Page 49 of Daddy's Sinner

Iwatch in horror as Matheo falls from the impact, the fire so close that it could kill him. Running to him, I drag him as far from the flames as I can while Gabriel watches with disgust.

“I should just put a bullet in you and him,” he sneers as I continue to pull Matheo towards the woods.

“You get me. Isn’t it what you wanted?” I ask, my voice trembling.

Gabriel’s eyes lock onto mine, cold and menacing. “Indeed,” he replies, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “But it seems your precious Matheo has stolen your heart.”

“So, what!” I gasp, each word punctuated with the struggle of dragging Matheo’s limp body. Gabriel watches me, his expression a mixture of anger and amusement.

“When did you stop wanting me? I let Zia run off because you were what I wanted. Then you changed, Sol. Why?” he asks. I don’t bother to look at him.

“Things changed between us long before Matheo came into the picture. They changed the day you allowed me to be used for everyone’s pleasure when I belonged to you. You could have killed him, ended it all, become the Prophet, and I would have been your wife. But instead, you were a coward.”

Gabriel’s eyes flash with hurt, but he quickly masks it with a scoff. “A coward?” he spits. “I think not. I made choices, same as you.”

“You made the wrong ones!” I retort, finally freeing Matheo from both the immediate danger of the fire and Gabriel’s looming threat. Gabriel closes the distance between us, his demeanor softening.

“Sol, you fell for this guy… this man who fucked Zia days before fucking you, while I remained faithful to the memories of you.”

“Faithful?” I laugh, a harsh sound that echoes against the crackling backdrop of the fire. “You traded me for power, Gabriel. You gave up on us when you cast me aside in your pursuit of becoming the Prophet.”

“And how was your precious Matheo any better?” he retorts. I let out a deep breath, looking over at an unconscious Matheo.

“Look what he did for me,” I scoff. “Or tried to do. Freedom, Gabriel. He tried to give me freedom.”

Gabriel’s eyes darken and his nose flares before he breaks into laughter. “You’re not free. You’re my whore. Nothing but the cunt I will breed children in. Imagine being dragged away by a man you claim to love, only to be claimed by me—yet again.”

His laughter echoes through the night, filling the air with a sound as unpleasant as nails scratching a chalkboard. His words cut through me like the sharpest blade; this was the man I had believed I loved, the man I had received lashings for. But his ‘love’ now stands revealed as nothing more than a sick obsession, a desire to control and possess me. Tears well up in my eyes as I look down at Matheo, still unconscious.

“Let’s go before I kill him,” Gabriel says, grabbing my arm and leading me to his red Ford pickup. I follow him like a slave follows its master. There is no saving me now.

As he roughly shoves me into his vehicle, I look back one last time at Matheo’s still form. The flickering firelight plays off his beautiful face. Even unconscious, he’s beautiful. My fallen angel.

“I can’t wait to bring you home and fuck you all night, Sol,” Gabriel sneers.

My stomach churns at his words, bile rising in my throat. I shut my eyes, trying to block out everything: the feel of the rough seats beneath my fingers, the smell of Gabriel’s overpowering cologne, and the oppressive heat of his presence next to me.

“And I can’t wait for the day you’re dead,” I retaliate. The words fall from my lips like venom, my voice unsteady but furious. Gabriel’s laugh fills the truck, bouncing off the metal confines.

“You killed Zia?” I ask, already knowing the answer. Gabriel’s hands grip the steering wheel tightly.

“She gave you that scar?” I press, my eyes widening as I choke back the bile threatening to spill. “You told me it was an accident at the compound,” I mutter. “You lied.” I don’t know why it shocked me that a man like Gabriel would lie—I should have known better. But that’s on me.

Gabriel’s voice loses its usual humor, replaced by a chillingly icy tone. “It wasn’t much of a lie. It was an accident. And to answer your question, yes, she did.” His eyes remain fixed on the dark road stretching out before us, but the tight grip on the steering wheel betrays his calm facade.

A smile creeps onto my face knowing she fought, even in the face of death. I can only imagine what they did to her, and I can only imagine what would be done to me, but at least Matheo would be alive to continue doing God’s work.

“What’s going to happen now?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer right away. The truck’s tires crunch over the gravel as we move further and further away from Matheo, from safety. It feels like we are driving straight into the heart of Hell itself. After what feels like an eternity, he finally speaks.

“I’m going to marry you, Sol, fill you up with babies, and lead the church the right way,” he finally answers. His gaze turns to me instead of the road. “What happened to Zia was out of my hands. I let her go before, but this time she took it too far, and I snapped. So, I broke her.”

The confession sends a shiver down my spine as the magnitude of his depravity washes over me. I’d heard stories, of course. There were always whispers of what Gabriel was capable of, but to hear him admit it so nonchalantly is a different kind of terror entirely. “What did she do?” I ask causing Gabriel to chuckle. “ Come back..” He replies so nonchalantly as if that reason was worthy of death and one as horrible as hers.

“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?” I ask, not bothering to look at him.

I can feel his lips curl into a smirk as he replies with no hesitation. “I have to. But I need to punish you first, to cleanse you. I’ll send some guys to take care of the trash.”

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