Even then, I didn’t trust it. I feared if I stopped throwing my fist into his face that he’d rise up and steal her away.
I had to be sure.
Only then did I drop his collar and look up at Kiera, still huddled in that twin bed. Her eyes were wide as she watched my heaving chest.
Through gritted teeth, I did the only thing I knew would get her out of this cursed house. “Get the fuck out of my house! Go get your mother and leave!”
Her face scrunched up in confusion, the tears turning to anger as she opened her mouth to fight back. But she was starting to process the blood splattered on my face, the pool of red forming on the hardwood floors.
I knew I looked terrifying, that she’d never forget the way my face looked now. It was how she’d remember me for the rest of her life. A deep well of sadness formed at the pit of my stomach.
Rising from the bed, she ran for the door. I leapt off Keith’s limp body, following her to the door and yelling after her. “Don’t ever come back here. You and your bitch mother aren’t welcome here.”
Even as the words left my lips, I hoped they wouldn’t stick to her. That she wouldn’t carry a guilt for this moment for the rest of her life. But the guilt was more survivable than this house.
The further she was from the Dumont’s, the better.
Everything blurred when I saw my father’s face at the stop of the stairs. There was a calmness to his eyes, like he knew this was a possibility.
In that moment, every dark fear I had about my dad was confirmed. He wasn’t just negligent. He was a monster.
The rest was a blur — the women in aprons who came after, swords and scales behind their ears, on their covered wrists, watching the blood circle the drain.
As soon as Kiera left my sight, everything changed. All I knew for sure was that he was dead, and she was gone.
43
KIERA
The rain peltingthe top of my helmet had done very little to quiet the voices raging in my mind as I held on to Spencer’s back.
It had been a long drive back to the mansion, but the anger and betrayal was willing to wait.
As soon as Leo and Spencer slowed the motorcycles at the front of the house, I ripped myself off the back of the bike and stormed inside. But they were hot on my tail, not willing to let me out of their sight.
The warmth of the house sent shivers down my spine as the rain on my skin began to dry. It was quiet, Dom still not home. But we didn’t have long before she would return.
Leo hadn’t even managed to close the front door before I turned on my heels and wheeled on them. “What the fuck?”
“I don’t know…” Spencer started, shaking her head as she rubbed the back of her neck and avoided my gaze.
My eyes darted over to Leo, who leaned against the coat closet by the front door.
They know I’m onto them.
That’s why they were quiet.
Scoffing, I sucked my teeth. “So you knew? You knew she was working for them? You must have known.” As soon as the words left my mouth, the South Wing came back to my mind.
Dom was Isaac Dumont’s daughter, my Madeline. Which meant that was where all her money came from. Zeus Industries was that job she was always running off too.
Anger swelled in my chest as I turned my attention to Leo. “You’ve known her since high school and you didn’t know who her father was? You didn’t recognize Zeus Industries in the press conference?” I paused, “Didn’t think I should know?”
Leo pulled herself off the doorframe, walking closer to me. “I knew it was her father’s company but she told me she didn’t work for him. She fucking hates him, it was clear she didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Well, that’s convenient.” I laughed as I took a step back.
But as my mind raced, searching for the connection I was missing, I looked deep into Leo’s golden eyes. Even in the dark of night, they were bright and certain. The entire time I’d been in the mansion, Leo hadn’t lied to me once. At least not that I’d seen yet.
