The Brothers' Mission[Sequel](18+)

Chapter Twenty

Amaris

I wake up to a continuous soft caress alongside my face. My eyes flutter open and after a few slow blinks, adjust to my surroundings. A young woman sits next to me, humming gently. Her striking blue eyes look so much like Felix's, but they aren't hard and fierce like his. These are kind eyes. If it wasn't for her dark hair and similar facial features, I'd doubt there could be any relation to that asshole and her beautiful eyes were just coincidental in color.

I must have slept through the entire night given the bright rays of sun light streaming in through a window. I try to sit up but my body doesn't want to work. I tighten my eyes and shake my head a couple of times while recalling all the events that happened last night.

The covers shift next to me. "Shhh. Don't try to sit up. You're really weak right now," the girl says. She brings a warm, damp cloth to my face and gently wipes it over the entirety of my face and neck. At least she's a lot more gentle than that evil shit Maye. I wonder if she and Lena made it out of there before Kwa—

My brain stutters momentarily as I get a rush of more shit that went down last night. How could I even forget any of it?!

Kwan... that bastard stabbed me! I immediately try to reach for the wound on my back but I fail miserably. I just don't have the strength to push my body up or even maneuver my limbs around.

"My back," I murmur, "how bad is it?" I look at the girl next to me, hoping she has the answer I want. Even just a tiny bit of hope that there isn't permanent damage would suffice. Instead, she gives me a sad smile. Or is it a pitying one?

The pessimism starts marching a beat through my mind now. How much fucking worse can things get? I'd rather just die if every bad thing keeps getting slung my way.

"The wound is healing nicely..." she trails off. I feel as though there is a 'but' coming, "but," and there it is, "we don't know if you'll be able to walk again. Vlad has had a team of doctors and surgeons here seeing to you every day but they said they'd know more once you woke up." Once I woke up? A team of medical professionals here every day? But this was just last night...right?

The sensible part of my brain tells me more than just one night has passed, but the hopeful part is in denial. I can't be paralyzed. I was moving my legs as Felix dragged me. Wasn't I? I even sunk to my knees to beg for Dominic's life.

Or did Felix let my weight fall? Was he just dragging me without my legs helping keep me up? The more I think about it, the more uncertain I become.

I can't remember actually moving my feet. I do remember someone pressing on my back and I know I felt that.

The possibility that Felix had to drag me because I couldn't walk or run along with him, starts to weigh heavily on my mind. I want to hurt.. no.. kill Kwan. Slowly. No mercy until I'm satisfied with his pain and suffering being greater than mine.

Paralyzed.

It just can't happen to me.

I grind my teeth together so hard that my jaw begins to ache while I stew in silence. All the while, this girl stares at me in pity.

I ought to be ashamed of myself. Here I am worried more about myself when people died trying to come rescue me. The twins' father was murdered while he sat on his knees in surrender. I can't even imagine how many more of their crew died. I can't even believe that Vlad actually let my family and the rest of their crew leave alive.

My mind must be playing tricks on me because I swear I saw Adrian too, with a gun of all things, pointing at Vlad's guys. Whose side is he even on?

Once again, my mind goes back to wallowing in self pity. I'm so incredibly selfish to think of myself and my shitty situation, but I can't help it. I'm alive, for now at least, which is more than I can say for so many since I was dragged away from California.