The Falling Sky brand sizzles against his abdomen, and Garth's cries fill the room once more. He begs for mercy, begs for the agony to end. Even though the branding iron isn't as hot, it still mars Garth's skin. Santiago doesn't stop until Garth’s torso is littered with the letters “FS.”
Levi crouches down, yelling over the whaling to be heard. “Answer the goddamn question!”
Garth snaps, letting the truth free. “They wanted it!”
Bile rolls in my stomach. “Excuse you?”
Garth's face is blotchy from crying as snot drips from his nose. “They wanted it, I swear. They begged me.”
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out one of the photos depicting the heinous acts of Garth and Evan and shove it in Garth's face. “Do you really think this girl wanted you to coerce her into having sex? Does her face look like she’s having a good time?”
Garth has the good sense, at least, not to look aroused by the photo. “Sh—she?—”
I cut him off, letting a fraction of my fury show. “Shewas a sixteen-year-old girl who just wanted to make it to the eleventh grade.”
“She did!” Garth says it as if the girl achieved it on her own.
But we all know the truth.
“After you told her you could help her with her failing grades,” Levi adds.
Retrieving another thing from my pocket, I continue, “Last question,” I growl as I hold up a sheet of paper with various teenage girls’ school pictures, “are there any more?”
“No. None.” Garth lets out a sigh as if he's finally relieved that all of the facts are finally out in the open, and somehow I know it’s not an act.
“No. None.”
“Don’t you dare lie.” Santiago threatens.
“I’m not, I swear on my children.”
Garth shakes his head vigorously. “I’m not, I swear on my children.”
Levi scoffs. “You don’t have any children.”
Without warning, I pull my Glock 19 from its holster. My index finger squeezes the trigger, sending a bullet through Garth's head.
Santiago mutters a curse as Levi flinches.
“No habíamos terminado,” Santiago snaps.We weren’t done.
[shoot]
“What the hell?”
Switching the safety on, I return my gun to my belt. “He was telling the truth. Besides, we have bigger cases to investigate.” Striding back for the door, I stepped out onto the unstable porch.
One case solved.
Another twenty to close.
And I'm not giving up.
CHAPTER 17
LEVI
My back aches, reminding me of my age. It was a long day at the clinic, running between farm calls and appointments. Walker asked me to meet him at Santiago’s house after I closed the clinic, and I obliged.
