Chapter 21 Kiera
KIERA
Leo held my hand down the stairs, pretending that it was to help stabilize me. But I knew that she just wanted to, and that the gentlemanly urge to guide me wasn’t something she could turn off.
We’d already had a full breakfast, and Leo had made sure it was packed with all the nutrients I needed. Unlike Gabe, she was happy to watch me feast — more focused on fueling my body than how it looked.
Though given how she’d looked at me this morning, I could only assume she was more than happy with what she saw.
Once we were downstairs, Leo dropped my hand gently and walked us around the staircase to a vintage wood and glass double door that led out to a gravel pathway. The stones were soft and round under my bare feet.
I hadn’t bothered to grab shoes — I didn’t want to give her a second to reconsider her offer.
Instead, we stepped into the sunlight of the morning and headed down the path. The section of the garden closest to the house was a trimmed, green lawn.
But as we walked further from the house, it was only a matter of feet before the lush greenery began. Large hedges guided us out to the flower beds. As soon as we passed the huge hedges, the smell of the late floral blooms filled the air.
My forehead wrinkled, a little surprised that it hadn’t frosted yet.
“It’s been a warm fall.” Leo muttered, clasping her hands behind her back. Her muscular back tensed under her shirt, the placement of her hands emphasizing her broad figure. If it weren’t for her surprisingly plump ass, I could have easily mistaken her for a man.
Where the flowers had dropped their petals, yellowing bushes remained. I could only imagine how beautiful it was in the spring.
Like she read my mind, Leo hummed. “Maybe you’ll stick around to see the bloom.”
The gravel crunching under my feet was a welcome change to the vintage carpets and hardwood of the house.
“Maybe. Or I can come visit.” I winked at her, not wanting to get either of our hopes up.
As much as I missed my things, I was also growing to like my new friends. Leo and Spencer were special — kind and funny. Plus, I liked the way they looked at me. Even if I had no idea what any of that meant.
Clicking her tongue, Leo winced. “Thing is, Dom hates visitors. She plays for keeps.”
We kept walking, stopping every few feet. Lichen-covered statues lined the edge of the property where the manicured lawn met the vast woods beyond. Clearly, that was where the landscaping budget stopped.
Dom had her work cut out for her, with the massive mansion and these sprawling gardens. These statues seemed like the lowest item on the renovation totem pole.
But they looked as if they’d been left to crumble for decades.
Maybe they have.
“What do you think?” Leo interjected.
Sucking in a breath of fresh air, I nodded. “It’s all so beautiful.”
A part of me still couldn’t believe that this was where these brutes lived. All of them were far too rough to be in a place like this. This was built for royalty.
Hell, Leo hadn’t even changed out of those greasy clothes or washed her face before coming to find me in my room. Quite the puss-hound this proper gentleman was turning out to be.
Other than the car grease and the sleeves of tattoos, Leo was entirely clean cut. Her clothes were neatly tucked into her pants; her posture perfectly poised. Her hair was always combed into a neat, high and tight cut that would have passed any Army inspection.
But what was bizarre was how messy her hair was. Usually slicked back into a neat style, it was rough and floppy today.
Everything about her felt like a contradiction.
She was a doctor by her early 20s, served in the military. She’d gotten great grades. And she ended up working at Dom’s autobody shop, fixing fancy cars until late into the night. She was gentle and soft but also beat the fuck out of my piece of shit boyfriend.
I wasn’t sure what to make of her.
“How do you like your room?” Leo prodded.
With a shrug, I let my hand run along the crisping leaves of the garden. “Good, it’s huge. But weird not to have my stuff.”
Nodding, Leo watched my face. “Did that asshole let you decorate at all?”
“A little, but mostly I just miss my clothes. No offense.” I tugged at the hem of the tshirt I’d been borrowing for a few days now.
“That’s okay, Princess. I’m hoping it’ll keep your smell woven into the fabric.” Leo licked her lips as her eyes darted down to my mouth.
She’s down bad. I laughed to myself.
Shaking off her urges, Leo cleared her throat. “So, all your stuff is locked up in his place?”
“Pretty much. That or he’s already tossed it on the curb and it’s sitting in a landfill somewhere.
” Looking out to the edge of the lawns, I stared into the dark forest. Despite it being broad daylight, the woods that sprawled out beyond the gardens were dark and eerie.
They beckoned me toward them, calling to me.
“I could probably sneak in while he’s at work honestly, if you guys would take me there.” I knew I was pushing my luck, but it was worth the shot.
Snorting, Leo nudged my shoulders. “Nice try, Princess.”
I still wasn’t sure why they were keeping me here. Why did any of them care about me? So what if I had to deal with some asshole? Didn’t most women?
My eyes flicked down to the hilt of the sword tattooed to Leo’s skin, remembering when she’d gestured toward it when arguing with Dom. They had a secret, something I wasn’t aware of yet.
But there had to be clues around here somewhere.
“What did you get up to last night?” Asking about the tattoo outright didn’t seem like a good idea, but maybe knowing more about their schedules would help me.
Leo let out an exhausted sigh. “I was working at the shop until late. I didn’t leave until I realized you were still in the house alone. I assumed Spencer would be back earlier than me.”
Raising an eyebrow, I pressed on. “Yeah, what took her so long? She made it sound like she’d be quick. Ended up asleep and hungry.”
Opening her mouth, Leo tried to figure out what to say, how to push off my questions.
But just as she was about to answer, she turned her head toward the driveway and nodded. “Ask her yourself.”
Careening down the gravel, Spencer’s familiar blue Suzuki barrelled toward the house and us.
Now was my chance to get closer to them, to figure out what they were hiding.