Chapter 300: Solace for Enigmas
Leo
Miller and I reached the island a few hours later. After the intense, exhausting heat of the sex we had shared on the water, we spent the remaining duration of the trip doing absolutely nothing but eating and sleeping.
I didn’t even bother to look out the cabin windows to watch the ocean sunset or the sunrise. I was completely drained—fatigued down to my bones from the endless grind of work and the crushing weight of the pressure waiting for us in the outside world.
By the time the yacht finally cut its engines and pulled up to dock against the wooden pier of the island, dusk had already settled over the water.
A small crowd was already standing on the shore waiting for us, waving custom banners in the dimming light. It was an eccentric welcoming committee: two middle-aged women and one young man, all of them dressed in incredibly bright, flowery tropical shirts that looked almost ridiculous against the isolated landscape.
They were waving large flags stamped with the acronym SFE.
I squinted at the letters, trying to decipher what they meant, and it only clicked when the yacht drew close enough for me to read the finer print stitched beneath the logo.
SFE: Solace for Enigmas.
"Oh, look, the flags have our names on them," Miller pointed out, nudging my shoulder.
Sure enough, as we stepped off the ramp, the details became clear. The first middle-aged woman held up a banner with Leo Ackerman printed in bold block letters, the second woman held one for Miller Reid, and the young man was waving a smaller pennant between them to catch our attention.
"Welcome to SFE," the first woman said, offering us a warm, practiced smile.
The three of them slowly bowed their heads in a synchronized greeting. "We hope your voyage down here was smooth?" they asked in unison, their voices perfectly practiced before they broke into individual introductions.
"I am Fati, and I will be your head guide for the tour around the perimeter," the first woman explained, gesturing toward the young man beside her. "And James here will be entirely in charge of your personal well-being and accommodations throughout the duration of your stay."
The young man smiled brightly, bowing his head a second time. "It’s a true pleasure to meet you both. Welcome to SFE."
"And I am Anita," the second woman added, offering a polite nod. "A very warm welcome to you."
Miller and I exchanged a quick, silent look. I knew exactly what was running through his mind because the sheer volume of those loud, flower-patterned clothes made them look like an odd tribe out here on the empty coast.
"Thank you," I said, turning my head to scan the immediate surroundings.
All I could see in every direction was pristine white sand, crashing waves, and a dense, impenetrable wall of ancient trees. There wasn’t a single brick or roof in sight. "Sorry, if I might ask... there aren’t any buildings out here. Where exactly is the island’s infrastructure?"
Fati chuckled softly, turning to point directly at the massive, towering treeline behind them. "SFE is situated right behind the perimeter. These trees are actually a specialized camouflage network designed to hide the interior from any uninvited government intruders or vessels entering the airspace. We will be riding in off-road buggy cars to get to the city center."
Right on cue, the low rumble of engines broke through the brush as three heavy-duty buggy cars drove onto the sand. The crew quickly loaded our heavy luggage into the back cargo hold of the rear vehicle, leaving the remaining two buggies for us and the guides.
Miller and I climbed into the middle car, settling into the rugged bucket seats.
"Are you excited about this trip?" Miller asked, settling his weight right beside me as the engine revved.
I looked over at him, giving him a firm nod. "I just know we are going to have the craziest fun here, and—"
Before I could even finish the sentence, the buggy lunged forward, hitting the rough, unpaved trail leading into the jungle. The ground inside the perimeter was incredibly uneven, riddled with deep ruts, exposed roots, and jagged rocks that sent violent vibrations straight through the chassis.
"Now—th-this—tr-trip—is—b-buggy..." I said, my jaw bouncing so hard my voice rattled like a broken engine.
Miller burst into a loud, booming laugh, but the moment he opened his mouth, his own laughter started shaking violently from the impact of the terrain. He turned toward me, intentionally vibrating his shoulders and mimicking the ridiculous cadence of the ride, and I couldn’t help but do the exact same thing right back to him.
We both broke out into breathless laughter over the noise of the motor.
I leaned my weight completely against his shoulder to stabilize myself, and he immediately reacted, wrapping his strong arm around my waist to hold me secure against the bumps. He leaned down, pressing a firm, warm kiss right against my forehead.
"I know this trip will be amazing, Leo," he murmured close to my ear. "It’s going to make everything work out for us."
He squeezed my side, his eyes locked onto mine with a sudden, intense seriousness. "I will always support you. I’ll support us. And once this trip is officially over, I want us to really sit down and talk about our future. I want to marry you."
A sudden, violent jolt hit my chest the exact second the word left his lips—and it had absolutely nothing to do with the rugged trail.
My heart completely threw itself out of rhythm, racing at a terrifying speed.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Did I actually hear him correctly? Did he just openly mention marriage?
I stared straight ahead at the dirt track, my mind spinning into an immediate panic. I told myself I must have misheard him over the roar of the buggy’s engine and the cracking of the branches outside.
There was simply no way in hell he was dropping a bomb like that on me in the middle of an off-road ride.