“Flynn?”
I look up and hand Hazel the letter. I don’t need to read it again to know what it says.
Dearest Hope,
Here’s a little keepsake to remember our time together.
Your discretion will be reciprocated.
Yours faithfully,
The Kings Society
The unwritten words are clear enough. If Hope told anyone what happened to her, they would share what was on the memory stick with the public. I turn the little black rectangleover in my fingers. Hope didn’t leave a note, but the memory stick had a sticker on it in her handwriting. The word rape written in capitals.
Hazel looks up from the note. “The Kings Society.”
I nod. “To become a King, you must provide a sacrifice. A woman.” I stare at the men on the murder board, thick red crosses cutting through their faces. All apart from Claren. “Every single one of those men raped my sister. Then they sent her a video of the rape, edited to make it look like it was consensual.”
“Jesus Christ.” Hazel brings a hand to her mouth, the other cradling her stomach.
“I’m not a good man, Lilac. But I’m better than them.”
Hazel reaches for the arm of the desk chair and I swivel it around, helping her sit.
“I’m sorry,” I say, crouching down and resting my hands on her thighs. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“I’m not scared.”
“You’re trembling.”
“I’m angry.” Raging eyes pierce into mine. “You’re telling me that there’s a fucking secret society and to get membership you have to bring a girl to be…”
“It’s fucked up.”
“No shit.”
I place the memory stick on the desk and look back at Hazel. “The video is two-fold. It keeps the victims quiet but also provides blackmail material for the members of the society. If any of them betrays the others… mutually assured destruction.”
“Senator Claren was in the video?”
“He was the one filming.”
“You’re sure?”
I meet her gaze, needing her to know why I’m doing this. Why letting Claren go isn’t an option. “I’m sure.”
“DMW,” she whispers.
“What?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing, it’s just something we say at dispatch whenever a rape call comes in. It stands for Dead Man Walking.” Her breath trembles as she looks back at the board. “Because that’s exactly what someone who rapes another person should be.”
I raise a brow, stroking my thumb up and down her jeans. “Kind of dark, don’t you think?”
Her eyes spark. “Says the serial killer.”
I laugh.
