Atlas, who’s been quiet through this exchange, has a smile in his voice when he chimes in. “Given that you burned the bacon yesterday, Grizz, maybe silence would’ve helped.”
Grizz points the end of his fork at Atlas. “I was distracted.”
Viper raises his coffee cup like he’s sayingcheers.“Nothing like a smoke alarm to keep you focused.”
I laugh before I can catch myself. It’s undoubtedly the first time I’ve laughed in days. The sound echoes around the big open room, and all three men look my way, the lines in their faces softening in ways I didn’t realize they could.
I was in my room when the alarm briefly sounded yesterday morning, and Atlas had run up to assure me everything was okay.
“Breakfast smells amazing,” I say in Grizz’s defense.
The big man puffs out his impressive chest and taps his fist against it in an exaggerated display of pride. “Thank you. Finally, someone appreciates greatness.”
Viper, who’s leaning against a wooden beam rather than sitting at the table, smirks. “Let’s not get carried away.”
Grizz gestures to me with one of his meaty hands. “You need to do more than smell the food. You need the calories.Want some toast?”
“This is plenty. Thank you.”
Atlas gives me an understanding smile. “She’ll need time to get her appetite back on track.”
Discussion of how much I’m eating, or not eating, leads me to think about Preston again. Despite the pregnancy, he encouraged me to eat lightly for the past couple of months, so I’d be sure to fit into my wedding dress. I hadn’t listened to him, but his frequent remarks about my weight affected my appetite nonetheless.
At the time, I thought he’d been looking out for my health. The rose-colored glasses I’d been wearing must have been awfully thick.
Viper refills his coffee mug, then heads toward the hall that leads downstairs.
“You’re welcome!” Grizz calls after him.
Viper doesn’t even turn. “I didn’t thank you.”
“You’re still welcome!”
Grizz’s warm brown eyes are bright, and I’ve seen enough of the men’s interactions to know this is all light-hearted, even though Viper never cracks a smile.
I’m smiling, though, and I end up eating more of my breakfast than I expected to.
My world may have been turned upside down in the snowglobe of chance, but I’ve landed, at least for the moment, somewhere friendly and comfortable.
I’d never felt entirely at ease with Preston and his preoccupation with appearances, but I accepted it as a necessarypart of his job. The scheduled dinners and conversations, the clothing chosen for how it would look on camera, the need to smile even when we were in the middle of a serious discussion—none of that felt as right as what surrounds me now.
Grizz, Atlas, and Viper are the opposite of Preston in many ways. They’re older and gruffer, direct, and very what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Their rustic home, with its mismatched plates and chipped mugs, doesn’t contain anything frivolous or showy. Everything serves a purpose.
Everything’s real.
CHAPTER 9
KIRA
After breakfast, Atlas invites me to go downstairs with him to their operations center. I’ve only gotten glimpses of it when I showered in the lower-level bathroom, but I understand it’s where they run their business and spend much of their day.
The main floor, where the kitchen and living room are, is at ground level, so the operation center is in the basement. As Atlas gives me a brief tour, he explains that the space is partially dug into the mountain itself. In fact, the first place he takes me is down a long hallway that leads from the operations center to a door that exits to the forest. “Remember this, in case you ever need a fast escape,” he warns.
A shiver of fear runs through me as I imagine a scenario that would require me to flee the house. I’m reassured as he takes me back past a small gym, storage and utility rooms, and into the central space, where he points out a steel door with a coded lock. “That’s our armory. Down the hall,there’s an armory overflow that doubles as a safe room. Sometimes staying in place is safer than running.”
I may never feel completely safe anywhere, ever again, but this secluded home with these more-than-capable military men seems like the best place I can be.
There’s another small room that houses multiple computer servers, and a dark alcove where Viper is stationed in front of two large monitors.
