Another man held out his palms and shouted words I couldn’t make out. A dark, wet liquid shone on his skin. That was the last thing I remembered before losing consciousness.
I was falling.
Down.
Down.
Down
Until my feet hit the pavement, my soles burning from pushing myself too hard. I ran across the deserted street, forced to dodge the men blocking my path. They had paint on their faces, one half resembling a snake, the other half human.
I blinked a few times.
“Not real,” I whispered. “Not real.”
An inky mist formed around me, swirling high above my head, and I was in a new place, lying on a soft surface. I reached out and felt the plush covers beneath me. A golden glow hovered above me, lighting up the room.
“She almost killed my son,” a man boomed. “I will not forget this, Carl.”
I recognized the voice.
It was Arlo Salvatore.
I rolled onto my side, unable to see more than two blurry figures. My head ached, the pounding so intense I couldn’t concentrate.
“We had a deal,” another man said, though his voice sounded too far away. “Alex will marry Luca to settle the debt.”
Pops.
Arlo snickered. “She is not going anywhere near my son.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat hurt, and no words came out. “Pops,” I tried to say, wiggling my fingers, hoping to gain his attention.
Why can’t I go near Luca?
“She’s unwell,” my grandfather said, his tone somber. “Alex will go away for a little while, and when she returns, she will marry Luca.”
“No,” Arlo snapped. “My son wants nothing to do with her. Can’t say I blame him.”
“How is he?” Pops asked.
“Lucky to be alive.”
“Arlo, I’m sorry. I tried to warn you and Luca?—”
“Stop,” Arlo fired back. “Aiden made his choice.”
A door slammed, and the voices ceased.
My arm felt like it weighed a hundred pounds when I lifted it off the bed. “Pops,” I croaked, my head and vision still foggy.
What had they given me?
Where was I?
The bed dipped beside me, and a wrinkled hand cupped my arm. “This will all be over soon.”
He rose from the mattress. I heard a creaking sound as he opened a door. “Nurse,” Pops called out.
