Page 340 of Redeemed

While Haven gets ready, I pull out a glass rook from my desk drawer. I stole it from my father’s house after Lucas and Xander killed him. It was the only piece from the chess set that didn’t shatter when Lucas threw Mark on top of it, but there’s a hairline crack running through it now.

Supposedly, that set was what inspired the name behind the Glass Rooks. Mark had been playing a game with one of the founding members, and the chess pieces accidentally got knocked to the ground. Just like the night Mark was killed, everything broke except one of his rooks.

He had to replace the whole set, minus that one—thisone. I know it’s the same because it’s stood out to me since I was a child. When Mark was teaching me how to play chess, the light would hit it differently than the rest of the pieces. It was probably due to a change in manufacturing, but back then, I thought it was magical.

As I stare at the rook now, the crack almost seems fitting. The Glass Rooks will be forever changed by the events that took place after graduation. The organization won’t stay broken, though. I’ll fix everything Mark ruined. I’ll make it even better.

There’s a knock on my office door, and Xander pops his head in. “We’re ready.”

“All right.” I hold the rook in my hand for another second before placing it back in the drawer.

“You okay?” Xander asks.

“Hmm? Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

He stops me halfway across the room and pulls me into a firm embrace. It takes me a second to work through the surprise, and then I hug him back. Xander has done this a couple times over the past few months, and Lucas has, too.

It was a shock, going from little to no physical affection to getting it from three people all at once. I’m not mad about it, not by a long shot. It’s… nice.

“You’re allowed to miss him, you know,” Xander says. “I miss my mom, too, even though I low-key wish she was dead.”

“Low-key?”

With a chuckle, he pulls away. “Yeah, you’re right.High-key.”

“Well, at least I know you’re not lying to yourself.”

After I get changed, I meet everyone in the garage. I sweep Haven into my arms and kiss her, smiling when she giggles against my mouth. My wife looks good in her gear. Just more motivation to take her out more often.

“Let’s go,” I say, and we head for our bikes.

Once I’m on mine, Lucas helps Haven get behind me. She’s so short that she practically has to climb the bike to get on.

“You feel ready?” Lucas asks as he hands Haven her helmet.

“Mmhmm. Thank you.”

While Lucas and Xander get on their bikes, I go over the basics with Haven.

“Keep both your arms around my waist.” I smile when she grips me tight. “Yeah, that’s good. And when I lean, you lean with me, okay?”

“Got it.” She sounds excited. Giddy, even.

“And you can talk to me through the helmet. Tell me if you need me to stop.”

“Okay.”

I hesitate. “You sure you’re good with this? It’s okay if you’re scared.”

She squeezes me. “I trust you, Colt.”

Pride fills me, and I reach back to touch her thigh. I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling bad for everything we put Haven through. I don’t think Ishouldstop feeling that way. But hearing her say she trusts me is the sweetest reminder that she opened herself up to us again.

She doesn’t know how much that means to me. We destroyed her, but despite that, Haven put her heart at risk for us. It’s why I’ll dedicate the rest of my life to her. Sheismy life.

“Helmet on, angel,” I tell her as I put mine on.

Once she’s done what I asked and slipped her arms around my torso again, we take off with Xander in front. Despite Haven’s eagerness, we don’t go over forty-five miles per hour. I promised her we’d take things slow, and I’m never breaking my word to her again.

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