The minutes ticked by in a haze. I was barely aware of Víctor dragging me backward, barely conscious of the pain. My only hope was that Alex would see my message, that he would feel that familiar surge of protectiveness he’d always had for his little sister.
Helena’s laughter echoed around me as the world faded in and out. “You always were dramatic,” she jeered. The sound of Nora’s phone camera clicking added to the cruelty cloaking the room. There was a sick satisfaction in their eyes, basking in the power they held over me.
My mind clung to memories of Alex. Growing up, he was always my protector, the one who saved me from childhood bullies and later, from the shadows of my own bad decisions. He had trained to become a Marine out of a desire to protect, to fight against injustice. If anyone could help me now, it was him.
