“Go,” I mouth, urging her with my thoughts.
Opening the door, a cry cracks from her chest as she watches Idiot while she gets out of the car. “Close the door and open the back,” he orders, and she complies. The back door opens, and I think about darting for it once Lily gets free, but know it will cost me a bullet, and with his aim, it may end up being my life. “Out,” he barks to Lily who still hasn’t moved.
Melanie reaches in, trying to coax her out, but she shakes her head. No tears. No fear. Determination. “I’m not leaving without Ruby.”
“Then you’re not leaving,” Idiot warns her.
“Lily, get out of the car,” Melanie and I say in unison.
“No.” She grabs the door handle and slams it shut despite Melanie crying out her name desperately.
“Let me go instead,” my mother implores as Melanie and Lily fight over the door being open and closed.
“Lily, please, please get out,” I beg, attempting to push her.
“No,” she shouts, hitting the lock when she manages to once again pull it closed from Melanie’s grasp. Frantic palms slap the window as Melanie pleads with her.
“I tried,” Idiot says. Turning back in his seat, he takes off, leaving Melanie chasing behind the car, screaming.
“I can’t believe you’d risk your life like this,” I say, a lump lodged in my throat.
“I can’t believe that bitch wouldn’t,” she scoffs, narrowing her eyes on my mother.
“That’s a shitty thing to say.” My mother scowls in her direction. “What’s the point in me dying as well?” she says, trying to defend her actions.
“You’re such a shitty person, do you hear yourself?” Lily fumes.
“What the hell would you know?” Mother glowers. “You have no idea what I’ve been through all because she wouldn’t just do as she was told.” She’s getting louder, more irate, and once again, blaming me for the mess she got us in with Fisher.
“Isn’t that medicine supposed to wind you down?” Lily grits out, referring to the methadone Melanie gave her to curb her need for heroin.
“Are you going to let that brat talk to me like this?”
“If I could, I would open your door and boot you from the car myself,” I say calmly, the reality of the situation washing over me. I have no hand to play. Fisher is going to kill me and my little sister, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
I recognize the scenery as we head toward the meat factory where fate changed things for me. Fisher has always thought a lot of himself, but to be brazen enough to still be hanging out here is a level of arrogance I didn’t think he was capable of. Fisher must know by now who I am, who my brother is. Is he setting a trap to get them to come here?
Pulling up the road, Idiot looks back at me one last time before parking the car. “I’m sorry it had to come to this. I hope your brother and Carnage find you before Fisher has a chance to kill you,” he says, contradicting his traitorous behavior.
“Rot in hell, Stephen,” Lily sneers, spitting on him.
The fire exit door I escaped through with Ezekiel opens. The security lights get triggered and light up the parking lot. Ripley, Fisher’s errand thug, comes into view followed by another man waltzing toward the car. Jumping out, Idiot rounds the hood and meets them with a handshake. “Little snake,” Lily tuts. “I can’t believe I trusted him,” she scoffs, folding her arms.
“What were you doing with him back at the house?” I ask, realizing I hadn’t broached the topic yet.
“Nothing. He was going to help me get their stuff together,” she blows me off, bracing herself for the door opening.
“Out,” Ripley sneers, yanking the door and grabbing her by the hair, forcing her roughly from her seat.
“Don’t!” I scream. Racing from the car, I slap him until he releases her with a hard shove. She tumbles to the asphalt, her limbs flailing like a fawn trying to find its legs.
Ripley laughs at me as I attempt to attack him. The guy with him wraps his arms around me in a bear hug, disabling me. “Now, now, bitch, save your energy for what’s to come,” the prick croons in my ear, flexing his hips into my ass. “Me, for one, in this tight ass,” he taunts. Ripley chuckles, deep and menacing.
“Enough,” Fisher booms from behind us. “Let her go,” he orders, a gun in hand at his side as he swaggers toward us.
“Welcome home.” He smirks at me, looking me up and down like he can see through the flimsy fabric of my dress to my bare body beneath. I hate that I have no panties on. One catch of the wind, and I’ll be exposed to these animals. Lily manages to get to her feet and comes to stand beside me, out of breath. “Who’s this?” Fisher asks, swinging the gun up, gesturing to Lily. I instinctively sidestep, blocking her from him.