Page 75 of Bound By Redemption
My head popped up when the door swung open.
Micah stood there tall and proud. One look at me and it was as if he knew. As if he could feel the guilt rolling off of me in waves.
He came up behind me and wrapped me in his arms. I stared at us in the mirror. He was a beautiful man. No one else compared to him in my eyes. His tanned skin went well with my light. With his arms around me, I grabbed onto his arms clutching them in front of me. They were strong. Comforting. Knowing.
“Stop with those thoughts right now.” He demanded and I felt my spine straighten. It was one thing for him to know what I was thinking, it was another to demand I stop thinking. If he hadn’t figured it out yet, I wasn’t a fan of being ordered around.
“And you’re in my head now?” I countered with every drop of sarcasm I could muster. It was a way to cover up my thoughts. I knew it but couldn’t help myself either.
Hey gaze intensified on me. “You’re thinkin’ you’re a shit person for killin’ that asshole. But baby, you are not. You’re a fuckin’ hero. You did what you had to do to survive because babe, I had no doubt he was going to breed you like a fuckin’ cow and then throw you in the fire when he was done with ya. You want to live your life that way and away from Remy and me?”
My head shook. “No. Absolutely not. It’s just hard knowing that these hands.” I held them out. “Took the life of another. That they are stained with Daniel’s blood forever. How do I deal with that?”
“Day by day. Each day’ll get a bit better than the last. Whenever you feel yourself goin’ down that path you say to yourself ‘it was him or Remy.’ And I want you to really think about that because that was the only option.”
He was right. Not that I was going to tell him that. Instead I hit his arm teasingly. “Stop being logical.”
He burst out laughing just as we heard little feet pitter-pattering into the room. “Daaa … dee….” Remy yelled running right to Micah who picked her up in his arms.
They stood behind me and I couldn’t stop looking at the reflection. Family. This was my family.
Yeah. My actions were a tough pill to swallow, but there was no doubt in my mind that I would’ve killed him again just so I could get this picture forever. This was what mattered.
29
Micah
“Where did you get this?”My stunned voice to my father rang through the room. I swore my heart stopped as I looked at the object he was holding in his palm out to me.
It was so small, yet absolutely perfect. Remy’s little name was printed along with her birthday. Never thought white plastic with a little bit of writing on it would be so damn special.
“Overheard Ensley talkin’ to Austyn about it the other day. She was broken up ‘bout it. Yesterday, while you were out dealin’ with shit, I checked shit out. Won’t get into everything, just know that I found this and wanted to make sure you got it.”
My father handed me Remy’s hospital bracelet. It was so light in weight, but it felt like everything. This one little piece of Remy’s history that meant everything to Ensley. Therefore, it meant something to me as well. I held it like breakable glass. A precious memory I wanted to share with my woman.
“Thank you.” I said on a deep breath. “She was so upset when this was missing from Remy’s baby book. She will be over the damn moon to have it back.”
My fist clutched over the bracelet as I held it tightly.
“Go on, son. Give it your woman. And be happy.”
I grabbed my father and gave him a tight hug. “Means the fuckin’ world to me that you’re by my side. So proud to be your son.”
My father slapped me on the back repeatedly, each one I felt in my heart. He pulled away. “Go before you cry and shit.”
This made me chuckle. “Marines don’t cry.”
“You wait until you walk that little girl down the aisle then tell me Marines don’t fuckin’ cry.”
We did, but just thinkin’ about walkin’ Remy down the aisle wasn’t going to happen. No man would ever be good enough for her. “That shit ain’t ever happenin’.”
“You cryin’ or Remy?”
“Neither.”
We both walked away chuckling saying, “see you at dinner.”
“Be there.” I made my way to the room Ensley and I were still staying in while we made sure this mess was all cleaned up. Opening the door, she was playing with Remy on the bed, their laughter filling the room.
