Chapter 13
Thirteen
The first pale streaks of dawn filtered through the oak, maple, and white pine forest as Nikos turned off the highway and guided the psychedelic van down a winding gravel road.
The tires crunched over finely packed stone as the van dipped along the gravel road. Mist curled along the forest floor, rising like ghosts from the earth. The trees closed in tighter the deeper they drove.
His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror for the fifth time in as many minutes. He couldn’t stop looking back at Kiki. There was an impulsive need to make sure that she was really there—safe.
She slept curled beneath a faded quilt, her cheek pressed against its soft fabric. Her hoodie had slipped slightly, revealing a few wild strands of dark hair and the delicate line of her jaw. She looked so damn peaceful.
It was hard to believe she held such incredible power within her petite body. If he hadn’t seen her in action—and felt her power in his own mind—he might have questioned his sanity.
His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. She still didn’t trust him. Could he blame her?
I wouldn’t trust anyone if I were in her position, he acknowledged silently.
Nearly four hours of driving hadn’t quieted the storm in his chest. She called her talent ‘gifts’. Her mother’s word, apparently—like it was some kind of blessing.
He’d seen others with unusual talent. A few weeks earlier, he had attended a concert by the legendary singer, Idella, that had left him mesmerized.
There were literally hundreds, if not thousands, of incredibly talented people throughout history. Hell, he’d even met soldiers who seemed to have an uncanny ability to smell danger before it struck.
But nothing close to Kiki.
She was something else entirely. She didn’t just feel what was coming—she saw it, with terrifying precision.
As his mind ran through who could be behind The Founders, one name snagged his attention—over and over: Cosmos Raines.
Cosmos had haunted the edges of Nikos’s world for years. He’d met him at high-security symposiums, international tech summits, and elite fundraising galas. Always in the background. Brilliant. Quiet. Dangerous in the way men like him could be—you never see them coming until they’ve struck.
“Cosmos Raines,” he murmured aloud.
Markos shifted beside him, his voice rough from fatigue. “What about him?”
“You ever wonder if he’s part of The Founders?”
Markos snorted. “Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the Founder.”
Nikos’s breath hissed out at the thought. “He’s got the money. The reach. The tech. Everything lines up.”
Markos leaned his head against the window. “He’s also funded a shitload of charitable foundations. Met the guy maybe a dozen times. Yeah, he’s intense in a nerdy way, but I never got the impression he’d hurt someone. Of course, he does invent a lot of weird shit.”
“CRI is involved in a ton of government security and research projects. Someone like Kiki and her friend would match what CRI is interested in—not to mention there isn’t a country in the world that wouldn’t love control over what they can do,” Nikos said quietly.
“Raines may contribute to a lot of good causes, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a psychopath. ”
A heavy silence, thick with unspoken words, fell as they both became lost in thought. Nikos kept his gaze on the road as he took the last bend.
He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of life Kiki and her friend must have had. What had The Founders done to her and Brie?
He knew he would protect her. Fiercely. Desperately. Yet he also wondered what the cost would be. If the people after her got what they wanted, it wouldn’t just be her life in danger. Anyone near her—his family, his friends—would also be in danger.
He glanced at the mirror again. Kiki sighed and rolled in her sleep. Her dark lashes fluttered, and the corner of her mouth twitched as if she was dreaming. He dragged his gaze back to the road.
The forest pressed in tighter, fog coiling like warning smoke. It almost felt like something was coming. He felt it in his gut.
We just need to be ready when it arrives.
He leaned forward over the steering wheel as the trees parted, revealing a wide, shimmering lake wrapped in fog and early morning light.
Angel’s cabin stood on a small bluff overlooking the water—two stories of clean lines and warm cedar, with a wraparound porch and glass windows that reflected the first rays of morning like molten gold.
He glanced at the rearview mirror again when he heard Kiki stir in the back. She stretched and rubbed her eyes, blinking sleepily—then met his gaze in the mirror.
He smiled. He couldn’t help it. She looked so damn cute and cuddly. All he wanted to do was crawl back there with her and wrap his arms around her.
What the hell, Nikos? Since when do you think of women as cute and cuddly? he thought with disbelief, still looking at her.
Her return smile was slow, sleepy… and vulnerable.
“Where are we?” she asked, her voice husky with sleep.
“Angel’s place,” he replied. “His lake house. Upstate.”
She turned her head, taking in the trees, the stillness, the sharp scent of water and pine that drifted in through the cracked window. Her lips parted in awe.
“It’s so beautiful. It looks like something out of a fairy tale,” she murmured.
Nikos cut the engine. The van groaned as it settled. He stepped out, stretching sore muscles as Markos opened the back of the van.
Birds trilled in the early morning hush, their calls echoing through the woods. The rhythmic hush of waves lapping against the shore combined with the chipper melodies. For a moment, everything felt almost normal.
He stepped up to the side of the van just as Kiki tumbled out, straight into his arms.
“Oof,” he caught her easily, the soft weight of her body pressed against his chest.
She gave him a crooked grin. “Good morning.”
He looked down at her—and the weight in his chest shifted even as his arms tightened around her.
Yeah, he was in trouble.
Because in that moment—with her messy hair, sleepy eyes, and half-smile—he knew. He was falling in love with her. Fast, completely, without a doubt.
“Let me know when the wedding is, bro,” Markos muttered, eyeing him with amusement.
Nikos flushed and shot his brother a warning glare over Kiki’s head. Markos had already picked up the small bag Kiki had packed and slung it over his shoulder.
He sighed as he realized that neither he nor Markos had a change of clothes. They would have to raid Angel’s closet until they could find a clothing store nearby.
He chuckled, hearing Markos’s frustrated whispers about flower-powered death traps, and silently praying Angel had a respectable vehicle hidden nearby.
Kiki grinned up at Nikos, her eyes sparkling with mirth as he steadied her.
Reluctant to release her, he laid his hand along her lower back as they walked toward the cabin steps.
He would contact Angel and the rest of the team while Markos double-checked the perimeter. He looked back one last time at the road disappearing into the woods. The fog was thicker now, coiling like smoke across the ground. It would burn off once the sun rose higher.
“If you make a list of anything you need, either Markos or I will drive into town later and get it. We’ll probably need to pick up some food, and I know we’ll need some clothes,” he suggested.
“Okay… but I need a shower first,” she said with a sleepy yawn.
“Why don’t you check the house while I check the outside?” Markos suggested, handing him Kiki’s bag.
“Sounds good. I’ll help after I make sure Kiki is settled,” he said.
Markos nodded and headed back down the steps. He turned and walked up to the door. There was a keypad. He grimaced when he heard Angel’s irritated voice.
“What the hell, Nikos? My lake house isn’t your love nest. Buy your own damn place. Do you realize how fucking early it is? I’ve got alarms going off all over the place,” Angel mumbled through a speaker.
Kiki snorted with laughter behind him. He glared, glancing around for the hidden cameras. One was creatively hidden inside what looked like a hornet’s nest in the corner of the porch.
“I need you to call the team, Angel. We have a security situation,” he replied.
“Aw, hell, man. I’ll call them. I can be there in about four hours, maybe less. May take the others longer. How much trouble are you in?”
“Deep. I’ll explain when you get here,” he replied.
“This will be a good test of my security, I suppose. If you need a drink, check out my wine collection in the basement,” Angel added cryptically, “I’m sure I’ve got something that will help.”
Nikos frowned before his expression cleared and he chuckled.
A second later, the automatic locking system hummed as Angel unlocked the series of locks and the door swung open.
The door looked like it was made of wood, but from the solid feel as he pushed it open further.
He imagined it had a solid iron core fitted around the double-paned, bullet resistant window.
Nikos closed the door behind them before he led Kiki up the wooden staircase, the worn treads whispering underfoot as they ascended.
Morning light spilled through narrow windows, painting golden bars on the smooth cedar walls.
The upper level was warm and open, the scent of wood and fresh pine lingered in the air.
He paused at the first door on the left and pushed it open, revealing a cozy guest bedroom.
A queen-size bed with a thick blue-and-gray plaid comforter dominated the room.
A hand-carved dresser sat against the wall, topped with a lamp shaped like an elegant bird in flight, and a faded rug in blues and rusts softened the floor.
Nikos stepped inside and placed her bag on the bed. “It’s no five-star hotel, but it’s private. Quiet.”