Page 78 of Before Broken Vows
I take a sip of my coffee. For the first time in four years, I don't feel the gnawing emptiness that's been my constant companion. Instead, there's something warm and alive in my chest.
Last night filled something in me I thought was permanently empty, not just about companionship, but with the knowledge that I have a family.
My family.
And with how Stassi treats me, she makes me feel like I deserve this. Deserve this level of happiness. This perfect little family.
When she's by my side, I feel like I'm worth so much more than just the second in command. The only thing my father taught me, made me swear to.
She unknowingly undoes all those things and tosses them out the window and makes me feel whole. Complete. Like me.
The burner phone Dimitri gave me before I left buzzes on the table next to me.
Finally.
I pick it up. "Tell me you have something," I answer, already knowing who it is.
"Well, I'm glad you're up early," he says. "Hopefully you've slept."
I can hear in his voice he's tired. Hasn't yet made it to bed.
He cuts right to it.
"We found an address from the Hawk's ledger mentioned quite a few times," he says, voice rough. "A safe house in a really shitty part of Athens."
I straighten in my seat. "And?"
"It was a small place, behind a dry cleaners, back alley entrance. We watched it for a bit and then made a play. Shit was scattered everywhere, so whoever was there cleared out fast."
"Damn it. I was hoping for something more."
"Well, I haven't gotten to the good part."
"Jesus, Dimitri."
"Okay, so whoever was there bailed fast and forgot to empty the trash."
I lean forward in my chair. "And you got something?"
"Yeah. Sending screenshots now." A ping hits my phone and I put Dimitri on speaker and open the file he's forwarded. "We found it in the garbage can under the kitchen sink. Partly destroyed and shoved under paper towels like someone didn't want it seen."
The images load slowly.
Finally, they pop up. It's fragments of a business contract, partially burned or marked with some kind of black stains, but with one signature perfectly intact: Cosmo Kouris.
I zoom in on the signature, studying it like it'll give me answers. "Who's this Cosmo Kouris?"
"Yeah, I didn't know who he was. Looked him up. Turns out he's not only a member of the Greek Parliament, he's also the Minister of Infrastructure."
I take Dimitri off speaker.
"So a government official is doing business with the Hawk. Interesting. Call our guy at city?—"
"Already ahead of you, brother," Dimitri says, cutting me off. "Had our guy pull any business records that matched that address and Cosmo. Turns out, there were two. One is non-operational, but that led us to the other, called Greek Spartan Holdings…" Dimitri trails off. I hear him shuffling papers.
"The account Cosmo Kouris used to set up both is from one of those restricted accounts your guy couldn't access."
"Are you sure?" I ask.
