Three Alpha Romeo

I was beyond tired, almost even past caring. I’d spent months getting into position; long weeks of careful planning, just to be in the same room as Xander Kyrkos. And now I’d fucked it all up. Fucked it up bad.

I should’ve been thinking about what came next. About whether Kyrkos would stay in Greece or move again, as he so often did. About how I’d manage to cross paths with him again, assuming I’d even be able to determine where he went next.

Instead, all I could think about was that kiss…

Holden had saved my ass, no doubt. He’d been there knowing who I was, and it was quick thinking to play the part of my fiancé. The kiss had sealed the deal, and made his story all the more convincing. Still…

There was something else there too. A fire, a passion — some kind of electricity that sparked between us, the moment his lips met mine.

I could tell by the way he held me. By the way his hands seemed so familiar with my body…

I fell asleep. Or maybe into a trace. All I knew is that when I looked out the window again, we were descending. The morning sun had already broken the horizon, and the city of Athens lay stretched out beneath us. All white and beige buildings scattered over rolling hills.

Randall brought us down, but not at Athens airport. We landed gently on a small grass strip, tucked behind a jagged rise in the landscape. The engines died as we rolled to a stop next to a fixed metal lockbox. The guys used it to swap out keys, then ushered me into a weird green vehicle that was a cross between a Jeep and an SUV.

“You guys sure are resourceful,” I said, stretching. “I’ll give you that.”

Randall smirked at me from the passenger seat. Holden was driving now.

“It pays to have friends.”

I still wasn’t sure who they were, or how they knew me, or even what the hell was going on. After a quick look at myself in the rear-view mirror however, I decided any and all questions would have to wait until after a shower. And coffee.

And maybe a second cup of coffee.

“My place is a few minutes up this way,” I said, after we’d driven a while. “You could drop me off, or—”

“Not a chance.”

The words came from Holden. They weren’t mean, or ominous, or anything like that. But they left absolutely no room for debate.

“What? Why?”

“They made you, remember? You can’t ever go back there.”

The realization hit me hard, like a sucker punch. This was my place. My home. I’d spent half a year there already, and only now was it just starting to feel warm and welcome.

“Couldn’t we stop in?” I protested. “Maybe I could grab a few things real quick, and—”

“We’re talking about Indigo, remember?” warned Holden. “They probably have people there now, waiting for you to show up.”

“Not probably,” Randall noted. “Definitely.”

I swallowed bitterly. He could easily be right. Then again, he could be wrong too. Would the organization really act that fast? Figure out who I was and already be watching out for me?

“No,” Holden said again. “It’s better for you to come with us, at least for now.”

I was suddenly very sad. I’d never sleep in that bed again, never sit in the cozy chair I’d just bought for my balcony. I was just finally enjoying things again. Little things. Stupid things…

“So where are we going then?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from sounding choked up.

“Back to base camp.”

“Base camp?” It came out almost as a scoff. “You have a camp?”

“A base camp,” Randall corrected. He leaned back with a sigh and cracked his knuckles. “Gotta love a good base camp.”

I blinked. A camp.