Page 88 of Nowhere to Hide

I wasn’t sure I ever would be again.

The familiar scent of gasoline and motor oil teased my nose the moment we parked and the doors opened. How many times had I come in this exact way after a job?

The pang was like a physical blow. I pushed open my door and held a hand out to Cilla without looking her in the eyes.

The slam of a car door had me drawing her tight to my side. Across the garage a trio of guys in all black were unloading gear, good natured teasing laughter drifting our way. They had the obvious clothing of a security detail. I didn’t recognize them—The Kendrick Group was massive with dozens of teams under Dominic’s security arm of the company—but it was much like my old team.

Even dead tired, my team had always been a tight unit full of laughter. Especially Milligan.

Jackson and Bastian were quiet as we all walked toward the elevators. Bastian waved his watch over the panel and the doors slid open. The panel of the elevator changed depending on the level of access. Bastian’s clearance was second only to Nyx when it came to the cybersecurity unit.

We shot up to the twentieth floor without stopping. Another perk to Bastian’s clearance. When the doors opened, the hum of machines was like a hive. Lower level analysts were broken into cubicles as they took care of the smaller clients who needed general security for businesses large and small.

With more and more cybercriminals looking for easy money, even small businesses needed protection against malicious hacking.

Cilla and I followed Bastian and Jackson to the back of the floor where Nina Kendrick’s domain spread out like a spider. She had one main lab with several offshoots that were all interconnected.

Nyx—who only allowed Leo to call her Nina—had five screens curved around her massive U-shaped desk. A bank of underlit gadgets rose behind her. An obscene number of Legos in various stages of build were scattered across the counter behind her desk as well next to her.

Some things never changed.

When Nyx was puzzling out a problem she needed to keep her fingers busy for her fascinatingly terrifying brain to work.

Nyx popped up from her desk when she saw us. She flew over to me and threw her arms around me, rocking me back a step.

Cilla blinked and stepped away from me, her arms crossing over her middle.

Nyx stepped back then punched me in the chest. “How could you disappear like that!”

I winched and rubbed my chest. “Nice to see you too, Nyx.”

“You scared all of us. The only reason I didn’t send Dom after you was because I can track your SAT phone.”

I arched a brow. “Is that so?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. Gold glittered at her neck and ears with her usual white button down men’s shirt, cuffed up to her elbows. Her soft brown hair was scraped back in a messy braid. “You didn’t wonder why it never needs to be charged?”

“One of your gadgets?”

She shrugged. “When I worked on your boat battery with Mil—” She cut herself off.

“It’s okay, Nyx. You can say his name.”

Her big brown eyes filled. “Milligan was so good at electronics. He wanted to trick out your boat. I just figured out how to use the same battery for your SAT phone.”

I pulled her in for a quick hug once more. “I should have known Milligan couldn’t figure that out on his own.”

She sniffed and then stepped back, dashing away her tears. “Oh, hi. I’m sorry, I’m Nyx.” She held her and out to Cilla. “I have shit manners.”

“Priscilla, but you can call me Cilla.”

“Cilla. I like that.” She took her hands. “I am so sorry you got hurt, but I’m glad you brought this one back to us.”

She glanced at me then back to Nyx. “Pretty sure those two actually are the only reason he’s here.”

Bastian grinned. “Leo left me a bottle ofOcho Extra Añejo for my trouble.”

Nyx grinned. “I demand a shot after we find this asshole.”