Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 121153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
AK met my eyes. I nodded my head, telling the ex-sniper to calm his friend the fuck down. AK moved in front of Flame and started talking him down off the ledge. Flame’s eyes closed, and he growled, “That happened to Maddie. That fuckin’ happened to my Maddie. They hurt her in those fuckin’ things. They fuckin’ hurt her.”
My blood boiled at his words, because the anger over that fucking rape ritual stirred in me, too. Every time I looked at Mae’s scarred inner thighs I got murdering mad. As I glanced across at Ky, who had his eyes closed to calm himself the fuck down, I knew my VP was close to going nuclear on Rider’s ass too.
“I stopped it!” Rider spat out, as if sensing I was a few seconds away from scalping him where he sat. Rider’s face contorted with pain. “I didn’t believe that it actually happened until that day.”
“Mae told you, scumbag. She told me she’d told you,” I signed.
Rider’s expression fell and he turned his head away. “I didn’t believe her. I thought she was just lying to get free from us . . . but now I know it was the truth. I saw that messed-up shit with my own eyes.” He dragged in a breath and squeezed his eyes shut. “I saw the men raping the kids, forcing themselves on tiny kids . . . so I stopped it . . . I beat a man until he fucking stopped breathing. It was sick . . . I never . . . I could never have believed that kind of act was true of my people.”
Viking appeared at my side. He crouched down to meet Rider’s eyes, flicking his knife back and forth in his hands. “So you got a type, rape-rat? You like the itty-bitty blondes, or do the pre-pubescent brunettes do it for ya? Below age ten or just over?”
Rider shook with fury. “None, you dick! I don’t fuck kids. I would never do that!”
Viking drew back his head. “Really, ‘cause that’s all you guys do over there in that commune, right? Rape kids day and night, all in the name of ‘God’?”
Rider closed his eyes briefly. “I didn’t do anything like that. I’m telling you the truth. I never did none of that shit. I stayed locked away, failing every day at being the leader . . . I didn’t know . . . ”
“Mmm . . . You better not be lyin’ to me, fucktard. ‘Cause if there’s one thing none of us Hangmen will tolerate, it’s kiddie-fiddlers.” He pointed the tip of his knife at Rider’s forehead, pressing it forward until a drop of blood spilled from the skin. “So if we find out you’ve been lyin’—if I find out you’re lyin’—I’m gonna get real inventive with your dick and this here knife.” He smiled. “I’ve been gettin’ some real interestin’ tips from my fellow psycho, Flame. And shit, that guy hates pedos even more than me.”
“They came for me,” Rider said urgently. “After I destroyed the room where they were holding the Lord’s Sharing, I banned it, expelled the practice . . . so they came for me. My own twin turned on me and took my place as prophet. He and his guards locked me in a motherfucking cell, away from anyone who could help. And for the past several weeks they’ve beaten me every day, making me pay for getting rid of that messed-up practice. My own twin turned on me because he’d rather fuck kids.”
We all stared at him. And I had zero fucking clue as to whether he was lying. Because that’s what Rider did. He fucking lied. Lied all the bastard time.
“I believed that shit my whole life, was made to. But I recently found out how and why the commune was created . . . and none of it was for religion. So you might say I’m a sinner now too.” I glared, waiting for him to keep the hell going.
“Judah has been running the commune, pretending to be me. The people didn’t notice it was a switch. And now he’s gearing up for war. He’s got the people fired up, telling them end of the world is coming, that God revealed it was Armageddon.” He inhaled. “They are coming here for you. Judah’s planning an attack on the Hangmen, this compound, soon. And they’re coming with one goal: to kill. All of you . . . and all the women too.”
My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching my teeth. Tank asked Rider, “Your brother, is he still using the Klan for guns?”
Rider frowned at the turn in questioning, but nodded his head. Tank turned to Tanner. “The guns. That fuckin’ shipment of guns.”
Tanner ran his hand over his head. “Shit! I just knew it was somethin’. I had a fuckin’ feelin’.”