Page 53 of Twisted Embrace

Then he lunged forward and I caught a glimpse of the syringe in his hand.

Just as he powered over both of us, I let off a high-pitched scream.

CHAPTER 16

Joy

Helpless.

I’d never felt so helpless in my life, but the asshole wasn’t going to hurt my friend any further. I managed to get off a hard punch, the shock enough I scrambled back, kicking him in the gut. He swung his hand, the brutal punch landing near my eye.

I fell to the floor, the shock of pain sending a shower of flashing lights in front of my eyes. The attacker jerked me from the floor by my hair and all I could hear were Lucia’s screams. He threw an arm around my neck, and I refused to go down without a fight. When I bit his arm, he finally grunted, spinning me around as if I was nothing more than a doll, smashing the heel of his hand against my neck.

I was pitched against the wall, my ears ringing, my mind foggy as another wash of anguish pushed through my torso muscles. He was coming for me, his huge body cartoonish as the haze presented a wave of darkness. I managed to crawl forward, immediately yanked to my feet. As I threw out my hands again, connecting with his chest, all I could concentrate on was the sight of his arm coming down, the needle the only thing illuminated.

This was it. I would be dead soon. Then he’d turn his attention to Lucia.

“No,” I said feebly. “Help.”

The sound of chaos surrounded me, flashes of light and visions of my life tearing through me like a B-rated horror movie. I never thought my life would end this way. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lucia out of bed, trying to help. She was going to get herself killed.

Just as the needle touched my skin, an ugly resignation settling in, another sound floated into the room. Suddenly, a brutal scuffle ensued, the man who’d attacked me dragged away from my body, pitched halfway across the room. The deep roar was one I recognized, a slight smile crossing my face.

Enzo.

He’d come to my rescue again.

Bodies. Sights. Sounds. I couldn’t make sense of it as I struggled to get to my feet. As my eyes started to clear, I was able to see Enzo issuing punch after punch as men flooded the room.

Lucia. I had to get to her.

Someone pulled me all the way to my feet and I fought with everything I had. “No. No!”

“It’s okay,” the man said. “You’re safe.”

Safe. There would never be a moment where I’d feel safe again.

“It’s Anthony. You’re okay.”

“Lucia! Protect Lucia.” I reached for her and Anthony grabbed us both, using his body to shield us from further harm.

“I have you,” he added.

Somehow, the soldier’s sentiment wasn’t comforting. Even though he tried to pull us from the room, I continued to struggle with him, my eyes catching the shimmer of sun catching something bright and shiny. A knife. Horror remained in the forefront of my mind as Enzo brought the blade down several times, his powerful strikes into the man who’d attacked me setting my mind in awe.

Blood was everywhere, coating his face and hands, spurting on the new shirt I selected for him. In the craziness of vicious carnage, all I could think about was that I’d need to pick out something else for him.

What seemed like seconds later, an eerie quiet settled in the room, the only sound that of monitors beeping rapidly. I blinked several times in my attempt to clear the fog, finally able to slide back into reality.

“Lucia. Lucia!”

“She’s fine,” Anthony told me.

“I’m okay,” she said.

“I need to get to her. Please.”

Anthony moved away, taking a step back and allowing us to connect.

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