Heistreating Rafael differently. Not for strategy. Notfor gain.Personally.
This has to stop. He can’t afford to lower his guard, even with an outsider.
Rafael breaks the silence. “That’s so great you got to go. I’m sure that meant a lot to you back then. Your uncle—”
“Pixie’s less than five minutes out,” Kane cuts him off. He stands and steps away from the table.
Rafael’s expression collapses. “Oh.” He moves toward the kitchen. “I should finish that sandwich for Pixie. Maybe I’ll cook lunch for you sometime?”
Kane’s chest tightens. It’s a simple offer, but the sincerity in Rafael’s voice throws him.
“That is—if you’d want to!” Rafael spins around, hands up. “I mean—you’d probably rather go to the marketplace. They’re probably used to using these fresh ingredients.”
“The ingredients don’t matter,” Kane says quietly, echoing his aunt without meaning to. “The chef does.”
He doesn’t wait to see Rafael’s reaction, marching toward the door.
The moment catches up to him once he’s inside the tunnel, returning to the bar.
How serious was his offer to cook for Kane? When would they even see each other next? Will they get a chance to speak again before Rafael leaves? He shuts the questions down before any more can surface.
These moments together—they’re becoming something dangerous. The sooner the nurse’s replacement arrives, the better for everyone.
By the time Kane reaches Dragoon’s Rest, he’s already messaging Echo, asking about Dr. Hayashi.
14
Chapter 14 - Rafael
“You sure this is okay?” Rafael asks, clutching the bag of prep tighter to his chest as Echo leads him down the hall.
“Of course,” she calls over her shoulder with a laugh. “Relax, kid. Besides Dragoon’s Rest, the med bay, and that little safe house Kane stuck you in, the barrack is probably the safest place in Shreveport.”
Rafael hesitates. That’s not what he meant, but he lets it go, reading the holographic nameplates above each door. Voices and music spill from behind them.
“Why would he?” Echo grins. “It’s not like we’ve got any secrets lying around. The worst thing you’ll stumble into here is some recruit’s dirty laundry or a shouting match over a gladiator replay. Trust me. You’re fine.”
Rafael still isn’t convinced, but he follows in silence. His gaze catches on a faded VitaCorp logo overhead, surrounded by a circle of familiar yellow lights. A chill runs down his spine until he spots a cyberhand mounted above the doorway, repurposed into an art piece.
At the end of the hall, Echo pushes through a swinging metaldoor. “And this,” she says, “is the mess. Where recruits reheat prefab meals and mix some very questionable synthohol. Good enough for what you need, though, I guess.”
The room is larger than Rafael expected. An old industrial kitchen module sits against one wall beside a dented cold-and-freeze unit. The rest of the room is a mix of mismatched chairs and cafeteria tables. Surprisingly clean tile covers the floor, likely added after the plant shutdown, while layers of graffiti coat the old concrete walls.
“If you see a rat the size of your head, that’s Squeaky,” Echo teases. “He’s officially part of the crew.” She moves toward the kitchen space, and Rafael follows with a quiet laugh.
Setting the bag of prep on the console counter, his gaze drifts to the cupboards above. He reaches to open one, then glances over at Echo.
She waves him on, checking her wristlink. “Go ahead. Make yourself at home!”
Home. Not quite.
Smile fading, he faces his spread of food and pulls out a pan and tongs. From his pack, he lays out the strips of dough he made earlier in his quarters and starts arranging them inside the pan.
“Hey, kid. I gotta step out real quick. Need to sort something with Wren. You’ll be fine here. Just don’t break anything.”
Blinking at her, his mouth opens to protest, but she’s already halfway out the door. When her footsteps fade, he continues his work with much less ease.
Will he really be fine here? Echo doesn’t seem the lying type. Besides, the crew’s been almost friendly lately, or at least cordial. Not the monsters V-link made them out to be.