“I’m not going to the police. I’m not going to say,” her voice cracked in emotion. “…anything. I just want you to leave me alone. Please…”

She felt wetness on her thighs and she opened her eyes to see her tears raining on them. Memories of her daughter and brother slid down her face and shattered against her skin… skin that she had let their murderer touch.

“That’s why you think I’m here?” he asked. “To stop you from going to the cops?” Ethic shook his head. “Alani, look at me,” Ethic’s voice was pleading. He was always so stern and sure. It was the weakest she had ever heard him.

She shook her head. He leaned on top of the car, looking down at her.

“Do I need to worry about someone coming here to hurt me, now that I know?”

Finally, she looked up at him, her concern etched in the creases of her stressed forehead.

“I would body anybody that touched a hair on your head. I do that. I learned to move that way over the people I love a long time ago. It’s not right, and there will be a reckoning for that one day, but it’s necessary. Your brother raped Morgan that night. I didn’t know your daughter was in the house. She was sleeping on the other side of him on the couch, when I pulled the trigger. By the time I realized she was there, it was too late…”