settled on me. As his gaze roamed the length of my body, I sensed I had interrupted something very serious. The way the huge man stared at me gave me the chills. Feeling threatened, I wrapped my arms around my middle and took a step back. He snickered like the action amused him, and an uncontrollable blush spread along my cheeks. Suddenly, the man looked away from me and focused on my father.
“So, Bill,” the giant said calmly. “Have you come up with an answer yet? Do you think now you can tell me when the fuck you're planning to give me my money?”
Every cell in my body filled with an eerie awareness. Run upstairs, lock yourself in your room, my mind demanded, but my legs wouldn't cooperate, and I remained completely frozen.
“I...I d-don't have the money yet,” my father stuttered. “If you could give me j-just a bit more time.”
The man narrowed his eyes on my father, and calmly lit up a cigarette while both my father and Trisha drowned in obvious terror. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence. Then, the giant blew out a cloud of smoke and glanced at one of the other men, motioning toward my father. The younger man stomped over to my father and withdrew a gun from the holster around his waist, pointing it at my father's head.
Trisha cried out while the man with the gun forced my father to walk to the giant. Suddenly, she glanced toward the door and bolted, but the third man grabbed her and held her restrained. As he pressed the pipe of his gun under my stepmother’s chin, his eyes narrowed at me in warning. If I tried to run, he was going to shoot.
“This is the last time I will ask, Bill.” I heard the giant’s voice, and turned just in time to see him cup my father’s chin. “Where is the money?”
My father reddened and started panting for air. “I...I j-just need one more day...I...I will have it tomorrow, I swear.”
“You know what, Bill,” the giant taunted. “I believe that's exactly what you said the last time, if my memory serves me right.”
He gazed at the frightened man, shaking in front of him, and took one last, long drag from his cigarette. Then, he leaned closer and got into my father's face.
“I'm starting to lose my patience with you, Bill,” he said calmly, then lifted his hand and put out his cigarette on my father's neck.
My father bellowed and wailed like a child while the cigarette burned his skin. I whimpered, covering my mouth with my hands to stop myself from crying out.
Suddenly, the giant paused and looked my way again. Every hair on the back of my neck stood up. That menacing gaze told me he wouldn't think twice before cutting me into pieces. He snickered again, then turned toward my father one more time.
“Perhaps, we can come to a solution, Bill,” he said in a voice that rang with false pleasantness. “You might not have the money, but you have a pretty daughter. We are reasonable people. I’m sure we can reach an agreement.”
An ice-cold chill consumed my entire body. My stomach turned rock hard. The dizziness that took hold of me was relentless, but somehow I managed to focus as my father tried reasoning with him.
“No, I'll get the money,” he mumbled, pleading with them. “I'll have it by tomorrow, I swear. Leave my daughter alone.”
The man holding him pressed the gun even harder against my father's forehead as the giant snorted. “You have until noon tomorrow to pay us back. If not…” He glanced toward me again. “The payment will be collected...in other ways.”
As my father's eyes met mine, all three men turned to me. I was so paralyzed with fear, I couldn't breathe.
“Go to your room, Olivia!” he yelled, but I remained standing there, completely frozen until he almost screamed. “Now!”
At last, my legs moved, and I ran up the stairs in a rush of adrenaline. The giant roared into a fit of mocking laughter, and I feared he would send those men after me, but he didn't. When I entered my room, and all four of them remained downstairs, I finally inhaled a much needed breath. I sat on the bed and hugged my knees to my chest. I was shaking all over, and no matter how hard I tried to stop, I just couldn't bring my breathing back to normal.