She huffs out a breath. “I do know it. I just don’t understand why you need so many women. It boggles

my mind how they can all get along so well. Had Dale tried to pull something like that I would have ripped off his balls.”

I choke out a laugh. I have no doubt Mae would do exactly that.

“Anyway, you better get up there and get this over with. I’ve got meat loaf in the oven that’ll burn if I don’t pull it out soon.” She points her finger at Judge. “And only one girl at my house Sunday.”

He gives her a two-finger salute with a grin, and we both turn and head to the stage. Taking the stairs two at a time, I walk over to the long table and take a seat beside Emo and JW, while Judge goes to the podium. There’s a second podium a few feet away from him.

“We all know why we’re here.”

There’re angry murmurs in the crowd and some of the more vocal members call out nasty names. I couldn’t agree with them more, but keep that to myself.

Judge waits for the crowd to simmer down before continuing.

“Two days ago, Gary Watters was brought into custody for sexually assaulting his ten-year-old daughter Brittney. He also sexually assaulted his four-year-old son, Jacob.”

My scalp tingles as anger makes my skin feverish. Judge holds his hand in the air when people start getting loud again.

“The evidence is irrefutable from the bruises on Brittney, Gary’s DNA we pulled from her fingernails, and the rape kit Susan performed. He’s been sexually and physically abusing both children for years, right under our noses. This is something we do not tolerate in Malus.” His voice is hard when he speaks the last and looks over the crowd.

“The people of Malus have always been fair, so to give due diligence to anyone accused of such hideous crimes we offer them a chance to defend themselves.” He looks over to deputy Sanchez. “Deputy, bring in Gary Watters.”

Sanchez turns from his perch against the wall, pushes open a door next to him, and steps inside. A moment later he tugs out Watters. His head is cast down as low undertones whisper across the room. Animosity thickens the air and hate-filled glares mentally slaughter Watters as Sanchez leads him across the stage to the other podium. His hands are cuffed behind his back, and he’s walking with a slight limp.

The very sight of the man riles my ire to boiling levels. I’m not the only one affected by the sight of him. I can practically feel the heat coming off Emo sitting next to me, and I know JW isn’t doing much better. Looking at Judge, his body is noticeably tense.

“Gary Watters,” Judge begins. “You’re here because of the accusations set forth against you. Two counts of sexual assault made against your children Brittney and Jacob Watters, two counts of child abuse, and two counts of child neglect. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

It’s not until then that Gary lifts his head and faces the crowd. The man is a true piece of shit, and what makes him more so is the complete lack of remorse on his face.

“Brittney’s lying,” is the only thing the coward says.

I fist my hands against my thighs. The need to get up and fuck up the guy’s face is strong. By the harsh words being spewed by many of the town folk, I’m sure they’re struggling with the same need.

I look to my right and see Emo’s jaw tense and the rapid beat of the vein in his neck. My eyes slide past him to JW, who’s watching Emo as well. Something passes between us. Emo is unpredictable and can go off the deep end at any minute. Glancing down, I notice the clenched fist on his thigh and the bouncing leg, and know he’s precariously close to the edge. I reach under the table, dig into Emo’s pocket and pull out the key before shoving it into his hand. His body tenses beside me, but doesn’t move his laser-like gaze from Gary. Once he feels the key in his hand, he relaxes fractionally. I hate to aid his need for self-harm, but with sex off the table at the moment, it’s the only thing that’ll keep him from killing Gary.

“How do you account for your semen in Brittney or the skin we found underneath her nails?” Judge asks, gripping the edges of the podium. Judge has always been the most level-headed of the four of us, but I know he’s battling his own demons.

Gary keeps quiet after that. Not that there’s really anything he can say. The evidence is there, and there’s no way of getting around it. We may do things differently in Malus, but we aren’t barbarians. We believe in giving everyone a fair chance, even when there’s undeniable proof. Unfortunately for Gary, he has nothing to use for his defense.

Judge faces the crowd again. “In order for the town of Malus to come to a decision, the vote must be unanimous.” He stops and looks around a moment. “All in favor of the Expiration Penalty?”

Hands start raising before the words leave his mouth. Every person is looked at to ensure they each have a hand raised. Looking down at the papers on the table, I flip to the last page. One-hundred and thirty-three people signed in tonight. Of those one-hundred and thirty-three people, every single one has a hand raised.

JW comes to a stand and begins moving around the table. My eyes flick to Gary, who has stiffened, a look of panic widening his eyes. His hands cuffed behind him are balled into fists. Seconds later, he shoves Sanchez with a shoulder to his stomach. The deputy stumbles off the stage and falls on his ass with a grunt. Gary darts toward another side door, but before he can push it open, JW is there, gripping him by the throat. He none too gently flips him around and shoves him hard against the wall. His face meets the drywall and he lets out a groan.

Gary struggles, but it doesn’t take much for JW to hold him in place.

“Stay there, fucker,” JW growls.

Judge hasn’t moved from his perch at the podium, confident Gary wouldn’t get away. The audience however, has grown loud.

“Silence,” Judge booms, and they quiet down, still shooting death glares at Gary. “All in favor for those opposed to the Expiration Penalty set forth against Gary Watters?”

The only sound in the room is the shuffling of bodies as everyone looks around to see if anyone raises their hand. No one does.

“In accordance with the people of Malus, Texas, with a unanimous vote, Gary Watters, you are sentenced to the Expiration Penalty. The date is set for three days from now on Monday, July thirtieth.”

Tags: Alex Grayson Hell Night Romance
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