The man chews slowly while Rafael goes still. Finally, Kane gives a nod. “Echo’s right. VitaCorp is wasted on you.”
The compliment sits heavier than Rafael predicted. Heglances down at his hands. “Thank you, Kane.”
Echo snorts. “Kane, huh?” Her eyes dart between them, the real one glinting.
A flush rises under Rafael’s skin while Kane stiffens at his side. “Enough!” he snaps, jabbing a chrome finger at her. “And don’t leave him alone again.”
She lifts her hands in mock surrender, but Kane’s already heading for the exit. Coat sweeping behind him, he stomps through the door down the hall.
Rafael watches until his back disappears. Even then, as he starts to pack up and Echo starts rambling, the moment stays.
Not just the name, but the low rumble of Kane’s voice when he said it.
15
Chapter 15 - Rafael
“Pixie here.” Her voice breaks over the soft jazz humming through the medtruck’s cabin.
Rafael glances up as she straightens and mutes the music with a swipe across the dashboard. After a pause, she adds, “Understood. We’ll be there shortly,” and turns the wheel. The HOV tilts up, weaving between buildings.
“Everything okay?” He tightens his grip on the seatbelt, his other hand hovering near the medkit. They just treated a recruit who fell through a ceiling onto a rusted pipe, one of the many hazards of patrolling Shreveport, according to Pixie.
She nods. “Baron wants to see us.”
His fingers tighten around the seatbelt. They haven’t spoken since Kane helped him in the mess yesterday, but the memory hasn’t quite settled. The easy conversation, the brief curve of a smile he almost missed. Maybe it was nothing. Kane’s been less guarded lately. Anyone would notice a shift like that.
He shakes his head.
No matter how familiar this place starts to feel, it isn’t home.Midtown is. Every message from Lian, every VitaCorp news ping lighting up his wristlink, reminds him.
His gaze drifts to the window. At this hour, and in this part of the city, Shreveport looks nothing like the markets or crowded blocks he’s come to know. The streets are deserted, with blocks of old factories and clusters of Kane’s enforcers on every corner.
When they turn the next corner, a shiver runs through Rafael. A red holographic wall separates the road, almost ten feet high. On the other side, guards march with bows and knives, their robes identical to those worn by the girl who started the fire. Kane’s people face them, some patrolling the ground while others watch from abandoned rooftops.
He can’t tear his gaze away from the wall, even as Pixie leads them out of the medtruck. It’s like nothing he’s ever seen before, here or in Midtown. Is this one of the borders Kane mentioned? Are barriers like this common in the Outer Districts or unique to their neighborhood? Rafael doesn’t ask any of this, following her along the red glow.
Across the street, Kane stands among a cluster of his crew outside a gutted convenience store. His deep voice cuts through the street noise, and yesterday’s words surface instantly.
Call me Kane.
Maybe it was nothing. It just caught him off guard. Still, he stills when Pixie clasps his shoulder and says, “Baron wants to speak with you.”
“Alone?” Will this be more bad news about the doctor?
She offers a sympathetic smile. “I’ll be back at the truck when you’re done.” Pixie steps back, gesturing toward the street.
Rafael takes a breath and trudges toward Kane with his crew. Facing their leader, the others don’t notice his approach, but Kane catches his gaze over their shoulders. He freezes, fingers twitching, until Kane looks away.
“You have your orders!” Kane calls out. “Back to your positions!”
The crew disperses in all directions, between the buildings and through dim alleyways. A few pass Rafael, offering him silent nods. When he turns back to Kane, the man leans against an abandoned HOV, swiping through projected diagrams on a holopad. He doesn’t look up until Rafael is only a few feet away.
“There you are.” Expression unreadable, Kane slides a box across the hood. “Take these.”
“For me?” Rafael raises a brow.
Kane sets his tablet down and flips open the box. Inside are twelve perfectly baked donuts, each topped with a smear of purple icing. His mouth waters. But what does this mean? Where did Kane get these?