and bookcase on the other. He seemed satisfied for the moment, talking on his phone, assuring someone that everything was under control.
The feeling she had was that everything being under control was her never seeing Matt again.
That realization steeled her. The only escape would be through the door. The office was a second-story space with parking below. At least a twelve-foot fall from the window, if she could even make it out. Who knew when the windows had last been opened, Braken was an air conditioning fiend. The door was at least twenty feet across the room. He’d catch her before she got there. Her only hope was to stay where she was and pray for a miracle. Unfortunately, she had been here before. Cody had been a mean drunk, and abused her several times before she finally left him. Pagliano had been around Braken long enough for her to know that people disappeared if they met his displeasure. If she were going to die there was no way she was going easily.
“Get out of that hole, would ya? I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Yeah, right. I’m good here.” She squeezed her knees to her chest.
He went towards her and grabbed her hair; the only part of her he could get at. She screamed as he yanked it and pulled her to her feet. He slapped her once and was in the middle of his windup when the door opened.
“What the hell’s going on in here?” Braken stood in the doorway.
“Get me away from this maniac!” Nicole screamed. “Matt took down the video like he wanted. He promised to let me go, and now look!” She held her head up so he could see the bruises already forming. She watched him waver; face red, seersucker pants shimmering as his legs shook.
“Come on Joey,” he pleaded. “The girl did what you wanted. You need to let her go.”
Pagliano turned and pushed Nicole to the couch. “You talkin’ to me,” It wasn’t a question. “I think a little more respect is in order.”
“Say something, you spineless coward,” Nicole yelled at Braken as she curled into a ball to protect herself.
“This one over here.” Pagliano pointed at Nicole, his face red. “She’s trouble. Me and you gonna go take her on a boat ride. Feed some fish, you know.” He was moving around like a cornered animal, ready to attack.
Braken shied away. “No way. You’ve gone too far this time. I’ve gone along with some of your over-the-top shit in the past but not this time. She is the mother of my grandchild,” he pleaded. “I will —”
“You will do as I say. She’s right about the spineless coward thing.” He reached down and pulled a small pistol from an ankle holster. “Now, do we have a problem?”
“No sir, Joey,” Braken slumped and moved towards the door.
“Go check if anyone is out there. I’ll be a few paces behind you.” He looked at Nicole.“Cause any trouble, anything, and I’ll drop you right here. You’ll never see that boy of yours again.”
Her blouse retrieved from the floor, she did the best she could to cover herself. Getting shot was not an option. She was going to need to find another way out of this.
As she crossed the threshold her phone vibrated in her back pocket.
***
Matt barreled into Will nearly knocking him over as he was leaving the bar.
“He says if I take it down he’ll release my mom!” he yelled although they were practically on top of each other.
“Hold on,” Will needed to calm him down, “ We’ve got to stay with the plan. If you just take it down he might not keep his end of the deal.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to do it right now.” His thumbs flew across the screen of his phone.
“Hold on.” He had to calm the boy down. His cell phone vibrated and he reached in his pocket and withdrew the phone, Need the bag, now! Read the display Bring it to building department .
Will put the phone back in his pocket and watched over Matt’s shoulder as he opened the YouTube app on his phone and logged in. They leaned
The feeling she had was that everything being under control was her never seeing Matt again.
That realization steeled her. The only escape would be through the door. The office was a second-story space with parking below. At least a twelve-foot fall from the window, if she could even make it out. Who knew when the windows had last been opened, Braken was an air conditioning fiend. The door was at least twenty feet across the room. He’d catch her before she got there. Her only hope was to stay where she was and pray for a miracle. Unfortunately, she had been here before. Cody had been a mean drunk, and abused her several times before she finally left him. Pagliano had been around Braken long enough for her to know that people disappeared if they met his displeasure. If she were going to die there was no way she was going easily.
“Get out of that hole, would ya? I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Yeah, right. I’m good here.” She squeezed her knees to her chest.
He went towards her and grabbed her hair; the only part of her he could get at. She screamed as he yanked it and pulled her to her feet. He slapped her once and was in the middle of his windup when the door opened.
“What the hell’s going on in here?” Braken stood in the doorway.
“Get me away from this maniac!” Nicole screamed. “Matt took down the video like he wanted. He promised to let me go, and now look!” She held her head up so he could see the bruises already forming. She watched him waver; face red, seersucker pants shimmering as his legs shook.
“Come on Joey,” he pleaded. “The girl did what you wanted. You need to let her go.”
Pagliano turned and pushed Nicole to the couch. “You talkin’ to me,” It wasn’t a question. “I think a little more respect is in order.”
“Say something, you spineless coward,” Nicole yelled at Braken as she curled into a ball to protect herself.
“This one over here.” Pagliano pointed at Nicole, his face red. “She’s trouble. Me and you gonna go take her on a boat ride. Feed some fish, you know.” He was moving around like a cornered animal, ready to attack.
Braken shied away. “No way. You’ve gone too far this time. I’ve gone along with some of your over-the-top shit in the past but not this time. She is the mother of my grandchild,” he pleaded. “I will —”
“You will do as I say. She’s right about the spineless coward thing.” He reached down and pulled a small pistol from an ankle holster. “Now, do we have a problem?”
“No sir, Joey,” Braken slumped and moved towards the door.
“Go check if anyone is out there. I’ll be a few paces behind you.” He looked at Nicole.“Cause any trouble, anything, and I’ll drop you right here. You’ll never see that boy of yours again.”
Her blouse retrieved from the floor, she did the best she could to cover herself. Getting shot was not an option. She was going to need to find another way out of this.
As she crossed the threshold her phone vibrated in her back pocket.
***
Matt barreled into Will nearly knocking him over as he was leaving the bar.
“He says if I take it down he’ll release my mom!” he yelled although they were practically on top of each other.
“Hold on,” Will needed to calm him down, “ We’ve got to stay with the plan. If you just take it down he might not keep his end of the deal.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to do it right now.” His thumbs flew across the screen of his phone.
“Hold on.” He had to calm the boy down. His cell phone vibrated and he reached in his pocket and withdrew the phone, Need the bag, now! Read the display Bring it to building department .
Will put the phone back in his pocket and watched over Matt’s shoulder as he opened the YouTube app on his phone and logged in. They leaned
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