By the time we’re back in the car and pulling away, my stomach feels like a shaken-up soda can.
“Judge—” I begin, but I’m cut off.
“Just wait, Ellie.” He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. The only reason I don’t protest is because it won’t take us but a couple of minutes to get back home.
My hand is grabbed as soon as I exit the car. He holds on to it until we’re inside the house. He juts his chin to the living room. “Take a seat. I’ll be back.”
Before I can utter a response and demand he tell me what in the hell is going on, he’s walking off toward the kitchen. Letting out a sigh, I go to the living room and plop down on the couch. He comes back a couple minutes later, two lowball glasses and a bottle of whiskey in his hands.
My brows jump up to my hairline, and I direct my eyes to him. Whatever he’s going to say is obviously something very serious. I expected as such, considering his refusal to tell me before now. But holy hell, am I really going to need liquid courage to get through it?
Taking a seat beside me, he pours a couple of inches in both glasses and hands me one. When I simply look down at the amber liquid, he taps the bottle to the glass and orders, “Drink.”
“Jesus, Judge.” I move to put the glass down, but he forestalls me.
“Drink the damn whiskey, Ellie.” He tips his own glass to his lips and downs the entire contents. “I promise you’re going to need it.” Depositing his glass on the table, he pours more, but doesn’t pick it up.
With my lips pressed together, I bring the glass to my mouth. The harsh alcoholic smell reaches my nostrils first. I take a sip, biting back a hiss when the burn hits my throat. Seeing the look in his eyes, I roll my eyes and sling back the rest. I cough and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
The glass is barely on the table when he starts talking.
“I’ve told you about my childhood and the sick perversions the children of Sweet Haven endured.” I nod, the whiskey churning uncomfortably in my stomach. “What I didn’t tell you is that some of the adults got away the night of the raid.”
He never went into much detail about his childhood and how the town was dismantled. What he did give left me so dizzy with nausea,
I never asked for more.
“There were a total of thirteen who escaped. Thirteen people who preyed on children and played it off as God’s will. When my brothers and I left that night with Mae and Dale, we made a pact. One we would follow through with at all costs once we were able to.”
He stops and leans forward until his elbows touch his knees, his hands dangling between them. His face tips to the side to look at me. The unholy look on his face sends shivers down my spine.
“We all swore that we would hunt them down and kill them.”
I suck in a sharp breath, my hands curling into fists on my thighs. I’m stunned speechless. He watches me for a moment before continuing.
“That night, all those years ago, I had gotten a call from JW earlier that day before you stopped by, saying he found one of them. We were originally going to wait until we moved to Sweet Haven and made changes before we started our plans for vengeance. We had just put the petition in to have the town’s name changed, so it was supposed to be a couple of months before we actively started with our plans. JW happened to stumble across one of them. The opportunity was too great to pass up.
“I knew as soon as I got off the phone with him, I had to end things between us. I didn’t want you connected to me if things went sour and we were caught. Not to mention, I knew you wouldn’t be on board with what we intended to do.”
I reach over and grab the bottle of whiskey. Forgoing the glass, I bring the bottle to my lips and take a big swallow. The burn almost chokes me, but I ignore it and take another.
I have no idea what to do with this news. Never in a million years would I have thought this was what he was hiding from me.
“So… you just go out and kill people?” I ask, my voice rough from the alcohol and the enormity of what he just revealed.
He sits up straight and wipes his hands down his thighs. “Yes. But, Ellie, these people are vile and cruel. The stories I could tell you about them would give you nightmares. The horrors they put children through, the horrors they put babies through….” He shakes his head, the muscles in his jaw flexing.
“Babies?” I ask hoarsely.
“Yes, babies. They were introduced to Hell Night when they reached a year old. Everything but penetration was allowed. Once they reached five years, full initiation was required, meaning nothing was prohibited.”
“Oh God!” I gasp, my hands flying to cover my mouth. I bend at the waist, the alcohol threatening to come back up. My forehead touches my knees, and I pull in large gulps of air.
How is this even possible? How in the hell could anyone even think about doing something so repulsive? I know there are despicable people in the world, sick people with twisted minds who like to prey on the innocent, but abusing babies? I have no idea how to wrap my mind around something like that. I don’t want to wrap my mind around it.
“Breathe, baby. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Slowly.” A hand rubs up and down my back. I suck in a breath and let it out through my mouth. “That’s it.”
I don’t know I’m crying until a hiccupping sob escapes my lips. I try to rein in the torrent of tears, but they just keep coming.