The bastard's face was beet red. I couldn't figure out how long he'd been screaming at her, but it must've been awhile. She'd obviously tried to fight him.
God help her, the woman was brave, doing the last fucking thing in the world she should to stay alive.
“I can't do it!” she barked back, holding herself up on her hands and knees. “I won't! You'll have to kill me first if you hurt him or try to make me lie to my parents. I don't care what you do to me. I've seen it all before.”
“Bullshit!” Big Vic roared, so hard I saw spit fly outta his mouth. “I know that piece of shit, Ricky, was easy on you, and the Pistols are pussies too. You ain't never been properly fucked 'til you bleed. Fuck, I'd have done it that night you sucked me off in that shitty condom, but I had to be happy making you gag instead because I thought you'd bring the club some goddamned money.”
Her eyes went wide. Big Vic smiled, his teeth as big as tombstones.
“That's right, bitch. You remember now. You were crying or going to your happy place or some shit when I rammed my cock down your throat. Made you turn blue in the fucking face.” He stood up and turned around, slapping the flat edge of his switchblade on his thigh. “Shit, what the fuck am I saying? We don't need you to follow script. We can send mommy and daddy a message plenty of other ways. How 'bout I show 'em what me and the boys'll do to you if they don't cough up a cool million?”
The motherfucker's nasty smile said it all.
“No!” I bolted up, staggering to my feet, ignoring the shotgun barrel jabbed between my ribs. “You fucking piece of shit, let her go before I kill every last one of you.”
I screamed it 'til I nearly passed out a second time, going outta my damned mind. Big Vic heard my shouting before Snappy slammed the barrel into my guts, hard enough to wind me. I got in one good blow, cracking the fuckhead's jaw, before he clubbed me over the head.
I went down easy. That fucking wound they'd given me with the rock was still open, oozing blood. Took everything I had to fight the blaze of pain threatening to drag me under.
“What do you think, Snappy? Maybe I hit this asshole a little too hard, yeah?” Big Vic planted his boot on my chest, pressing down 'til I suffocated, and smiled. “Listen here, jackoff, the only ones here who oughta be talking about any killing are us. Not you. Have to say, you've given me one fuck of an idea, though.”
“Sure hope it involves us getting this rich slut naked.” Snappy laughed, rubbing his hands together like a damned raccoon. The other bastards circling Meg like sharks chuckled too.
“Here, K-Man, hold the fucking camera for a second.” Big Vic handed off the camera to another henchman with a potbelly and pock marks all over his face. “Tell you what, Skin, since I bruised that shit in your head so hard, I'm gonna make it up to you. I'll let you help us decide what happens here.”
Oh, fuck. I wanted to puke before he finally lifted his leg, easing the savage pressure off my chest.
Big Vic took his sweet time. He looked at Meg, huddled on the ground with hatred in her bright blue eyes, and winked, before he turned his ugly face back to me.
“Bring the two love birds over. I need that damned brush cutter too.” He gave another greasy Dead a dark look as the man walked over and retrieved a big machete.
He waited while several Deads pulled Meg over, kicking and screaming, and dumped her off next to me. We were completely surrounded. Big Vic stepped in front of us, his evil fucking smile getting bigger all the time.
Christ, I couldn't wait to shoot him in the throat.
“You've got two choices, kids. In another minute, we're gonna roll some beautiful footage to send to Megan's folks. They're not gonna hesitate to drop a cool million off in the next twenty-four hours if they ever wanna see their bitch alive again. It's gotta be bad to make 'em do that.”
“Fuck, yes!” Snappy growled, grinding his teeth like he'd gone into rapture.
Animals. All of them. Sick fucking animals I've got to put down.
“First you, darlin'.” Snarling, he grabbed her by the chin, holding her face in his hand as she tried to struggle. “Option A – we record you taking our dicks in every hole, slapping your ass raw, choking you 'til you're blue in your face, all for mommy and daddy to see we mean fucking business.”
“You're already dead, and you don't even know it yet,” I growled. Every word stuck like heartbreak in my throat, bitter and full of blood, but I'd never meant anything more in my entire goddamned life.
Big Vic looked at me and grinned. “Yeah, I thought you'd say that, boy. So, here's Option B – we hand this bitch the machete and put a shotgun to her head. You put your hand out on the ground so she can give it a nice, clean cut. We watch her lose her fucking mind while she sees your miserable ass bleed out on the sweet Tennessee ground. If you live, you'll never ride a bike or grip a beer again. Sound good?”