Page 43 of Redemption
“I know.” I felt bad suddenly about seeing the fear in their eyes. “But Glory is innocent in this too. Like we all flipped out when we realized she was really missing.”
“We get it…” Maggie slowly nodded her head. “She had someone take my son and Caroline here.” She motioned to the woman next to her. “They don’t care if it’s a kid or a woman. They will keep on killing and hurting people until O and her men are dead.”
I stared at them all and I could see pain in their eyes from the hell O had put them all through. “Me, my dad and my brothers will make sure they are all dead as soon as we get Glory back.”
“She’s a mastermind,” Caroline warned. “That woman had plans that evolved over years. Like some game she plays with people’s lives, just to get her jollies. She was in the background, manipulating people for a long ass time. Longer than we even knew. She is insane, there is no doubt about that, but you have to give it to her for being cunning. I mean her games were well played out as she fooled everyone for many, many years.”
Maggie nodded as she agreed, “So, what we are saying is…You plan to wipe her out as your next move. But she has already out planned you by at least 3 moves ahead. Crazy, I know but history has proved this to all of us.”
“So watch out is all we can tell you,” Caroline said. “I mean that’s a weak warning at best, but just don’t underestimate this woman. If you do, she will win. Hell, she keeps on coming out on top. We all thought when the Rebel Saints caught her that she was going to prison. And now look where we are.”
I gave them a nod and turned to go upstairs but when I got a few steps up, I heard one of them say, “He won’t stay with her when he finds out.”
Maggie then said, “Give the guy a benefit of a doubt. Not all men are arrogant or all high and mighty.”
I paused on the stairs and yes, I eavesdropped because they knew something I didn’t…just like Talon, apparently.
“Well, if he loves her,” a new voice spoke now. “He will want her no matter what. Take it from me. Raven, well he…” Her voice faded away.
“Ava,” Maggie replied to her. “It’s not the same as what happened with you. You couldn’t help that Slate was your brother.”
“Who’s to say that Cinnamon could help being what she was?” Caroline interjected. “Ma said she had an alcoholic mother and no dad. She was out on the streets before she was even eighteen.”
“Then O got a hold of her,” Maggie added. “Put her to work doing that and gave her no choice. It took guts for her to leave that life. I just hope this guy Redemption can live up to his fucking name.”
“Damn, Mags,” Caroline said. “That’s a clever way to put it.”
“Well, I’m praying for Cinnamon,” Ava spoke up again. “She deserves happiness.”
“She does, just as much as anyone else and maybe even more,” Maggie agreed.
They all went quiet.
I shook my head. I got the gist of their conversation, but being a stripper wasn’t such a bad occupation. I admit, if she was my girl, she sure as hell would only strip for me. I clenched my jaw as I made my way up the stairs.Live up to my name? What the hell did they mean by that?
I went down the hallway to Cinnamon’s room. Pausing, I knocked on the door.
In less than a minute, Bea opened it and smiled. “It’s about time. With the great shape you’re in, I figured you would at least sprint up here.” She swung the door open wider.
I shook my head at her and passed to look over at the bed. Cinnamon had her eyes closed. I turned and whispered to Bea, “Is she okay?”
Nodding, Bea replied, “Physically, she’ll be right as rain by tomorrow. But…” Her voice lowered. “She is still terrified, poor child.” Looking up at me she said, “I’m so proud of what you did, Redemption. So far, you are living up to the name yer daddy gave you.”
I shook my head. This was the second time today that my name had been compared to the concept. “My dad has high ideals, Aunt Bea.”
“That he does. I remember when we were all like twenty.” She rolled her eyes. “Whoee, that was years ago. But he was considering being a preacher.”
I halted and stared at her in disbelief. “What?”
“Heck yeah, a regular Billy Sunday!” She laughed. “I mean we never took it seriously, but we teased the hell outta him about it.”
I felt shocked. Our dad hid so much from us. I wondered why. He had remained quiet about his past. The life he lived before he moved to Texas was a total mystery to his kids. Was it ever! He hid an entire family’s existence from us for our whole lives. It seemed clear to me now at least that he knew about his brother’s kids, all of them. He didn’t seem surprised when he met them all either. I stared at Bea. “Can you tell me why he left here all those years ago? Why he never returned.”
Bea’s smile slipped from her lips as she glanced away. “Son, I don’t know for sure. You need to ask him that. Only he has the answer.” She now gazed up at me. “Can you stay with her for a bit? I have a meal to prepare.”
I gave her a nod. “I had planned to stay.”
“Well, I heard there was gonna be a meeting after dinner,” Bea informed me. “And you will want to be there. Liv told me it’s about the exchange and the plan you will all need.”
