Page 58 of Depraved Truths

I find Eli on the couch, staring at the photos. Going to the sidebar, I pour him a glass of whiskey, grab a bottle of water for myself, and settle beside him with my laptop.

“I’ve been waiting for answers for years but now all I have are more questions,” his voice cracks, filled with despair.

“I know. We won’t stop until every evil bastard is accounted for, and their justice served.”

He grabs another photo. “This girl. She disappeared the same night as Pais.”

“You said two girls, similar in appearance, have disappeared every year around the same time. These must be the other girls.” I lift another photo and look at it closely before picking up the thumb drive and connecting it to my laptop. Eli leans in, watching over my shoulder as I pull up the documents, one by one. Some are photos, others are emails and phone records.

“Dalton must have been gathering data on everyone involved. Maybe he was collecting blackmail material in case his involvement was exposed?” I suggest.

“There are some big names here. Doctors, lawyers, CEOs… The fucking mayor?” Eli exclaims, his voice shrill. “God damn it.”

When the next photo pops up, I freeze, and a shiver runs down my spine.

“Wait, is that Governor Hunt?” Eli asks, his tone tight.

Bile rises in my throat, and I fight the urge to vomit. My body shakes uncontrollably, but I can’t look away.

This isn’t happening.

This can’t be happening.

“Tess? Tessa!!” Eli’s voice is laced with panic.

All I can do is look at him, apprehension pooling in my stomach. I see the moment when it all clicks for him.

“It’s him. He’s the fucking monster who touched you? He’s a dead man!” Eli snarls, slamming his fist onto the white oak coffee table.

“I could have stopped this. These girls… this is all my fault,” I mutter, my arm sweeping toward the photos. Horror and understanding settle into me like a weight.

Jumping off the couch, I pace, cursing myself for not seeing it sooner. I should have known my attack wasn’t an isolated incident. All these years, I thought I was just a victim of convenience.

What else have I missed?

Eli grabs me, holding me in place.

“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you, or Allie, but this is not your fault. These men didn’t act alone. This has been going on for a long time, and we’re going to end it,” he says, his voice growing louder with each word.

“We need to deal with Dalton,” I respond, my voice hard. “We have everything we need from him. It’s time he pays for his sins,” I whisper harshly.

Eli freezes, his eyes locked behind me. I turn, finding Allie standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock, her face so pale it’s almost gray.

“What do you mean ‘deal with Dalton’? What’s going on?”

“Alls—” I start.

“No. No more secrets. No more lies. I knew you two were hiding something.” Her whole body trembles. “Oh my god, is hehere?”

“Yes.” I straighten, pulling myself together, and resist the urge to flinch as her eyes fill with horror, her hands covering her mouth. “He’s locked in the basement.”

Chapter 40

There are moments in life that you never see coming. Shocking moments of betrayal that lead to a pain so acute, it changes you at your very core. People aren’t always who you think they are. They surprise you in both good and bad ways, but once the big reveal happens, you know, deep down inside, that nothing will ever be the same. And after everything that’s happened in the last two days, I should be prepared by now. I didn’t see this coming.

I try in vain to sleep, then finally give up and go to the bathroom. When I come out, I hear Eli and Tessa talking downstairs and something in her tone prickles my awareness. I’m not intentionally eavesdropping, but when Dalton’s name is brought up, I need to know what’s being said. Quietly, I make my way down the stairs, straining to catch the words drifting up from below.

“I don’t know how many times I have to tell you. Or Allie. This is not your fault. He didn’t act alone. This has been going on for a long time. But we’re going to end it,” he says, his voice growing louder with each word.

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