Page 62 of Redemption
I dragged Henry’s body toward the sound, his weight scraping across the floor.
In the corner of the room sat a small kiln.
“He doesn’t need to fit,” I muttered. I positioned Henry's head beneath the kiln, switched on the heat, and opened the hatch. With a swift motion, I tipped the heavy furnace over. The impact was quick and brutal.
I stared at the aftermath—his head crushed, the body limp. Accidents happen all the time. Once the fire burned out, it would look like he was victim to one.
Sophia would never have to know what really happened here. This wasn’t just revenge—it was protection. For her.
Damien wiped his hands on his pants, glancing at Henry's body with a smirk.
“Let’s grab her things and go. No point sticking around for the fireworks.”
I glanced once more at Henry’s lifeless form, now nothing more than another corpse for the mental pile. I was back to shedding blood—stepping deeper into the life I once thought I could leave behind. There was no denying it now. I could hear the flames crackling in the backroom as we gathered the last of Sophia’s belongings.
“Yeah,” I said, my voice low.
“Let’s get out of here.”
Sophia
Iwas exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally. Sleep should have come easily given how drained I was, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Henry and the terror I felt, and how sick and twisted he had revealed himself to be. Even with Gabriel by my side, I was too scared to sleep. I wanted nothing more than to sleep as deeply as he did.
After he came home with my things last night, he pulled me into bed, wrapped himself around me, and started snoring as if he were completely free of concern, as if Henry wasn’t even on his mind. His strong arm still held me close, and his soft, rhythmic breaths tickled my neck, but I kept staring at the door, terrified that Henry would appear around the corner with his wide eyes and twisted smile. It was an irrational fear, but after being blindsided, I found it hard to trust myself to know what was rational to fear. I would have tossed and turned as I battled my own mind, but Gabriel's grip on me tightened whenever I shifted even slightly.
The sun hadn’t risen yet, but the early morning light began to trickle in through the window. Close enough.
“Gabriel, wake up,” I whispered, my voice barely louder than a breath. He stirred, pulling his head out from under the pillow with a low groan, his eyes heavy with sleep.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked, craving the comfort of his voice, something to anchor me, to distract me from my mind.
He blinked slowly, then rolled onto his back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Like a baby, you?”
“As well as I could, considering everything,” I replied, trying to inject some confidence into my voice, though I felt anything but.
Gabriel yawned, stretching until his body took up nearly the whole bed. “You seem better this morning. I was worried about you last night.” He said.
I forced a smile, leaning my head against his shoulder. “I’m okay. Just trying not to think too much.”
"Sometimes that’s the best approach," he murmured, his voice thick with lingering sleep.
We lay there in silence, the weight of the day ahead pressing down on us both. Eventually, I couldn’t keep my worries in any longer, but I didn’t want to talk about Henry.
“So… what if your family doesn’t like me?”
Gabriel’s arm tightened around me, his voice firm and steady. “They don’t have a choice. You’re not just some girl, Sophia. You’re mine. And if anyone has a problem with that, they’ll have to deal with me.”
His confidence was infectious, and I found myself smiling despite the anxiety twisting in my gut. “You sound so sure.”
“I am,” he said, his blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. “And besides, you’ve already won over the families toughest critic.”
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? And who might that be?”
“Me,” he replied, his fingers tracing a gentle path down my arm.
I laughed, nudging him lightly. “The way I remember it, you were pretty easy to win over.”
A grin spread across his face as he pulled me closer. “Only because you bribed me with coffee and breakfast. I was starving, Sophia. Starving.”
