“Bullshit,” he said. “No one gives a crap about you girls.”
Brian knelt in front of me, opened the bag, and took out a sandwich. I smelled peanut butter. He pushed it at my mouth, offering a bite. I looked at Dani. She nodded. I took a bite. I didn’t want to give him any satisfaction, but I was so hungry I couldn’t help chewing it fast, swallowing it down in a big gulp, the peanut butter sticking. He waited, a smile on his face, almost tender, offered another bite. While I chewed, he glanced up at Gavin.
“Feed the other bitches.”
Gavin took another sandwich from the bag and fed Courtney. Her face was angry and I knew she wanted to refuse the food, but we were so hungry. Gavin toyed with her, though, offering a bite, then taking it away at the last second, then giving it again.
“Stop fucking around,” Brian said.
Gavin looked pissed but he didn’t tease Courtney again. He grabbed another sandwich out of the bag with his free hand and fed Dani at the same time.
When they were done, Gavin left and came back with our packsacks. He rummaged through Dani’s, found her purse. He turned it upside down, the contents falling on the floor. He toed through everything, bent over and picked up her wallet, flipped through, stopped, and stared at her driver’s license. I caught my breath.
“Danielle Campbell, huh?”
She didn’t answer. Brian grabbed the wallet from him, stared at the license, then pulled it out and tucked it into his wallet. He rummaged through my packsack next, pulled out my photos, flipped through them.
“Boring as shit, nothing but birds and fucking cows.” He paused, gave a whistle. “Now we’re talking.” He held out the photos so we could see them. “You girls sure are sexy.” They were my shots of Dani and Courtney. He tucked them into his pocket, then ripped the other ones up, dropping the pieces onto the floor and stepping on them. He crouched down and lit the corner of one of them with his lighter, looking at me the whole time, waiting for me to react. I was trying hard not to cry as I watched the photos crumple and burn.
They’re just paper. It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.
He stood back up and reached into my bag again, pulled out my camera. Started fiddling with the buttons, flipped open the back, checking for film.
“Stop it.” The words came out before I could stop them. Stupid, stupid.
Brian paused, stared at me.
“You sure love this camera, don’t you, little sister?”
“Leave it alone. You’ll break it.”
Brian started laughing. Gavin laughed too, though you could tell he didn’t really understand the joke.
I struggled to hold back the tears.
He pointed the camera at us, pretended to take a few shots, making a loud snap, snap noise with his mouth, still laughing.
“Little sister’s worried we’ll break her camera.” He turned to look at Gavin. “We better be real careful with it.”
“Real careful.” Gavin laughed.
Brian held the camera out in front of him, like he was going to hand it to me. My body arched forward, hope zinging through me.
He let go. The camera hit the cement with a crack.
“No!” I yelled. I could already tell the lens was broken.
Brian reached down and picked it up. “We make the rules now, girls.”
“What do you want?” Dani said.
He stared at her, then at Courtney, his gaze lingering as he shoved my camera back in my bag. Gavin put Dani’s stuff back in hers.
“We want what you owe us,” Brian said. “We were nice to you, we helped you, but you haven’t done squat for us.”
“Whatever it is you want, I’ll do it,” Courtney said. “Just leave my sisters alone.”
He broke into a smile. He was gloating, relishing the power he now had over her. “Guess we’ll have to see how good you are.”
“Courtney, no!” I cried out. “Don’t!”
She got to her feet.
“Let’s go,” she said, tears in her voice.
Gavin looked at Brian. “I want her first. You owe me for those tires.”
Brian glared at him but jerked his head in an angry nod.
Gavin grabbed Courtney’s arm tight and led her off.
I called out, “Courtney!” just before she left the room, but she didn’t look back. Dani sucked in her breath. I turned to Brian.
“I hate you! You’re assholes!”
He leaned close. I could smell his breath, beer and cigarettes.
“Yes, we are.”
He turned and looked at Dani. She straightened up and squared her jaw, trying to look tough, but her body was shaking.
Brian walked over and gripped her shirt, pulling her up. He dragged her out the door, closed it behind them.
I shuffled forward, screamed, “Let her go! Please let her go!”
They stopped outside. Dani was talking, her voice fast and frantic. “You don’t have to do this. We won’t tell anybody.”