Chapter 19 #2
Cosmos followed his gaze, then sipped his tea like they were discussing the weather.
“Absolutely. Teriff is my father-in-law and Mak is my brother-in-law. Be thankful the others haven’t shown up.
Mak,” He nodded toward the taller of the two aliens, “… could probably rip a tank in half with his bare hands, but he’s really a big teddy bear once you get to know him. ”
Nikos snorted softly, not taking his eyes off them. “That’s sounds… comforting. Do you mind my asking how you met them?”
Cosmos’s mouth quirked. “A few years back, I was testing a teleportation prototype—something that was supposed to work like a quantum leap between coordinates. Tink, a friend of mine, was helping. Somehow, I made a miscalculation, and the gateway opened onto a Prime warship. The next thing I know, I’ve got a warehouse full of horny warriors and one hell of an intergalactic diplomatic incident. ”
Nikos’s lips twitched despite himself. “Sounds like a party.”
The wry look Cosmos shot him made the corner of Nikos’s mouth lift—just for a second.
“What’s with the other man who came with them?” he asked.
“Harlem?” Cosmos pursed his lips and sighed. “Let’s just say I’m still trying to figure him out. Just be glad he is on our side.”
Movement on the far edge of the porch caught his attention.
Angel stepped out onto the porch, Harlem shadowing him like a silent wraith.
The tall Black man looked every inch the soldier—imposing, deliberate, his gaze absorbing every detail. Nikos had seen dangerous men before. Harlem was something else. Like a blade honed beyond perfection if that were possible. His stillness made him think of a viper, waiting to strike.
"A sensor on the road detected a car coming down the driveway," Angel announced with a grim expression and narrowed eyes as he moved forward.
Nikos frowned and rose fluidly to his feet, his pulse slowing and his eyes scanning for Kiki.
“Only one?” he asked.
“Yeah. Two heat signatures inside,” Angel added.
“Are you expecting anyone else?” Cosmos asked.
“No.”
Angel’s single response caused Nikos’s stomach to tighten. A frown darkened his features when he noticed Kiki was no longer standing on the dock. His eyes swept the shoreline.
She’d been standing near the water a minute ago—her hair catching the sunlight, her face tilted toward the breeze.
Now, the spot was empty. His throat tightened at the thought of her being out of his sight.
Lucas and Cole exited the cabin, both armed and alert. Lucas was adjusting his sidearm while Cole scanned the tree line with a frown.
“Where’d the aliens go?” Cole asked, frowning as he scanned the driveway. “They were just here—”
“What the hell—” he started, his gaze still scanning for Kiki.
“Don’t worry about Teriff and Mak. They can take care of themselves,” Cosmos cut in, his voice tinged with dryness.
Relief crashed over him in a single, violent wave as Kiki stepped out from the shadows near the steps of the dock. She turned troubled eyes to him.
She had slipped the hood of her hoodie back over her hair. She looked young, radiant… and fragile.
“I’ll get Kiki,” he said. “I want her in the safe room, out of reach of those bastards.”
Angel nodded tightly. “I’ll cover the front. If anyone comes in from the lake, I want to take them out before they reach the shore. Cole, can you cover the back? Lucas cover the east. Harlem, if you can help your alien friends on the western front, that should cover us.”
“Cosmos, you and RITA are on comms. Keep us posted on any movements and protect Kiki at all costs,” he added.
Cosmos checked the pistol in his hand and nodded.
“I’ll greet whoever’s coming,” Markos said.
“Let me. You cover my back,” Nikos countered.
“You boys may what to get into position,” RITA’s voice rang out through the speakers. “ETA of baddie in less than three minutes.”
“Let’s move it,” Angel called out.
Nikos took the mic that Angel held out and slid it around his ear before he jogged down the porch steps. His boots thudded lightly across the dirt as he cut across the clearing toward Kiki. The distant whisper of the wind through the pines couldn’t mask the low hum of dread rising in his blood.
He scanned the trees, searching for blind spots, studying the way the shadows shifted.
The cabin behind him exploded into movement—doors quietly closing with purpose, boots moving with silent purpose, voices hushed.
“Number?” he asked.
RITA’s voice came over the mic. “Drone footage shows at least a dozen to the east. Another dozen to the west and north. Eight coming in across from the lake.”
Nearly four to one.
Armed, trained, lethal.
Coming for her.
Nikos’s jaw clenched. He turned back to the shoreline and sprinted faster.
Kiki spotted him then, her expression twisted with regret as she stepped forward. Her head was already shaking back and forth before he spoke.
“You need to go,” he said, his voice tight. “Now.”
She shook her head again. “Nikos—"
He reached up and touched her lips with his fingers, silencing her. “I need to know you are safe, Kiki. We’ve got this.”
She kissed the tips of his fingers and lifted her hand to grasp his. Her eyes darkened. He knew she was seeing things none of the rest of them could.
“You don’t know what you are up against. I do,” she murmured.
“Neither do they,” he replied.
“You can handle Benoit’s men. I have to be the one to face Benoit and Eric,” she warned.
“If it comes down to that. Until then, stay with Cosmos and RITA in the safe room. They’ll be following what’s going on and communicating with us.”
She nodded reluctantly. He bent and captured her lips, pouring every bit of his love for her into it before stepping back. She gave him a trembling smile before she released a deep breath and strode toward the house.
Nikos watched her go, then turned back to the forest. He knew what she could do. She could end the entire thing with a thought. But, he also knew the toll it took on her from the memories she had shared with him earlier.
He would protect her from having to go through that again if he could.
He rolled his shoulders. It was time to end what had started eight years ago.