Page 23 of Road to Redemption

Leo nodded. “Sorry we’ll have to extend our stay.”

“That’s okay, dear. You’re welcome as long as you’d like.” Vivienne nodded through the mirror.

What else was there to do?

Now we’d just have to wait and pray that the place Dom loved enough to restore – the place I’d started to think of as home – would be safe to return to.

We would cleanse the house and Valemont of Zeus’ parasitic reach, one way or another.

16

KIERA

A gentle rain was starting to patter on the windowsill.

Hugging my knees with one arm, I drank a cup of tea with the other. Across from me, Vivienne worked away on the papers.

The car ride home from the stadium was quiet, full of tension and confusion.

Would it ever be safe to go back to Dom’s mansion if Zeus was this close? Would any of us feel safe even if Isaac moved on?

Dom didn’t stick around to chat. As soon as we got back she went to the backyard and paced through the garden pathways, like a lion patrolling its territory or a ghost haunting the same hallway for centuries.

Lady had been out there with her, following her every move in the hopes of getting some treats. She was so excited to see us walk through the door, only to immediately catch the whiff of Dom’s bad mood.

It wasn’t until the sun was setting that Dom stormed off into the woods, bringing Lady with her.

Leo almost ran after them, wanting to help Dom deal with whatever she was feeling. But Viv was quick to remind all of us that Dom was an adult, that she’d come home when she was ready. And we deserved a quiet night in.

I struggled to convince myself that she was right, but I wasn’t going to challenge her. Not today of all days.

Even after years apart, Dom’s mother seemed to understand something intrinsically about her.

Leo and Spencer had thrown together a quick dinner, doing the dishes and playing rummy at the table next to me while I stared outside.

None of their attempts to distract me could pull me from the fear taking over my body. Isaac and Gabriel were going to find me, either we went to them or they would hunt us down. There was no corner of this planet that Isaac would stop at. Not now that I’d slipped from his grasp.

A shiver ran down my spine, remembering how he’d set my entire life up. Dominoes that he was tipping over at his leisure.

Not anymore.

I was done letting some man control what happened to me.

My eyes flashed to the papers in front of Viv, she’d printed fresh copies after making a few tweaks.

Exhausted by the day, she stretched out her arms and let out a deep breath. She rubbed at her eyes before checking the clock on the stove, the warm light above us the only light left on in the entire house.

“Time for bed, I think.” Vivienne slipped out from the breakfast nook bench and tapped the table with her glasses. “Don’t wait up for her. She’ll be out there all night at this rate.”

She must be cold. The rain would have soaked through her clothes, a chill still in the nighttime air. Winter’s last grasp on summer’s quick approach.

But I nodded. Because I wasn’t one to let Dom’s outbursts ruin my life. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Despite my concern for her, I tried to take comfort in the fact that Lady was with Dom. They’d keep each other safe and eventually Dom would stumble in.

There’s no point sitting here. It was already pitch black, impossible to see past the wooden garden boxes illuminated by the kitchen light.

I stood up, putting my tea cup in the sink before climbing up the stairs to the guest room. For a moment, I paused on the top landing, debating pushing open the door to Leo and Spencer’s room. They’d be warm from a couple hours of sleep, and eager to hold me close.