Page 63 of Road to Redemption

I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Her clothes were tattered, holes in her jeans and frayed edges on the baggy shirt she wore.

But it was the mask covering her face that sent a shiver down my spine. Even in shadow, the distinct, ghost-white face caught my eyes, splatters of red dirtied its surface. Black rings of makeup surrounded the eyes and mouth.

“What the fuck?” I muttered, barely able to speak.

Sensing my distress, Lady whipped around and started barking at the figure. Spit foamed around her lips, defensive of her people.

Even Dom’s whistle didn’t move her off the target.

Messy, blonde curls splayed out over the top of the mask.

“We have to get out of here.” Dom pulled on my arms as hard as she could.

A machete rested in her palms, drips of blood falling to the ground as she lifted her arm. Looking down, she used her free hand to tap her wrist where a watch would be.

Time’s up.

When my feet wouldn’t budge, Dom scooped her arm under my knees and lifted me into the air. “For fuck’s sake. MOVE!” Her words echoed off the concrete and cobblestone as Leo and Spencer sprinted toward the safehouse, Lady finally taking the cue and running off with us.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the figure, even as Dom took off down the path.

Who the fuck is that?

33

KIERA

I peered over Dom’s shoulder, trying to see if our creepy clown was following us, but it was no use; everything was lost in the blur of her movement. I didn’t gain my bearings until I heard familiar wooden floors groaning under her thundering footsteps.

She bounded up the saloon stairs like they were nothing, closing the distance between us and our safety in a matter of seconds. I gripped tightly to her neck, letting her strong arms hold me close until the safehouse door slammed shut, the shutters locking right behind them.

Seconds. Mere seconds had separated us from being locked out of the safehouse with whatever the fuck that creep was.

And as she dropped my feet to the ground, I knew that fact wasn’t lost on Dom.

Miraculously, we’d all made it back. Spencer hunched over with her hands on her thighs while Leo kneeled to check on a panting Lady. And while Dom seethed, clearly ramping up for some righteous monologue, I whipped around to give her a piece of my mind.

“What the fuck was that? I thought this place was supposed to be safe, Dom.”

Fire sparked behind her icy eyes. “This place,” she gestured wildly around the loft. “This place is safe. I didn’t say jack shit about the park. Which you would have realized if you ever fucking listened.”

“Oh, excuse me for missing the subtext!” I scoffed. “Mind giving the instructions in plain English next time? I’d love to know what rule I broke when a machete-wielding maniac starts hunting me around the park.”

“Must have overestimated your intelligence. I thought the bloody fucking note on the door would be a clear signal to anyone with two brain cells.” Her expression darkened as she stepped closer. “How about this? Since you can’t use your own common sense, the new rule is to do whatever the fuck I say, whenever the fuck I say it.”

Bitter laughter burst from my lips. “Oh, you’d just love that, wouldn’t you?”

“If that’s not good enough for you, you could try asking those freaks yourself. I’m sure it’ll be a really productive conversation once they take your tongue.”

A chill ripped down my spine at the idea, but my brow furrowed to hide my fear. “I’m glad you think this is funny, Dom. You know, I’m seeing why you and the Oracle work so well together. Bunch of bird brains, all of you.”

She didn’t have to lay a finger on me for me to feel the rage rolling off her in waves. My hands shook as she towered over me with a scowl, but I clenched them into fists to hide the tremor.

“Fuck what the Oracle thinks, Kiera. When have I ever put you at risk?”

The words slipped between my ribs like a dagger. Under all of her wrath, there was a teenager somewhere deep inside of Dom, terrified by how close she’d just come to losing me.

The realization was a bucket of water over my fury, taking it from a roaring flame to hissing embers in a matter of seconds.