I stifled a choked cry and forced myself to walk around the boy’s body so I was facing him. He was on his knees, his hands bound behind his back. His wet eyes were on his father.
He flinched when another muffled scream came from upstairs.
“Corinne!” the man shouted just before Jed hit him with his gun.
“Shut up or I’ll start putting bullets in your kid!”
The man instantly fell silent, except for the sound of his crying.
I so badly didn’t want to look at the young man as I tore off a piece of tape and leaned down to put it over his mouth. But his terror-filled eyes lifted to mine and I saw the silent plea.
I can’t help you. I can’t even fucking help myself.
I didn’t say the words to him, of course. I did as I was told and put the tape on his mouth.
“Good, now that that’s out of the way,” Jed said as he turned his attention to the man. “Where’s the safe?”
“Safe?” the man asked as he shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about-”
“Wrong answer!” Jed snarled and he hit the guy again.
The man seemed physically stunned from the force of the blow. But when Jed asked him the question again, he said, “We don’t have a safe.”
Jed went from pissed to lethal just like that. I watched in horror as he pulled a knife from a holster on his belt. He yanked the roll of tape from my hand and slapped a piece over the guy’s mouth.
I was frozen with fear as I realized what was about to happen. But instead of stabbing the guy, Jed moved towards the boy. He rolled up his sleeves, exposing a long snake tattoo on his arm.
“No!” I said as I pushed between him and the kid when I realized what he was doing.
“Step the fuck off or you’ll be first.”
He didn’t yell the words at me. I probably would have been less afraid if he had. But I didn’t move. I couldn’t.
But I also wasn’t any kind of match for Jed and he easily shoved me out of the way.
I scrambled to my feet and grabbed Jed’s arm, but he hit me hard, knocking me on my ass. I was too physically stunned to move, but what I saw Jed do had me rolling onto my side and covering my ears with my hands as I closed my eyes. The kid moaned as Jed began cutting him right through his T-shirt. Even though I wasn’t watching, I knew exactly every time Jed slid the knife across his skin because the kid cried and the father screamed through the tape. I heard Jed curse and opened my eyes long enough to see Jed kick the father in the head, knocking him to the ground before he could reach his son. The boy’s stomach was covered in blood and he was sobbing uncontrollably. With the next slice, he screamed, but the tape muffled the sound.
The father’s agonized cries had me backing away from the horrible scene. I barely registered the sound of the woman’s screams from upstairs. They too, sounded muffled. I remembered how Ricky had always shoved my face into the bed or my pillow to keep me quiet. On the occasions when he hadn’t fucked me in my bed, he’d used his hand to cover my mouth if my father happened to be home.
Jed ripped the tape from the father’s mouth.
“Seth! Oh God, stop. Please, I swear, I’m telling you the truth!” the man cried. I was having trouble seeing anything because of the tears in my eyes. I wanted to run, but I knew if I did, the man and his son would have no chance whatsoever.
“Where’s the fucking safe?” Jed yelled as he yanked the guy’s head back by the hair.
“I swear to God, we don’t have a safe!” the man cried. Broken sobs bubbled up from his throat. “Please, please don’t hurt my son. Take me…take me with you. I’ll take you to an ATM. You can have my car, anything. Just please let my wife and son go!”
“If I want your fucking car, I’ll take it!” Jed shouted. “Last chance…where’s the safe?”
The man cried, but didn’t answer and I knew it was because he was afraid to.
“He’s telling the truth!” I yelled as I stumbled to my feet. “Look at him!” I said. “He wouldn’t trade his kid for money!”
Jed seemed to get lost in thought for a moment. “You’re right,” he murmured.
Thank God!
“Let’s just go!” I implored.
