Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
“Wouldn’t it, though?” I widen my eyes, allowing a hint of crazy to slip out. “Can you imagine lil’ ol’ me on the stand, testifying about all the horrible things I’ve witnessed and how it drove me insane?” I twirl a finger around my ear in a chaotic loop. “And my lawyer could argue that I’ve inhaled so many embalming fumes, they must’ve impaired my judgment?”
He stares at me. Shocked I’ve given it so much thought? Rethinking our relationship? Thinking we’re soul mates? I can’t tell.
“When the jury learns about the horrible things those men did to innocent women and children, do you really think they’ll convict me?” I ask, my tone sharpening to force a response from him.
“The system is broken, yeah. It could go that way.” His serious expression remains. “But a soulless prosecutor could also argue you’re a privileged woman who decided to seek vigilante justice against men who’d already done their time.”
“My version’s better,” I counter.
His lips quirk with frustration. “It is.” His expression hardens to stone. “But please join me here in the real world for a minute. Realistically, they’d probably go at you with everything they can. To make an example of you. To stop any other would-be vigilantes from following your path.”
“Jury nullification exists, you know,” I argue, crossing my arms over my chest. “All I’d need is a few mothers on that jury to hear what that monster did to Hoyt, and I think they’d set me free.”
He exhales another long, slow breath. “Or maybe they’d feel self-righteous and want to punish you because you had the strength to do what they couldn’t.”
That’s too scary to dwell on. “They found a mountain of evidence at Gade’s house. That was all over the news. They didn’t talk about his missing eye. Just all the child abuse media that was found and the investigation into where it came from. The assumption was that one of the other victims’ fathers killed him.”
I’d been a little insulted, actually, that they assumed a man killed Gade.
He nods faintly yet his skepticism seems to linger. “Makes sense, but still…”
I need him to understand that these weren’t rash, emotional decisions I made in some hormonal fog. Every choice was well-thought-out and rational.
“Every time, I ask myself, is this one worth me potentially ending up in prison for the rest of my life? So far, the answer has been yes.” I stand taller, my voice growing steadier. “A woman who killed pedophiles, rapists, wife beaters, and baby killers would probably be treated okay in prison.”
He stares at me for the longest time and as the silence stretches, I brace myself for the worst.
Finally, he exhales a long, slow breath. “You might be right about that last part. But I don’t like the risks you’ve taken. Forget going to prison. What if you get hurt while you’re hunting?”
“You’re not bothered by the morality of me committing murder?”
“What?” He snorts. “Fuck no. Not the pieces of filth you’re talking about. Your safety concerns me, though.”
“I’m very careful.” I glance down at my hands. “As much as I’d love to chop them into pieces, I’m cognizant of the fact that I don’t have the physical strength or size to overpower them.” I flick my wicked gaze at him again. “I have to be more thoughtful. Deliberate. Plan ahead. Use the element of surprise.”
Jigsaw
“You work so many hours. How do you have time for all this planning?” I ask, trying to get a better handle on Margot’s safety precautions.
“It’s not like I have a long list. There’ve only been four targets.” Margot rolls her shoulders, like a bird ruffling her feathers. “I’m not a psycho.”
I cock my head and pinch my thumb and index finger a millimeter apart. “You’re a little psycho.”
Her mouth turns down. Are her feelings hurt? She admitted to murder. Multiple murders. She’s smart enough to know that’s not exactly normal behavior. “You’re my little psycho,” I add. “Tell me more. Are they always connected to people who’ve come through the funeral home?”
“Do you know how many dead bodies I’ve seen?”
That’s not an answer to my question. “You grew up here. I’m guessing a lot.”
“Accidents, natural causes, weird stuff, and lots of normal, mundane deaths.” She pauses, swallowing hard and looking away. “The worst, though? The cruelty people inflict on others. On the most vulnerable. Children. Babies. Pregnant women. Those bother me the most.”
Her voice wobbles as she tips her chin up, and the sadness in her eyes punches me right in the chest. “Do you know murder is the leading cause of death for pregnant women and new mothers?”
My stomach clenches. “No.”
“It is.”
“I believe you.”
“Do you know how many children are molested—usually by someone they know—and never get justice?”
Unfortunately, I’ve known more people who survived horrible shit at the hands of someone who was supposed to protect them than I care to think about. “Too many.”