This is a risk he can afford. Kane will make room for this man in his life. Not just in passing or during occasional trips to Midtown. He’ll become someone who stays, who Kane won’t have to watch walk away.
A smile curves on his lips. He tugs Rafael closer, sliding hisfree arm around his waist.
“Alright. One step at a time.”
Then he closes the space between them, claiming Rafael’s lips.
Anyone could be lurking in the alley, some Natural Order member slipping through the dark, one of Wren’s riders flying past on a bike. Except Kane doesn’t care. Right now, there’s only Rafael.
When they finally part, he keeps Rafael close, speaking low. “You’re in this now. With me.”
Rafael’s mouth lifts. He leans in for another kiss, only to stop short as a security drone whirs past overhead. His gaze flicks upward, expression tightening.
Kane eases back, though his grip on Rafael stays tight.
“We need to move.” He scans the street, down the alley, and the nearby buildings. Thankfully, his HUD doesn’t flag anything out of place.
“Let’s go.”
As Kane steers him toward his bike, Rafael follows, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand.
“Where are we headed? Your place? The bar?” he asks.
“My place for now.” Kane squeezes his shoulder. “We’ll figure out the rest later.” At the HOV, he pops open the side compartment and retrieves the spare helmet. “We can get your belongings from Midtown, but it’ll take planning. Until then, the streets are off-limits unless you’re with Pixie or someone I clear. Understand?”
Rafael nods, taking the helmet with steady hands. “Yes, Kane.”
That quiet resolve sparks a warmth Kane wasn’t prepared for. He fights the urge to embrace him and mounts the bike.
When Rafael settles behind him, his arms loop around Kane without hesitation. He even leans in, head resting against Kane’s shoulder as if he never left at all.
As if he’d never fit anywhere else.
Kane’s heart skips a beat. He powers the bike on, engines humming beneath them.
Rafael is back.
And now that Kane has him again, losing him isn’t an option.
37
Chapter 37 - Rafael
A sliver of light hits Rafael’s eyelids. He blinks them open slowly and stiffens as his gaze falls on the ceiling.
It’s plain gray. Wait—why is it grey? Where’s the black background or drifting stars his V-link projection system casts above his bed? Did he forget to turn it on?
His attention snaps to the light that woke him. It isn’t the usual neon scatter of Midtown outside, but an almost natural daylight, peaking through a flickering screen in need of repair.
He glances at the nightstand beside the bed. No soft, floating 3D image of his family where it should be.
Panic tightens in his gut. Where the hell is he?
Rafael starts to push up when a cool arm clamps down on his waist.
“You’re safe. It’s okay.”
The moment that deep, familiar voice hits, everything from last night floods back.