4. Kiera
KIERA
All of the anxiety that had floated away under my saviors’ kisses came rushing back in as I followed Dom’s gaze down to the dance floor. Even under the pulsing club lights, I could have spotted a douchebag like that a million miles away.
His greasy hair was like a beacon under the strobe lights, distracting from his unfortunate face.
His chest hair strained over the top of a half-buttoned dress shirt.
And while he was throwing around wads of cash like he was some fucking millionaire, the cheap polyester of that shirt told me exactly what his bank account looked like.
I knew this type of guy: they slunk out of some dark hole every night to haunt clubs like this, keeping an eye out for girls who were a little too young and a little too drunk to see them for what they were.
My lip curled at the thought of it. I could see him for exactly what he was — a fucking parasite. “God, he’s disgusting.”
But not everyone had the benefit of experience guiding them. And it wasn’t long before a girl who’d pregamed a little too hard before brandishing her fake at the door stumbled over to him on the dance floor.
Within seconds, he was hanging off of her like a leech, shoving a glass of god-knows-what into her hands. She’d barely been there two minutes before his hands were on her, feeling her up under the guise of dancing, guiding the glass up to her lips.
“He’d better watch where those fucking hands go…” Spencer grumbled, her grip on the balcony banister tightening.
My gaze flickered over to the other two, who matched her stern expression. All the goofing off and teasing of a moment ago was gone. Now, they were scanning for weapons, for intel, for danger.
And as our mark started to move, the mission began in earnest.
“He’s heading for the west exit.” Dom grumbled, pushing off the banister and marching toward the stairs. Spencer and Leo followed suit, guiding me ahead of them to protect me from the crowd.
But as their eyes locked onto the girl stumbling through the crowd on his arm, I couldn’t stop mine from flicking toward the opposite exit.
It wouldn’t be hard to run. This could be my chance…
Despite having me sandwiched between them protectively, they were moving fast and had their eye on a very specific target. One well-placed step, and I could slip right out of their grasp before they noticed. I could slip into the crowd, force them to make a scene if they wanted me back.
A crowd this dense is probably the only way I’m beating them in a footrace.
But each time I tried to take that step, my brain kept me moving forward. Because… fuck that guy. I wanted my freedom, but more than that, I wanted justice. I wanted to make sure that poor girl was safe. Especially if Dom was as dangerous as I suspected.
So I marched forward, letting my captors shield me from the crowd with their bodies until we pushed through the red-lit hallway and out the side alley door.
My ears rang as the pulsing club music faded behind the heavy metal door, replaced with drunken murmurs and laughter of the patrons haunting the outside.
And down the alley, through the glow of the neon signs, I saw the man guiding the girl into the back seat of a beat-up black sedan.
Her limbs were already growing heavy from whatever he’d slipped into her drink, but he didn’t seem to mind — he simply reached down and tossed her limp leg into the footwell, slamming the door behind her.
“We tail.” Dom growled. “Don’t stop him — not until he gets her to the drop point. The Oracle will want a detailed report of the location, so don’t get caught.”
Nodding, Spencer wrapped her hand around mine and jogged over to her bike, pulling me along with her. But I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the black sedan as the driver’s door slammed and the engine roared to life.
It wasn’t until Spence was on her bike, handing me a helmet, that my stomach really began to turn. I had no clue where we were going. I’d sacrificed every opportunity to run. And for all I knew, what waited for me on the other side of this ride was some massive trap.
But the scumbag’s car was already peeling away, Dom and Leo tight on his trail. And if I didn’t move now, we were going to lose him.
So I hopped on the back of the bike, wrapped my arms tight around Spencer, and prayed against all logic that my so-called saviors would protect me. That I was worth more to them than whatever price was hanging over my head.