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.
