Page 115 of Terror Tuesday

There’s a pause as he squeezes my hand. “He raped a lot of women. Including Naomi. And to keep them silent, he slaughtered them on Terror Tuesday—like an offering to the Seven. You…you were next on his list.”

A ragged breath gets caught on a scream that won’t come. Images of that night flood me—Reggie’s rough stubble, his sweat on my skin. My vision darkens until I’m a girl again, fighting to keep my soul from slipping away.

“Itwashim.”

Dizziness hits me as Valen’s words sink in— Reggie… Naomi…Omegasisters… The sacrifice of blood on my hands. My stomach twists, bile rising.

Naomi’s fascination with my butterfly. Had she seen mine? The one I kept in his office for the times I’d cry while he forced himself inside me?

Despite the flashes of my darkest memories, an odd comfort rises, slowing my heart rate. Shoulders relax their tension…

I claimed vengeance before understanding the full depth of his darkness.

And now, instead of being cocooned in guilt, I’ve broken free and fly with justice.

Before I realize, Valen has me on his lap, arms wrapped tightly around me like a blanket. “How do you know?” It settles inside me like truth, but I want to besure.

“I have him on video from my own cameras of that night.”

I whip my head to the side to look into his eyes. “So why not give the evidence to the president? To the governor? To the law—” Even as the words come out, I understand why he didn’t.

“I love you. I do… But these menallowthis to happen. They turn either a blind eye or encourage it.”

“My sisters lying in that motel room… He hurtallof them?”

“Yes.”

“And the one with her intestines spilled?”

Valen’s eyes dart to the side. “Weirdly, I don’t have footage of her being killed. But the others, I do. I’m just assuming he blocked the camera for her, his first victim.”

“But if they didn’tcarethat he did it, or even would cover it up, why? Why did he do it?”

He grows very quiet, contemplative. “The person wearing a cloak, the one who I think has been watching me, and I followed them in the woods. He or…she pointed out Reggie wandering around the cottages.”

“So what are you saying?” I ask.

“What if someone actuallydidwant to make sure he got caught? What if there was someone trying to undermine his efforts?”

A shadow passes over his face—like this weight he carries has become a part of him. He’s watched these men for so long and has pocketed away their crimes, knowing no one else would pay attention. But then his eyes find mine again, and something shifts. His expression softens, the darkness receding for just a moment.

It reminds me of the moment at the bar withElliotsaying he didn’t care if he lived or died…before he met me.

“Enough of that for tonight,” he says, squeezing me tighter. “I don’t want to think about him anymore.”

“Me neither,” I whisper as I lean into his chest.

He lets out a soft, rueful laugh. “You know, when you’re mad at me, it’s like I can feel it in the air.”

I give him a teasing smirk. “Oh? And when I’m not mad?”

His lips tilt into a faint, almost boyish smile. “Then it’s like the sun’s finally come out after years of rain.”

I laugh lightly, warmth flooding through me. “I think I’ve forgiven you.”

“Have you?”

My hand finds his, bringing it to my lips, kissing each knuckle. “Because you saved me.”