“Not obviously. They just keep tabs. Make sure he goes to work. Make sure he stays where he’s supposed to be. And if he ever tries to leave? If he ever tries to contact you? He loses everything. The job. The house. The protection from his old employer finding out about the embezzlement.”
“So he’s trapped.”
I thought about it. Part of me wanted Kevin to suffer. Wanted him to feel the fear and pain he’d inflicted on me for eleven years. This felt too gentle. Too merciful.
Thomas seemed to read my mind.
“I know what you’re thinking. You want him punished. I understand. But punishment creates problems. He goes to prison, he gets out eventually. Angrier than before. More determined. Violence? Same thing. If he survives, he comes for revenge. If he doesn’t survive, your brother goes to prison and you spend the rest of your life with that guilt.”
He leaned back in his chair.
“This way, everyone lives. Everyone stays free. And you never have to look over your shoulder again.”
“How many times have you done this?” I asked.
“You’ll be the eighth woman we’ve helped this way. Five ex-husbands and two ex-boyfriends are currently living productive lives in other states under our watch. None of them have ever come back. None of them have ever contacted their victims.”
“Why? Why do you do this?”
His voice was steady but his eyes were wet.
“I spent most of my life angry. Did things I’m not proud of. But when I got older, when I took over this club, I decided to channel that anger into something productive. Something that actually protects women instead of just punishing men after the damage is done.”
He stood up and extended his hand.
“So that’s our offer, Sarah. Let us relocate Kevin. Let us give you your life back. All you have to do is trust us.”
I looked at Marcus. He nodded. “These are good men, Sarah. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t believe that.”
I shook Thomas’s hand. “Okay. Do it.”
Three weeks later, Kevin was gone.
