“That’s not going to happen.” He glanced over at the clock. “I’ve gotta get going. Watch some TV, sleep, or something. Just try to stay out of trouble until I get back.”
“Okay ... I’ll try.”
Hawk’s lips twitched into a smile, almost knocking me off my feet, and then he headed for the door. I watched him walk out of the room and close the door, leaving me alone once again. Even though he got under my skin and had a way of making me act like a complete asshole, I was actually a little sad to see him go. I didn’t want to obsess over the fact that I was locked in a room alone, so I grabbed a few of the clothes Hawk had brought me and went into the bathroom for a shower. Once I was done, I put on a t-shirt with a pair of knit leggings, surprised to find that they fit perfectly. I used the hairdryer stashed in the bathroom cabinet, then grabbed a pack of crackers and a drink before climbing back in bed. Even though I wasn’t in the mood to watch anything, I turned on the TV and sat there listening to one of those infomercials on some new cooking device while I ate. Needless to say, it wasn’t the most entertaining night, so I gave into my exhaustion and nestled into bed.
I closed my eyes, but instead of drifting off to sleep, I thought about Danny and what they might be doing to him. I wanted to think that they were just talking to him, but I knew better. Men like the Ruthless Sinners weren’t about talking. They were about getting results—by any means necessary. My imagination started to run wild with horrific thoughts. I hated the idea of my brother being hurt. I hated the idea of him dying even more. With all the crazy notions whipping around in my head, I feared I’d never manage to fall asleep. Thankfully, after several hours of relentless crying and praying, I finally drifted off—unaware of the fact that my life was about to change in ways I couldn’t comprehend.
Hawk
“I’m telling you ... I didn’t have anything to do with it,” Danny’s hands were bound over his head, his face black and blue with bruises, and his eyes were almost swollen shut. Shotgun had been doing a real number on him, but Danny still hadn’t fessed up to a damn thing. “I swear it.”
“I’m not buying your bullshit. Not for a goddamn second,” Shotgun growled. “The brothers have been over to your place. We know you were packing up your shit. It’s time for you to explain where you were going and why.”
“I ... uh ...”
Shotgun reached up and grabbed him by the throat, squeezing tightly as he snarled, “Think before you speak, Danny. Any more bullshit and I’m going to break out my tools, and trust me, you don’t want that to happen.”
“You’re right. I was getting out of town.”
“Why?”
“I … um ... had to go out on a run.”
Anyone in that room could see he was lying, especially Shotgun. With an angry scowl, he walked over to the counter and picked up an ice pick, then carried it back over to Danny and quickly stabbed it into his outer thigh. Writhing around like a worm on a hook, Danny wailed out a stream of curses. Once he started to settle down, Shotgun growled, “What don’t you get, Danny? I already told you that I’m done with the bullshit. Where were you going?”
“I-I was gettin’... out of town,” he stammered.
“Why?”
“’Cause I had to.”
“Why?”
Shotgun waited for Danny to respond. When he didn’t, he walked back over and grabbed another ice pick. His swollen eyes widened as he watched Shotgun saunter back over to him, then he started to squirm and plead, “Wait. Wait! Please don’t.”
Showing no signs of hesitation, Shotgun took the ice pick and slammed it into Danny’s other thigh, causing him to once again bellow out with anguish. As I stood there watching the scene unfold before me, I couldn’t understand why Danny was being so fucking stubborn. He was only making it harder on himself by holding out. Shotgun ground the ice pick further into his flesh as he warned, “Don’t make me ask again.”
“I found out ... that the coke I gave ... you was counterfeit.” He heavily panted. “I knew you’d come after me ... so I was gonna skip town before that happened.”
“You found out?” Shotgun grumbled. “You saying you didn’t know it was counterfeit all along?”
“Had no idea until I got the call.”
“What call?”
“A friend tipped me off ... told me everything was fucked up with the last take.”
“What friend?” Shotgun pushed.
He hesitated for a moment, but the second Shotgun started to turn towards his tools, Danny mumbled, “It was Tracy ... Tracy Earnhardt.” When Shotgun didn’t respond, he continued, “You know ... ‘Starlight’ from the strip club.”