11. Kiera
KIERA
Viv presided over the upstairs landing like an empress overseeing the fulfillment of her orders while the rest of us milled about the hallway like chastised children.
“Kiera’s stuff goes in Dom’s room.” Viv pointed to the door farther down the hall.
At her command, Leo and Spencer sprung to action, each ready to grab my bag before Viv held up a hand to stop them. “No, Dom can do that.”
At that, Dom threw up her hands. “Are you kidding me?”
“Do I look like I’m kidding?”
Viv had only been back in our lives for a matter of hours, but I remembered the authority she’d wielded in our childhoods vividly. She was gentle, never rash or needlessly cruel. But if you pushed the limit, you were in for a world of trouble.
Dom doesn’t know how not to push.
Since we’d gotten back here, it was like watching her speed run the progression from sulky toddler to moody teenager. There were years of feelings for her to work through, a decade of lost time with her mother to make up for.
As if to prove my point, she crossed her arms as she grumbled. “Suddenly you want to play mother hen? This is bullshit.”
The hurt in Viv’s eyes was only visible for a second before the steely armor of her lawyer persona snapped into place. “If you think I’m a tight ass as your mother, then you’ll hate to see what I’m like as your warden. Get moving before you learn that the hard way.”
I braced myself for the bite back, but it didn’t come. Instead, with a sigh, Dom pushed off of the wall with a huff and headed for the room closest to the stairs.
As tough as she tried to play it, Dom understood the power that Viv held here. Not only as the owner of this house, but as a key piece of the Oracle’s plan. We couldn’t overthrow Zeus without her cooperation, and pissing her off wouldn’t make for an easy collaboration.
But it was more than that, too. Desperate as she was to convince herself otherwise, I could tell that Dom yearned for her mother’s approval, and falling short of that, her attention.
It was a silly endeavor — it was clear as day that Viv adored her daughter despite their time apart — but growing up under Isaac’s thumb probably made it hard to trust in a love given so freely.
Sympathy hit my gut like a brick, but I quickly shook off the blow. We all grew up with baggage, yet none of us were allowed to be as much of a bitch about it as Dom. Maybe some tough love from mommy would help screw her head on straight.
And as she hoisted my bag off the floor, I couldn’t help but smirk.
She’s made my life hell for months. A little taste of her own medicine won’t kill her.
I rode that high as Viv reminded Dom to be gentle, to mind the doorframe, to defy her impulse to toss my bag right out the window at the end of the hallway. Dom acted so untouchable, but all I had to do to get under her skin was lean against the doorframe and smile.
But the triumph was short-lived. Night fell quickly through that little hallway window, and soon, Viv was telling us where we could find the light switches and extra toiletries.
“And if you need anything else, just holler. My room’s right downstairs.”
“You’ve got it, ma’am.” Leo nodded.
“Night.” Dom grumbled from inside of our room.
“Thank you, Vivienne,” Spencer waved, only turning to give me a kiss once she was out of view. “Good night, Bunny. I’ll miss you in bed.”
“I’ll miss you too…” I bit my lip, peeking over my shoulder at Dom. It could have been my imagination, but she seemed to be digging through her suitcase with extra vitriol.
“Sleep tight, Princess.” Leo swept in next, tilting my head up with two fingers as she kissed me deeply and passionately.
I only broke away when Dom threw a shirt over her shoulder, causing a surprisingly loud thud for a piece of cotton.
Looking past me, Leo frowned at Dom. “Remember to play nice with your roommate, Dumont. I’ll be pissed if you scuff up my little doll.”
“I don’t take orders from you, Major.” Dom growled, striding toward the doorway. “Now if you’ll excuse me, some of us need to sleep. Sweet dreams, Major.”
Pulling me into the room with a tug on my sleeve, Dom shut the door on Leo and wheeled around to face me. In the dark of night, it was like she’d doubled in size, towering over me with eyes that gleamed in the moonlight.
“Just the two of us now, Viper. Still feeling smug?”
Suddenly, all of my earlier confidence vanished. Without Viv nipping at her heels, Dom was completely unrestrained. I thought that I had the upper hand here, but now I saw the truth: I’d just gotten locked in the cage with a monster I wasn’t sure I could survive.