Deliverance for Amelia (24 page)

Epilogue

“Dubbed “The House of Horrors”, Gabriel Thibault is thought to have brutally murdered hundreds of people as a hired hitman.”

. . .

“How does this guy get off with killing all of these people? How did such atrocities play out right under our noses?”

. . .

“Bodies have been located throughout the Appalachian Mountains surrounding the Thibault home.”

. . .

“A room containing all types of torture devices has been discovered inside of a secret room within Mr. Thibault’s study.”

. . .

“More than fifty people have been connected with Gabriel Thibault, all are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Including Mayor Tony Bellarose.”

. . .

“I’ll tell you, the medical examiner is having a hell of a time identifying these body parts which have been scattered throughout the property.”

. . .

“Gabriel Thibault is a man who can disappear without a trace, and that’s exactly what he’s done.”

. . .

1 Year Later

I lay on the plush carpet of my grandmother’s living room watching the blinds sway with each breath of air from the surrounding windows. Finding solace in my grandmother’s home as I once did when I was a child.

The specks of dust are swirling gracefully each time the wind kisses them.

“Du?” Gabriel says as he sits before the blinds, reaching out to touch the particles.

I smile as I crawl over to him, “Yes, that’s right. Dust.”

A big smile spreads across his face as he claps his tiny hands. Green eyes, the same ones that I’d become so accustomed to stare back at me. Though, these are not full of contempt, they’re full of happiness. He’s a beautiful baby. He looks just like his father.

In the past year, my name has been plastered all over the news stations.

“The Woman Who Survived Hell”

I did survive the unthinkable. But I didn’t do it alone. If not for Able, I still would have been there.

Gabe was disposed of in a way that he will never be found. People assume that he’d been afraid that he’d been figured out, and he vanished. He would be capable of doing so with his wealth. My father’s name was tainted when his secrets were exposed. His body has yet to be found.

My mother didn’t want to believe it. She eventually had to though. The evidence was there, and I testified against him. She resented me at first, but she’s coming around.

The prosecuting attorneys originally tried to paint me as a conspirator in Gabe’s crimes. However, there was no evidence that supported that. To my surprise, people began to come forward. Including Esmerelda, Benedict and even Dr. Kerr. Their testimonies supported the fact that I was in fact a captive.

I tried to locate Kat’s parents to tell them about what happened, but unfortunately they both passed. Once her body was located, we held a small funeral for her.

I sold Gabe’s estate, with the exception of the land where my son is buried. I still visit him every weekend, placing flowers and stuffed animals around his little grave.

Gabe’s home has since been turned into a museum. Thousands of tourists have already flocked to it over the past year. I’ve not stepped foot in that place since we escaped. It’s a chapter that I want to forget. Reliving the events in court were enough to make me seek out countless hours of therapy.

Everyone assumed that Gabriel was mine and Gabe’s son, and I kept it that way. Dr. Kerr and the staff each gave me their word that they would not disclose otherwise. I promised Kat that I would love him as my own, and I do. I love him with every beat of my heart. He’s a constant reminder that beauty can be found in the darkest of days.

I’m twenty-one now, and in my short life I’ve lived through more than I’d ever thought possible. I met people that I would have never met otherwise, I found a strength within myself that I didn’t realize would ever exist.

I thought that my life had ended when Gabe took me, when my father allowed it, when Gabe raped me, and when I lost the baby.

Life didn’t end though. Once I survived one horrible thing, I moved on to the next, and I kept doing that until I was finally freed after almost two years in captivity.

“Hon, Able’s here.” My grandmother says with a huge smile plastered on her face.

Since my escape, Gabriel and I have been staying with her on the ranch. That is therapy in itself. Waking to the rooster every morning, taking little Gabriel out to walk the property and feed the chickens.

“Alright,” I say, eyeing her suspiciously, “Let me get Gabriel’s things together.”

She waves her hands around dismissively, “No need, he’ll be staying with GG.”

“Okay…” I say.

Able peeks in with a bright smile on his face, “You ready beautiful.”

I walk towards him cautiously, “Sure, but can someone tell me why you two are acting so weird?”

Able walks to me and grabs my hand, pulling me towards the front door, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I laugh as I swing my purse over my shoulder. I look over my shoulder to my grandma June as she holds Gabriel, holding his arm up and making him wave, “Say bye bye, momma.”

He smiles, “Buh momma.”

“Bye baby.” I whisper before Able yanks me out the front door.

He opens the passenger door to his truck and helps me in.

Once he gets into the driver’s seat, I look towards him with a raised eyebrow, “Okay, what is going on.”

He turns on the stereo and shakes his head, “Calm down, sugar. Sit back and enjoy the ride.”

I shake my head as I lean back in the seat, smiling as we begin making our way down the long driveway.

We’ve been dating since my escape. He’s an amazing man, and incredibly sweet and patient with me.

He’s stopped doing his “odd jobs” and now works in construction.

After about twenty minutes or so we pull into a long driveway with a cute, white picket fence surrounding it.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“Oh, I just wanted to show you a house I’ve been working on.”
Once it comes into view, my breath catches in my throat. It’s absolutely adorable and looks like a manor. The brown crisscross siding against the white makes me think of Germany, as does the steeped roof. It has vines growing up the sides and the rounded front door reminds me of a fairytale.

“Wow.” I murmur as I look up at it through the windshield.

Able parks and looks over at me, “Wait until you see the inside.”

I nod as he runs over to my side and opens the door for me. He grasps my hand and leads me to the front door.

My eyes travel around the interior. It’s cozy and whimsical, reminding me of a hobbit house. Well, a hobbit house big enough for normal sized people that is.

“This place is amazing, Able.” I whisper.

“Wait till you see the bedroom.” He says excitedly as he drags me upstairs.

My breath catches in my throat when I see a small round table dressed in a white tablecloth. A small votive candle sits in the middle of the table accompanying the low lighting of the many other candles throughout the room.

“Happy one year, baby.” He whispers into my ear, wrapping his arms around me.

I smile as he gently pushes me to the table and pulls my chair out. There are two flutes and a bottle of champagne resting on ice.

“This is wonderful, Able.” I say as he sits across from me.

He pours us each a flute and raises his glass, “To us.”

“To us.” I repeat. Something shiny catches my eye within the flute.

I bring it closer to my eyes and see the tiny bubbles rising from a beautiful, princess cut engagement ring.

“Able…” I breathe out, and in a flash he is kneeling beside me.

His beautiful eyes implore mine with so much emotion as he holds up a key, “Amelia, do me the honor of being my wife. Live here, with Gabriel and I. Make me the happiest man in the world. Please.”

Tears spring to my eyes as I nod slowly, “Of course.”

He grabs me from around the waist and pulls me to him. His lips crash into mine as his strong arms wrap around my body. He pulls away and brushes his nose against mine, “You just made me the happiest man in the world.”

I run my thumbs over his cheeks, “I love you, Able.”

The End

About the Author

Follow Me:
www.facebook.com/bonnycappsauthor

Twitter Handle: @BonnyC_Author

I’ve been labeled many things: eccentric, a hippie, a lover, a fighter... But most importantly a mother first, a wife second and a writer third.

I was originally born and raised in Texas. I currently do not have a set home. For me, home is where you lie your head – the next location unknown. Seven months ago, my two boys and I decided to hop on the semi with the hubby and travel the United States. The experience has been liberating.

Writing is my heart and soul. I started writing poetry when I was a kid. It was a great outlet for me. I went through a lot in my younger years, and when I decided to give writing a shot, it came naturally. In fact, when I was upset I would write letters to others because the words could never escape my tongue. I found that the thoughts swirling in my mind would spill onto paper, and honestly – writing saved my life.

I didn’t think writing a novel was a possibility. I tried for years and could never get past the 2
nd
paragraph. So, in turn, I stopped writing all together – for years.

I fell into a hopeless call center job and my soul felt drained. One day, on my way to said job an idea spilled into the forefront of my mind. Her name was Mandy, and she was screaming for attention. I couldn’t ignore her, so I parked my car and starting writing her story. Six months later, “The Boy in the Mirror” was born. Characters started clawing their way from the depths of my mind after that, and I thought – wow, this is it. This is where I belong. This is my calling.

I love adding a magical element to my stories. Where things may seem hopeless, there’s so much more than what meets the eye. Magic comes in so many different forms, but most importantly, you can find magic in the goodness of humanity. My stories focus on different issues that we all may face in our lives. I love writing about characters who are crippled, but they find a way to overcome their dilemmas.

I write young adult, new adult, erotica, horror, dark… I write what comes to me. The stories that scream to be written – they find a way on paper. It is my honor to bring these characters to you and their stories.

I write a little bit of everything! Check out my other books:

The Boy in the Mirror

Jay Creedy (Book One)