need her to testify against him. I don't need her to do anything except tell me if he was involved in what happened to her so I can build a timeline. I want to catch this asshole, Dread. I want to make him pay, and if we can tie him to Eden giving up gaming, it helps this case."
"Do you know what they did to her?" Dread asked. "They drugged her so she couldn't move! They took her upstairs and let an entire line of men have their way with her. They beat her. They choked her so hard she still has a rasp in her voice. They shoved things inside her. She had to get stitches down there, Cyn! She may never have kids! And you want me to just ask her if she knows this guy?!"
"Or do you want to let him keep getting away with it?" Jason countered. "Chris, I fucking know how you feel. I've been watching this asshole do this to the women around us for years now. Years! No, it's not going to be easy, but if we can stop him from doing it to anyone else?"
"I think he's definitely in KoG," Jason admitted. "I think he's popping up a little too much to be random."
"If it's him, I want to be at the trial."
"Done," Jason promised.
"Then I'll ask her," Dread promised. "I can't promise how soon I'll get an answer. There's a damned good chance she'll shut me out. Janna doesn't like to talk about that. She prefers that we all pretend like it never happened."
"In Denver," Jason said, "Arturo asked Rhaven if she had a penis. It's on a clip from TGC. It has his voice. It shows his face. If she knows him, that should be enough. If he was there, you'll know by her reaction."
"You've been talking to Dez, huh?" Dread asked.
"Yeah," Jason breathed. "I can't even imagine, you know? The things these women pull themselves back from? It's..."
"Inspiring," Dread finished for him, even though that wasn't the word Jason would've used. "We sit here and say we're the strong ones, but it's so much bullshit. Every woman I know has dealt with this shit so much that she thinks it's normal. They get stronger and braver. They learn how to be ready for it. They also refuse to give up. Even Dez figured out a way to keep going. May not be the way they wanted, or a way others respect, but they still fucking do it, Jason. The least we can do is be there for them."
"Wise words from a new dad," Jason joked, but it came out a little flat.
Dread just huffed in amusement. "Trust me. I'm scared shitless. I want my little girl to grow up and be a powerhouse. I want to make sure no boy ever hurts her. I also know I can't. Being there for Janna was hard. But if that ever happened to my daughter?"
"Which is why we're doing this," Jason reminded him. "This is how we make the world, even the virtual one, safer for the next generation. Let me know if she remembers anything, ok? And I'm so sorry I had to even ask."
"It's my way of fighting back," Dread assured him. "Just give me a few days."
But as soon as Jason was off the phone, he pulled his keyboard toward him and started typing. Knock couldn't find any other woman who was tied to Arturo. That meant there had to be a connection to Dez. He'd been at too many incidents. He was starting to get a little too brazen, almost like he knew they couldn't catch him. That meant there had to be a tie. There had to be some reason that Arturo Ganza was involved in the Kings of Gaming, and Jason was starting to believe it was because it had all been his idea.
High school records, college transcripts, police reports - Jason requested them all. He was going to dive deep into this man's life. He was going to figure out his favorite color, what he ate for breakfast, and how long it had been since the last time Arturo had gotten laid.
Slowly but surely, the pieces were falling into place. They all led right to the same man, and Jason was going to make sure the bad guys actually paid for what they'd done.
Chapter 14
Friday morning, Jason was dreaming of being late to class. It had been