With an evil chuckle, he dodges my attempt and grabs me by a handful of hair, squeezing tight. I let out a pained scream, trying to yank away from his hold.
Then I realize Kimmy isn’t moving. She isn’t crying.
“Oh my god, what did you do to her? What did you do!” I scream a cry as I try to reach for her. “Kimmy, baby? Kimmy, wake up!”
“I don’t have time for this.” Vince leaves Kimmy on the floor while he tosses me over his shoulder. “We’re going on a road trip.”
“Get your hands off me! Put me down. Kimmy! Kimmy!” I scream at her, but she lies lifeless on the floor. “No, no! Kimmy!” I slam my fists against his back, his head, every inch of him I can reach. I hit hard and fast with every ounce of strength I can muster. “You fucking bastard. You’re just like him. Worthless piece of shit just like your brother.”
He brings me to a black truck, the windows so tinted, I can’t see through them. He opens the passenger’s side door and slams his fist against my mouth, effectively shutting me up as blood pools across my tongue. My head swims and a cloth is put over my mouth. Something chemical invades my senses and the dizziness gets worse.
“And you’re going to take me to him, and then finally you’re going to get what you deserve.” He shoves my legs in the car next and drops the cloth. “Why aren’t you passing out?” he mumbles.
I try to get a good visual of him, but I’m too lightheaded. Everything is swaying and spinning in circles. “It takes more than you think to get the best of me,” I sneer.
His hand clutches around my throat, squeezing it until I can’t breathe, and I slap my hand on his forearm. “I can’t wait to check every fucking box until I do get the best of you, then.” He releases my throat and I gasp, I claw at the skin, struggling to catch my breath.
Vince slams the door and runs around to the driver’s side. I sag against the seat, weak and tired as whatever was on the cloth begins to work its way into my system.
The truck moves forward, and I grip the door handle. My fingers weakly try to curl around it to open, but I just can’t get a good hold.
But Vince takes a left turn, which slides my body across the seat. I’m able to hook my hand under the silver handle, then yank it with all my might. I feel half-drunk and barely conscious, but I have to get to Kimmy.
The door swings open and I roll out, falling through the air and landing right on my damn back before rolling into the ditch. I hold my hand to my side, the air knocked out of me. I’m stinging all over, probably scratched to hell.
Dirt digs under my fingernails as I pull myself up the small slope, the hot, dry dirt crumbling beneath my palms.
“Oh no, you don’t get to get away that easy.” Vince’s boots fill my vision, and this time when he throws the cloth over my nose, it’s a stronger dose. My eyes roll to the back of my head. I’m lifted in the air and before darkness completely takes over me, the door shuts. Burning rubber is the last thing I smell before unconsciousness takes over.
I should have known I would die at the hands of this family.
No one ever makes it out alive when it comes to the Russo brothers.
And Vince is the worst of the two.
“I want a pony,” Warden admits.
“Oh, me too. But one of the pretty ones, like a pretty black one or the ones with spots,” his twin argues.
I’m glad that Kimmy taught me how to recognize which one is which, or I’d be convinced I was seeing double in a weed haze right now.
“I want a little pinto. Like the Shetland ponies. They are so cute. Just the size of a medium-sized dog.” I show how tall they would be with my hands as I measure the height off the floor. “I could carry it places or take it walks. I’ll name him Donkey,” I snicker to myself when I think of the movie Shrek.
Everyone laughs.
“It’s funny because—” Satyr slaps Arrow’s chest. “—Cause it wouldn’t be a donkey.”
“I want a hot dog.”
“Oh, food. I could go for some food,” Carson groans. “It’s so hot in here.”
As if someone answered our prayers, the door is lifted open and the sun beams in. “Jesus Christ,” Boomer coughs as the smoke escapes. “What the hell happened? Why are all of you in here? And how is the product burning? Everyone out of the truck. Now!” Prez bellows and his face turns red.
“Oh, President is maaaad,” Kansas sings as he walks out of the truck.
“Damn right I am. I’m fucking furious. I only know what’s going on because Homer, shockingly out of all of you, sent me a picture saying you guys were trapped with weed and it was the best day of his life.”
“It’s not what it looks like. It was a mistake.” The sun hits my eye after being trapped in the dark truck for so long. I cover it as I lean against the wall, high as a fucking kite.
“It doesn’t look like a mistake. It looks like thousands of dollars gone to waste. What am I going to tell O’Crowely, huh? He’s going to be furious. Come on. Stop jacking your fucking dicks and get out of the damn truck! I won’t say it again,” Boomer yells, the vein on the side of his neck twitching. “I have Pulse with me, so he’s going to be looking all of you over to make sure you’re okay.”
“We’re okay.” Arrow has Homer in his arms as if they just got married. “Hungry. I want chocolate cake.”
“I still want a pony,” I mumble.
“I want a hot dog,” Homer chimes in. “With relish.”
“Okay, enough.” Boomer groans and places his hands in a prayer gesture against his face as he thinks. “Can someone tell me how this happened?”
“Colt hit the side of the truck with his fist,” I begin.
“And at the same time, Homer let a firework because he was mad at Arrow.”
“I told you not to be around one another. Does no one fucking listen to me? No one?” Boomer rubs his hands over his face. “And then what happened?”
He sounds exasperated, but it’s kind of hilarious. I’m only barely aware enough not to burst out laughing at how frustrated he is.
Bane makes an explosion sound with his mouth and Warden makes the gesture with his hands. “Boom,” Warden says. “Firework set the pot on fire and the door closed. We couldn’t get it open.”
“I want a root beer float so bad.” Colt rubs his stomach.
“Everyone seems fine,” Pulse chuckles. “They just need their munchies.”
“None of you are in any shape to ride your bikes. I’ll have food delivered here so everyone can sober up before we get home.”
“Oh, can I get a root beer float?” Colt bounces on his heels. “I’m so excited. I haven’t had one since I was twelve.”
“Could have fooled me. All of you act like you are twelve.”
“Tehehe, I’m not touching you.” Warden hovers his fingers right above his brother’s cheek and I hold my stomach as I laugh. “I’m not touching you.”
“Stop it! Prez, he won’t stop not touching me.”
Boomer rubs his temples at the sign of a headache and takes a deep breath. “Stop not poking your brother, Warden. And everyone stop giggling. It’s… confusing me.” He gets out his phone and for a few minutes, he doesn’t say a word. “Okay, a shit ton of food is on the way. Someone want to call O’Crowely for me? I sure as hell don’t feel like explaining to him that my members are a bunch of fucking idiots.”