Read Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row for Free Online

All eyes watched her pour an inch of vodka into a tall glass then fill it with Bloody Mary mix and an extra dash of Tabasco. "Did someone die while I was out?" she asked in a hoarse voice as she carried her drink back to the seat she had vacated earlier.
    April visibly gathered her patience before speaking. "We've filled Holly in on our personal experiences, and I was about to tell her how we got together."
    "Oh, please, Doctor, let me," Rachel begged with a slight slur. "You never give yourself enough credit when you tell this part. See, Holly, April was the one who figured out what had been going on and managed to steal one of the boys' dance cards. She contacted each girl on the card, even tracking down some of those that had left school. She managed to get thirty-five of them to meet to compare notes and talk. Some of them knew of others who had been taken advantage of, and eventually the Little Sister Society boasted over fifty members. We thought it was appropriate to retain the name. By spreading the word around campus, handing out flyers and posting notices in the public restrooms, we put an end to the fraternity's reign of terror."
    Erica added, "April was one of those fortunate people who knew what she wanted to be when she grew up and had a natural talent for her goal. The first point we all agreed on was that goin' to the police or college administration was a complete waste of time. The only thing that had accomplished was more humiliation for the victims and only an occasional verbal reprimand for the naughty boys. Some of the girls were helped just by bein' able to talk to someone else about what they'd gone through and how they felt. And then there were those of us who wanted revenge."
    Rachel retrieved control of the narration the moment Erica paused for effect. "April weeded out the ones who just needed a hug and some encouraging words to get on with their lives. The rest of us, those who wanted blood, formed the inner circle of the Little Sister Society. Over the years, a number of the women in that circle dropped out, some because they had seen their personal attackers get punished and that was enough for them, others because their careers or families took precedence over their need for revenge. The four of us, Cheryl, and two others who couldn't make it this week, are still active."
    Holly had the feeling she should have the whole picture by now, but it was still eluding her. "I'm certainly not a psychiatrist, and I can understand how it might help to talk about a bad experience, but is it really beneficial to keep rehashing it after all these years?"
    Rachel laughed aloud. "Well, what do you know! Another blonde with a brain."
    "You're right, Holly," April said. "Talking about it only goes so far. We all needed much more. Since the law wasn't interested in punishing any of the fifteen, we decided it was up to us. By our junior year of college, most of the men were gone, but we had a plan. I had already chosen my career, and under the circumstances, it made sense for me to continue along that line, if for no other reason than to keep our members on an even keel."
    "Each of the others went into careers that would ultimately grant them certain privileges and powers. Cheryl's money was her contribution. With it, we were able to hire detectives to keep tabs on the fifteen men while we finished our schooling."
    "From time to time another victim's name would surface, as yours did, and we would send off the form letter you received. Some responded immediately, others never did. As I mentioned to you, if you decide to join our group, the extent of your participation is up to you."
    Holly nodded her understanding though she still didn't know exactly what April was leading up to.
    "The goal of the Little Sister Society is simple—retribution. Our primary rule for exacting revenge is that the punishment should be of equal magnitude to the crime. In other words, we attempt to degrade, humiliate and rape the