His hand twitches in mine.
“When we moved back here, we not only changed the name. There were a lot of things we changed. Trouble, Judge, and JW renovated their houses to form new beginnings, but I kept mine the same. The Hall was burned, and the land was used for something good. A lot of the businesses were updated.”
“Why didn’t you renovate your house?”
His jaw ticks and his eyes harden. “Because there wasn’t anything that could have been done to that house to make it good. Everything in it and all the land around it is tainted and soiled.”
I squeeze his fingers and smooth my thumb over the back of his hand. Some of the darkness in his eyes fade.
“We made our own set of laws. Ones that everyone who lives here has to follow. Ones that ensure the safety of the people and protect the town.”
I tip my head, intrigued.
“People who commit crimes aren’t put on official state record. We issue our own punishments. We’re fair and just in handing them out. If a violent crime is committed against someone, whether physical or sexual, we issue the Expiration Penalty.”
He glances at me, his expression closed off.
“The Expiration Penalty is just as it sounds: death. We don’t give the punishment lightly and we make certain we have all the facts. If the person is found guilty, they’re taken out to a certain spot and we perform The Finishing. There are four shots; each of us takes one. Between the eyes, the heart, the base of the neck, and the groin. Each shot is a kill shot to ensure death. After, the body is dumped into an unmarked grave.”
I’m astonished. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought they would have turned into vigilantes. And that’s exactly what they are. They watch out for the people who live here and extinguish the ones who don’t deserve to. In an odd sense, it’s noble. They want their world to be free from violence, and they make damn sure it is.
Am I okay with killing people? Do I think all criminals should be executed? No and no, but people who rape, maim, and harm others are not people. They’re monsters. Hasn’t society always eradicated monsters? From the age when kids start believing in monsters, parents protect their children from the demons in their closets and under their beds.
“Umm… wow. That’s something I didn’t expect.”
He starts the swing again. “The world is full of people like Gary. If we can rid even a few, it makes the world that much safer. It’s a lot for someone to take in, and most people can’t accept the way we do things because they’ve never been in a situation where they need to.” He pauses a moment. “There’s more.”
My eyes snap to his. “More?”
He nods. “Yes. We get calls sometimes from connections we’ve made over the years. For certain crimes, if it looks like the perpetrator will go free, we come in and take care of the situation.” He glances down at our joined hands, a look of concentration on his face. His thumb slowly starts moving over the back of my hand, just as I was doing to him a moment ago. “There’s been a few times we’ve had someone in prison get rid of people too. Those are the ones who get shit for a sentence. We’ve also been hunting down the ones who got away the night of the raid,” he finishes quietly.
My eyes widen, momentarily shocked at this news. “How many got away?”
“Twelve.”
I swallow. “And how many are left?”
“Six,” he growls, like the number angers him.
“Wow,” I breathe.
I look off in the distance, taking in all he just said.
“How long have you been doing this?” I ask curiously.
“Eleven years. Since we moved back here.”
A chill runs down my spine, and I barely suppress a shiver. “What about Deacon?” I croak through a dry throat. Even saying his name sends disgust and terror through me. “What happened to him?”
The look that crosses Aziah’s face almost has me shrinking back in fear. If I didn’t know he wasn’t capable of hurting me, I would h
ave.
“My father got away.”
My skin turns clammy, and fear slithers through me at the thought of Deacon out in the world. He could be anywhere right now. He could be hurting other innocent children. I was with Gabriela and Marco more years than I suffered at the hands of Deacon, but it’s him I fear the most. Gabriela and Marco were horrible people, but they were sickeningly sweet as they hurt me. Like they believed it would somehow make it better. Deacon was the opposite. He was purposely mean and cruel with his abuse. It wasn’t often that he touched me himself, other than small touches, but every time he forced Aziah to touch me, he brutally abused Aziah.
Sensing my distress, he squeezes my hand, and I look up at him.