She frowned and looked at the two men hanging back. “We’re going to be awhile, and it’s cold out here,” she said with concern.
He didn’t know why he wasn’t surprised that she had noticed the two men following them. Turning, he signaled for his men to come forward.
“Yes, sir.”
“You can leave. I’ll call you when I need you,” he instructed.
One bodyguard scanned the area, looking around with concern before he turned back to him.
“I’ll protect him,” Kiki said with a cheeky grin. “Cross my heart.”
The man didn’t look too reassured, but orders were orders, and both men melted back the way theyhad come.
“You ready, Kiki?” Pedro asked, opening the gate and motioning them through.
“Yeah. How’s it been going?”
“Oh, you know. Some think they are hotshots. Twenty minutes in the tank and they are crying like babies,” Pedro joked.
Nikos listened as Kiki and Pedro continued chatting. His gaze swept over the graffitied exterior of the building. Colorful scenes representing different facets of life and beyond were painted across the brick and mortar building.
“Artists throughout the city and beyond change out the murals almost nightly. The building never looks the same from day-to-day,” Kiki said, sighing with pleasure.
“How do they reach some places?” he mused, looking at some of the artwork three stories up that looked like someone would have had to hang from the roof to paint.
“I know, isn’t it incredible?” she breathed.
Luis, the other man with Pedro, opened the door for them. Kiki murmured a thanks before she disappeared inside after Pedro. The moment Nikos stepped over the threshold, the sound hit him.
Thap-thap-thap!
Paintballs ricocheted off barriers behind a thick plexiglass wall. Inside, a war zone raged—neon-bright paint splattering across black walls and padded suits as players dove, ducked, and fired at each other with wild, gleeful abandon.
Kiki grinned like a kid on Christmas morning.
Jose, the man behind the counter, lit up when he saw her.
“Kiki! Finally back to teach the rookies a lesson?”
She winked. “Thought I’d bring you some fresh meat.”
Jose looked Nikos up and down, taking in his sleek black wool coat, expensive cashmere sweater, designer trousers, and polished shoes.
“Oof,” he said, grimacing. “You sure you wanna traumatize him? This is… high-level pain potential.”
Kiki tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with a silent challenge. “He can always sit it out and watch a pro from the observation deck if he’s afraid of a few bruises.”
He crossed his arms. “Pro, huh? You might be surprised at how good I am.”
“Mm, I do love confidence.”
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “If you offer to kiss every bruise I get, I’ll be happy to reciprocate.”
She looked away with a scoff, but the color that rose to her cheeks gave her away.
Jose cackled. “You’d better be prepared for a lot of bruises, bro. Kiki is wicked on the floor.”
Nikos grinned and pulled out his wallet. “I look forward to discovering just how wicked she is.”
