The waiting ends today. Athena will learn the cost of pushing him.
Then he’ll find out why the neighborhood turned on him, why they opened the door to the enemy. But not today.
Today, there are no compromises.
Echo brushes past, rushing toward the medtruck without meeting his eyes. She’s probably just busy, but he can’t ignore the other changes around.
Wren’s patrol disperses without their usual victory chant, and Coda’s drones retreat in jagged, hesitant patterns.
Only Viper stands tall, emerging from the mill. His cold gaze locks with Kane’s. Then he turns away, shoulders set.
Kane bites back the command. Too many bodies watching or on the ground.
He’ll deal with Viper when the doors are closed.
34
Chapter 34 - Rafael
The spices sit exactly where Kane left them, on the corner shelf above the kitchen console, tucked between half-empty Terra’s seasonings. Rafael doesn’t mean to stop and stare. Even so, the handwritten label pulls his focus the moment he walks in to check on his dinner.
He should move them. Then again, throwing them out seems worse. They’re the last of the real ingredients Kane ever brought over.
Maybe he could put them away. Somewhere he wouldn’t have to look at them every morning and remember.
He wraps his fingers around the shaker and reaches for the cupboard—
A pounding rattles at the front door. He freezes, heart skipping a beat.
“Rafa, open up! It’s Maria!”
A soft laugh escapes him. Of course, his sister would show up unannounced. No doubt she used his emergency access code to get through the lobby first.
After setting the spices down, he rushes to the door andswipes the security panel. The steel barrier slides open with a hiss.
Maria waits on the other side, arms crossed and smirking. As always, she’s a burst of color in his hallway in her patchwork shirt, glowing checkered mini skirt, and synthetic leather boots. Black curls frame her face with color-shifting eyeshadow shimmering with each blink.
“Long time no see!” she greets, stepping forward and folding him into a hug. The door shuts tight behind her.
Warmth floods through him. “Hey, Maria!” He returns her embrace.
“What’re you doing here?” he asks, then winces at himself. “Not that I’m not happy to see you. I just wasn’t expecting you until the next family dinner. Did I miss a message?”
Maria nudges him with her elbow. “Relax, Rafa. Surprise visit, not a corporate crisis.” Her attention drifts past him. She inhales theatrically. “Is that tortilla de patatas?”
“Yeah, good nose. It’s for our monthly staff meeting. Thought I’d make something than bring Terra’s in.” He shrugs. “But honestly, I just followed the console’s directions…”
“Stop selling yourself short,” Maria scolds, smacking the back of his head as she breezes past toward the kitchen. He grimaces, following her.
She hops onto the counter with her boots dangling. “Seriously, Rafa, you keep this up, and you’re gonna start sounding like—” Her cheeks flush, voice lowering. “Like Idris, actually.”
He tilts his head. “Who?”
A blush rises from her neck. “Oh. He’s my…new boyfriend.” Maria straightens, clearly attempting to sound casual. Rafael knows her better than that.
“He’s a writer. Really talented. But, uh…he’s a pessimist.” She waves a hand as if that explains everything. “I met him at a concert with Bailey—remember her from school?”
Rafael nods. She and Maria were professional troublemakers, spending most nights in Smile Services “after-school rehabilitation sessions.”