Head On (Strength And Love)(43)

I look around wildly. Maybe there’s somewhere I can run to? As I’m scoping out the place, a huge guy walks into the room from a door at the far end of the space. He’s massive. Like some sort of steroid-crunching monster. He must be at least six feet five. His body is insane. And not in a good way, but in an Incredible Hulk, bulging muscles full of veins way. And his face is ugly. Truly ugly. Hard and nasty, with beady eyes and a huge jaw. Two other big guys trail him, but nowhere near his size.

He swaggers over to us, wearing army style trousers, and a tight wife-beater top. Glancing at me, he drags a chair to the centre of the room and grabs me. “Go get the stuff.” He jerks his giant jaw at Rick. His voice is deep and accented.

Rick scuttles off, no longer the big guy, but a little weasel doing this man’s bidding.

He returns with a big bag.

“Sit down.” The man points at the chair.

I scowl at him. He sighs. “Don’t play games, pretty one, or I’ll make you less pretty.”

He pushes me down into the chair and I try to ignore the fear rising in me. His lines are like something out of a bad action movie, but I have no doubt he’ll do as he threatens, and I can find no amusement in his lack of imagination.

He quickly and efficiently ties me up. Then he goes away again, only to come back dragging a camera with him. He places it in front of me and sets it up.

Once he’s done that, he goes back to the bag. He takes out a piece of cloth and gags me with it. Immediately I start to panic. It’s awful, it hurts my mouth and throat, and makes me feel like I’m gagging. My eyes stream and I struggle to spit it out but I can’t. They don’t show this in the movies. They gag people who look a bit angry and do a few muffled screams and then quiet down. I think I’m going to die choking on this thing. I thrash in the chair and my nostrils are flaring as I try to get air in and stop the awful sensation of needing to throw up.

Strong fingers dig into my chin. “Calm down.” Those beady, ice-blue eyes consider mine. “You won’t choke on it if you calm down. Take slow breaths in through your nose.”

I try to do as he says, and at first, I can’t, but as I focus on trying to get a breath in and out, I find I can breathe. I still feel as if this thing is making me gag, but I can breathe.

“We won’t hurt you if your father does as he is told.” He tells me this with a solemn face. I make a noise through the cloth, trying to tell him that these men mean me harm. Uncle Dave wants to hurt me whether Dad does what they want or not. I know that with a sick certainty now. My eyes wide, I nod at the two men and stare their way, trying to get him to understand.

He looks to them and back to me. “They’re not in charge here. I am.”

Dave and Rick are arguing about something, and as the blond giant returns to messing with the filming equipment I tune into what they are saying.

“I think it’s best Pete doesn’t know my involvement, at least not yet,” Dave is saying.

Rick gives a groan of annoyance. “He’s going to find out the moment we let her go. Even if we don’t let her go, he’s going to find out once we talk to him. They want him to give his share of the business to you, you don’t think he’s going to figure it out in…oh, two seconds. Stop being such a pussy.”

Dave looks about ready to punch Rick, but he gives a curt nod.

“So, the plan is what?”

Rick points to the camera. “We film her, call him, show her tied up, and tell him she was nearly attacked, raped, and murdered a few nights ago. Tell him if he doesn’t transfer his share of the business to you with immediate effect, we’ll do worse to her. Tell him to get a lawyer and sign whatever he needs to so that things are in our hands. Then we’ll let her go. He goes to the police, he puts her in danger, he tries to weasel out of it--the same. He does this, comes back home and gets on with his life without telling a soul. He’ll still be a wealthy man by most people’s standards.”

“I don’t know. He might not do it,” Dave says. “He’s a stubborn bastard.”

Rick gives Dave an evil look, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. “You were the one who said we should go after her. You were the one who said she’s all he cares about. You better not have been lying just so you could be the one to get in her pants and scare her half to death. This goes wrong, it’s on you.”

“It goes wrong, it’s on both of you,” blond giant says.

I’m at a loss as to what the hell is going on. Why would Dave and this Rick go to such ridiculous lengths to get Dad to sign the business over? What has any of it to do with this blond dude?

“Look at you all scared and confused.” Dave comes over to me and smirks. “You’ve no clue, have you? Daddy dearest has been laundering money for the mob for years. He’s been up to it neck deep. The lovely house you live in? Paid for by laundered money. Money used to bring drugs, arms, and people into the country.”

It’s when he says people that I start to cry. I don’t believe him. No way would my dad do something as evil as get involved in anything to do with people trafficking. Crying makes it hard to breathe though, and I try to calm myself.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I see Blondie stare at me and then shoot a livid look at Dave. His huge hands pat down my thighs and he pulls my phone out of my pocket. He swipes the screen and scowls, then he throws the phone at the wall and shouts something in a language I don’t understand.