Maybe they do.
"We're going to the mansion. Take care of the little bitch upstairs," the smaller thug says.
"Did you hurt her?" Gretchen's tone is flat, like she's asking the time.
"Not. Yet. But she might need a little TLC in the form of an icepack. Deal with it."
"Bastard," I hiss. "Brute."
The big one squeezes my arm. "The kid is a Marino, but I hear you're nothing but a backstabbing Mancini. Not even good enough to feed to the hogs on the farm."
I want to hurl. "This isn't a farm."
My attempt at bravado falls flat. "New Jersey has farms. Boss has farms. New York has the fishies and the concrete boots. We got the farm and the piggies, and they like to eat all the evidence."
The bile rises thick, fast, burning, and my knees buckle.
"Get moving." He shoves me at the first step.
I stumble, starting to fall.
He lets me, and his laughter rings in my ears as he snaps me back at the last second.
"Don't be a fool. Put the sack on her head and let's go," the smaller one says as Gretchen reappears from the kitchen with a tray.
The bigger one pulls some kind of black sack over me.
I can see the stairs, our feet. If I do this right, I'll be able to trace my steps, maybe catch something I might need if we can get out.
I know we're on an estate, and there's no way off.
But then again, it's big.
And in the middle of the night, how hard will it be to find some kind of gap?
I just need to know the best way to go. Because if we get out—no,whenwe get out—every second will count.
A second later, he pulls a string, and the sack tightens around my throat, enshrouding me in darkness.
"This is ridiculous."
"Shut up." He shoves me to the stairs.
We stumble down them, across the floor, and out a door. I know we're outside because of the fresh air on me and the fact that the ground is soft and uneven.
I try to count, but it's impossible to concentrate as he keeps jerking me around.
"Stupid bitch Mancini. Your father managed to screw over my old man in a deal, and now my family is stuck working for Rebecci. I'm stuck working for him. Still..." Hot breath on my ear, he pulls me up against his body, stopping us both in our tracks, "I'm thinking it might be worth getting a piece of you when he's done. We'll all fuck your pretty brains out, you little whore. Pity the girl is a Marino...or I'd fuck her brains right out of her skull. Me and my friends. Young, sweet, tasty piece of ass like that."
"She's fifteen. She's a child, you sick bastard." I manage to push the words out through numb lips.
"Old enough."
"You disgust me."
He laughs. "Do I? Good. Because the things I want to do to both of you could be called disgusting."
He shoves me from him, and we start walking.
