Here, stone columns and grand railings lined every hallway. It looked more like Congress than a hotel. And the contrast couldn’t have been more stark.
Downstairs, well-dressed guests sauntered across the lobby floor. Here, every person carried a stack of folders with serious faces and phones pressed to their ears.
I watched down the hall as we remained invisible. Doors that were opened were quickly shut. Nothing exposed for long.
All I could hear was ringing office phones and hurried conversation.
Leo kept her massive hand on my back, a calm in this chaos as we followed Dom from a few feet behind.
Stepping up to the desk, Dom pulled out a sleek badge from her pocket and slid it across the counter. “We’re here to see The Oracle.”
Without looking up, the receptionist nodded. “Marks.”
Leo pulled her dress shirt collar down, showing the hilt of her sword. Spencer maneuvered her shoulder out from under the tight button down. Following their lead, I held out my arm.
And then there was Dom, who just growled. “You know where mine is.”
A part of me was a little disappointed not to get another glimpse of her broad back, desperately wanting to get a look at the scars her tattoo hid.
But the receptionist rolled her eyes and pointed down the long hallway where grand chandeliers lit the way. “Down there, two lefts, then a right. Last door on the right.”
“Thanks.” Dom nodded and slipped her badge back into her pocket.
Navigating us through the labyrinthine halls of Delphi, Dom kept her head up. Each turn brought us to a quieter hallway — far from the bustling entryway of the floor. I felt air flowing back into my lungs as relief came for a brief moment.
Approaching the last door on the right in our final hallway, all my nerves rushed back.
Within feet of the door, it swung open for us. The dark wood blocked whoever was exiting the council chamber. Until they stepped farther into the hallway.
My eyes immediately darted to the tall, dark masc. Her hair was short and slicked back. Despite her best efforts to keep it neat, the wavy hairs found their way out.
Next to her was a short femme with light brown hair. On her neck, she wore a gold necklace that draped down her collar bone. A single loop at the center of her chest.
Dom reached out her hand to shake the gorgeous, suited figure. “Xander fucking Stone. Good to see you. How’s the Maserati?”
A deep laugh came from her chest. “Purrs like a kitten. You remember Eleanor.” Xander gestured to the woman next to her.
“Hey, boys.” She waved at my angels before stopping on me and smiling. “Have we met?”
Shaking my head, I held out my hand. “Kiera Tierney.”
“Elle Clarke.” As our hands returned to our sides, Elle winked at me. There was a knowing look in her eyes as she looked at my outfit, my dress code making sense to her as she pieced me together.
I felt seen by her. For the first time in months, I had the feeling that someone understood what I was going through with these three masked bikers who’d swept me into their world.
“Meeting go well?” Dom asked, her chin pointed up as she watched Xander’s face.
Xander scoffed and growled. “They’re in a mood today. Good luck, road warriors.”
With her girl in arm, Xander moved past us as she clapped Leo on the shoulder.
The four of us stood in front of the closed doors, waiting for admittance.
And then the door opened, to reveal a woman in a dark brown tunic and a matching bird mask.
Dom groaned in front of us as stepped forward. “Pigeon, we’re here to see The Oracle.”
Pigeon?
