Tiny laughs and keeps talking. “He’s already blown through the door, so I know the damn shotgun he’s carrying is loaded. I play it cool and pour myself a beer.” He grins. “Right away, he asks about the girl, and I tell him I ain’t seen her. We go through this whole thing, sizing up each other’s peckers, and then I pull my gun out. This fucking guy…he doesn’t even flinch. He tells me he’s willing to pay if I bring him the girl—he’s staying in that old plantation. And then he leaves, just like that. He even shows me his back, like he didn’t give a shit if I shot him.”
“Man! What? Serious?” Joker is enjoying himself immensely. “What are we waitin’ on? Let’s just give her back, let him pay us off. I ain’t ready to head out yet.”
Tiny scoffs. “Yeah right, that guy would just as soon kill us after we gave up the girl. Witnesses, stupid. Besides, I already made us a deal. Her friend’s willing to meet us in Chihuahua and pay. I told her no cops or we’d kill her. All we have to do is get there.” Tiny opens his arms wide and beams. “A hundred thousand fuckin’ dollars, guys. That’s double our usual take.”
“We ain’t in the kidnapping business, Tiny!” Hog stands abruptly, nose-to-nose with Tiny. “Cut that fucking girl loose and let’s get out of here before anyone comes lookin’.”
***
11. Felipe
“I didn’t care about the money,” Kid sobs. “Uncle Mike…Tiny.” The boy appears at a loss for words and Felipe supposes he can’t really blame him. The young man has been through quite an ordeal the past couple days. “I couldn’t leave Tiny. He’s…he was my family,” Kid continues solemnly. “We were just supposed to do what we always do: run a few kilos of cocaine and pot across the border. Once a month, like clockwork. No one ever gets hurt. No one ever…no one…and then…”
“Hmm,” is all Felipe plans to say on the subject, but then he adds, “You didn’t know with whom you were dealing.”
Kid shakes his head. He still doesn’t know. “Please, just tell me…are you going to kill us? Me? Nancy?” He’s completely despondent. Felipe finds it…rather adorable—not the young man’s suffering so much, but that he has no guile. He must have been a terrible criminal.
“You haven’t answered my question yet. What is it you want most? Death? Revenge? Your freedom?” Felipe’s tone is much too jovial for what he’s asking. It earns him a baleful look from Celia. He shrugs.
The young man considers Felipe’s question for a long while before he takes several deep breaths and shudders out a reply. “I can’t have what I want most,” he whispers, still unable to open his eyes. “There’s no one left to love me.” When Celia shifts him, he readily takes comfort in her awkward embrace.
“Devoted and sentimental,” Felipe muses. “There may be hope for you yet.” Felipe paces; his shoes make shuffling sounds along the concrete floor.
“He’s perfect for us, Felipe. Don’t you think?” Celia continues to place butterfly kisses on the boy’s head. Felipe enjoys seeing her this way. Saliva gathers in his mouth as he gives her an infinitesimal nod.
“You’re quite handsome under all those bruises, aren’t you, boy?”
12. Kid
Kid hasn’t thought much about his nudity, but he does after Felipe’s comment. It’s hardly the first time someone has mentioned Kid’s appearance. As far back as he can remember, he’s been complimented on his near-platinum blond hair and striking blue eyes. Kid has his father’s strong build, but he’s looked like his mama from day one. The girls have always gone crazy for him—and a few men too. He remembers his dad poking fun at him over his pouty lips and inability to grow more than sparse facial hair.
Kid also remembers his father’s warnings about men who would take advantage. More than a few times, some asshole has tried to grab his dick in a men’s room and had to be reminded what the word no means. Regardless, he’s never thought of his looks as a bad thing, not until he found himself helpless. He forces himself to remain languid in Celia’s embrace as he begins to cry, in the hopes it will solve his problems—no matter what his dad taught him.
13. Felipe
“The way I see it,” Felipe begins, “your options are limited. I can’t let you go, but I have no use for a hostage.” Kid sucks in a breath and huddles closer to Celia as Felipe continues. “You’ve trifled with some serious people, boy. They’re the kind who buy and sell fine-looking creatures…like Kitten, whom your friends have ruined, and occasionally, blond-haired and blue-eyed boys…like you.”