brows, when an image of her on the floor flashes through my mind.

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