59. Kiera
KIERA
“Birthday girl first.” She kept her eyes low, but I could already see the quiet satisfaction flickering behind them.
Peering inside, I was stunned to see a huge showroom full of beautiful paintings. But more shocking was the fact that the place was entirely empty.
Despite her every attempt to make her intentions clear, I still couldn’t wrap my head around this. “Are we like, scoping this out for a mission?”
“Does this look like a mission?” She smirked, leaning closer. “Try to relax. It’s a private opening for your birthday.”
I was too in shock to take a step inside, my heels resting on the concrete outside the gallery instead.
Despite all of the security precautions, Dom pressed her hand into my lower back, guiding me inside and closing the door behind us.
As she reached behind me, flipping the lock, her suit jacket fell open. My eyes caught on the black leather holster under her arm.
A gun.
“Jesus. Is that necessary?”
Dom gritted her teeth as she walked into the gallery. “I don’t take risks. Especially with you.”
A huff of air came out of my lips. That wasn’t entirely true. She’d let me be with Gabe for years, there were plenty of risks there. I’d gotten hurt plenty.
But I couldn’t pretend like the weapon didn’t make me feel a bit safer. I knew Dom could shoot that thing, and I knew if someone tried to take me from her now, they’d have a hefty price to pay.
Stepping forward, my heels clacked against the gorgeous, golden-toned wood floors.
It was amazing, quiet and massive.
“It’ll be open to the public in a few days.” Dom grumbled before closing the distance between us, towering over me. “But you get to see it first, Viper.”
She had done all of this… for me? I held her gaze, trying to process the shock. But while I’d normally find a sharp, icy glare, tonight her eyes were crystal clear wells inviting me to take a plunge.
Needing to break the spell, I stepped past her and farther into the space. I stopped at the first painting.
She must have called in quite a few favors.
But I couldn’t figure out why. She still wanted me gone, and was just using me for The Oracle’s bidding. Even if she was trying to apologize for lying, her motives hadn’t changed.
Clearing her throat, Dom was startled by the echo through the quiet space. “You loved art when you were little. Used to stand in the hallways and stare up at whatever piece caught your eye that day.”
How did she remember more of my childhood than I did? It made me want to punch her in the chest again, to push her around and take all of it out on her. And I knew she could take it, that she could handle all of the anger I was holding inside.
“I heard Leo pushing you to make more art.” Dom’s jaw tensed as she siddled up to me, her eyes still peeled on me. “Thought this might help.”
I kept my arms crossed, locked into place.
“Here.” Dom nudged a clear plastic cup into my hand. Somehow in my shock, I hadn’t seen her go to the snack and wine bar at the edge of the gallery and grab glasses of wine. The crimson liquid might help calm me down. Or it could have made me even more bold.
Either way, I took a sip. It was shockingly delicious, a crisp bite that went down smoothly.
“I hate wine.” Dom shook her head as we walked to the next painting. “But who’s going to say no to a free drink?”
“You sound like a wine mom.” I raised an eyebrow at her.
Trying to play it cool, Dom tried to shrug but her broad shoulders looked stiff — more like she was doing an exercise than being a normal human being.
I finished off the cup of wine, both of us needed to loosen up. Before I knew it, another cup was in my hand and my chest was starting to feel warm.
We moved from piece to piece. The freshly painted white walls of the gallery were filled with Art Nouveau style work. But over each piece was splatters of paint, abstract expressionism erasing the shapes and figures underneath.
A hum of pleasure passed my lips as we stopped in front of a honey-toned piece.
“Tell me.” It wasn’t a suggestion. She was just as drawn to it, taking a step closer.
Swallowing my nerves as heat rose in my throat, I kept my eyes on the piece. “It’s like they finished the painting and then decided to ruin it. Like they couldn’t allow such beauty to exist without the imperfection.”
We stood there staring at the singular work for more time than I could count. The silence between us felt more healing than any words she’d spoken before now.
When I felt as if my lungs couldn’t pull in more breath, I turned to look at her.
Caving, she met my eyes too. I felt myself drawing closer to her, wanting to put my body on hers against my better judgement. Against every self-protecting instinct I had.
Her face was beautiful, something I hadn’t let myself notice before now. Even when we were younger I thought she was stunning. Her jaw had grown more chiseled, her features more defined with age.
The cool ice of her eyes was enough to distract me from her plush lips up until now. There was no ignoring the soft flesh of her strict mouth. I wasn’t sure I’d seen her smile since she was fifteen.
And at that moment, it was the only thing I wanted to see.
Her chest rose and fell, the muscles underneath that dress shirt straining to contain her.
“We should go.” Dom pulled away, her nose scrunching in a snarl. It was like the very thought of kissing me made her want to throw up, like she’d smelled days old garbage.
As she turned on the heel of her dress shoes, I couldn’t stop my eyes from rolling.
How fucking ridiculous.
God forbid we had a nice moment. All of that sweet talking, for what?
Not that I even wanted to be that close to her.
She lied to me. Worse than that, she let me get hurt over and over again.
Following her out of the art gallery, I kept my arms crossed.
While I was digging myself out of the dirt, Dom was taking private jets, buying expensive clothes and fancy cars.
Silently, we climbed back into the vintage Camaro. Even the warm leather was pissing me off now. Who the fuck even had time to maintain a car like this? Wasn’t Dom supposed to have a job?
I slammed the door closed behind me, curling myself into the wall of the gold car and pretending like Dom wasn’t there.
“Watch it, Viper.” Dom hissed at me. “Don’t damage what’s mine.”
Biting back, I tried to keep my composure. Giving in to her snide comments would only lead to her flexing all that power. And I loved taking it from her.
She raised an eyebrow, just as surprised as I was that I didn’t have some snippy comment to give back.
Turning the key in the ignition, the Camaro’s engine roared to life.
Dom threw the gear shift into place and ripped off the street, surely leaving skid marks behind as she zipped us off the city streets.
We drove like that for miles. Complete silence. The weight of another ruined birthday weighed on my chest as I tried to watch the river through the blur of trees.
It was typical Dom, at least who she had become — couldn’t let me enjoy anything. Even when she knew I hated my birthday.
None of that stopped the Camaro’s engine from driving us home. I watched the passing exit signs like a countdown, begging for this ride to be over.
As soon as I saw the Valemont off-ramp, I sat up in my seat.
But Dom didn’t turn, instead continuing up the highway. Taking the next exit, I tried to hide my surprise. The last thing I needed was for Dom to think she could catch me off guard. I knew better now. She couldn’t be trusted and there was never going to be a time that I could let her in.
Not really.
The car turned onto dark rural roads — ones I recognized.
That night came back to me in waves. The cheering. My head pressed into Spencer’s back on the back of her bike; my mind swam with confusion; my eyes swelled with tears.
The Hollow. Dom was taking me back.