Spencer wouldn’t have it, though. I’d found designer sneakers in the garbage, along with gaming consoles, new cellphones, and even straight up cash. Fuck, Spencer would hardlylookat Dom, let alone speak to her.
And to be fair, Dom still couldn’t manage to say two simple words.
And all the drama was giving me a headache. Frankly, both of them were in the wrong. Dom needed to get it through her head that this wasn’t about the money from the lawsuit and actually apologize for lying. And Spencer needed to stop throwing a tantrum long enough to see that, in her own way, Dom was trying to make things right.
But I wasn’t getting involved — it wasn’t my place. They were both grown-ups who could figure this out on their own without a mediator. At least, they should be.
Eventually, Spence got situated on her bike, and we took off down the road.
Still, in the silence of the drive, I couldn’t help seething just a little. It wasn’t like I didn’t have my own grievances with Dom. Everyone else was so caught up in their own shit that it seemed real easy for them to forget that I’d also been lied to.
I was just choosing to handle my feelings like an adult: by letting go of the shit I couldn’t change. I couldn’t change that Dom had lied, I couldn’t change that she didn’t know how to apologize, and I couldn’t change that the whole world seemed to revolve around her whims.
Walking away wasn’t an option for me: this was the only real family I’d known. Which left me with two choices: throw a tantrum, or keep it pushing. And one of those options was significantly less drama than the other.
Still, I couldn’t help the questions that rose to the surface in quiet moments like this. I’d known that my parents knew Dom’s. At a school like ours, it would have been hard for two powerful families to not be passing acquaintances at least.
And as shit got weirder, it was hard not to wonder how close our parents had really been. Were my parents involved in any of Zeus’s dealings?
It doesn’t really fucking matter, does it? I’m basically estranged from them.
But even as I tried to let logic wash away the worry, the feeling still burrowed somewhere deep in my chest, stubbornly trying to claw its way out.
Lucky for me, my nagging worries were out of time for now. Arriving back in New York City, I followed Dom’s lead down a dingy alley between the high rises, letting Spencer take up the rear.
While Spencer and I got to work stowing the bikes under a black tarp she’d brought along, Dom got busy at the end of the alley with a pair of binoculars. We were about a block away fromhis apartment, but the binoculars gave her a chance to take one final peek into the apartment and ensure that it was empty.
“What’s the plan?” Kiera bit her lip as her eyes shifted between us and Dom.
Letting Spencer secure the last of the tarp, I took a step toward Kiera, taking in a deep breath that I hoped she might copy. “We’ve got Zeus security badges that Dom was able to snag from work. That’s going to be our in.”
Kiera’s eyes widened. “Security? There’s no fucking way they’ll buy that I’m security.”
“You’re not security...” I closed my eyes as I prepared for how this would sound. “You’re… they’re going to think you’re an escort.”
“A sex worker?” She blinked. “The entire time that we were together, was he…?”
“Do you really want me to answer that question, Kiera?”
“I hate this plan,” Kiera shook her head. “Is there any other way that?—?”
“Let’s go,” Dom grumbled from the end of the alley, tucking away the binoculars. “Apartment’s empty, but the longer we wait, the less likely it is to stay that way.”
I could see the terror in Kiera’s eyes as Spencer and Dom made their way toward the street, determination written all over their faces. I wanted desperately to hang back with her, to protect her from what might be waiting in that apartment.
But I couldn’t leave Spencer and Dom to handle this alone, either.
“Trust me,” I looped her arm with mine before trying to catch up with the others. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She still looked skeptical, but the words got her walking, and I would take that small victory. We caught up with the others as we approached the main lobby, and I was forced to drop her hand.
Dom strode up to the front desk, the picture of stoicism. “Penthouse 2. Delivery for Mr. Cortes.”
“Of course,” The doorman smiled up at Dom. “May I see some ID?”
As the rest of us handed over our badges, I could practically feel Kiera shaking.
As sick as it was, her nerves were probably for the best. If I knew anything about what Gabe looked for, terrified was probably best.
