Chapter 52 Kiera
KIERA
I dreamed about him all night. That man, in his tattered clothes. The way he bled.
The way Dom carried me, how her steel grip burned into my thighs.
When my eyes bolted open the next morning, I felt hot irons on my skin. Peeling my shorts up, red and purple bloomed where she’d touched me.
It was real. All of it.
Bringing my knees to my chin, I sat up in the king-sized bed and pushed off the fluffy blankets. They didn’t belong in what had become a cold, unwelcoming room overnight.
I felt like I’d been grounded, like I’d been yelled at and put in time out. I wasn't sure why. As much as Dom postured, we were nearly the same age, and I owed her nothing. I’d wanted to get out of here, to finally leave my saviors in their chaotic, disturbing mess.
But that wasn’t in Dom’s plan.
Always the contrarian.
I hadn’t been manhandled like that, tossed in my room like a screaming toddler, since I was one. And even then, my father was far too gentle for such a punishment.
Now, Maura was a different case.
Nonetheless, I fucking hated it. With all the doors locked and all my possible escape routes more like suicide missions, all I could do was hug my knees.
So now what?
Looking around the room, I truly couldn’t fathom how the fuck I could get out of here.
I’d started to love the way my saviors kept me protected — even from their own darkness.
But now they were my captors, and I wasn’t sure they’d play nice anymore.
Maybe it had all been an act: lulling me into a sense of security just to rip it away from me and make me their property.
Nothing had really changed, after all. Now instead of Leo and Spencer fighting to keep me in this mansion, Dom was demanding I never leave. And now, instead of being trapped here by my own curiosity, it was my ‘protectors’ holding me hostage.
My mind was swirling with thoughts, but one kept prevailing.
I’m starving.
Leo and Spencer had planned on feeding me after The Hollow, but clearly, nothing last night went to plan.
A shiver ran down my spine. Free from the need to play nice, would my captors even bother feeding me anymore? I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to my luxurious meals cooked by the two hunks waiting downstairs.
A wave of nausea passed through my stomach as I remembered my kiss with Spencer. How simple it had felt, how perfectly gentle.
What if it’s all corrupted now?
Shaking my head, I knew I wouldn’t let that be true. It was real for me, even if she turned out to be a monster. And I couldn’t just stay up in my locked tower forever.
And if they wanted to keep me here, they had no idea what I was capable of — what I’d survived. If they wanted to make this hostile. I’d be happy to give it back to them twentyfold.
Taking in a deep breath, I got the courage to rise from the mattress and pad across the hardwood floors.
As the cold metal of the doorknob chilled my palm, the click of the lock the night before still rang in my ears. There was a finality to it: a truth that I wouldn’t be able to waltz out of this haunting mansion ever again.
With a deep breath, I turned the knob. And to my surprise, the latch clicked open.
Maybe they aren’t that mad.
Spencer or Leo must have snuck up here and unlocked it once Dom had left. There was still hope that I could reason with them.
Or maybe this is my chance to run.
Looking around the room, I couldn’t find anything to bring with me. Spencer had grabbed my duffel last night, and my phone with it. My shoes were all in the entry closet, and the only jacket I had was the one Leo had loaned me.
God, when did I get so comfortable here?
There was nowhere else to go but downstairs. To see what fate awaited me now.
Moving down the hallway, I tried not to make too much noise. If there was even a chance that I could get my shoes and get out the front door, I needed to take it.
As soon as I thought about leaving, I could picture Spencer’s sad puppy eyes when she realized I was gone. And the way Leo would beat herself up for driving me away.
My heart split in two in my chest. And it shouldn’t have. They were murderers. Clearly. Rich, kind, murderers. Whatever they were up to in the shadows was more sinister than I could have imagined.
I couldn’t get involved, even if their charms were working on me.
But as soon as I hit the top of the staircase I knew the unlocked door wasn’t an oversight. Not that these three left much room for errors.
A waft of fresh bacon hit my nose.
Breakfast.
They were up, waiting for me in the kitchen, and there was no way I’d get past that massive wood door undetected.
Sucking air into my tight lungs, I walked down the stairs. As I grew closer to the kitchen, I could hear the faint murmur of a news anchor's voice.
“Last night, the family of Rosa Lopez begged her kidnappers to make their demands…”
Before I even hit the landing, Spencer’s face peeked around the corner of the kitchen, her hand pausing the news report on her phone. “Morning, Bunny.”
The corners of my lips rose at the nickname, freezing me in my tracks.
Not so sinister.
Trying to keep myself steeled, I shook the smile off my face and waltzed right past her. I crossed my arms over my chest, ignoring the spread being prepared on the Calacatta marble island. “Another missing girl?”
I kept my eyes on them, hesitant about who exactly I was dealing with now.
Leo nodded. “Yeah, sad. She was twenty, went out partying to celebrate her birthday and never came home.”
My mind swam with possibilities, grateful — despite everything that had happened at The Hollow — that I’d gotten on Spencer and Leo’s bike that night at Red Poison and not some creep. I’d survived this long.
I tried desperately to stop my gaze from falling down Leo’s muscular, tattooed back. Her torso was completely exposed beneath her black apron, save for the nude tape covering her chest.
Whipping around from the stove, Leo smiled nervously. “How’d you sleep, Princess?”
I couldn’t help scoffing at the text on the apron: Let’s eat out instead.
“Stupid apron.” I shook my head.
Leo leaned over the island, lifting an eyebrow and resting her palms on the marble. “Can’t say that until you’ve sampled the offerings.” Before I could respond, she stood up straight and turned off the last burner. “You’re just in time.”
Spencer cleared her throat behind me, not wanting to startle me with her warm hand on my back. But I couldn’t pretend like I didn’t want that. The comfort of the gesture might wash away my fear, if only for a moment.
“This way, m’lady.” Spencer held out her arm.
My brows furrowed as I stepped toward the dining room. Just last night, this entire room was closed up; every piece of furniture had been covered in white cloth and left to collect dust.
Someone must have stayed up last night to clean it. The warm wood of the huge mahogany dining table shimmered under the sunlight. It was beautiful, grand, and somehow cozy in such a massive house.
But more impressive than the polish job was the spread of food on the table. “Jesus.”
“No need for him, here. Just us, baby.” Spencer whispered as she pulled out a chair for me.
I should’ve still been angry, fuming. They’d let Dom touch me like that, push me around like she owned me. And my two “saviors” hadn’t done anything. It was like the mention of whatever The Oracle was had been enough to turn off all of the protective instincts.”
And if I was going to be stuck here, it was in my best interest to find out why.
As I walked across the room to my designated seat, I ran my hand along the smooth wood. I couldn’t imagine how long it had sat like that, forgotten in this half-decaying building.
Once my fingertips met the wood, I felt my chest tighten. My mind flashed back to digging my nails into a table just like this as a child, the way I’d tried to avoid him.
Who was he?
Before I could search my memories for the answer, Spencer shrugged. “We just wanted to do something nice for you.”
They’d done all of this — cleaned, cooked, prepared — overnight.
Had they stayed up all night to do it? Ignored their own need for sleep just to surprise me?
A part of me couldn’t believe this wasn’t a setup. My nerves urged me to bolt back upstairs and lock myself in my room. Maybe it was safer there.
But if I was really stuck here, captive to these two gorgeous gods, I needed to figure out how to navigate whatever they’d roped me into. Playing nice was my only hope if I ever wanted to get out of this fucking house.
From the kitchen doorway, Leo untied her apron and tossed it into a hamper filled with dirty rags. “Shall we?” In her hand was a steaming platter of freshly cooked pancakes.
Setting the platter down in front of me, Leo grabbed a clean shirt from the chair next to mine and pulled it over her head. Her abs rippled as she draped the fabric over her skin. And I felt a part of me grow disappointed to miss the view.
What is wrong with you? I wanted to look in a mirror and give myself a good slap of reality. After everything I’d seen last night, what I experienced in those dark tunnels, in that horrid arena, how could I want to be anywhere near them? How could they possibly explain all of that terror away?