Damage Control

by M. S. Parker

  “That’s funny, coming from an asshole like yourself.”

  His smile faded. “Be nice, Piety. You be nice, and I’ll be nice.”

  “This doesn’t feel very…nice,” I said, jerking against the ropes.

  But he turned away, moving a few feet before he turned back to me.

  I sat stiffly as he took a few pictures with my phone, then started texting. “Let’s get the show started.”

  “You asshole,” I said, shaking my head.

  I couldn’t believe this was happening. All because I – we – tried to help Camry.

  Stefano was texting away on my phone, and I shifted my attention to Camry. “He gave up everything to help you, and this is how you repay him?”

  She flicked a look at me. “You don’t know anything about it, princess. So shut up.”

  “I know this baby is his – that means you’ll be an aunt.”

  Her mouth dropped open, then she shook her head. “Shut up.”

  This was really happening.

  Distantly, I heard the little whoosh indicating the text had been sent.

  And…silence.

  Seconds passed, then a minute.

  I counted a full two minutes off in my head before there was any response, and I closed my eyes.

  “Fuck yeah!” Stefano said. “The ball’s rolling now.”

  “He won’t be able to get you any more money. I gave it to him last time. And I’m stuck right here. I can’t exactly go to the bank when I’m tied to a chair.”

  My belly heaved, and I hoped I wouldn’t throw up.

  Stefano shrugged. “He’ll figure something out. I’ve done some digging on you. You’re a rich little bitch, aren’t you? He can call Mommy and Daddy, talk to them.”

  “Oh, man. And you have the balls to call him stupid?” I laughed, but it was the sound of the desperate and broken. “If you think my parents will give him a dime, you really are an idiot. They despise him.”

  “He’ll figure out something.” Stefano shrugged and slid the gun away. He yawned and glanced at Camry. “I’m going to lay down. Watch her.”

  Once he was gone, Camry came over and took the pregnancy test out from between my breasts, then put it in the box. “It will all be over soon.”

  Her voice was soft, hesitant now. Maybe it was because Stefano wasn’t there. She didn’t look as certain as before.

  “You don’t really think my parents will give him money, do you? They think he used me all this time. They won’t believe anything he says.”

  “Kaleb doesn’t use people. He’ll get them to understand.” She shrugged.

  “My parents don’t get people like Kaleb. They won’t believe him, I tell you.” I jerked at the ropes on my wrists, panic getting louder and louder in my brain. “You are risking the baby’s life, Camry. How can you do this?”

  “Stop.” She turned away, moving to the couch. After she dropped down onto it, she shot me a dark glare. “You wouldn’t understand, okay? You’re beautiful, you’re rich, you’ve got your parents – and you’ve got Kaleb now too. Your life has been so fucking easy.”

  “You’ve always had Kaleb,” I fired back. “And you never appreciated him. And for the record? You’re not the pregnant woman tied to a fucking chair all because you were trying to help some drug addicted drama queen.”

  She jerked as if I’d slapped her, and I could have kicked myself. I needed to get a grip on my temper if I wanted to get her on my side. But nooooo….

  “Just…” Camry looked away, pushing her hair back with shaking hands. “Be quiet, okay? And stop trying to piss Stefano off. You won’t like how it goes. You won’t.”

  The phone went off, signaling another text from Kaleb.

  Camry smirked at me. “He’s working on it, honey. Thought you said he couldn’t get the money.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Thought your boyfriend said Kaleb wasn’t all that smart.”

  She twitched, but it wasn’t from anything I said. She needed another hit, and it showed.

  I tried a different tactic. “What are you going to do if something happens to your niece or nephew?”

  “Nothing’s going to happen!” she shouted, getting off the couch to pace. “Shit, will you shut up? All he has to do is pay and everything will be fine!”

  “And when this is over…?” I laughed, feeling more and more desperate. “I just go about my merry way? You think Stefano is just going to let me and this baby go?”

  “He gets the money, that’s all that matters.”

  “Bullshit. He’s in so much trouble with the cops, he won’t take the chance of something coming along that might actually stick. And this could fuck him over. Kidnapping. That’s ten years of hard time.” I shot a look at the door, hoping I wasn’t saying too much.

  “He’s…stop it, okay? You ain’t going to say anything because you’re smart. So it’s all good.”

  “It’s not!” I struggled against the ropes, moaning a little as the fear threatened to swell out of control. “How can you do this? What in the hell would your parents think if they could see you? If they knew you were threatening your brother’s baby?”

  She went pale, the blood draining out of her face. “That’s not…I’m not…”

  “They hell you’re not!” I glared at her. “Fool yourself all you want but don’t expect me to buy it. If Kaleb doesn’t pay, I’m the one who’s fucked – me and the baby, and you know it. And you’re helping him!”

  “Shut up.”

  The cold, flat order came from the door, and I whipped my head around just in time to see Stefano come out of the bedroom. His eyes were heavy, hair mussed. He’d been sleeping, I could tell. But he was wide awake now and was focused on Camry.

  She rubbed at her arms.

  “You need something, baby?” he asked in a tone far more gentle than what he’d use with me.

  “Yeah.” She nodded jerkily. “I’m hurting…hurting bad. And she won’t shut up.”

  “She’s going to shut up, or I’ll gag her.”

  “I’m already about to throw up,” I said nastily. “Gag me and watch me choke on it. Then how am I supposed to help you get money?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Be quiet, bitch.”

  “Don’t, Stefano,” Camry said. She touched his cheek. “We can’t gag her. If she does get sick…”

  “Okay, okay. But she needs to shut her trap.” He gave me a threatening look, then reached into his coat, pulling out a small metal box. “Here. Find something you like.”

  I swallowed as I watched her cradle the cigar case sized box to her chest and carry it over to the table.

  He came to me then, dragging the chair he’d used earlier closer. As he sat down, I sighed and tipped my head back, staring upward.

  “You really are a ballsy bitch, you know that?”

  “Your point…?”

  “My point is this…I don’t give a rat’s ass about the baby.” He lowered his voice and leaned in, voice low. “If you keep this shit up, I’m going to punch you in the gut, good and hard, not once, not twice, but as many times as I feel like it. What do you think will happen to that fucker’s baby then?”

  My blood went to ice.

  He held my gaze, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “You understand me now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.” He got up, shoving the chair carelessly off to the side before going over to Camry. She was bent over the table, her hair fisted in one hand as she snorted something through a small tube. “Oh, baby…you found the good stuff.”

  She hummed happily, and I swallowed back the bile as he went to his knees next to her, then tugged her around to face him. “Give me a kiss, baby.”

  I was screwed.

  I was so seriously screwed.

  Thirty-Eight

  Piety

  The world kept dancing in and out of focus.

  My head fell forward, eyes closing.

  I slept.

  I don’t know how long but something clatt
ered, and I jerked my head up, startled awake. My neck was killing me.

  It was dark, and for a moment, I had no idea what was going on.

  I tried to move, and everything came to me, the world snapping back into sharp focus. I wanted it to go back to the way it had been just a few minutes before.

  Man, how could this be happening?

  I was tied to a chair.

  My head was pounding, my mouth was dry, and I hurt in ways I didn’t think it was possible to hurt. Stefano hadn’t even laid a hand on me. Neither had Camry. I’d just been forced into this unnaturally still position, unable to move for hours on end.

  And they were waiting for Kaleb to show up with money he didn’t have.

  And I was pregnant.

  Maybe not, I tried to tell myself. That test had boasted it was ninety-eight percent accurate. What about the two percent? Were they false positives or false negatives? I tried to remember my classes in biology, but nothing was coming to me. The tests were based on the human growth hormone that kicked on in pregnancy, right? So…could there be a false positive? Or was a false negative more likely?

  I didn’t know.

  Fear was a sticky, metallic taste in the back of my mouth.

  I was most likely pregnant and trapped in a building with a man who cared more about money than anything else. Sadly, it was a mindset I understood. There were too many people in my life who cared more about the almighty dollar than anything else.

  How could this be happening?

  Tears burned my eyes, but I forced them back. Crying wouldn’t help anything and would probably make that bastard happy. No way was I going to give Stefano that satisfaction.

  I managed to fight them down and get myself under control, and I was happy with it. It was a small victory, but in these circumstances, every damn victory counted.

  I felt somebody watching me, and I searched the dim room with my eyes, trying not to move any more than I had to.

  “Your boyfriend isn’t helping things out much here, sugar,” a low voice drawled.

  I managed to control the flinch, and I swallowed, trying to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “Can I get some water?”

  “I look like a fucking maid to you?”

  “It’s probably escaped your notice, but I’m not exactly able to do it myself. If you were to untie me–”

  “Fat chance. Just be quiet, okay?” He sounded far less cocky now, and I wondered if I’d missed something during the brief patches when I’d dozed off.

  I set my jaw, looking away, but to my surprise, Camry came over.

  “Hey,” Stefano snapped.

  “She’s pregnant, okay?” She held a can in her hand and lifted it to my lips. “It’s ginger ale. Might be better for your stomach. I don’t know if you’re feeling sick or not, but just in case.”

  I didn’t want her being nice.

  But the ginger ale settled on my stomach far easier than water would. A little bit of it ran down my chin, and she used her sleeve to wipe it off. “Better?” she asked.

  Her eyes were heavy, and when I looked at her, she averted her gaze.

  “Oh, I’m just peachy,” I said sourly.

  She gave me a jerky nod, and I could see the guilt in how she held herself, how she was moving.

  “He ain’t responding to my texts anymore, sweetie. Why do you think that is?” Stefano demanded.

  “I don’t know. Maybe his phone died.” I was so tired, I couldn’t think of anything better.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Camry sit down and Stefano hold out the metal box from earlier. She licked her lips, eying it nervously. Her gaze came to me, but she wouldn’t look directly at me.

  “Come on, sugar. Been a while. You gotta be needing something,” he said in a tone far more gentle than even before. “Try this. It’ll make you feel unlike anything you’ve ever felt.”

  “Yeah, yeah, alright.” She accepted the tube he offered and snorted the white powder.

  My belly heaved, and I willed down the nausea through sheer determination. I was being held hostage, and she was shooting up.

  But in a way, he’s holding her hostage too, a soft voice murmured.

  I ignored it. I didn’t want to feel pity for her. Not now. Maybe not ever.

  I don’t know if I ever want to feel sympathy or compassion for anyone again and that utterly infuriated me. It was like they’d broken something vital inside me.

  Stefano continued to glare at me, the insolence returning to his eyes and I thought he knew exactly what I was thinking. Camry’s lashes fluttered down, and a smile drifted over her face.

  “Oh, that’s better,” she murmured. “That’s so nice.”

  “Why don’t you come here, baby? Gotta be tired.” He guided her close, and she laid down. He rubbed her shoulder and before long, she was asleep. Must be nice, being able to get lost in herself.

  Exhaustion pressed in on me, and I could feel my own eyes growing heavy again, but just as my head started to droop, Stefano said, “You know, if I don’t hear something soon, it ain’t gonna go well for you. I don’t give a fuck whose kid you are.”

  “You don’t think you can do something to me and just get away with it, do you?” I glared at him, so tired of this whole mess that I could feel the grip I’d held on my temper and my fear sliding away from my grasp.

  “Ah, I’m just gonna…disappear. See, if he don’t show up, you’re dead.” He mimed making a gun with his hand and pointed it at me. “And you can’t tell them shit. And my girl here…?”

  He laughed and nodded his chin toward the box. “I got all sorts of goodies for her. She won’t ever wake up. I made it look like she’s the one who’s been sending the texts, see? And I’ve got a hundred people who’ll vouch that I was anywhere but here.”

  “You’re a bastard.”

  “Be nice.” His eyes glittered with malice, face mostly lost to shadow. “Be nice, honey, and maybe you won’t suffer too much.”

  I opened my mouth – and nothing nice was going to come out – but was saved from my own stupidity by a heavy knock on the door.

  I whipped my head around, fear skittering through me. The tense muscles in my neck screamed out at me, but I ignored it as I watched with trepidation Stefano get up and make his way to the door.

  “Who is it?” he shouted, still several feet away.

  “Kaleb.”

  My heart lurched into my throat.

  “I’ve got your fucking money, so open the damn door.”

  “Alright, alright…” A bright, sharp smile split his face and Stefano turned to look at me. “You just sit tight, sweetie. I’ve got to check a few things.”

  He went closer to the door. “Just hold your horses, pretty boy. Gotta make sure you’re being legit and alone, okay?”

  I panted, blood draining out of my head and leaving everything looking fuzzy.

  Stefano had the gun in his hand, didn’t he?

  I thought he did. I was almost positive.

  “Kaleb! He has a gun!” I called out.

  “Be quiet, bitch.” A moment later, I felt the gun press against the back of my head. “You be quiet, or I’ll just put a bullet through the door and him. You got me?”

  The words were delivered in a lethal, deadly voice. I swallowed, slowly nodding and hoping he didn’t pull the trigger when I moved.

  Be careful, I thought. Please be careful, please, please, please…

  A moment later, Stefano knelt beside me, jerking at the ropes. “You get your wish, princess. I’m untying you. I’m going to let you open the door so you can tell your boytoy to come in. Then we’ll get down to business. If you as much as flinch, I’ll put a fucking bullet through your little pretty head, you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  He jerked me up, and I stumbled.

  “Stop playing around,” he yelled.

  “I’ve been tied up for hours,” I snapped before I could stop it. “My legs are asleep, and nothing wants to move, dumbass!”
r />   I froze instantly, wishing I could yank the words back.

  To my surprise, though, Stefano grinned at me. Man, he was crazy. Still grinning, he reached up with both hands and framed my face. I could feel the cold metal of the gun digging into my skin. “You’re one tough piece of ass, you know that? I almost had fun with this.”

  Before I could respond, he let me go and spun me around. “Move.”

  I stumbled again but steadied myself. I did not want him touching me.

  Each step had more sensation returning to my legs, and it was like a thousand pins and needles were stabbing into me, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it.

  The door was ten feet away, then five, then two…

  “Open the door. Just a little. Stay behind it.”

  The gun’s muzzle was pressed tight against the back of my ear, making it clear that arguing would be a little bit stupid. So I did exactly what he said.

  Kaleb slipped in through the narrow opening, carrying a duffel bag.

  The sight of him hit me hard in the chest, and this time, no matter how hard I fought, I couldn’t hold back the tears.

  “Kaleb,” I whispered.

  His eyes came straight to me, and he started to take a step in my direction, only to stop as he realized a gun was pressed to my head.

  “Let her go,” Kaleb said roughly.

  “In a bit, in a bit.” Stefano kicked the door shut and locked it then jutted his chin toward the table. “Let’s sit down and get to business. Don’t try any bullshit or your pretty little wife here will get a third eye.”

  “There’s no business left. I’m taking Piety and my sister and getting out of here.”

  His eyes flicked to me, and he stared at me for a lingering moment before looking back at Stefano.

  “Well, see…your little sister is taking a nap.” Stefano laughed and gestured toward the couch. “Tell you what…you can take one of them, after we’re done doing business. Whichever one you want.”

  “Asshole,” I muttered.

  He ignored me and gestured to the table again. “Come on. Let’s sit. I want to check the money.”

  “It’s all there,” Kaleb said. “Let Piety go now. She’s about to fall asleep on her feet.”