Page 17 of Road to Redemption

It was easier to be honest in the dark, away from prying eyes. And deep down, I knew that as volatile as this place made my emotions, Kiera was going through something just as hard. Maybe harder.

At least my mom is alive, weird as that might be.

But I didn’t know why I couldn’t just leave Kiera alone. Why I needed to take out my own suffering on her

It would be so simple to just keep my head down and complete the mission. To step away once everything was settled and let her live her little fairytale life with the stupid fucks in the next room.

But every time I thought I could manage it, one look at her brought every raw nerve in my body to life. There were too many feelings there — sorrow, yearning, guilt, fondness.

Love, maybe.

I shook my head at the thought, biting my tongue to break out of that stupid thought.

I don’t love her. It’s just got some stupid, childish hang up about the past. It’ll fade once this is over.

There were more important things to worry about anyway. I shouldn’t be wasting my nights pining like some lovesick teenager, I should be planning.

Taking down Zeus, the thing I’d been suffering all of these years for, was in reach for the very first time. Our strategy wasn’t bulletproof though, and Isaac wouldn’t hesitate to use any weakness against me. I needed to stay focused. Because if I didn’t, there was no guarantee I would survive this.

13

KIERA

Tiptoeing around Dom every morning only made my annoyance for her stronger.

She’d insisted on sleeping like that for a few nights now, her tall body stretched across the hardwood floors. And I’d have to leap across her just to get out the door. All because she was too much of a baby to just share a bed with me.

Embarrassing.

I rolled my eyes as I closed the door behind me, giving it an extra little slam.

Leo and Spencer’s door was ajar, their usual early morning workouts upended by our extended stay at Casa Vivienne. Both of them had taken to sleeping in a bit now, enjoying the extra rest. Though it seemed this morning, they’d gotten an early start.

But I could barely sit still, despite the aching in my joints from the older mattress.

The quiet of this mountain abode made me uneasy. Somewhere out there, Isaac and Gabriel were still hunting for me.

I stopped in my tracks in the kitchen doorway.

Stationed at the small breakfast nook, Viv looked up from her pile of paperwork. “Good morning, Kiera.” She flashed a gentle smile. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

I waved her off before she could stand up. “I’ve got it, thank you.”

One thing was always certain, Vivienne would always have a fresh pot on. And I was grateful for that.

As I grabbed a thrifted mug, an idyllic village printed on the small, handmade cup, I looked over my shoulder at her. “Sorry to disturb your quiet time.”

“Oh, no need to apologize.” Viv looked up just enough to smile at me before reading more. “This is the best time to work on it.”

Sliding into the bench, I nodded as I took in the silence. “Yeah, the circus has to be quiet eventually.”

A knowing snort came from Viv’s lungs as she underlined a clause.

Leo and Spencer were sweet and kind house guests. But they were big, hungry mascs who needed a lot to eat and had a lot of energy to burn. There was a reason most of their hobbies were riding motorcycles and working out.

Without those two things, they’d filled their days with yard work and sock wrestling in the living room.

And every day, Vivienne was stationed right here, the golden morning light illuminating the spectrum of grays that splayed across her bob. She’d flip her glasses off the top of her head to get a closer look, a cascade of silver tumbling down as she investigated every page.