Page 48 of Redemption
“Blackmail, murder, all in the span of what? a month? Who even are you?
His eyes searched mine. "Everything you know about me, as a person is true. I just left out things I thought could stay in the past.
"So what are you leaving out now? How did you even know to save me from them? How did you know where I was?"
He flinched at my words, his walls crumbling for a moment. "I'm the reason they came after you. Rosso Drilling isn’t just some corrupt corporation. They have connections with my family's enemies. I didn’t know that until last night.
His words hit me with the same weight as if he reeled back his massive, snake tattooed arm and slammed his fist into my stomach.
"I ran away from it all, Sophia. You have to understand, I tried to start over." He sighed, clenching and unclenching his fist. "I cant outrun my past. The truth is, I am in the Mafia. More than that, Im the firstborn son to the Don of my Family. I am the heir to a criminal throne."
I buried my face in my hands. I didn't think the Mafia was still around. I thought they were just a group of alcohol smugglers in the 1900’s. But the Mafia was still around; it was real, and it had a face—Gabriel's face.
“How many people are in this group, this family?”
His voice was a whisper. "Hundreds."
"Why didn't you just tell me?" I finally asked, looking at him.
"I never wanted you to know. I should have," he admitted quietly. "But how could I have possibly ever brought that up? Besides, I was trying to change who I am, not introduce you to him."
His big, warm hand found mine and held it softly, his eyes meeting mine again, as gentle as his grip.
"I should have done better." Gabriel added after a moment, his gaze dropping to our entwined hands.
A wave of sympathy washed over me as I looked at the man before me. He wasn't evil; he was a man struggling with unspeakable pain and regret. Yet, deep in his eyes, behind it all, was the warm light of a soul struggling to be free. "Gabriel..." My voice broke through the silence that had settled between us. I took a moment to collect my thoughts before continuing. "You can't outrun your past, but you can change your future by confronting it."
He looked up at me then, surprise flashing across his face before it was quickly replaced with skepticism.
"You say that as if it's easy, I’ve come to accept that I can’t.”
"No, you can." I shook my head as I squeezed his hand. "It's anything but easy. But running away... isn't that even harder?"
"Yeah, it is. But I didn't know that until last night."
I tried my best to stop thinking about him killing people and I offered him a small smile, trying to lighten the heaviness in the room. "Well, you're lucky you've got me, then."
His laugh this time was more genuine, though it still held a hint of sadness. "Yeah, I guess I am," he replied, his voice filled with a warmth that made my heart flutter.
"Gabriel?" I said after an indefinite stretch of silence. He looked up at me expectantly. His piercing blue eyes stared into mine, filled with imprisoned optimism. I swallowed hard before continuing.
"We... we need to set things right," I said eventually, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
"What do you mean?"
"The money," I clarified, taking a deep breath before diving headfirst into my own confession. "The raise and the bonus, all the money we stole."
His eyes widened slightly at my words, but he didn't say anything, which allowed me to continue on.
"I... I knew all along that it was wrong. And yet... yet I accepted it because I was desperate. But I want to give it back. We need to give it back."
"That won't make them forgive and forget. Considering two of their guys are dead now."
The thought of it was chilling.
"But I can't keep it," I insisted, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "I don't want to be a part of this. I don’t want us to be a part of this."
His lips pressed into a thin line before he nodded slowly. "Alright, we'll figure something out."
