Page 99 of Road to Redemption

With each lap we took, Dom let me control more and more of the bike until I felt confident enough to try a solo trip. “You don’t even have to use the throttle. Straddle it in first to the end of the driveway, and I’ll be happy.”

“Oh, well as long as you’ll be happy.” I rolled my eyes. But there was a part of me that wanted to pull it off to prove something to her — to myself, too.

Once Dom gave me the go ahead, I squeezed the clutch and used my left foot to drop into first gear, surprised by the way that muscle memory was already kicking in. My chest tightened as the bike began to roll, and for a second, I worried I would lose my balance and my leg to the bike.

She’s walking alongside me. She’ll catch it before it comes to that. Hell, she’ll throw herself under the bike before she lets it crush me.

But thankfully, it didn’t come to that. I was able to right my footing quickly, getting the bike up to seven miles per hour before lifting my feet. I was riding at seven miles per hour.

Oh my god, I’m actually riding it!

My heart raced with each inch of ground covered, anxiety and excitement warring in my chest. I’d backpacked plenty, but there was something different about being in control of the vehicle. I’d never felt more terrified, but I’d never felt more free.

“Alright, speed demon. Time for the brakes,” Dom called.

“Left foot?” I shouted.

“No! Right!” Her face paled until she heard my laugh ring out across the lawn.

“I’m just fucking with you,” I laughed, pressing down my right foot and squeezing on the front brake until the bike crawled to a stop.

I did it?

“I did it!” I dropped the kickstand before hopping down, running a victory lap of my own around the bike. “I did it, I did it!”

Electricity coursed through my veins, sending a dizzying mix of signals through my body. I could cry, I could scream, I could dance with joy. I wanted to throw up, and still I wanted to go all over again.

Dom stood off to the side with her back to the house. In her shadow, I thought I saw a second figure too. The illusion disappeared quickly, but the warmth in the air and the soft chuckle drifting through the breeze didn’t.

I wasn’t much for spirituality, but somehow, I could feel my father’s presence in the air. Somewhere out there, he knew everything that I’d become. And Viv had been right; he was proud of me.

Though Dom’s arms were crossed over her chest, a rare, genuine smile pulled at her lips. She didn’t have to say it for me to know that she was proud of me too.

At the sight of that smile, another urge rose to the surface: I wanted to kiss her.

I forced down the impulse, but wasn’t fast enough to stop my feet from running toward her. With a warm breeze at my back, I flung my arms open wide and clasped them around her neck, jumping into her arms as I squealed in victory. “I fucking did it!”

My excitement certainly caught her off guard — I could feel the heat rising to her cheek as it pressed against mine. But to my surprise, Dom didn’t reject the gesture. She held me, spinning to catch her footing as she squeezed me tighter. “That’s right, Viper. You fucking did it.”

52

KIERA

I wasn’t a professional rider or anything, but a week of practice with my captors would have to be enough.

The morning of my meeting with my mom, I stood outside in the warm spring sun, waiting for my three protectors to meet me outside Dom’s mansion.

The armored clothes Leo and Dom had sourced for me were far too hot for this weather. But they were insistent that I wear as much gear as I could. If all of this went south, they wanted to make sure I’d be safe on a speeding bike.

I pinched at the knees, trying to give my legs more room to breathe. All black, the outfit would be anonymous enough to hide me once the helmet was on.

I wondered if I should have stayed inside until everyone was ready. But in all honesty, the vibe inside was tense and the air was thick. At least out here I was able to get some fresh air and take a break from the anxious energy.

Missions were always tense. But this was different. A calculated risk, this mission could make or break our chances of taking Zeus down.

And if we failed, we might not just put the operation at risk but also my life.

Leo stepped outside first, pulling the front door open and smiling at me. “Goddamn.”