before hot breath brushed her ear. “If you think you’re going to be anything but a prisoner now, you’re sorely mistaken.” Jerking her blindfold from her eyes, his dark eyes bore into her. “If you’re lucky, he won’t share you with too many of us.”
“Seth, shut the fuck up!” Joey commanded from the front seat.
“Come on, Joey. You know I’m right.” Seth’s voice was an annoying whine. “He shared the last one until there was nothing left to share.”
Seth’s chuckle had a chill running down Murphey’s spine.
“Then again, when she stopped screaming, it wasn’t all that much fun anymore.”
Murphey watched in shock as the man in the passenger seat, Joey, turned and punched Seth in the face, blood instantly pouring from the offended nose.
Joey spoke as he tried to shake the pain from his hand. “I will not tell you again. Shut. Your. Fucking. Mouth.”
“What the fuck, man?” Seth’s hands went to his nose, muffling his words he spoke. “Goddamn it! I’m fucking with her. Boss likes them riled.”
“I wouldn’t suggest bringing the big man into this. I would think he’d be very disappointed in you and your way of treating women.” Joey’s eyes softened when he looked at her. “I’m sorry, Murphey. Please excuse this fucking idiota.”
“You expect me to think you’re any better?” Murphey curled her lip in disgust. “You both associate with your boss. You can’t be all that different.”
Joey actually looked a little sad, if not resigned by her remark. Did he not want to be there? Didn’t he agree with what he was doing?
“You’re right.” Sighing heavily, he nodded his head. “I can’t be that much different from him, but you of all people should know blood has a way of tying you to some unsavory people.”
Any retort she had was cut short by the godawful sound of metal meeting metal. The crunch of the weak structure of the van crumbled in on itself, drowning out any other noise but her screams-those were clear as day.
In what felt like slow motion, Murphey was thrown from her seat, her head crashing into the side of the van once again, her body crumbling in on itself with the momentum behind her. With pain radiating from her skull, she rolled and landed in a tight space, her shoulder screaming out when it took the full weight of her body. The loose ropes around her wrists snagged on something and kept her from being able to catch herself.
She watched as the other bodies settled around her, the people that had been whipped around like rag dolls just seconds ago were eerily still. Not one of them moving. The only man who remained in his seat was Joey, and his arms hung uselessly above his head.
Slowly, reality took hold. They’d rolled, and the van had settled on its roof.
Silence engulfed her.
It was never silent after a crash in the movies. Where was the blare of the horn, the moaning of the people in the vehicle, the sound of voices outside? Something. It was never silent in the movies. A cry fell from her lips. She needed sound, any sound to prove she wasn’t dead like the body next to her, the man who’d been so rough with her. He laid in a crumpled heap, head twisted at an awkward, unnatural angle.
Even knowing a dead man laid next to her, the silence was even scarier. Silence meant there was nothing and no one coming. Silence meant the lifetime of criticism was going to echo though her head-insults, mocking, and all the hate was unchecked and screaming at her.
You are nothing. Not even going to have a chance to make something of yourself now. All because you had to go against your family, and now, you’re dying a slow and painful death.
Murphey’s eyes started to drift closed, the lids too heavy to keep open. She knew she shouldn’t go to sleep, knew the best course of action was to stay awake until someone was there to help her, but she was just so tired. She knew she was going to die; but the thought of dulling the pain was just too tempting to pass up. It would just be like falling asleep.
A moan caught her attention and had her prying her eyes open the slightest bit. “Hello?” Murphey’s voice wasn’t her own, but the raspy, slightly gargled sound had come from her. “Help, please help.”
“Murphey?” Joey’s voice sounded from the front seat. “Are you stuck? Y-you need to get out of here.”