Page 119 of Road to Redemption

“Kiera…” Her expression darkened.

But to my surprise, Leo backed me. “We’re going with you. Where are they?”

“Bill’s house, but⁠—”

“They can stay here.” Dom growled, closing her laptop. “We worry about the rest of it in the morning. Tonight, we’re getting those kids to safety.”

63

KIERA

It felt like it had been mere moments ago that Dom and Leo were digging up new files for our cache. And now, we were pulling up to a dark house at the edge of town.

I clung to Leo’s back, a little nervous to be in a new part of town. We’d remembered to put my hair up and I’d promised that I would leave my visor down. But there was no way that I would let Spencer do this alone.

As the bikes rolled up outside a Cape Cod-style home, neighborhood dogs sounded off. The house was in rough shape, a few windows covered in cardboard and some shingles falling off the side.

Spencer hopped off of her bike and stood on the street with her arms crossed.

Dom and Leo dismounted and kept watch around us.

Looking around, I noticed a few silhouettes of neighbors in their own windows. Curtains shifted and lights flicked on and off.

All of it was weird — that Spencer had grown up over here, struggling to make ends meet, while Dom and I were vacationing a few minutes down the road. Christina Moore’s abuser lurked just miles from her own front door.

It sent a shiver down my spine and anger to my heart. The cops in this town had let this violence go on for decades, never doing anything to stop a sex trafficking ring from blossoming in some small town.

After a second of waiting, Spencer turned back to her bike and laid on the horn.

I flinched at the blaring noise cutting through the mostly silent night, only the intensified dog barking and the hum of our motorcycle engines to keep us company in the dark.

Until the front door swung open.

Abi came first, her arms crossed over her chest and a small purple backpack strapped to her shoulders. She looked down at the porch steps as she jogged down them and toward her aunt.

Only a few steps behind, Caleb was storming out of the house. He shouted over his shoulders. “You’re a fucking monster. You’re making a fucking twelve-year-old cry.”

From inside the house, Bill said something back before his body appeared in the doorway.

Spencer wrapped Abi in a hug, lifting her up as she kept an eye on Caleb as he stomped down the flagstone path.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Bill hollered into the dark. As soon as his eyes landed on Spencer, his fury had found a new target. “What the fuck are you doing here? This is family business.”

Rolling her eyes, Spencer clapped Caleb on the shoulder. “I am family, Bill.” She turned to her nephew. “You’re going to ride with Dom, okay?”

All he could do was nod, his face flush with anger. Behind his frustration was a twinge of embarrassment. Caleb moved toward Dom’s Brabus bike while Dom and Leo stepped forward. They were careful to stay off the curb.

Bill went on. “You nosy bitch. You keep turning my fucking kids against me. You’re lucky your sister and mama never saw you turn into this.”

“You got it, Bill.” Spencer let out a sigh. From behind, her chest heaved with anger. But her tone was level, ready to put herself between Bill and these kids. So long as we were here, nothing would happen to those kids.

Coming down the steps and toward us, Bill waved his arms in the air. “Get the fuck off my lawn.”

Shaking her head, Spencer sighed and turned toward her bike. “That’s the plan.”

It broke my heart, seeing how used to his insults she was. But a new pang of admiration washed over me. She was strong, a true protector.

Spencer mounted her Suzuki, situating Abi behind her and revving the engine. Signaled by the engine, Dom got back on her motorcycle as Caleb slipped into the back seat and held on.