All Chapters of SINFUL SALVATION : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

The house smelled like lavender and sea salt.Elena led them into a small kitchen—white walls, blue tiles, a window overlooking the ocean. A kettle whistled on the stove. A cat wound itself around Leo's ankles."Sit," Elena said. Her voice was accented, clipped, cold.Drake sat. Mason sat beside him. Leo sat across from Elena, his hands folded on the table.Elena poured tea. She set the cups down with a sharp clink. Then, she sat.She looked at Drake."You look older," she said."So do you," Drake said."I look free." Her eyes were hard. "Something I never thought I would be, thanks to you."Drake didn't flinch."I know," he said. "I'm not here to apologize. I'm here because my son needs to hear the truth."Elena turned to Leo."The truth," she repeated. "What truth?"Leo met her gaze. His grey eyes were steady."My father is on trial," he said. "A man named Victor Reyes testified that my dad killed you. That he buried your body in the woods. I need to know if that's true."Elena star

The hallway was dark, lit only by the pale moonlight filtering through the broken windows. Dust motes danced in the air. The floorboards creaked beneath Victor's boots as he stepped forward.Drake stood at the top of the stairs, his body between Victor and his family."Victor," he said. His voice was low. Controlled. "Put the knife down."Victor laughed—a cold, hollow sound."You're not in charge anymore, Ashford," he said. "You're just a washed-up monster playing house. And I'm the one holding the blade."Behind Drake, Mason was pressing the children back toward the bedroom. Leo was clinging to Mason's arm, his grey eyes wide. Elara was crying. Silas was silent."Mariah," Drake said quietly. "Get them out."Mariah stepped forward, her gun raised."Not without you.""That's an order."Victor laughed again."How touching," he said. "The monster has a family. The monster has friends. But you know what happens to families, Drake? They die. Just like your mother."Drake's vision went red.

The drive back to the estate was silent.Drake sat in the back seat, Elara curled in his lap, her small body trembling against his chest. She hadn’t spoken since he had caught her. She hadn’t cried. She had just held onto him—her tiny fists gripping his shirt, her face buried in his neck—as if she was afraid that if she let go, she would fall.Mariah drove. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror every few seconds, watching them.“She’s in shock,” Mariah said quietly. “She needs to see a doctor.”“I know,” Drake said. “We’ll take her as soon as we get back.”He pressed a kiss to Elara’s hair.“You’re safe, little star,” he whispered. “Papa’s here. Papa’s got you.”Elara didn’t respond. She just held on tighter.---They reached the estate at dawn.The house loomed against the pale morning sky, its dark windows watching them like hollow eyes. Mason was standing on the porch, Leo beside him, Silas in his arms. His face was pale, his eyes red.He saw the car. He ran.Drake got out, Elara

The drive home took four hours.Drake kept his eyes on the road, his hands steady on the wheel, his mind a thousand miles away. The trees blurred past the windows. The sky shifted from grey to gold as the afternoon sun began its slow descent. No one spoke. No one needed to.In the back seat, Elara was asleep. She had fallen asleep within minutes of leaving the courthouse, her small body curled against Leo's side, her head resting on his shoulder. Leo hadn't moved an inch. He just sat there, his grey eyes fixed on the window, his hand resting protectively on his sister's hair.Silas was in his car seat, wide awake, his grey eyes—too knowing—watching the world pass by. He hadn't spoken since they left the city. He rarely spoke at all. But his silence was different now. It was not the silence of a child who had nothing to say. It was the silence of a child who had seen too much.Mason sat in the passenger seat, his hand resting on Drake's knee. He didn't speak either. He just watched the

Mason called the second the bell chimed behind Adrian.His hands were shaking. His heart was pounding so hard he could barely breathe."Drake," he said the moment the line connected. "Drake, you need to come to the shop. Now."There was a pause—a beat of silence that stretched too long."What happened?" Drake's voice was sharp. Alert. Afraid."A man came in," Mason said. "He said his name was Adrian. He said he was your brother."Another pause. Longer this time."I'm on my way."The line went dead.---Drake arrived in twelve minutes.He burst through the door of The Root, his grey eyes wild, his chest heaving. He scanned the shop—the ferns, the succulents, the empty counter."Where is he?" he demanded."Gone." Mason walked out from behind the counter. "He left right after I called you."Drake ran a hand through his hair. "What did he look like? What did he say? Did he threaten you?""No." Mason reached out, taking Drake's hands. "He didn't threaten me. He just—he just stood there. He