I didn’t hear the door open.
Didn’t hear the footsteps.
But Ifelthim.
“You always work this hard, cupcake?”
I startled hard, whipping around.
Kane.
He leaned against the doorframe like he owned it, boots silent, leather jacket open just enough to show the Glock tucked into his waistband. He had that look, lazy on the surface, sharp underneath, like a man who saw everything, whether you wanted him to or not.
“Jesus Christ,” I hissed, pressing a hand to my chest. “You need a fucking bell.”
His mouth curved. “Too easy.”
I stood slowly, brushing dust off my jeans. “What do you want?”
He sauntered in, moving like a shadow. “What did you do to piss off Voss?”
I froze. “…Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” He stepped further inside, eyes scanning the room, cataloguing it in silence. “She’s targeting you. Hard. That kind of venom doesn’t come from you just existing.”
I crossed my arms tightly. “We’ve had run-ins. Professional friction.”
Kane laughed once, low and humourless. “Did that friction start before or after you were screwing the Chief?”
“Get. Out.”
“Relax.” He held up both hands. “Just trying to understand the terrain.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck what terrain you think you’re walking,” I snapped, heat rising in my chest. “You think you can just walk in here and judge me?”
“I’m here to help.”
His tone shifted.
Lower. Like maybe for a moment, I was getting a glimpse at the real him. “Believe it or not, you and I aren’t that different,” he said. “You use your voice. I use a gun. Same mission. Different weapons.”
I stared at him, jaw tight. “It started before I ever met Harlan,” I said. “This whole thing. The clinic. The threats. The pressure. He didn’t cause it.”
Kane’s gaze sharpened. He nodded once, slowly. “Alright. So, who did?”
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t.
He let the silence stretch until it threatened to break, then said, “Any cases stand out from when you first got here? Patients? Anything that stuck with you?”
I hesitated. “…Maybe. I’ll go through my notes.”
He studied me for a long moment. Something calculating moved behind his eyes, but he didn’t push.
“He cares for you, princess,” he said finally.
I groaned, throwing my head back. “With the nicknames again?”
“You don’t believe me?”
