She lied to me. Worse than that, sheletme get hurt over and over again.
Following her out of the art gallery, I kept my arms crossed.
While I was digging myself out of the dirt, Dom was taking private jets, buying expensive clothes and fancy cars.
Silently, we climbed back into the vintage Camaro. Even the warm leather was pissing me off now. Who the fuck even had time to maintain a car like this? Wasn’t Dom supposed to have a job?
I slammed the door closed behind me, curling myself into the wall of the gold car and pretending like Dom wasn’t there.
“Watch it, Viper.” Dom hissed at me. “Don’t damage what’s mine.”
Biting back, I tried to keep my composure. Giving in to her snide comments would only lead to her flexing all that power. And I loved taking it from her.
She raised an eyebrow, just as surprised as I was that I didn’t have some snippy comment to give back. Turning the key in the ignition, the Camaro’s engine roared to life. Dom threw the gear shift into place and ripped off the street, surely leaving skid marks behind as she zipped us off the city streets.
We drove like that for miles. Complete silence. The weight of another ruined birthday weighed on my chest as I tried to watch the river through the blur of trees.
It was typical Dom, at least who she had become — couldn’t let me enjoy anything. Even when she knew I hated my birthday.
None of that stopped the Camaro’s engine from driving us home. I watched the passing exit signs like a countdown, begging for this ride to be over.
As soon as I saw the Valemont off-ramp, I sat up in my seat.
But Dom didn’t turn, instead continuing up the highway. Taking the next exit, I tried to hide my surprise. The last thing I needed was for Dom to think she could catch me off guard. I knew better now. She couldn’t be trusted and there was never going to be a time that I could let her in.
Not really.
The car turned onto dark rural roads — ones I recognized.
That night came back to me in waves. The cheering. My head pressed into Spencer’s back on the back of her bike; my mind swam with confusion; my eyes swelled with tears.
The Hollow. Dom was taking me back.
60
KIERA
The poundingin my head hadn’t subsided by the time Dom pulled the gold Camaro into a spot near The Hollow’s entrance.
I felt my heart beating in my throat as I tried to calm myself down.
I knew what they did know, what my angels got up to when I wasn’t looking. And when I was.
But that didn’t change how terrifying the Gauntlet had been to watch. It was almost worse that I hadn’t seen the end. My mind had gotten pretty good at filling in blanks with more unimaginable terror.
Dom kept the engine running as she stretched out her long legs in the driver’s seat. Pursing her lips, she kept an eye on the metal door that marked the Hollow’s entrance. Around it, the usual burn barrels were surrounded by tough bikers, their leather jackets lined with fur now as the cold of January held its iron grip.
My eyes wanted to watch her every movement. In my periphery, I could see her tilting her head back, resting her crown on the head rest and leaving her tattooed neck exposed.
It would be so easy to lick along her jawline, to feel the bone under my tongue.
I bet she’d moan.
Shaking myself out of whatever ridiculous haze I was in, I sucked my teeth. “What on earth are you waiting for?”
“Spence and Leo.” Dom threw it out, knowing I would ask. “They’re coming to get you.”
Predictably nosey. Who could blame me? I’d accidentally stumbled into a death cult and was starting to fall for two of its members.
