Page 36 of Sweet Deception
Antonio wiped my spit off his face, his chest heaving. “I’ll take you to my house. Then, I’ll invite my brothers. Let them have their turn.”
A new kind of fear gripped me.
No. No, no, no.
Antonio grabbed my hair and dragged me toward the door.
I clawed at his wrist, fighting against the searing pain in my scalp, but he didn’t stop.
Then, a sickening crack.
Antonio’s body jerked, then crumpled.
I blinked.
Zoya stood behind him, gripping a heavy metal candlestick.
My breath hitched.
She dropped the weapon and rushed toward me. “Anna, I’m so sorry. I should have protected you.”
Tears blurred my vision as she crouched beside me.
I clutched her arms. “I just... I just want to go home.” My voice cracked.
Zoya’s lips trembled. “We need to get you out of here.”
But my legs, I couldn’t feel them anymore.
Panic twisted in my chest. “Zoya... I think I’m paralyzed.”
Her face paled. “No. No, you are not . You’ll be fine. You have to be.”
She ran to fetch my wheelchair.
As I lay there, my gaze drifted to Antonio’s unmoving form.
“What if he wakes up?” I finally whispered, pulling back from Zoya. My body still trembled, the pain a constant, throbbing reminder of what had just happened.
“That will take time. I struck him hard, right at the base of his skull.” Zoya’s voice was firm, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “Come, let’s get you treated.” She stretched out her hand to help me up.
I reached for her, gripping her fingers tightly, but the moment I tried to shift my legs, panic surged through me.
Nothing.
No feeling. No movement.
A sharp gasp escaped my lips. “I... I don’t think I can walk.” My chest rose and fell rapidly as the realization hit me like a brick. “I think I’m totally paralyzed now.”
More tears burned at the edges of my vision, but I refused to let them fall.
Zoya knelt beside me, squeezing my hands. “No, you’ll be fine,” she said, forcing confidence into her tone. “Let me get your wheelchair. I’ll take you to the bathroom, and I’m calling the doctor right now.”
I nodded weakly, but my gaze drifted toward Antonio’s motionless body sprawled across the floor. My stomach twisted. What if he wakes up?
Zoya followed my eyes. “Trust me, he won’t be getting up from that anytime soon.” Her tone was reassuring, but her hands trembled slightly as she stood. She didn’t believe her own words.
She disappeared down the hall, and I remained frozen, my breathing shallow.
