It’s enough to give a guy a complex.
But then I remember Celia’s scream, and things don’t seem quite so funny anymore.
“Hello?” I ask.
There are definitely people in the room. I can hear them breathing.
My cheekbone explodes in pain and I rock where I’m sitting. Ropes are biting into my wrists and arms, but at least they help keep me upright. Jesus, whoever’s hitting me has a mean right hook. It’s kind of familiar, actually.
In fact, I’d bet dollars to donuts that it’s Joey Fuscone beating on me right now.
And then my hood comes off, and I find myself staring into Joey’s ugly, grinning face, until I have to blink away the dust and sweat in my eyes. Any sense of satisfaction at guessing right is fleeting, though, because as I look around the room, I can’t see Celia. I see a group of men staring back at me with murder in their eyes, but no Celia.
“Is Celia—” I start, but I’m cut off by Joey’s fist, smacking into that cheekbone again. I see black, and I have to take a second to catch my breath.
“Yeah, you don’t ask the questions here,” he laughs. “In fact, you don’t talk at all, except to scream. Deal?”
“Deal,” I say, and for that I get another fist to the stomach. I bend double, the ropes cutting into me, as I fight to get my breath back.
“You don’t talk atall, dumbass,” Joey crows. “Didn’t you hear me?”
I just keep quiet this time. At least it saves me another punch. I look around, trying to take in where I am. It’s not unlike the warehouse where Luca took me after that first kidnapping, but smaller. I think? I was pretty high that day, but right now there’s nothing standing in between my synapses and Joey Fuscone’s fists to cushion the blows.
Idoknow I’m tied to a chair, and my hands are tingling like the blood is struggling to get through to the ends of my fingers.
“I’m tired of this shit,” one of the other men says, and pulls out a gun. “Let’s just do him now and get over to support Sam. I wanna blast Morelli myself.”
“Put your goddamn dick away,” Joey barks. “We’re here on my uncle’s orders, and he won’t be happy if you killthisfucker before time. Besides, you know we have a guest on the way to see it.”
My vision’s stopped swimming, and I take another, more careful look around the room. Still no Celia do I see, but no blood or other evidence of a previous murder. Well, nothing recent, anyway. There’s a dark stain on the back wall at about head height, but it looks old.
I’m glad Celia’s not here. I hope she’s still alive. I really like her, my outlaw sister. She doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment, that’s for sure. I mean, neither do I, but it’s what life has taught me to expect so far.
And I’m really starting to wish I’d stayed at home and talked things out with Luca. Even yelled things out.
Because now I’ll never see Luca again.
I squeeze my eyes shut as they blur. I won’t fucking cry in front of these assholes. I can feel my old friend Death standing in a back corner of this warehouse, only he doesn’t feel so friendly now. I can even hear his feet coming closer, clicking across the floor—wait.
Death wearsheels?
I open my sore eyes, blinking to clear them, and I must be having some kind of drug flashback. Walking towards me, like a vengeful ghost coming out of the gloom, is my mother…
No.
I squint, force my eyes into focus. Not Mom. It’s Maggie. With her long, pale red hair and close-fitting white suit, she sure doeslooklike Mom did on that last day.
“Mags!” Joey cries out. “Lovely as ever, and right on time.”
He puts his hands on her. His dirty, groping hands go all over her as he pulls her in for a kiss, but even worse—sheletshim. And I can only sit there and watch, nausea rising in my stomach, head aching and throbbing and feeling three times too big for my body.
After a moment, Maggie gently pushes Joey’s hands away, gives him a smile that I know is fake, because it’s the same one she always gives me, and takes those few last steps towards me. She looks me over, her face placid. “Hello, baby brother,” she says lightly, too lightly, given the circumstances.
“Hi,” I croak, hoping I won’t get another punch for talking. But Joey seems too delighted with the scene, chuckling and looking around at his men to see if they get the joke.
I don’t get the joke, but there obviouslyisone, because everyone’s laughing. Even Maggie is smiling now, a real smile, though not a nice one.
Maggie turns to Joey and says, “I’d like a moment alone before we get on with things.”
