he smiled. “Now, tell us how we can help you, Robbie.”
I could feel my lips trembling. I could feel my blood rushing in my ears. I could feel my sweat dripping down my back. I could feel the end of my life coming and I knew I was going to go out screaming like a coward.
“I looked and I couldn’t find the box,” I admitted first. “I…I tore my house up from top to bottom. I even…I checked the front and back porch. I…I even combed the backyard. It’s not at my house.”
Gary made a humming sound. “Did you check anywhere else?”
I nodded. “I…I had a key to Randy’s place and so…I went there to see if I could find it.”
“But you discovered that we already looked there, right?” Merrick surmised.
I nodded again. “Yeah. I…ended just leaving the key behind and going back home.”
Gary cocked his head and made another humming sound. “Is there anything else you’d like to share?”
I shook my head, nerves making me useless. “N…no,” I stuttered. “I don’t think so.”
Gary shook his head as Merrick took over. “Are you sure, hon? Nothing about being Francesca Fiore’s best friend? Nothing like that?”
NO!
My eyes widened in dread.
How could they know that?
“Wh…wha…”
Merrick tsk’ed in disappointment. “I know we get mistaken for dumb thugs all the time, but we’re not, Robbie,” he said. “We’re far from it.”
“See,” Gary began, picking up where Merrick left off, “after Ciro Mancini’s little visit to your house, we did some digging.” I started shaking my head. “Oh, no, honey,” he fussed, “we believe he was there to sleep with you.” He jerked his chin my way. “I mean, you have the bite marks to support your claim.”
“We’re upset that you lied about how you knew him,” Merrick concluded. “And, see, that little white lie did a lot to ruin the trustful relationship we once had.”
I was a stupid bitch.
Of course, it wouldn’t be hard to connect me to Frankie. She lived here for six goddamn years. She worked at the steakhouse where she ran into hundreds of people a day. Even though she hadn’t divulged who her family was, she hadn’t lived in secret. Anyone could easily make the connection, especially if there was gossip at the beauty parlor as Mona had claimed.
I did my best to salvage my error. “We used to be best friends,” I said. “She moved back to Morgan City and…her husband doesn’t let her out…much.”
Gary sniffed. “I imagine not. She’s married to The Holy Ghost.”
“I…I only lied about how I knew Ciro because I…I didn’t want you guys to think there was something more there because of my old friendship with Frankie,” I said hurriedly. “It is just sex.”
Merrick walked towards me and gave me what could pass for a smile if he weren’t a deviant. “Well, you’re going to have to earn our trust back,” he announced.
“We’ll give you one more week to find that box,” Gary added. “But we’re also going to give you some…motivation that you might not have had before.”
Before I could ask what he meant, Merrick fist crashed against my already damaged ribs. The pain was so spellbinding, I dropped onto all fours and threw up everywhere. And the heaving only intensified the pain of my cracked ribs.
Merrick grabbed me by my hair and hauled me to my feet, but the second he let go, I dropped to my knees again. I thought they were going to kill me when we came out here. I never expected this.
I heard footsteps, but I was too blinded by pain to protect myself. A foot swung underneath, and it was like I was thrown back in time to the night I tried to stop Randy from going after Frankie. I screamed, but it came out sounding like a choked wail.
I collapsed and did my best to try to get some oxygen into my lungs. My vision was fading, though and I didn’t know what was worse, seeing it coming or not knowing.
I heard Gary’s voice from above me. “We really hadn’t wanted it to come to this, Robbie,” he said, and the bastard actually sounded remorseful. “But you gave us no choice.”
“We trusted you,” Merrick added. “You shouldn’t have lied to us.”
One of them grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me to my feet again. This time, a fist struck me in my head, and I felt blood gush down my face as I felt the freshly healed would from my first beating split wide