Page 41 of Road to Redemption

Once the car was packed, Leo, Spencer, Dom, and I all standing next to the hulking SUV, Vivienne met us outside, four baggies in hand.

Giving them out, she smiled at each of us. “Just a sandwich for the trip. Airplane food isn’t very filling.”

She could hardly look at us, her eyes glassy as she took a step back and put her hands on her hips.

Leo stepped forward first, wrapping Viv up in a hug before holding her hands. “Thank you, really. For everything.”

Viv was hardly able to nod before Spencer was scooping her up in a hug. “You’re the coolest, Viv. We all really needed this. Needed you.”

“You’ve always got a mama in Seattle.” Barely able to breathe in Spencer’s bear hug, Vivienne huffed out her words. She leaned down and scruffed Lady’s fur, giving her a kiss on the head. “Make sure they get snuggles, good girl.”

Stepping back, Spencer and Leo headed toward their respective car doors with Lady in tow.

Then it was my turn. Viv held her arms open for me. As soon as I was within her wingspan, she pulled me in. We stood like that for a while, Viv giving me the hug I’d been needing for months. Maybe even years.

Viv’s voice caught in her throat. “You are a testament to your resolve, my dear.” When she pulled away, her face had hardened with vengeance. “Finish the job, for all of us.”

Her words were laced with understanding, not just for how evil Isaac was but for what he’d done to so many girls.

I nodded, taking a step back.

Dom stood with her hands on her hips, like she was trying to anchor herself to the ground. All she wanted to do was hide here, to never face the demons waiting back in New York. We could play house here forever.

But Dom broke the spell, stepping forward and meeting her mom’s gaze.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Viv shook her head. In a voice I could hardly hear, Vivienne said her goodbyes. “I never thought I’d see you again, my beautiful baby. Every single second of this time has made all of these years worth it.”

Dom’s lips tightened shut.

“You turned out exactly as I’d prayed for.” Viv gestured to the sky with a chuckle. “To whoever was listening.”

My chest tightened as I watched them hold each other. The resemblance was startling, even after spending so much time with both of them. Dom had really grown into Viv’s image. A masculine one, but that was certainly Vivienne’s baby.

Viv pulled away from the hug and let her fingers hold Dom’s cheek. “Be the protector the world needs.”

All Dom could do was nod. “I’ll be back when all of this is over. You can come home.”

With a nod, Viv winked. “Wherever I can find you will be home, sweetie.”

Knowing she’d never walk away herself, I grabbed Dom’s hand and guided her toward the car. She looked off toward the woods, bringing her free hand to her face. I knew she’d never admit to crying, to letting her guard down for even a moment.

By the time she hopped into the driver’s seat, she’d cleared her throat and built those brick walls right back up.

Driving away was the hardest, all of us peering over our seats to watch Viv wave goodbye. Even Lady hopped up on the backseat to look out the rear window.

Dom watched through the rearview mirror, her eyes flicking between the long driveway and the hidden house.

As we turned through the brush, Viv headed back inside. She looked up at the sky as she disappeared from our view.

She’ll be fine. The garden will keep her busy for a bit.

The rest of the ride was silent, no one was ready to admit just how hard the next few weeks would be. Or that none of us knew how this would end.

Maybe we’d all end up behind prison bars.

An hour later, the SUV was rolling onto the tarmac to another charter jet. The engines were on, making it impossible to talk as our bags were loaded onto the plane.

Lady had gotten pretty good at the whole travel situation, stopping to greet the rampies before climbing the tall plane stairs.