84. Cassandra Walker
Alexa Play: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Loveless
Theo texted me to let me know she’d made her apologies, and she and Cal were heading to the ring to get ready for her big fight.
I took the opportunity to get in touch with Vox and let him know about all the shit I’d just found out on my end.
It didn’t take long for my phone to blow up once I sent him Father Samwell’s name.
He sent me articles outlining how the man had been forced to resign from St Andrews Elementary School several years after both Theo and Ryan had graduated.
Details of why he’d suddenly stepped down had been vague, but I was willing to bet my Audi it was because one of the students had come forward with allegations.
The fact that Samwell had been able to keep something so scandalous quiet like that led me to believe that he really was as connected as he claimed to be.
I’d let Vox know about his alleged relationship with the attorney general, and left him to dig into that as I made my way back to the condo to shower and change.
It was a Saturday, so I didn’t need to head into the office, which meant I had the rare opportunity to pamper myself as I went through the steps of my self-care routine.
Theo’s suit was hanging on the edge of the hamper, and her gym bag was gone, which told me she’d stopped here first before heading to the ring to meet up with her coach for whatever it was they did to prepare for a big fight like this.
Gathering up her clothes, I hung them on the back of our bedroom door so I would remember to take them with the rest of my things when I went to the dry cleaners later that week.
I had a couple of hours to kill before Theo’s big fight, and I was hoping Vox would get back to me soon with information on how he wanted to tackle dealing with the reverend once I had her back home, safely tucked in bed.
If I had my way, Theo would win her fight tonight, and as a reward, I would deliver her abuser to her, bound and gagged.
She could kill him if she wanted to.
If she didn’t, I would do it.
Either way, that man was dying, and I was really hopeful I’d be able to get it done tonight. If not tonight, then tomorrow at the latest.
But that all depended on Vox and what he came back with in terms of the reverend’s connections.
He was currently out on bail, as he’d been arrested immediately after Viv and Ed sent the footage I’d uncovered to the police.
So, I was hoping that even if he was associated with some bigger underground trafficking ring, they would just be happy to have him taken care of.
Surely if the attorney general was involved in something so sinister, he would think of the reverend as a loose end…
But that begged a bigger question… Once I took out Sterling… then what? Did I just sit back and do nothing about the fact that whatever he was doing was a part of a larger operation?
My brother had taken out Apex…
But he’d had to, or he would have never been free of the man who held his chains. Was it really my responsibility to dig into something that could potentially get me and my wife killed?
Remembering that girl that the reverend had dragged through the lobby of the Antoinette and how absolutely hopeless she looked… I didn’t think I could turn a blind eye.
Whether it was smart to get involved in this or not, I wasn’t sure my morals would allow me to let it go. I had to do something to help these children…
These were the thoughts spinning through my head when I received a text from the man himself.
I frowned down at my phone to find Vox had sent me a bunch of those big red exclamation point emojis, followed by a link to a folder that held several emails with Viktor White’s tag on them.
My eyes flew across the screen as I read the messages.
It was an email chain between Reverend Sterling and the attorney general. Sterling was essentially asking White to use his influence to get his name cleared, and White was basically telling him he was on his own.
Es
They don’t have anything. I’m certain it’s that little bitch running her mouth. She told her whore wife about the lessons I put her through as a child. Once we get rid of Fairview, they won’t have anything.
Vw
This is your mess; clean it up. I won’t risk being implicated in this any more than I already am.
The detective on your case sent me your file. They have video evidence, Sterling. How could you be so stupid?
Es
We just need to eliminate the whistleblowers.
I already took care of that little cunt, Meredith.
I’ll take care of Fairview, too. I just need you to give me the contact list of the neanderthals that fight in your ring.
She’s involved in it. Maxwell told me she’s got some headliner coming up with someone who already has a few casualties under her belt.
I’m sure I can… convince her to slip Fairview something before the fight and then take her out.
It’ll just look like the little bitch lost. It’ll never come back to us.
Vw
Fine. I’ll have Randal forward the list to you. But then don’t bother me with this shit again. It’s not my fault you’re incapable of keeping your little sluts quiet.
My blood turned to ice as I read, and my eyes flew to the date stamps on the exchange. This was two days ago. Did that mean Theo was about to walk into a rigged match?
I barely had time to consider how fucked up it was that Theo’s underground league seemed to be run by the fucking attorney general… but I supposed that explained why it hadn’t ever faced any sort of heat from authorities.
My phone buzzed again, and I hissed in frustration as Vox sent me another string of emails.
These were between Sterling and someone I assumed was the Russian’s coach.
He asked for a meeting with them, and a powerful explosion of rage and fear surged through my chest as it became clear that a meeting was agreed upon and set.
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I had to warn Theo… Oh my fucking god.
The fight was still a few hours away. I had time to warn her… I had time.
I rushed to our bedroom and ripped open the bottom drawer of my end table to grab several boxes of ammo before hurrying back into the living room to snatch up my bag.
My Beretta was tucked away in its usual pocket, and I forced myself to take the time to ensure it was loaded and the safety was on before I slipped into my Pumas.
Hopping into my Audi, I punched Theo’s contact card and listened as her phone rang on a loop before going to voicemail.
‘Hey. You’ve reached Theo. You know what to do.’
“Pick up!” I screeched before sending several voice-to-text messages, hoping she would read them and see how urgent it was that she answered the fucking phone.
‘Calm down. They want to make it look like a casualty. It is unlikely they will harm her before the fight.’
“You don’t know that! They put a fucking hit out on her, for Christ’s sake! Do you really want to trust that they’re going to be smart about it? What if the Russian just walks into Jerry’s office and fucking shoots her?! It would be a hell of a lot easier!”
My monster didn’t have an answer to that. It just flicked its tail in agitation and growled softly.
‘Then I suppose you’d better hurry up,’ it finally said, and I gritted my teeth in frustration, punching Theo’s contact card again on the screen of my Audi.
‘Hey. You’ve reached Theo. You know what to do.’
Again.
‘Hey. You’ve reached Theo. You know what to do.’
Again!
‘Hey. You’ve reached Theo. You know what to do.’
I screamed in fear and rage as her phone went to voicemail over and over again, and I tried to convince myself that she wasn’t already fucking dead as I sped through the streets of Silent Hollow.