Echo lifts a brow. Wren straightens in her seat. Kane doesn’t register anyone else’s reaction. He gives Coda a nod and strides toward the exit.
The walk from Dragoon’s Rest to his bike passes in a blur.
Inside the garage, his HUD pings with a warning.
>HELMET: NOT DETECTED.
He ignores the alert, firing up the engine and tearing down the street.
Only when he rounds for the HOV stop does the world snap back into focus.
Rafael stands exactly where the holo showed him, beneath the cracked awning, hunched over a flickering map on his wristlink.
Kane drops the bike to a low hover and steps off without a word.
Rafael’s head snaps up. His eyes go wide.
Clenched fist at his side, Kane marches over. “What the hell are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?”
The spike in Rafael’s vitals hit first, followed by his flinch. Kane’s chest squeezes tight.
“I—I’m sorry,” he begins, swiping off his wristlink. “I know it’s dangerous for me to come here…But I had to see you.”
A spark of hope flickers within Kane. He shuts it down instantly as Rafael’s words return.
“There’s no future for us.”
He never agreed. Still doesn’t. But with Rafael here at this hour, while Athena carves deeper into their territory by the minute, an argument is harder to make.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what to say, but…nothing feels good enough.” Rafael clears his throat. “But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since then…And—and I’ve realized what’s important to me now, what I want.”
Kane goes still as Rafael continues. “Back then, I was afraid—of disappointing my family, of what my friends wouldsay, of completely changing my life. But the thing I feared most…” He draws a shaky breath and meets his stare. “Was admitting how much I love you.”
Love you.
His heart stutters, then Kane’s jaw locks.
Is this the same man who walked away two weeks ago? The same one who looked him in the eye and said there was no future?
The shift feels too sudden, too convenient. This could be a trap, a trick Athena orchestrated.
His gut coils tight. Underneath, something he thought long buried stirs.
He shoves the feeling aside and closes the gap between them in two long strides.
“You love me? Now?” His voice drops. “Where was that love when you ended things? Why should I believe you?”
“You have every right to be angry…I didn’t handle things well before,” Rafael murmurs. “I hurt you—selfishly. And I’m sorry for that. I take full responsibility.” He draws a breath. “I was scared. But I’m here now because…I’ve changed. Or at least, I hope so.” His thumb rubs over his wrist. “I thought I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t. Not really. And now—now I think I do. Or I’m trying to. And…I don’t expect you to forgive me instantly.”
Chrome fingers loosen at Kane’s side. He wants to believe in this apology, but instinct cuts through. Rafael already left once.
Kane exhales and steps forward.
“So, what does this mean? Because the situation hasn’t changed. Like you said, my place is here with my crew, in Shreveport.” His shoulders tense. “And with the recent…developments, I’m needed here more than ever.”
Rafael’s hands curl and uncurl at his sides. “I know.” He sighs. “And there’s something else you need to know. The night before I ended things, VitaCorp threatened me. Said they knew about you and your crew. Told me to break up with you…or lose everything…”
An image of Rafael, cornered in a dark room with VitaCorp employees looming over him, flashes in Kane’s mind. His stomach drops.