Page 6 of The Devil's Den

“You thought you could get away with it? From me!” He shouts so loud, I shiver, something warm dripping down the inside of my leg.

Things continue to break across the floor while my father begs them to stop. But they don’t. They hit him harder as he groans in pain.

“Give me the bat,” another voice says.

“No! Please!”

“You won’t die. Not here.”

My hands are moving before I could stop myself. Daddy will be mad, but I have to help him. I can’t let these people keep hitting him.

Carefully, I push the door open, my teeth clattering, my fingers shaking as I walk out, step by step, scared more than I ever was. Not even when Benny from school said he’d punch me if I sat next to Laura.

“There’s someone back there, Faro.”

I pull in a breath, my eyes practically falling out. I stop, wanting to run back into the closet, but it’s too late. My pulse hammers as footsteps thump in a hurry until a man with black hair stands in front of me, a nasty smile on his ugly face.

“Look who we’ve got back here.”

“Get away from me!” He’s on me in a second, grabbing my arm hard while I try to get it off me. But he’s too strong.

“Please, Faro, let him go. He’s just a child,” my dad begs from the other side.

“Let me go, you animal.” I punch him with my other hand, but he only laughs as he drags me out where my dad is on his knees, blood coming out from his eyebrow and bottom lip.

“Your son’s got a mouth on him, Francesco.” The man yanks harder as I come to stand in front of Dad. “You let him talk like that?”

“He’s a good boy, Faro,” Dad sobs. I’ve never seen him like this. “Let him go. He’s done nothing.”

“Maybe not.” One of the men guarding the door gives Faro a bat. “But you have.” Raising the bat, he smashes it into my dad’s head until he falls.

“No!” I yell so loud, hoping someone hears me. “Daddy, wake up!” But he doesn’t, even as someone else throws him over his shoulder. “Where are you taking him? Put him down!”

“Shut the hell up.” Faro closes my mouth with his palm while I kick his leg and bite his hand.

“You fucking little shit!” he shouts, slapping my cheek. I give him my meanest face. I won’t cry.

He glances at another man to his right. “Give me the tape, Benvolio.” When the other jerk tosses it to him, he cuts some off with his teeth.

“Get away from me.” I back up a step.

“Where do you think you’ll go?” They all circle me. “There’s four of us and one of you.” He chuckles.

Suddenly, someone grabs my shoulders from behind, keeping me in one place while Faro puts the tape on my mouth and lifts me in the air. He brings me out the back door while I scream through the tape, punching his back, doing what I can. But I’m not strong enough. They toss my dad inside an SUV and then I’m next, thrown in beside him.

One of the men sits behind us while another is next to me, staring like he’s trying to scare me.

It’s working.

* * *

“Wakey, wakey.” Faro smacks Dad’s face with a flashlight as he mumbles, both of us on our knees in a cold, dark place.

I sniffle, sobbing hard, unable to move my hands tied behind me. Dad’s bound too.

I want to go home. I want my brothers. I want Daddy to be okay.

Please, Daddy, wake up. Get us out of here.

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