Page 56 of Justus
“Yeah.”To my horror, my eyes start to burn. I’m not a crier, and I don’t say thatbecause I’m a guy. I’ve known guys who cry more than chicks. I’ve just alwaysbeen the anger and revenge type. “When I said I had to work, I went undercoveras a buyer. They were auctioning her off like a piece of property. Mason’s FBIbuddy helped set it up so I could try to save her, but I had to stay away fromanyone I knew personally, and live the reclusive life those assholes thought Ihad until I could get to her. If they had figured out I wasn’t who I said Iwas, they would have gone after the people I care about. That’s how they work.”
“Iunderstand,” she murmurs.
“ButI could have gotten word to you if I’d tried. All I could think about wasgetting Hannah out of there and making them pay.”
“Justus.”She turns to me and cups my jaw. “It’s okay. It was an impossible situation,and I’m assuming it’s not something we have to worry about happening again.”
Compassionshines in her eyes as tears overflow, and I pull her into my chest. “Don’t,” Iorder hoarsely. “Don’t cry.”
“WillHannah be okay?”
“Ihope so, eventually, but Sade, it’s going to be a long recovery, and she’sgoing to need me…a lot.”
“Ofcourse she will. Just tell me how I can help. Anything I can do.”
Tighteningmy embrace, I murmur in her ear. “This is all I need.”
Herface burrows into my neck. “I hate to tell you this, but you’re pretty hung upon me.”
Laughing,I wipe my eyes. God, I love this woman.
“Ihave news for you, Sweets. The feeling is mutual. I see how you look at me. Theway you gaze at my body in awe, with your jaw hanging, a little drool drippingout.”
“Hmm,yet I’m the one who gets woken up at night with a stiff cock poking me in myback.”
“What?What’s his name? I’ll kick his ass!”
Laughing,she gets to her feet, and I join her. The hardest things I have to tell her arestill to come. We make it to a small wooden bridge spanning a rushing creek andsit down, dangling our legs over the edge.
“There’ssomething else.”
Shepicks up a leaf and fiddles with it, tearing off tiny pieces and watching themflutter away. “I kind of figured. Just spit it out. I can handle it.”
“I’vekilled people,” I blurt. Smooth, Justus. That’s how you do it.
“Youmean In Safe Hands…”
“Yes,it was for ISH, but I’m the one who actually did it.”
“Abusers?”she asks, staring into the water. My heart thumps. I can’t get a read on her totell how freaked out or disgusted she is.
“Two.The worst of the worst. They targeted kids, and kept beating the system. It wastake them out or watch them victimize another child.”
Everysecond of silence roils up the fear churning inside me. Finally, she says, “Howdo you get away with it? I mean…the bodies.”
“Wehave a way to…completely break them down. I can’t tell you about that, Sade.That’s another thing. With ISH, there will be other times when there will bethings you can’t know. It’s the same for Zoe and Ayda, not because we don’ttrust you, but—
“Sowe aren’t incriminated,” she interrupts.
“Exactly.”
“Sade,look at me,” I plead when she continues to stare into the water. “You aren’tafraid of me, are you?”
Asoft smile stretches across her face. “No, but I can’t go to bed at night andwonder if you’re out killing someone, no matter how much they deserve it. I’dbe on edge all the time. I’m not worried about what you’ve done in the past.Maybe it makes me a terrible person, but putting the safety of kids before thelife of some predator seems like the right thing to do, no matter the law.”
Herwords fill me with relief until she adds, “Does that have to be your role? Doyou have to do it again?”
Thesimple answer is no. I don’t have to. ISH as a whole doesn’t have to. “No, andI won’t,” I reply, making the decision then and there. “Mason and his contactshave really helped us, and if I can manage to get my sister back withoutkilling the fuckers who tortured her and turned her out, then we can find analternative for other predators too.”
