Chapter 17
Seventeen
Kiki descended the wooden staircase slowly, one hand trailing the smooth banister. The soft creak of the steps beneath her bare feet sounded louder than usual—probably because her pulse was tapping out a rapid rhythm in her ears.
She could hear voices now. Low, masculine. Confident. Familiar with each other. Some were laughing, others tossing out casual greetings, but every one of them carried the weight of trust and something else—admiration.
Nikos’s voice drifted above the others. Calm. Steady. The center of gravity in the room.
She exhaled and paused halfway down the steps, her fingers tightening around the banister.
Why am I nervous?
It wasn’t fear. Not the kind she’d known for so long. Not the type that twisted deep in her gut when she was hunted, or worse—when she was used.
No, this was different.
This was the fear of being seen.
She had never cared before—whether people liked her, hated her, or didn’t notice her at all. There was a time when blending into the background had been a skill, a necessity.
But that was before Nikos.
Before the quiet way he looked at her like she was something precious.
Before the strength of his arms around her made her feel not just wanted, but safe.
Before she realized she was falling for someone who made her laugh, who challenged her, who saw her and didn’t flinch.
Now… she cared.
Not because she needed anyone’s approval—but because she didn’t want to be the reason Nikos had to choose between her and the people who meant something to him.
She continued down the stairs. Once she reached the next to the last step, she smoothed her hands over her thighs before lifting them to adjust the soft navy hoodie she’d brought.
The fabric held his scent—clean, woodsy, warm—from where he had held her earlier.
The scent calmed her more than she expected.
From the base of the stairs, the living room came into view.
Angel’s cabin was a study in rustic elegance—polished cedar beams crisscrossed the vaulted ceiling, catching the early afternoon sun filtering through a massive wall of glass that overlooked the shimmering lake.
A stone fireplace anchored the room, framed by thick leather couches and an overstuffed reading chair near a bookshelf that looked like it hadn’t been touched in months.
The open layout gave her a perfect view of the front door just as it opened.
A cluster of men walked in—all of them tall, broad, dangerous. They didn’t just talk about war—they’d lived it from the equipment they were carrying with confidence.
Her gaze swept across them with instinctive precision. One carried a military duffle, his shirt stretched tight across his chest and shoulders under his dark brown jacket.
Another had close-cropped blond hair and a serious expression, though his eyes twinkled with mischief when he spotted her. Her lips twitched when he wiggled his eyebrows.
A third was talking into a comms device already, his head swiveling like he’d mentally mapped every point of entry and attack within the first five seconds of arrival.
But it wasn’t until her gaze landed on Nikos that her breath caught and a wave of desire struck her. Memories of him getting out of the shower earlier, and what followed, had her flushing a delicate rose.
Damn! Now that I know what’s under the clothes, keeping them on him is going to be the real challenge, she thought with wry amusement.
He was standing just inside the doorway, framed by light and shadow, and for a moment everything else faded. The group grew silent. Nikos hadn’t seen her yet.
Then he did.
His head turned—sharply, instinctively—as if he’d felt her. Their eyes locked.
And her world shifted on its axis again.
His face softened. The slight tension in his jaw disappeared, and warmth and raw desire flickered in his eyes.
God.
No one had ever looked at her like that.
Not with that possessive desire. Not with that kind of love.
Her lips parted, and she looked back at him, knowing her face probably revealed the same thing.
Like he still couldn’t quite believe she was real.
A blush crept up her cheeks when Markos bumped his brother’s shoulder and muttered, “You’ve got it bad, bro.”
Laughter rippled through the room.
“Damn, who could blame him?” the short-haired blonde said with a grin. “I’m Cole by the way. If you ever want to ditch this reject, I’ll be happy to console you.”
Nikos scowled at his friend. “Knock it off, or I’ll knock you out.”
“Ooh, Cole, you just got burned. I’m Lucas. I have a little more finesse than my friend here,” the man in the brown jacket replied.
“Since when?” the last man retorted before smiling at her. “I’m Angel. Welcome to my cabin. As they say mi casa es tu casa.”
Nikos strode toward her with purpose, pushing through his team like the rest of the world no longer existed. By the time he reached the foot of the stairs, Kiki had descended the last step.
She leaned into him when his arm wrapped smoothly around her waist, tucking her against his side with a quiet confidence that made her insides go soft.
“Everyone,” he said, his voice low but clear, “this is Kiki Reese. She’s very special to me.”
She lifted her chin, scanning the small group gathered before her. None of them looked surprised. A few were openly curious.
But none were hostile.
“It’s nice to meet all of you. Thank you, Angel, for not minding that we crashed at your place,” she said with a crooked smile at the dark-haired man.
Angel rubbed a hand over his close-shaved beard, his striking green eyes brimmed with amusement. “It’s the perfect place if there is going to be a fight.”
“I hope there won’t be,” she muttered, tucking her hands in her pockets.
“Aw, don’t burst our bubble, darlin’. It’s been too quiet lately. Besides, according to Markos, you’re pretty wicked on the battlefield,” Cole retorted.
Kiki frowned and glanced at Markos who grinned and shrugged. “Why do you say that?”
“Aren’t you the dragon-slaying, paintball-dominating, heart-stealing ninja girl Nikos fought?” Cole asked. “That’s a compliment, by the way. He normally creams our butts when we play.”
Kiki laughed. “I can hold my own.”
She wondered how much Nikos and Markos had told them—and if they realized just how deadly she could be.
As she glanced around the group, she realized that these men—they were dangerous, yes—but they were also loyal. Tight-knit. The type of people who stood between the world and chaos.
And now… they were here for her.
She looked up at Nikos.
At the man who had walked into her life like a storm—bossy, demanding, but who had stayed.
The tightness in her chest shifted. Soft and seismic.
I’m in love with him.
The realization hit her like lightning. Fierce. Unapologetic. Pure.
Not because he saved her.
But because with him, she could stop running.
If anyone ever tried to take him away, she’d scorch the earth to keep him safe.
He must have felt the shift in her emotions, because his gaze sharpened.
“Hey,” he murmured, brushing a curl behind her ear. “You okay?”
She nodded, her voice thick with unspoken emotion.
“I am now.”
Cosmos Raines Industries, Houston, Texas Headquarters
The scent of freshly brewed coffee reached him before the door to the CRI Office fully slid open with a hydraulic hiss.
Oh, hell yeah!
Cosmos stepped inside, nodding to Avery, who sat back in a chair beside the central console where RITA’s holographic form shimmered in high-definition clarity.
The AI stood poised and polished in her designer black pantsuit, her arms folded, her sharp eyes glowing with layered data feeds scrolling across her irises.
Avery raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you give up coffee?”
Cosmos beelined for the pot. “Only when Terra’s around,” he muttered, pouring a cup like it might save his life.
Avery chuckled, the sound dry. “You are so whipped. You know the second you kiss her, she’ll know you cheated.”
“Yeah, well, tell me how Core is going to react when he realizes you’re working here instead of on Baade,” he replied with a grin, taking a sip.
He turned to face the room, still savoring the warmth when his eyes narrowed on RITA. She was glowing—literally, a subtle amber sheen beneath her usual blue-white shimmer—which told him she was pulling some maximum power in whatever she was researching.
That wasn’t good.
“Alright, RITA. What’s so damn important you had to wake me up through your twin?” he asked, giving her a pointed look over his cup. “Terra was not amused.”
RITA arched one sharp brow. “According to RITA2, you and Terra weren’t sleeping. You should get more rest, Cosmos. Sleep is essential for men your age.”
He grunted. “I’m not that old. What was so important?” he repeated.
RITA turned toward the floating screen and flicked her fingers. The display exploded with scrolling data: IP logs, access flags, heat maps. She didn’t need to explain; he saw the patterns immediately.
“Kallistratos Security Systems?” he asked, frowning. “What the hell are they doing poking around my archives?”
Avery leaned forward, her frown creasing her forehead. “Who?”
“KSS,” RITA confirmed. “They’ve made several inquiries into CRI’s closed files—encrypted layers, buried deep. They aren’t just curious. They’re methodical. Focused.”
“On what?” Cosmos asked, already scanning the queries.
RITA’s voice lowered, tinged with caution. “You.”
His breath stilled.
“They’re digging into your past, Cosmos,” she added.
Avery scanned the data with a frown. “They’re looking at your activities, funding trails, historical appearances.
But it’s not about the gateways. It’s something older.
Deeper. This dates back to before I joined CRI.
Before CRI as we know it existed. Why? What is so important that they would risk a major confrontation with us?
And who are Kiki, Eric, and Brie? Former employees? ”
RITA hesitated before she responded, “No, they are someone very special.”
Cosmos stiffened, his eyes glued to the data stream.
Avery frowned harder. “Special? How? And why haven’t I heard of them before if they are on your radar?”
“Cosmos?” RITA asked, studying his face.
Cosmos gave RITA a curt nod. “Tell her. If this gets nasty, we’ll need her and the rest of the team.”
The screen shifted to show three teenagers. Avery frowned and pursed her lips. Cosmos knew nothing pissed Avery off worse than kids being caught in the middle of a power struggle. She had been like a dog with a bone when she discovered what Runt had gone through thanks to Runt’s father.
“These are old images. I have newer ones of Kiki and Eric, but not of Brie. Each of them have special… abilities,” RITA said, her tone shifting subtly.
“Not all anomalies are alien, Avery. Some were born right here on Earth. Brie has the power to heal. Eric’s are a little more difficult to explain. ”
“Try,” Avery said dryly.
“Eric’s gifts focus on retrocognition with some clairvoyant ability,” RITA explained.
“Great, so he can envision things that have happened like ghosts moving around or sense things that are about to happen. I like the first ability better. At least he won’t know we’re coming for him,” Avery replied.
“Yes, well, it is Kiki that you have to worry the most about. She can kill with just a thought.”
Avery stared at RITA as if she was waiting for her to add on a ‘Ha-ha, just joking’ at the end of her statement. When RITA continued to look back at her with a sympathetic smile, Avery rolled her eyes and focused on him.
“Is she for real? This Kiki can think ‘I’ll kill him, her, or everyone’ and they just drop dead?” Avery asked.
Cosmos bowed his head. “Yes, in theory.”
“Well, actually, it was in practice on that rooftop in—” RITA began before she snapped her mouth shut.
Avery looked back and forth between him and RITA before replying.
“Perfect. Just what we need—superpowered humans on top of bad ones and aliens.”
Sparks of amusement flashed through RITA’s avatar. “You’re one to talk. You would be considered to have both superpowers, and you are married to an alien.”
“I don’t have superpowers, it’s called training. And leave my husband out of this conversation,” Avery snapped.
Cosmos rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the glowing streams of code. Timelines intersected and patterns emerged that hadn’t connected before. That was one of his superpowers… besides getting into trouble.
He sighed. He should have seen this coming.
“KSS think I’m a Founder, don’t they?” he inquired in a low voice.
“Yes,” RITA confirmed. “I’m afraid they do.”
“Damn it,” Cosmos muttered. He dropped into the nearest chair, sloshing coffee over his fingers but not caring. “That’s bad. Terrible.”
Avery crossed her arms. “Okay, I’m officially out of the loop again. Who are the Founders? And why do I feel like we just stepped in galactic dog shit?”
Cosmos looked up at her, the weight in his eyes making her mouth snap shut.
“The Founders,” he said, his voice low and tight, “are a thousand times worse than discovering a gateway to another world. Because they didn’t find power, Avery…
they made it. And not responsibly. Not with boundaries.
They took men and women and genetically engineered children.
They picked people no one would miss—and turned their kids into weapons. ”
Avery paled. “And you were—”
“The scientist who almost got involved,” he cut in, his voice sharp. “I turned them down. I did everything I could to shut down the project. But someone—I’m guessing the government—buried it.”
He looked up at RITA. “Contact Nikos Aeto. Let him know I’m coming and not to shoot my ass when I show up out of thin air.”
“Done,” RITA replied smoothly. “What about Harlem?”
Cosmos exhaled slowly, a chill dancing down his spine. “Aw, hell. This is getting more complicated by the second. Harlem…” He paused, then grimaced. “… would be a good asset to have on this mission. Ask him if he would consider helping us. We may need his unique ability.”
“What ability does this Harlem have that I don’t?” Avery asked cautiously.
Cosmos downed the rest of his coffee, then met her gaze.
“The ability to not fucking stay dead.”
Avery’s jaw dropped slightly. “What—is he immortal?”
“That pretty much sums it up,” he muttered.
Avery’s eyes widened with disbelief. “You’re not joking… are you?”
He stood, setting the mug down with a loud clink. “Prep a cleanup crew, Avery. I have a feeling we are going to need it.”
She followed his movements with a worried expression. “For what?”
His eyes met hers. Cold. Certain. “Because if KSS is digging, and the Founders find what they want… we’re going to need it.”