“Celia, give the boy more water,” Felipe voices gently.
Kid drinks the few sips offered to him and barely manages to keep himself from begging for more. “Why are you being nice to me?”
10. Kid
Kid finds Celia’s presence oddly comforting, considering she’s made no move to free him. His mother had been a loving woman, always hugging and kissing him. He’d loved it as a boy, hated it as a teen, and aches for it as a young man. He shifts closer to Celia.
His uncle Tiny had never been one for heart-to-heart talks, even if it was his own brother, Kid’s father, who’d died.
Felipe laughs. “I’m not being nice, boy. I’m deciding what to do with you. The men who brought you have gone for a while. Your female companion has been found responsible, and her fate is out of my hands. That leaves me with you.”
Kid shakes within Celia’s arms. “If you already know I didn’t do it, why did you ask me?”
“I had to know if they’d broken you.”
“Is Nancy dead?” He doesn’t want her to be dead. No matter what Nancy has done, she’s paid. They’ve all fucking paid.
“She’s alive. Though, like you, she probably wishes for death. The two of you have angered very dangerous men.”
“Caleb, you mean.” Kid’s stomach cramps a little more. He hasn’t seen or heard Caleb since being taken hostage. He has no interest in a reunion. He recalls with too much clarity their introduction.
Felipe sighs. “Yes, Caleb is a dangerous man. Unfortunately, he is not the only man upset by this situation. Tell me—because I sense something else is in play—why do you suspect Caleb reacted so…passionately? Could it be he has affection for his captive? I’m curious.”
Kid recoils sharply away from Felipe’s stroking thumb. The affection is unwarranted and reminds Kid of the taste of his own tears and Tiny’s blood. Caleb and Felipe are obviously cast from the same mold, perverts who like touching his mouth.
Felipe chuckles and pats Kid’s bruised cheek, not ungently. “I’m an extraordinarily curious man…Kid.”
“She ran away from him,” Kid manages to say. “Tiny said we were helping her escape.”
“For a price,” Felipe accuses.
***
Tiny walks to the door and makes sure it’s locked before he addresses the club. “I hope you assholes are ready to make some serious money. That girl is worth a hundred grand once we get her to Chihuahua.”
Hog is the first to speak. “What the fuck, Tiny? You go out for a beer last night and come back with some girl? Who the hell is she?” he asks the last in an angry whisper.
Kid keeps his mouth shut, as usual, while the other guys murmur in agreement with Hog. Kid is just as curious as everyone else, but Tiny is his only real family, so he tries not to piss the man off. Maybe the girl just needs a ride and is willing to pay a lot to get there. Kid shakes off his stupidity. No one pays a hundred grand for a damn ride.
“What are you?” Tiny admonishes. “You a bunch of pussies now? I took a ride over to the bar after I hooked up last night, and the bartender let me drink. So, he’s bringing in crates and I’m sitting there, having a beer and minding my own damn business, when this half-naked girl runs in screaming for us to lock the door.” Tiny instantly commands attention. “Her and the bartender are shouting back and forth. Apparently, the girl’s being chased by some guy named Caleb, who’s been keeping her locked up for weeks. Dude! She didn’t even know she was in Mexico! How fucked is that?!”
Hog sits up straight and lifts his hand. “Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me that girl has people looking for her? And you want to take her with us to pick up our shit? Are you crazy, man? Have you lost your goddamn mind?!”
“I’m not done!” Tiny shouts and Hog falls silent. “The bartender freaks and leaves me there with this girl. She won’t stop crying and asking me to take her to the cops, which is stupid, because the guy who took her could easily bribe the cops. I’m in the middle of telling her this, when the fucking guy starts pounding on the door. Girl hides under the bar and I cover her with the crates the bartender brought in. Then, bang! The door gets busted in.”
“Fuck!” exclaims Joker. “Man! I wish I’da been there!”
“Right?” Tiny laughs. He starts pacing, engrossed in his story. “So in walks this pretty-boy—no offense, Kid.”
“Fuck you.” Kid rolls his eyes and pretends—like always—not to be offended. The guys frequently like to remind him of his ‘cock-sucking lips’ and ‘bitch-looking’ face. It’s been old for a long time.