The Brothers Drakos ~ Book 1

21 - Of Drakos Kind

The visit a month prior from Kristo, his wife Miranda and their beautiful six-month-old daughter, Arianna Hope, was one Rayne wouldn’t forget anytime soon. It had been nearly eight months since they had seen one another face to face. Unfortunately due to the family in attendance, Rayne couldn’t be there to watch her best male friend, her brother, Kristo marry the love of his life. She found a way to be comfortable with that fact and just went to see them a month after the wedding at their home in California. As hoped Rayne was completely accepted by Miranda and they became quite good friends.  Rayne’s own little bundle of joy was nearly six years old now and she had named him Zane.

The favorite part of this last particular visit was Rayne finally got to meet her Goddaughter and Zane would stop bugging her about when “Unca Kris” was coming again. She could see how much Zane looked forward to seeing family and she was sorry it wasn’t possibly to have them close all the time. But the love between Zane and Kris was genuine.  

Zane Ryker Drakos looked just like his fathers. It was hard to believe he was even hers. His dark silky hair, deep green eyes and facial features were all Drakos. Not to mention Arianna, was all Drakos as well. She too had the green eyes and dark hair the Drakos name seemed to spit out into the DNA of its children. Kris had been the only one in many generations that had hazels eyes and lighter hair. He was the outcast. Miranda was a fair blonde with blue eyes so in truth Arianna looked more like Zane's sister than his cousin. 

“Momma, is Arianna going to be my best friend like Unca Kris is yours?”

“Well, I do believe that is possible sweetheart. But it might be kind of hard if they live so far away.”

“Ok but if we move, that would be the best.” He wrapped his little arms about her neck and kissed her cheek many times over.

Looking at him made her weep, made her smile and made her laugh all in one emotion. His moods were the same as both men, the names she dared not speak as her heart might awaken.

“Maybe we will move. Mommy has clients all over the country and quite possibly could work from home all the time now. We will talk to Kris about it ok?”

He nodded and grabbed his toy car running towards his room to play. Rayne walked to her desk and pulled out the framed picture that was upside down in the bottom drawer. Oh how much he looked like Darius and Dimitri. She didn’t think of them often in such loving fond ways but seeing her sons face every day was a never-ending reminder. Her cell phone ringing started her and cause her to slam the desk drawer shut quickly. Swiping to answer she heard the voice she missed on the other end.

“Hey bestie! So all the reservations are in place. We leave for Greece on Thursday morning. You ready? Are you sure you don’t want to take Zane with us?”

“No, Kris and Miranda are looking forward to having him stay. I honestly could use the breather. He is so intelligent and inquisitive I rarely get a break and I have over thirty steady clients now… so I deserve this vacation. Well interview for you but vacation for me.”

Rayne was flying Zane out to California on Tuesday and coming home Wednesday. Then she would be flying out to Greece with her bestie on Thursday and staying one long week. She had scrimped and saved to make sure she and Zane could afford the trip and be okay financially for months. Then without warning, she gained ten new clients in a matter of months out of nowhere. It was such a blessing and a curse but she wasn’t complaining. Billee had received a job offer to be the new Physician’s Assistant for a large corporations home office located in Athens. This was kind of a dream job and Billee had been living with her and Zane for about six months now. After a failed three-year marriage, Billee just needed a home and family close. She was at the point she wanted to move on but didn’t know how to, so when this opportunity came through, she jumped at it.

“I can’t believe we are going there. Kris gave me a list of places to see while we have the time.”

“Alright, that sounds like fun. I have a three-part interview over two days. So that should leave us plenty of time to do fun things. When I will take you and Zane to the airport tomorrow, I will come home and clean up and pack my bags. I have taken all two weeks of my vacation so no one is in a rush and I can relax a bit.”

Rayne said her goodbye on the phone to Billee and walked down the hall to check on Zane. He had his stuff animals lined up in chairs facing him and a ruler in his hand.

“Today we learn about discipline. Discipline is where I get to tell you what to do and if you don’t’ do it, the whooping will happen! Teddy you will clean the closet, Pig you will clean up the floor and Rabbit, well you are cute but everyone helps so you make the bed. Alright team, let’s do this.”

She shook her head leaving the room. Maybe it was evident Zane was hers, he sounded just like her then. She chuckled and picked up her phone while settling into the couch.

‘Hey Kris, got a sec?’

‘Of course Sunshine. What up?’

‘There is minimal chance I will run into him, right? I am staying on Crete while she goes to Athens.’

‘Honestly, sunshine there is always a chance but I can’t imagine why he would be on Crete, so I am pretty sure you are golden.’

‘Ok, thank you. Sorry to bug family time’

‘Miranda said don’t be stupid, you are family.’

She sent a hug and smiling emoji to them both and continued folding towels on the couch, before bed.