Chapter 45 Kip
KIP
I leaned back in my chair and shifted, trying to find a more comfortable spot. “If you know so much, then who the hell did I kill because I thought it was Samantha? I fucking deserve to know.”
The Pied Piper stood and walked to the little kitchen and opened the fridge. He retrieved two bottles of water and brought one to me. “I get so parched during these kinds of conversations.” He unscrewed the cap and took several sips before he returned to his seat.
I twisted my lid, breaking the seal, and drank some myself.
“Tell me what you know, and then I’ll fill in the gaps.” He set his drink on the floor next to the couch.
“From what I can remember, my uncle, Mother, and who I thought was Samantha’s father were all in a room.
Samantha was crying and her father was pulling her across the room.
It was clear he was hurting her. Samantha was screaming for help, and I was trying to get to her, but Mother and Uncle Vinny blocked me.
After that, it was all a blur. I remember blood on my hands and Holland’s body was crumpled on the floor next to me.
There was so much blood. Fuck, I’m not even sure how I killed whoever the girl was or why. ”
One bushy eyebrow rose. “Interesting. And what if I told you none of that happened. You in fact never killed anyone until you were older.”
I struggled to breathe. Mother had said the same, but everything that came out of that bitch’s mouth was a twisted lie.
I had no reason to believe her until the Pied Piper confirmed the information.
“All the days and nights Mother made me repent and carved up my back, screaming at me that I’d killed her…
” The memories slammed into me so hard it knocked the wind out of me. “It was all to control me.”
“Jameson is better than I ever thought he would be.” He smiled, a faraway look on his face as if he were reeled back in time.
“Kip, you never killed that girl. Other than Samantha and Ally, there were no other girls that night. We weren’t even at your house when they were taken.
We were in the basement of Pendleton’s church. ”
I blinked at him as if he was the one with the memory problems.
“No, you’re wrong. It was at my place. Well, the outbuilding. Holland remembers it too.”
“Holland’s memory of that night is shaky at best. Yours …” He steepled his fingers tighter, staring at me over the top of them.
“What?” The bite to my tone carried a warning.
“Yours were planted. Nothing you remember is true. It never happened.”
The words dropped like a match into gasoline.
I shot out of my chair so fast it scraped across the floor, wood screaming. My pulse thundered in my skull.
No.
I knew this theory. I’d heard it before. Holland had said something similar—her voice steady, her eyes wide with that unbearable concern I couldn’t face. I’d brushed her off then. I had to. Because the alternative? It meant my memories—my whole self—might be a lie.
But hearing it now from him, from the abomination who had ruined everything, made it real. Undeniable.
The floor tilted under me. The air thickened like smoke in my lungs.
I paced too fast, like I could outrun it, outshout it.
“What the fuck do you mean?” My voice cracked, and I didn’t care. “You better explain fast before I tear you and this whole goddamn place apart.”
And I meant every word.
My skin vibrated with rage, panic, betrayal. Because if he was telling the truth, then everything I’d believed about myself, everything I’d done was built on rot. What was worse? To be a killer in truth, or to discover my entire life had been molded and twisted from lies?
I didn’t know if I wanted the answer … or if I just wanted to rip his throat out before he could say another word.
The Pied Piper never even blinked at my threat.
“At one time, Jameson worked for the military, and he specialized in mind control and embedding memories that never happened. At first, he was used to helping soldiers who suffered after being in wars or trauma. He basically reprogrammed their trauma with good experiences that helped them move on. Live a good life again.”
I folded my arms over my chest, a chill creeping up my spine.
“Then, I met him one evening at a bar. What he didn’t know was that his skills were already on my radar, and I felt they might be very useful.
I was right. It’s actually amazing that all of these years you thought you killed a girl.
And even I know that goes against everything you are at your core.
Yes, you’re a killer, but you protect women and children at all costs. ”
“Yeah, so what? You know that about me. What the fuck actually happened to me?”
“I know this is a lot to take in, but I think it will be worth your time. Sit.” He pointed to the chair.
“I don’t want to.”
“Sit, or I won't give you the answers you want.” He stared at me patiently, waiting.
Reluctantly, I sat down again.
“Lily and your uncle learned of an opportunity to dive deep into the underworld and have a part of the sex trafficking business. It was a huge moneymaker, and it funded a lot of my ‘missions’, if you will.”
“Your kills? Paying off people to not turn you in?”
“Exactly. We all met and discussed the possibilities of the business and what that meant for our futures.”
Bile swam up my throat as he referred to selling girls as a goddamn business.
Everything inside me wanted to slit his throat.
My hand instinctively went to my cross, but it was gone.
My anger boiled over into a full-on rage that I was barely able to contain.
That weapon was everything to me. It was marked with Holland’s arousal, the knife I used to protect myself and kill when I wanted to.
“Where’s my cross?” I glared at him.
“It’s safe for now. You’ll get it back when you leave. You have my word.” He motioned to the kitchen counter, and I saw my necklace near the sink.
“Like your word is something to be trusted.” My nostrils flared.
“I’m many things, Kip, but I do keep my word.
You’ll see.” He reached for his water and took another sip.
“Now, where was I? Oh yes. After much discussion, we all agreed that the best place to run a sex trafficking ring would be right out of the church. Summer camps, youth groups, Halloween carnivals that were safe.”
What the fuck?
“Pendleton offered his place; your mother attended religiously.” He chuckled. “Pardon the pun.”
I didn’t laugh.
“It was the perfect front. Everyone loved Pendleton and his sermons were very good. He was quite impressive. They didn’t put me to sleep like other pastors did. He was fun and engaged the congregation.”
I couldn’t believe the shit coming out of this man’s mouth.
He sat in church, pretending to be someone good while he, my mother, and the pastor stole girls and sold them.
Would he be happy to be reunited in hell with my mother?
Regardless of how I felt, I had to play along. I was finally getting answers.
“I remember the church, I think. I was there with the pastor’s son a lot since Mother always dragged me there.”
“Yes, you did spend a significant amount of time there. Until you walked in on us selling Samantha and Ally. That’s when everything changed and measures were taken.”