I was still asleep when the door slammed open and I was yanked straight out of bed. My body was weak and my head spun.
“Where’s Nivianne? What did you do with her?!” Wilbert’s voice was sharp and full of rage.
I blinked, still half in a daze. “What… what are you talking about?”
He threw something at my face and I felt the sting on my skin. When I looked down, I saw it was a necklace. My necklace. The one I lost when that man in black attacked me.
“Anika!” Wilbert’s teeth were clenched. “Explain this!”
I picked up the necklace with shaky fingers. “This is mine… but I don’t understand.”
“She sent me a message last night. Just two words. Help. When I rushed to the hospital she was gone and this was the only thing left on her bed.” His eyes burned with accusation.
My throat went dry. “It has nothing to do with me.”
He lunged forward and his hand wrapped around my neck. His face twisted with fury. “You told me yesterday that Nivianne hurt you. Now she’s disappeared. Don’t lie to me, you’re retaliating against her!”
I choked for air but forced my eyes to stay steady. “I don’t know… I swear, I haven’t done anything.”
But Wilbert didn’t believe me. He never did.
Instead, he dragged Mark out like a broken doll. My brother’s arms were tied in that humiliating big character style, and they dumped him on the road in front of a car.
“Mark!” My heart dropped to the floor.
The headlights glared, and I barely had time to breathe before the engine roared and the car rolled forward. It crushed his leg with a sickening crack.
“Ahhh!” Mark screamed in pain. “Anika! My leg!”
My body shook violently. “Brother!” I screamed. “Wilbert, what are you doing! What are you going to do to him?!”
“I told you,” Wilbert said coldly. “From this moment, every minute the car will start again. First your brother’s limbs. If you don’t give me Nivianne’s location in three minutes, the car will go for his head.”
“Please, no! I don’t know anything! Why won’t you believe me, just once, believe me!” My tears blurred my sight. I had never felt so powerless in my life.
Mark writhed on the ground, his face pale with sweat. “Anika… don’t listen to him… just save yourself,” he begged through his pain.
But Wilbert only sneered. “One minute has passed.” He waved his hand. The car jerked forward again and this time it rolled right over Mark’s hand.
His scream tore through me. “My hand! Anika, I can’t move it!”