22. Kiera
KIERA
“Damn she works fast…”
I nearly jumped from my skin as Spencer filled the doorway behind me. Just behind her, Leo whistled low. “She must have stayed up all night to finish it.”
“Jesus,” I clutched my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. For two hulking bikers, they sure could be stealthy. But I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Knew they wouldn’t make it a round before sneaking up here.
“What is it?” I was hesitant to cross the threshold, let alone touch the mysterious box, but the two walls of muscle crowding the doorway didn’t give me much other choice.
“Open it and find out.” Leo smirked, following me into the room.
“Ooooo, I wanna watch.” Brushing past us both, Spencer hopped onto my bed, propping her head up on her hand.
Glancing between my two saviors, I took a step forward, “I didn’t invite you in, you know.”
“Come on, Bunny, we all know you’ve got an open door policy when it comes to us.” Spencer winked, earning a glare from me.
Behind me, Leo rumbled, “Do you want us to leave?”
After a moment of hesitation, I stepped forward and scooped up the box. “That’s not what I said.”
The box was heavier than I expected, for something so small. Adjusting my grip, I balanced it in one hand while pulling at the tail of the long black ribbon with the other. “Is this from you?”
Spencer tilted her head in contemplation, pursing her lips, “Partially…”
“Dom did most of the work, though.” Leo clarified, placing her hands on my shoulders.
“Dom?” I balked, nearly dropping the box as I looked over my shoulder at Leo. I had no idea what to expect beforehand, but knowing that Dom was involved, there was no way it could be good.
“Just open it!” Leo smacked her hand playfully against the duvet. “I’m dying of suspense.”
Holding the box away from my body, I lifted the lid, ready to drop it at the first sign of trouble. But to my surprise, there were no bugs or daggers or poison smoke waiting for me. Instead, it was…
“Motorcycle chains?” I tilted my head.
“Mhm,” Spencer nodded. “From your Oath.”
Taking a closer look, I saw that they’d been forged into a tri-metal bracelet. Three distinct colors from three distinct protectors.
Leo rubbed my shoulders lightly as I lifted the bracelet. “You’ll wear this to remind yourself of the words you swore to Styx. Your oath to us.”
“And ours to you,” Spence added.
It felt strange to hold the bike chains in my hand. I was just getting used to being around motorcycles again, and now, I wouldn’t just have a piece of dad with me; I’d have pieces of my guardians too. The same bike chains that had pulled me away from Gabe that night.
I swallowed hard as I took in the weight of that. Somehow, this simple gesture felt more daunting than the oath itself.
But there was no denying that the bracelet was beautiful despite its bulk.
The chains had been cleaned meticulously before being reassembled in alternating hues.
I wasn’t sure where Dom had learned that type of craftsmanship, but it almost made me forget what a colossal bully she’d been these last few weeks.
“Want help putting it on?” Leo asked, kissing my shoulder.
“Yes please…” I nodded, turning to face her.
She took the bracelet for me, and as the chains looped over her fingers, I thought that I’d never seen something more natural.
I held out my wrist for her, letting her drape the metal delicately over my skin before skillfully hooking the clasp.
Once it was secured, she kissed the back of my hand before letting me free.
“How does it feel?” Spencer asked, sitting up to take me in.
“...Good.” I murmured, glancing down at the polished metal. The slight, cool weight of the bracelet was calming, grounding even.
I grabbed the box off of my bed so that I could tuck it into the nightstand for safe keeping. But as I moved the box, I spotted the small, folded note beneath it.
Unfolding the worn paper, I was surprised by handwriting I didn’t recognize:
For better or worse, from the first to the last.
-Dom
My throat tightened reading her blocky penmanship. It wasn’t quite warm, but it was more tender than I thought her capable of. Certainly as intense as I’d come to expect from her.
“You like it?” Spencer asked from the bed.
“It’s…pretty.” I cleared my throat as I turned toward the closet, surprised by the sudden wave of emotion that overcame me. “Really beautiful. Thank you.”
With the bracelet settled, I knew I was running tight on time to get ready. And apparently, I’d be doing so with an audience. Once my saviors made themselves comfortable in my room, there was no getting rid of them.
I didn’t mind the company, though. It gave me less time to ruminate about Dom’s cryptic note, about what it really was we were getting ready for.
This was supposed to be a simple assignment.
After my Initiation, though, I knew that any mission could go in that direction.
It was a comfort knowing that if and when it did, I had three hulking security guards between me and any real danger.
But the idea of any of them in harm’s way — even Dom — was enough to chill my blood.
Clearing my throat, I tried to abandon the thought. “What do we think? Hair up or down?”
I gave a little spin in my black mesh shirt and leather mini skirt, modeling my hair both ways as I turned to face Leo.
“In your wig,” she raised her eyebrow, trying to fight back the hunger in her eyes.
“Come onnnnn,” I pouted. “That thing is terrible, and it makes my head all sweaty.”
“It makes you harder to recognize,” Spencer piped up. “Pretty as that red hair of yours is, it’s a fucking beacon for Gabe’s citizen spy network. We’re not risking you being recognized any more than necessary.”
“Spencerrrrr!” I threw my head back, “You’re supposed to be the lenient one!”
“See?” Leo smirked, shooting Spencer a look.
“What the hell? No I’m not!” Spencer scowled.
“Are too,” I teased, hoping I might distract her.
But before I could take a step toward her, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. “Wig.”
“Fine!” I huffed. As I got to work braiding my hair and pinning down the long, blonde wig, Leo and Spencer flitted in and out of my room to grab their own clothes.
Leo wore a fitted white t-shirt that hugged her shoulders under a black denim jacket, while Spence opted for boxy dark muscle tee and baggy black cargo pants.
Both of them finished off their outfits with an assortment of silver rings, belt buckles, and chains, though Leo’s outfit was much simpler than Spencer’s.
And once my wig was pinned and my makeup was done, we were all ready to go.
As I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the silver chain belt I’d looped over my skirt, Spencer sauntered up behind me, bringing her hands to rest on my hips. “Fuck, we look good together.”
I blushed, twirling my fingers through the end of my straight, blonde hair. “Even in this thing?”
“Baby,” Spencer murmured, catching my eye through the mirror as she leaned down to whisper. “You could put a bag over your head and still be the hottest girl in any room.”
“And me?” Leo teased, holding her hands out as she gave a little spin.
“You’ve got an okay personality,” Spence rolled her eyes.
“Just okay?” Leo scoffed. “You weren’t saying that when you were coming on my?—”
“Ladies, ladies,” I cut in. “There’s no need to fight! You’re both beautiful, and there’s plenty of me to go around.”
I couldn’t help grinning as Spencer wrapped her arms around me from behind and lifted me, giving me a spin. “Oh, I’m sure there is.”
But before she could lose sight of herself and toss me down on the bed, a text pinged from Leo’s phone, evaporating all the mirth from her face. “It’s time.”
Once they were called into action, my saviors moved like well-oiled machines.
In less than five minutes, we were suited up and out the door, riding their steel chariots away into the night.
I clung to Leo’s back while Spencer rode ahead of us, keeping an eye out for any unexpected hiccups along the way.
I didn’t recognize this route, but within twenty minutes, we’d reached the location: a huge, brick factory building farther out than our usual stakeouts.
Through the paned glass windows that lined the top floor of the building, I could see colorful, strobing lights reaching for the stars above.
And though the brick did a lot to capture the pulsing EDM beats within, the old glass windows let it bleed right out into the surrounding forest.
Using our usual trick, I chatted up the bouncer before heading inside to let my masc vigilantes in through one of the warehouse’s many side doors. I did my best to play it cool, but in truth, I couldn’t breathe until the two of them were back at my side.
If I thought the bar they’d initiated me at was crowded, then this place was a sardine can. Despite the big, open dance floor in the center, people were crammed right up against each other everywhere I turned.
If I’m going to have to touch two people at all times in this place, I’d rather it be Spencer and Leo.
Clearly, Leo could sense my tension as we navigated the crowd. She gripped my shoulders tight, leaning down toward my ear as we followed Spencer through the crowd. “You okay, Princess?”
“It’s so busy!” I shouted over the blaring music.
Spencer turned back to catch my eye before nodding up toward the edge of the room, where a short set of stairs led up to a small platform lining the warehouse. Up there tall black cocktail tables and matching stools offered sweet relief from the crushing crowd. “One more minute, Bunny.”
As my angels guided me through to the steps, it felt like stepping out of a pressurized chamber. My lungs stretched with my first full breath. Without the constant crush of dancers and creeps trying to cop a feel, I felt lighter, taller.