Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
PRESENT
The entire next day, I pushed myself hard on the ranch. I stopped only for a few moments to enjoy the scent of the Ponderosa pines dotted around the property. It was better to occupy my mind and body, to indulge in distractions and to hopefully wear myself out so I could manage sleep tonight despite all my worries.
But the day is done and I’m still energized as ever. I should be relaxed. The warmth of Santi’s home should be a comfort.
Santi and I share a loveseat in his snug. Theo is curled up on the couch beside us, half laughing at whatever cartoon he’s watching. A fire crackles low in the hearth, a comforting glow flickers over the wooden beams. Everything about this house says safe.
But my gut doesn’t ease. If anything, it’s getting worse.
I tell myself it’s going to take a long time for the adrenaline to wear off. The confrontation with my father. The gravity of everything that happened yesterday. It was a lot.
But deep down, I know better, my instincts tell me it’s not that.
Something is coming.
A knock at the door confirms it.
Santi tenses beside me before the sound even finishes echoing. He doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t speak—just rises from his seat with the kind of lethal grace that reminds me exactly what kind of man he is.
A protector.
A fighter.
I barely have time to steady myself before Anton and Gabriel step inside, the cold from the night rolling in with them.
Anton has the quiet intensity of a man who has lived in darkness and survived it. His sharp eyes flicker toward Theo, a kind moment of consideration before he shifts his attention to us. Gabriel, on the other hand, is steel—a rigid stance, unreadable face and the air of a man who never lets his guard down.
And that alone tells me this isn’t just an update. This is bad.
Santi gestures toward the kitchen, and we all move in silent agreement, gathering around the island. But no one sits.
That’s what unsettles me the most .
We all stand around the stools and Gabriel places a black backpack on the table. He pulls out a small plastic bag. In it are the photos that I found with the flash drives.
Anton takes the mug of coffee Santi offers him, nods in gratitude, then sets his eyes on me.
“We’d like you to take a look at these photos again.”
I flinch. “Why do you guys have these?”
Anton folds his hands on the counter. “These were left behind to be run by GhostEye. They work with the FBI regularly and used a couple of their tools to scan these photos.” He darts his gaze to Gabriel. “We just thought it would be a good idea to examine them again.”
Is there something these two aren’t telling me?
The photos feel heavier than they should, their glossy surfaces slick under my cautious fingers. I stare down at them, spread across the dining table under the dim kitchen light, trying to make sense of the unease they stir in me. Each picture is a snapshot of a life I don’t understand—an older woman, gray-haired and warm-eyed, standing on a rocky shoreline, sitting on a weathered porch, and holding the hand of a young child who could’ve been Nic as a boy.
Why didn’t I look at these more closely before? Who is this? Nic’s parents died in a tragic car crash when he was younger. He told me his only family was his grandmother who lived in Greece but is now dead, too.
Everyone stares at me as if waiting for me to say something. “This could be Nic as a boy. “Maybe with his grandma?”
Gabriel presses. “You’ve never seen this woman?”
I shake my head.
I told myself the drives were the priority—encrypted and full of secrets. These photos just seemed like… long-gone memories .
“You’re quiet,” Santi says, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed.
I can tell he wants to reach out for me. I’d love to be in his arms right now.
I tap the corner of one picture showing the woman outside a modest house with peeling paint and a sagging porch. “Nicholas was something of a secretive guy, but these seem pretty meaningless to the investigation.” I glance up at Santi, searching for answers in his steady presence. “Nic’s family is all dead. Maybe it was his grandmother who took care of him when his parents passed? It would have been normal he’d safeguard things like this.”
Santi steps closer, sliding into the space next to me like he’s wrapping a protective shield around me. He peers down at the table. He picks up a photo and examines it. “But you don’t know who she is?”
Gabriel doesn’t just stare—he dissects. His gaze moves over me, taking inventory of my every twitch, every breath, every blink. It’s not cruelty, not exactly. Just clinical. Sharp. Like he’s already built six different theories about what I’ll say before I’ve even opened my mouth.
Anton, by contrast, shifts his weight, the corner of his mouth quirking into a half-smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. There’s something softer there, something close to reassurance—but not quite.
“If you two have something to say, now’s the time,” I mutter.
They glance at each other, an entire conversation passing between them in one flick of a gaze.
I whisper, shaking my head. “Nic never even showed me one single picture of his family. He said everything burned down in a fire when I asked once if he had any memories he wanted up around our house.”
And now it seems strange he’d lie to me about that. Why would he have kept these photos hidden when they’re important to him? I pick up one of them and bring it closer for a better view. I try to examine the age difference and transpose it over the timeline of when I knew Nic’s parents died.
I stare like it might change under the weight of my scrutiny.
“This doesn’t make sense.” Confusion is laced in every word. “Nic always said his mom died when he was nine. If that’s true, then the boy in this photo is… older. At least Theo’s age.” I lift the picture closer to the light. “And look at the background.”
They all lean in.
Snow. And cabins I’ve seen before… here in California.
My words are careful. “Nic told me he was in Greece with his grandmother until he was thirteen. But this? This architecture around the lake, this landscape…”
Something icy and hard wraps around my lungs. Nic was here? Did he live here? He never told me.
Anton gestures for me to give him the photo. “May I?” Deep concentration overcomes him. “You can see a lake in the background, too. GhostEye ran these with their image match software, and there’s a high match to Angel Lake. That’s just a couple hours east of here.”
Nic spent time in California with his grandmother? He never mentioned that once. He told me he grew up in Monterrey and when his parents died, he was sent to Greece. When she died, he came back. He never mentioned spending time in California here with his grandmother. So who is this woman? Is it even his grandmother?
Santi senses my thoughts unraveling and leans closer, rubbing my back. He remains as friendly as possible, but I can sense he wants to gather me up as much as I want to fall into him.
“They also matched details to the architecture as you mentioned,” Gabriel says without preamble, his sharp gaze darting to the photos. “Among other things.”
“What other things?” His stern features have dread powering through my veins.
“The woman also came up with match images.” He picks another one of the photos up and studies it. “It’s not definite at all, these photos are old, but… there are some theories. That’s all.”
I stiffen, glancing at Santi, who immediately shifts into protector mode, his broad frame positioning slightly in front of me as if to be the first line of defense to the next barrage of evidence.
“What did you find?” he asks, his voice low and controlled.
“You said Nic grew up with his grandmother?” Gabriel asks.
I nod. “That’s what he told me, but at this point, I’m not taking anything for fact.”
Anton folds his hands together on the island, leaning in. “Let’s just say neither are we.”
I can’t take this. “Do you guys have to be cryptic?”
Gabriel gathers the photos and puts them back in the plastic bag. “Unfortunately, if you don’t have any details to provide us, it’s for the best we don’t divulge too much. The last thing we want is for you to start getting worried about nothing. It’s all just theories for now.”
I glance at Santi to ground me. He places his hand on my arm, and it stops me from floating away on a wave of anxiety. I get that this is a private investigation. I get that these guys don’t want to worry me unnecessarily, but I’m not accepting this.
This is my new life. The one where I have agency. “You two have to tell me what you’re thinking.”
They gaze at each other again, eyes speaking the same silent, secret language.
Finally, Anton concedes. “GhostEye thinks he had a family member here in California. Maybe she’s still alive…”
Gabriel adds. “Maybe she’s after you. Maybe she was involved, too.”
Oh my God. Right now, there’s no end of people after me. The Mafia. My dad. Nic’s estranged family member? I’m suddenly hot, my mouth is dry…
Gabriel reads my anxiety expertly. “See? Now you’re more worried than you were a minute ago.”
Santi cuts in. “G… cool it…”
Gabriel nods as if conceding he needs to tread more lightly.
But I don’t want him to.
“I can handle whatever you guys have to say.”
“In that case,” Gabriel glances at Santi before pulling out another clear plastic bag. “There’s something else.”
Sealed inside is a cell phone with scuffed edges and a faint fingerprint smudge on the screen.
“We found it in a trash bin near an abandoned house on the outskirts of Echo Valley,” Anton says. “The place looks like it’s been lived in recently. Nic’s signature was all over some papers we found inside.”
Gabriel places a clear folder on the island with papers inside.
Sure enough, it’s Nic’s signature on sale documents for some commercial buildings in San Francisco.
“Do you think these are evidence of fraud with the ’ Ndrangheta?” I ask. “I can’t see any reason a sales contract would be anywhere but in the Pacific Dreams offices.” I lift the document. “Does this mean the Mafia broke into those offices, too? If they have this kind of paperwork, it has to. Right?”
My God. These people are after all the evidence. Flash drives. Now paperwork… why the hell would Nic have risked being involved with this? As if Pacific Dreams wasn’t profitable enough on its own? Greed truly is a bottomless pit.
That Theo and I were under the watch of some Mafia, the perfect collateral for years without knowing, sends a shiver through my spine.
Gabriel nods, his jaw tight. “It’s unmistakable. Whoever was there left in a hurry, too. Coffee mug still warm, half-finished sudoku on the table. But this?” He lifts the evidence bag with a burner phone. “This is the real find. It’s been wiped clean of most data, but GhostEye managed to extract a partial call log. Two saved contacts: ‘M’ and ‘D.’”
Santi’s brows knit together. “M and D? Is that who we’re thinking is working Echo Valley right now?”
“Likely,” Anton says.
Gabriel continues. “It’s possible…” His eyes lock on mine, and this time, they’re full of more compassion. “We have two theories now. One would be that there were other people at Pacific Dreams involved in the fraud. Maybe it’s M and D and they’re working with the Mafia to sift through Echo Valley until they get those drives. The other could be that Nic worked with another close contact. Maybe a family member. Perhaps the woman from these photos. One thing is clear, getting past security at Monarch Hills is not a one-man job. We’re searching for at least two suspects.”
The room falls silent, this revelation hanging heavy in the air. I stumble to the dining table beside me and sink into the nearest chair, my legs no longer strong enough to hold me.
Santi crouches beside me, his hands resting on my knees, thumbs brushing gently across my jeans.
“Hey,” he says gently, his dark eyes searching mine. “We’ll figure this out. One step at a time.”
I nod, but my heart pounds relentlessly.
Gabriel cuts through the haze. “We’re going to investigate the house further. And if you notice anything unusual, call us immediately.”
“We’ll keep an eye on the not-so-abandoned property tonight,” Anton adds with heavy instruction, clamping a hand down on Santi’s shoulder. “Don’t take your eyes off Kat and Theo.”
My boyfriend clenches his jaw, still staring at me. “Goes without saying.”
We stand to see them out.
When Anton and Gabriel step out into the night, the air left behind is suffocating, filled to the brim with deadly theories.
The crackle of the fire, the occasional muffled laugh from Theo in the other room—it should be grounding. It should mean I can exhale.
Instead, my pulse thrums beneath my skin… I’m light-headed…
Santi doesn’t hesitate. Two steps and he’s got me, his body warm, solid, steady. His arms wrap around my waist, tugging me in tight like he can hold me together if I start to break.
I close my eyes, letting his presence settle over me.
“One step at a time,” he murmurs against my hair, voice rough with exhaustion. “I got you. We all got you. ”
I believe him.
I really do.
I have Santi. Anton. Gabriel. Rio. Julia. Enzo, Ava and the entire GhostEye team are working on this. I’m not alone anymore.
But strength isn’t just about who stands beside you.
It’s about what happens when they’re not there.
I grip Santi’s shirt a little tighter, stealing a moment of borrowed strength, and he pulls me closer to his warm, strong chest.
Just one more second. Then, I take a breath.
This time I’m not just surviving.
I’m ready to fight.