Page 40 of Road to Redemption

“But it was for the best. If he’d visited me, he’d have realized how wrong he was.”

“For… for doing that to you?” I stammered.

“No,” she shook her head, turning to face me. “He’d have realized that the scars he’d left me with weren’t a lesson. They were a talisman. A reminder of the promise I made to myself on that warehouse floor to destroy him.”

I balked, unsure how, from all of that suffering, she could have come out so clear-headed on her mission. But now that we were reunited, now that the Oracle had revealed our path and Dom had revealed her truth, I made a promise to myself too.

We were going to destroy that man. And we were going to make him regret the day he ever laid hands on Dom.

24

KIERA

I wasn’t sure when we drifted off, but I know I kept my hand on her back. The scars were mountains under my fingers.

When my eyes drifted open, Dom had wrapped her arm around my stomach, pulling my ass into her center. Her hands were burned into my skin, not from bruises this time.

But it was Dom rising from the bed that woke me.

Outside our door, I could hear Leo and Spencer buzzing around the house.

Today was the day we’d finally return to Valemont. At least, somewhere near Valemont.

And clearly the anxiety of leaving our little mountain sanctuary was enough to send all of us into a panic.

Dom grabbed her bag from the closet, taking the folded clothes from the dresser and neatly placing them inside.

I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“You should get packed. We’ve got a plane to catch.” Across the room, Dom grumbled.

As she strode past the bed, my hand darted out to meet hers — stopping her in her tracks. “Dom…”

Forced to slow down, Dom met my gaze.

“Are we going to be safe?”

Her temple tensed, the vein popping out under the pressure. “I’ll mow down anyone who gets in our way.”

She gave my hand one squeeze before dropping it and heading out the door and down the steps.

As soon as she slipped past the door, Leo’s body filled the frame. “Morning, Princess. Bell hop service is here.”

Rubbing my forehead, I looked around the room. I hadn’t even started packing my bag.

Leo could see the stress on my face, crossing the room and planting a kiss on my head. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll pack it.” She grabbed my bag and placed all my clothes inside, grabbing all my toiletries while I got dressed.

By the time I’d put on some shorts, a t-shirt and put my hair up in a loose ponytail, Leo was hauling my bag down the stairs.

I followed behind her as she trounced down to the first floor, Spencer and Dom were scanning the rest of the house for their belongings.

And in the corner of the living room, watching her garden, was Vivienne.

Amidst the chaos, she kept solemn watch.

My heart ached at the thought of leaving her here. All I could hope was that we hadn’t led Zeus to her doorstep, that we’d really been able to hide here.

We’ll come back for her.