55. Kiera
KIERA
New Years came and went in a flash, just like it always did. With the kids off to parties at their friends’ houses, Spencer was back home with us. And selfishly, I couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the new year than with her and Leo.
I wasn’t big on partying. When I was a kid, Maura had always dragged me off to some party or another with the instructions to stay out of the way and out of sight until the morning. So spending the night at home in my pajamas without any angry yelling was a huge upgrade.
Still, even stuck at home, my angels did their best to make the day special. Setting up a big platter of sushi and an assortment of drinks at the head of the dining room table, Leo kept the tunes pumping all night while Spencer coached us through drinking games she’d picked up in college.
“No wonder the LD girls need saving every five minutes, this shit’ll make you black out,” Dom had grumbled two rounds into flip cup.
Despite her grouchy attitude, Dom managed to stay up with us until midnight, only cringing slightly as Leo and Spencer raced to be my first kiss of the New Year. She even offered to stay and clean up the dining room while the rest of us headed off to bed.
It was a start. But still not the apology that was needed.
The tension between us and Dom was still there — especially between her and Spencer — but the holiday spirit had helped smooth things over, at least for the night.
In the days after New Year’s, the house had been quiet, settling into the usual post-holiday lull: that sleepy period where everyone crawled back into their own little corner to recover from the holiday hangover.
I’d expected it to stay that way until February at least. But despite my requests not to make a big deal of it, I should have realized that my angels wouldn’t consider the holidays finished until we’d properly celebrated my birthday.
From the moment I’d woken up to Spencer and Leo singing happy birthday, the day had been nonstop.
If I thought I was spoiled by them on a normal day, my birthday was an entirely different matter.
I wasn’t allowed to lift a finger as they prepared full breakfast and lunch spreads of all my favorite foods.
Between meals, anytime I wasn’t receiving a mindblowing orgasm, we did whatever I wanted, including braiding Spencer’s shaggy hair.
“Well?” she’d asked once I finished. “How does it look?”
I could hardly hold back a laugh as she pursed her lips, twirling the end of her tiny little braid between her fingers.
“I think I’m going to see that in my nightmares,” Leo shuddered.
“You’re just jealous,” Spencer gasped, ruffling Leo’s shorter cut. “You could never pull off my look.”
“I’m going to pee,” I cackled. “Take it out, take it out.”
By the time lunch had come and gone, I was completely wiped. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever been the center of so much attention, and as sweet as the gesture was, I was ready for a break.
“Alright, Princess,” Leo murmured as she helped me settle into my bed for a rest. “Just let us know if you need anything?”
“Cuddles or otherwise,” Spence piped up from the doorway. “Ready on demand.”
“Thank you,” I smiled, settling under the comforter. “I just need an hour or two. Try not to get too bored out there.”
“Tall order. We’ll give it our best,” Leo gave me a mini salute before shutting the door.
The silence of my bedroom was a comfort. As sweet as all of the attention was, I wasn’t sure I deserved all of their kindness. I’d learned early on that affection was a currency, and with Spencer and Leo, I hadn’t done anything to earn it.
I’m sure Leo would say that’s the point: I don’t need to earn anything with them.
But accepting their kindness and internalizing it were two different things, and for today, I only needed to do one of those things.
Still, that wasn’t the only cause of the worry nagging at the pit of my stomach.
Dom had stayed clear of us most of the day. I was willing to guess that, given the lingering tension, she didn’t want to weigh down my birthday celebration. Even though I’d spent weeks wishing for Dom to go away, the house felt… empty without her.
I didn’t hate her. As much as I might want to, there was too much history between us for me to feel that. Instead, I just felt… confused? Hurt? Once, Madeline had been my entire world: a beacon of light in one of the darkest periods of my life.
But now… I didn’t know who Dom was to me. My worst nightmare? Or my silent protector?
The questions kept me from sleeping for the better part of an hour. Finally, rolling over, I let out a sigh.
Maybe rest isn’t so restful right now.
Groaning, I swung my legs out from beneath the comforter and padded over to the door, eager for a distraction from my own rumination.
And as I walked down to the living room, a distraction was exactly what I got.
At the center of the room, two strangers flitted around a foldaway vanity, setting up all sorts of beauty products on little black tables against the wall.
The sight of someone new in the house immediately raised my hackles, but then I heard her booming voice from the corner of the room: Dom, tucked just out of my view.
“Her hair should be half up, pulled away from her face, but keep the curls. She’ll be wearing all black, so keep that in mind as far as nail colors.
Burgundy on the eyes. Everything you’ll need to dress her is here. ..”
I froze in the hallway as my mind tried to catch up. Dom was doing something nice? For me? My skin prickled at the thought. It was one thing to try trusting Leo and Spencer, but Dom grew up the same way that I did. If affection had to be earned, then what was the price for this kindness?
Plus, a part of me resented her deciding what I’d wear. Did she even know what I liked? What right did she have to choose what looked good?
I took a step back, trying to think of somewhere I could hide.
But before I was out of view, one of the beauty technicians caught my eye, waving me over with a wink. “We’ll take real good care of your girl, Dom. Promise.”
Caught, I had no choice but to step into the room, rubbing my arm anxiously. “What is all of this?”
Dom stiffened at the sight of me. I assumed it was because of the lingering tension between us, but as her gaze darted past me, I started to suspect it was a different emotion entirely. “Happy birthday…”
Looking at the display of high-end makeup and nailpolish, I rubbed my neck. “You didn’t have to get me a present. Kind of silly to get all dolled up to hang around the house, anyway.”
“It’s not a present,” she said gruffly before clearing her throat. “This isn’t. We’re going out tonight. To celebrate. I need you done up for the venue.”
The word venue made my blood pressure spike. I wasn’t sure what type of birthday celebration Dom’s money could buy, but whatever it was, I was sure it was a debt I didn’t want to owe.
“Really, it’s too much. You know I hate my birthday. Why don’t we just spend the night in? You don’t need to waste the money…”
But as gently as I tried to put my rejection, it fell on deaf ears. Not before a flicker of emotion — was it annoyance, or hurt? — flickered behind those icy blue eyes. “We’re going. Try to enjoy it.”
And before I could get another word in edgewise, she left the room, keeping a wide distance from me on her way out the door.
The beauty techs, who’d been busying themselves with their supplies to avoid the awkward confrontation, finally looked up from their stations. “You ready to get started, Kiera?”
I looked between them with a sheepish smile, clocking the sword and wing tattoos on their arms before swallowing my resistance. “Yes, thank you. Where do we start?”
True professionals, the women got me seated on a tall stool by the vanity and got right to work. One worked on my nails and did makeup, while the other arranged my hair into the style Dom had requested.
As they worked, we chatted a bit about how they knew Dom — through Violence, of course — and how beautiful the house was. I wasn’t sure if Dom had warned them to avoid the topic of my birthday itself, but thankfully, it didn’t come up in the hour or so that I was in the chair.
And in no time, the hair stylist was helping me down from the chair and leading me over to a small wardrobe in the corner. “No peeking! I want you to get the grand reveal!”
Gesturing for me to close my eyes, the two women helped me get into a long gown with a sleeveless, sweetheart neckline. One of them handled my thigh high, lacey socks and heeled boots, while the other helped me into lace gloves and clasped an intricate, jeweled necklace at my throat.
I tried to fight back my blush as they dressed me.
They’re professionals, Kiera. They see people like this every day.
But it didn’t stop the whole thing from feeling quite intimate.
Luckily, the fact that they were professionals meant that they worked fast. And it wasn’t long before they were grabbing me by the hand, leading me to a trifold mirror they’d set up where the arm chair usually went.
“Okay, ready to see?” The hair stylist said, adjusting the last few strands of my hair.
“Ready,” I nodded, anxious to see.
As they stepped away, I opened my eyes and was truly floored. I was never under any illusion that I was ugly, but damn, did they make me feel beautiful.
The black, jewel speckled dress hugged my every curve as it trailed from my chest all the way down to the floor in a small train. A high slit along the right leg gave a perfect view of my red bottomed boots and lacey black thigh highs, as well as a healthy dose of skin above them.
Matching black, lace gloves hugged my upper arm all the way down to my wrist, leaving my fingers free to show off the stunning manicure they’d given me: black on the top and red underneath, just like my boots.
And while my shoulders were exposed, my neck boasted one of the most ornate necklaces I’d ever seen: black lace that dripped down from a collar at my neck, draping jewels in all the right places to accentuate the curves of my chest.
Even the makeup was impeccable: a deep burgundy smokey eye and matching lip with a crisp winged eyeliner. And now, I understood exactly why Dom wanted my hair pulled back. The color, the eyeliner, the hairstyle: all of it worked together to make the green in my eyes pop.
Licking my teeth, I couldn’t pretend like the outfit wasn’t perfect. Just my taste.
Maybe she had been paying attention to me.
“Wow…” I breathed, giving a slight spin in front of the mirror. “This is incredible… thank you.”
I turned to smile at the women, “Thank you so much.”
“Of course.” They smiled back, packing up their kits. “I hope you two have fun tonight!”
But as they got ready to leave, my gaze flicked back to the mirror and worry crept back in.
Where the fuck is Dom taking me?