Page 119 of Hidden Memories

I reach out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. I tilt her chin gently, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “You already know who you are, Kat. A Greek goddess.”

That earns me a small smile, but it doesn’t erase the tension hanging between us—her struggles, my doubts, everything we’re still figuring out.

I don’t hesitate. I lean in, claiming her mouth with mine. It’s not soft, not careful. It’s a kiss full of everything we don’t have words for—need, frustration, devotion that won’t let go.

Her lips part, and I take her deeper, pouring every damn piece of myself into her. She tastes like the dreams I thought were long gone, like every second chance I never believed I’d get.

Her hands grip my shoulders, steadying herself, but I’m the one who feels anchored.

When we finally break apart, she rests her forehead against mine, breath shaky, fingers still clutching me like she’s afraid to let go.

“I love you,” I murmur, sliding a hand around her waist, keeping her right where I want her. Here. With me. Always. “Whatever you need, you will get it from me. I promise.”

She nods slowly, her resolve solidifying before my eyes. This kiss, this moment—it doesn’t solve everything, but it’s a reminder of what we’re fighting for.

“I love you, too.” Her hand comes up to my cheek, there’s an ache in her tone. “But I feel us racing forward when I still have so much to figure out. A lot of healing to do.”

It’s not the answer I want, but it’s hers. Loving Katmeans letting go of the need to fix, to prove. It means standing steady in the face of her storms, even when every instinct screams to shield her from them. And maybe that’s the hardest part—accepting that my love can’t heal every wound, even if it feels like my soul depends on it.

The sound of Gabriel calling Kat’s name reaches us from outside the stables, yanking us back to reality.

Kat steps back, her warmth leaving me, the moment slipping away like sand through my fingers. Her gaze still holds mine with a quiet promise—she’s got her battles to fight, but we’re in this together.

“Let’s see what they’ve found,” she says, shoulders squared against whatever’s coming.

I follow, watching her, all fire and fight. She doesn’t need a savior—she’s her own warrior, forged by everything she’s faced, so much stronger for it. What she needs is a partner, someone who sees her for who she is. Scars and all.

Loving her isn’t about fixing her. It’s about standing beside her in it, holding steady when the winds howl and reminding her of the power she already carries.

That’s what we have—a bond that doesn’t demand perfection but embraces the truth of who we are. That’s the kind of love I’d fight for. The kind of love worth risking everything.

And I get the feeling this is the moment we’re about to realize just how much risk we will take.

Chapter Thirty

PRESENT

I tugmy cardigan tighter around my shoulders as we follow Gabriel’s voice toward the stables. I walk beside Santi, my mind spinning with everything we learned last night. Secrets unraveling, one thread at a time, each one tugging me farther from the illusion of safety I’ve tried to build. The past was supposed to be buried, but instead, it’s clawing its way back up—louder, closer.

Gabriel waits near the workbench outside the stable, his tablet glowing faintly in the morning light. Antonleans against the building, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable but watchful. Not just serious—tense. Ready.

Their energy makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I know they’re waiting to deliver news I’m not going to like.

There’s no time for sugarcoating. “What is it?”

Gabriel’s gaze pierces me. “We’ve been working on the burner phone data with Enzo and Ava and managed to recover more overnight. The contacts—M and D—are using encrypted apps, but GhostEye traced an IP address to a warehouse two miles from downtown Echo Valley.”

I blink. “A warehouse?” My stomach tightens. Not an office. Not a house. A warehouse. “What kind of warehouse?”

Anton straightens slightly. “Storage. Legitimate on paper, but…” He lets the implication hang.

It’s not.

Gabriel confirms it. “We pulled the lease.” His brows furrow. “It was taken out recently. Since you’ve been in Echo Valley.”

The air is suddenly thinner.

Anton continues. “And it’s under a shell company tied to Pacific Dreams. GhostEye traced the money trail…”

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