As I did up each button, leaving the top two undone, Gabe’s face kept flashing back to my mind. The smarmy little asshole wanted to weaponize the people of Valemont into his personal data collection army.
But I knew the truth, it was my father standing behind him and pulling the strings.
Despite The Oracle’s orders, I knew that the only place that would be safe for Kiera now was this mansion. The place she hated so much. Somewhere she’d sworn she’d never come back to.
A bar was certainly too dangerous for Kiera. Any number of patrons could spot her, send pictures to Zeus, and have a militia of Isaac’s making at our doorstep. What little peace I’d been able to find in our little dark zone from Zeus would be ripped away.
In all the chaos of years past, I’d managed to keep Zeus out of Valemont. And luckily, Isaac had no interest in revisiting the cursed town.
What little CCTV there was was owned by local businesses, barred by local ordinances from turning footage over to privatecompanies. A measure I’d worked with DA Burns to keep in place, hiding Valemont from the prying of the outside word.
All of that was over now. Our neighbors would be turning their phones into spies and setting Isaac on a place he’d hoped would burn behind him.
I knew one thing for sure: The Oracle wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not now. She was their most valuable asset and it was my job to protect her. Whether I liked it or not.
With my outfit on, I grabbed the brown leather knife holster from the chair by the mirror. Shrugging it onto my shoulders, I let the sheath drape down, it’s opening toward the floor. From the mantel of my fireplace, I grabbed the folded blade. I slipped the blade-end into the sheath, letting the handle hang out.
Grabbing my leather jacket from the king-sized bed at the center of the room, the modern mahogany bedframe a welcome update from the room's tudor-esque design, I tried to steady my breathing.
I slipped into my jacket, looking at myself in the mirror one final time. It was time to bring Kiera into the fold. If she wasn’t ready, she’d have to be in the next few hours.
And if anyone came near her… I’d gut them from throat to ass.
2
KIERA
I should have been moreconcerned. Should have been running through the woods to get away from them. They’d taken me hostage and lied to me.
But where the fuck am I going to run to?
My mind swam with new information, making it impossible to plan. Dom knew Gabriel. That much was clear. I still needed to figure out how much my other two saviors knew.
I can’t figure out shit if I run.
Dom’s mansion towered above us as we got ready to leave for our mission. The Oracle’s orders didn’t allow for any delays. But though I should have been more afraid to leave with them, the cold evening air made me antsy to get to our destination.
Skeevy and cramped as those bars might be, at least they’re warm.
In my search for heat, I couldn’t keep my eyes off my captors’ muscular bodies, jealous of their leather jackets.
Unlike others that I’d seen them wear, their Valemont Violence patches were absent. I could only assume it would help them stay anonymous on whatever mission we were headed on.
I watched them closely as they took the covers off of their motorcycles, maybe trying to investigate how much they knew about the earlier press conference. Or maybe I was just more obsessed with them than I should have been.
Despite their matching materials, each of them looked distinctly different. Spencer’s was a vintage moto, a classic style she would’ve been able to find in any thrift store. But it fit her body perfectly, straining around her biceps as she pulled the cover off of her Suzuki.
Leo’s was more modern, a deep, brown leather with ridges on the shoulders that took her frame from broad to hulking.
Looking up from her bike, Doctor Callahan smirked at me. “Nice wig.”
Rolling my eyes, I smoothed the flyaway hairs on the blonde wig. It was all the three of them had in the house but along with the heavy makeup on my face, we hoped it would be enough to obscure my identity in a crowded bar.
I swallowed my nerves, watching Leo climb onto the Ducati and turn on the roaring engine. Before I could pick a seat,
Spencer winked at me and patted the back of the blue bike. “Hop on, bunny.”
Not one to ignore orders, I tried to hide the blush on my face. Hopefully, it would pass off as my pale cheeks flushing in the cold.
