Page 148 of Road to Redemption

“One step at a time.” Dom leaned into my ear, whispering as we stepped into the garden.

Nodding, I tried to relax my shoulders. Gentle violins filled the garden as guests meandered to their seats. But Dom walked us directly to the front, down the white carpet down the center of the aisle.

Rows of chairs covered in white cloths created an array of seats leading to the altar. A white wedding arch towered over the slightly elevated stage, flowers adorning the edges.

Dom held out her hand for me to sit, a spot right up front.

As I sat, tucking my dress into place, I took a deep breath. Dozens of flowers filled the air, making it smell sweet. Below the altar, the Hudson River glistened in the bright May sun.

It was idyllic, everything my mom would have dreamed of.

A pang of guilt ran through my stomach as I looked at the stunning view. I didn’t want to ruin this for her.

But then my eyes caught on the sign at the side of the altar.

Welcome to the wedding

of Maura Tierney

and Isaac Dumont.

He was a monster. Or something worse than a monster, some bastardized version of a human being. All of our worst inclinations and traits combined into one, fallible, evil man. He may have hidden behind the pomp and circumstance, but it didn’t change what he’d done and who he was.

And my mother knew.

None of it had been enough for her to deny the money. The acclaim.

Sitting straight, I tightened my jaw and pursed my lips.

The violins broke briefly before beginning the processional song, Canon in D.

Behind Dom and I, heads turned to see the groom walk down the aisle. But Dom put her hand on my thigh. Eyes forward, Viper.”

If he saw us now, he’d be able to run or have security on us in seconds.

Leo and Spencer need more time.

It felt impossible, as the sweeping chords sounded over the faux-Italian garden, to not look back. To not see the man who had ruined my life more times over than I could count. He’d killed my father. Sold me to his friends. Set me up with his sycophant. Hunted me to the edges of the planet.

And that didn’t even begin to cover what he’d done to his wife, his own daughter, or the hundreds of women and children he’d trafficked for decades.

But I couldn’t look back, couldn’t give in to checking the monster behind my shoulder.

I could hear Isaac’s dress shoes approaching down the aisle.

With any luck, Leo and Spencer would be in place now. They would stop whatever Isaac would have his security do. And if they didn’t, we would have to improvise.

83

LEO

The glass cracked and shattered with a sad fizzle, muffled by the leather jacket I’d rolled up and placed under my elbow as I drove it into the pane.

Spencer and I were crouched on a small roof adjacent to the second floor windows. In broad daylight, there was no room for delay. All it would take was one wandering guest to spot us up here, kevlar under our shirts and pistols holstered to our sides. Our faces were obscured by black balaclavas which made us stand out next to Isaac’s hired security.

Using the leather, I cleaned up the edges of the frame, clearing the shards from the lip before slipping my hand inside and unlatching the windows. Once it swung open, I raised my hand flat and signaled forward.

Move.