Page 40 of The King of Hearts

Charlotte closes her eyes, one of her hands going to her midsection, as if she can still feel the pain of that kick and the small life it destroyed. Her throat moves like she’s holding back tears.

When she opens her eyes again, she directs her gaze to Lili, who has more tears falling down her cheeks. Some for herself, but more for the woman in front of her, I’m sure. My own eyes fill with moisture, and I struggle to keep the tears at bay.

“I knew the instant his foot met my stomach that he killed the life growing inside me. I found out later that the kick was so hard that he crushed my baby’s skull.”

I’ve heard this story several times, and each one is just as painful to hear as the first. A noise escapes Lili, and her hand flies to her mouth, trying to hold in the sound of anguish. As if we’re in sync, we both shift over to allow Charlotte room to sit on the other side of Lili.

“Bishop and Braxton found me.”

She pauses, and her gaze moves to Bishop. He’s still in his chair, leaning back with his legs slightly parted. One arm is on the armrest, while the other is bent, his thumb sliding across his chin, his expression neutral. For all intents and purposes, he looks indifferent, but it’s the slight tic in his jaw and the way his fingers curl around the arm rest that gives away his true emotions. He may not show it, but he’s just as affected as the rest of us.

His eyes meet Charlotte’s, and they share a private moment before Charlotte brings her attention back to Lili.

“When they found me, I wasn’t doing well. I was at my lowest point and felt I had no reason left to live after losing my baby. I just wanted it all to end.” She lifts her arms so her scars are visible. One looks worse than the other. “I was just starting on my second wrist when Bishop and Braxton showed up at thehotel room I was hiding in. After they patched me up, they brought me here, where Dr. Bale treated my wounds.”

“What—” Lili pauses and licks her lips. “What happened to your husband?”

“Do you mean, was he arrested and convicted?”

Lili nods.

“No. His father was a US Senator. I made the mistake once of reporting him after he broke my arm. He easily got off, and the consequences of reporting him were broken ribs and a dislocated jaw.”

Lili’s lips press together, and a flare of anger flashes in her eyes. It’s the same reaction every person in the room feels.

“The first few days I was here, I still wanted to kill myself. I even searched out ways to do it. But then Alexander came to me and gave me a reason to live.”

“What was it?” Lili asks.

“Revenge.”

Lili jerks slightly, her brows furrowing. “Revenge?”

“That’s what we offer our clients.” Lili switches her gaze to Dad when he speaks. “Closure. The power and ability to get back what was stolen from them. Our justice system is corrupt and allows vile people like Charlotte’s husband and the person who hurt you to walk free without consequence, and it gives them the opportunity to do it again. All the while, the people they hurt are left in a tailspin. Always fearful. Always watching over their shoulder. Feeling unfinished because their attackers were not punished in the manner in which they deserve.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees with his hands loosely laced together. “If you allow us, we’ll make it so you feel safe again, Liliana. So you and your daughter won’t ever have to worry about that bastard. And in the process, you’ll get the justice you have every right to receive.”

Lili’s eyes drop from his and fall to her lap. Her hands are clasped so tightly together on her thighs that her knuckles are white, and I’m sure she has little crescent moons on her palms from digging her nails into her skin.

I can’t imagine what must be going through her mind right now. It’s not every day that you’re propositioned with a plan to kill another person. But it’s what my family and The Raven Group do. I have no regrets regarding the lives The Raven Group has taken, and I know none of the other members do either. The people we eradicate, the moment they’ve committed their crimes against the innocent, only deserve death in retaliation.

Dad and a friend of his, Declan Wayde, started down this path over twenty years ago when someone broke into my parents’ house while Dad was out having a beer with Declan. It was meant to be a robbery only. Some rich kid got cut off from daddy’s pocket and decided to break into a house to hunt for some loot. When he found Mom in the bedroom getting ready for bed, he decided he wanted more than just jewelry. Dad and Declan walked in right before the guy could rape her. They did the right thing and called the cops, but the little bastard’s father got his son off due to a technicality. Dad was livid and took matters into his own hands, with the help of Declan. That was the first man Dad killed. Five years later, The Raven Group was formed.

Declan lived on the island until his great-niece became sick a few years ago. He went to live with them for a while to help out because he was the only family they had. He was supposed to come back, but he ended up meeting and marrying a woman. It worked out because he and Dad had talked about creating a western branch, and that was the perfect opportunity to implement that plan. Declan now has a group of twelve over in Texas.

“Grant is my step-brother,” Lili says quietly, snapping me back to the present. “He’s twelve years older than me and was adopted before I was born. I don’t know when it all started. It could have been the day our parents brought me home from the hospital, or maybe it started sometime later. All of my memories are of him being very affectionate. In ways he shouldn’t have been. When I was little, I thought I was special. Grant told me I was. He said only little sisters as special as me were allowed to play with their big brothers like we did. We’d play house. He was the husband, and I was the wife.”

“Fuck,” Bishop mutters, jacking up from his chair and stalking across the room. He stops at the window where he braces his hands on the seal, his shoulders hunched. Lili doesn’t notice.

“There were also the games ‘ride the horsey’ and ‘how many licks.’ I learned how to count by that game.”

Bile rises in my throat, threatening to choke me, but I force the need to puke back down.

“Where were your parents?” Dad asks, his voice deep. “Did they not see what was going on?”

Lili keeps her eyes downcast, as if she’s too ashamed to meet anyone’s eyes. “Grant kept our games a secret. He told me if I said anything to anyone, I’d be taken away and I’d never get to see him or our parents again. That they’d give me to another family, one who would be mean to me.”

“Jesus Christ,” Cassio mumbles.

“I didn’t want to be taken away. I loved my big brother, and I thought our games were special. That it really did make me special because no other brothers and sisters were allowed to play them. We were in our own secret little world.”

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