Page 148 of Us Defiant Few

“Takeshi,” she breathed, afraid to move an inch.

His eyes were wild, trained on her. But he gripped the sides of his head as he yelled out, veins bulging in his neck.

She rushed toward him.

“Stop!” he rasped, holding out his hand. “Don’t come near me. Run. Get out of here.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she said, daring to take another step closer.

Brock struggled to his feet, rushing to cut the others free.

The gun in Takeshi’s hand trembled, his whole forearm shaking. The sharp lines of his face twisted and contorted as if he were barely maintaining control. With a roar, he hurled the weapon at the opposite wall, trying to get it as far from him as possible.

“Fucking leave,” he growled, nails scraping down his face. “I don’t know how long I can keep him out of my head.”

Takeshi refused to look at her as he crouched on the floor. Sweat beaded down his forehead, his bulging muscles held taut.

“Khalani, we need to go,” Derek said in a soft voice, the others rubbing their raw wrists as they came to stand by her side, their conflicted gazes sliding to Takeshi.

“No,” she stated, her voice cutting through the room with firm resolve. “He needs us.”

Khalani had already lived through one lifetime of watching him reach for her on the ground after being shot. She refused to walk away again.

And in that horrible moment, Khalani realized it didn’t matter if Takeshi never got his memory back. She didn’t care if he was a super-soldier.

She knew his heart better than anyone. And it was made of love. And even if she never heard those three words back, she’d never stop feeling the same for him.

Takeshi had been fighting alone for so long—invisible battles she’d never known or seen—and he deserved to have people fight with him for a change.

Khalani slowly walked toward him, but he still refused to look at her as she lowered to the balls of her feet. And when she touched his arm, he flinched.

“Takeshi…I’m right here with you. I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, letting her other hand rest over his, gently connecting their fingers. “You killed the Governor once on the surface. Your mind is stronger than his. We’re stronger.”

“How? How can that be true when I still don’t remember? When Alan might still take over and force me to hurt you?” He lifted his head, and the tears pooling in his beautiful gaze nearly ripped her heart out.

She squeezed his hands, letting him see that she was just as scared. Just as uncertain about life.

But they didn’t need to have it all figured out.

Winnie once told her that being human meant having flaws. So Khalani was just fine with all her jagged edges and broken parts. She would never be perfect. But she could be better than she was yesterday.

“I’ll remember for the both of us,” she answered. “And I’ll thank God for every single moment that I get to meet you again for the very first time.”

Takeshi’s head bowed, his whole body trembling, like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, afraid to take that final leap.

“Takeshi.” Winnie stepped forward. “You might not remember much about ole Winnie, but she remembers you. My dear Khalani wouldn’t choose to be with someone unless they had the strongest soul on the planet. That’s who you are. And who you always will be.”

A tear cascaded down his cheek.

Serene, who’d been listening in silence, stepped beside Winnie. “For the longest time, I didn’t understand what Khalani ever saw in you. But now I do. There’s no one I trust more to keep her alive and safe than you. And if my sister believes in you, so do I.”

“That goes for me, too.” Adan moved forward, nodding in solidarity. “You beat the Governor before and can do it again.”

“We’ve all made mistakes, Takeshi.” Derek swallowed, appearing beside Adan. “But we still have time to make up for them.”

An entire world swam in Takeshi’s eyes, and when Brock stepped forward, they all tensed. He stared down at Takeshi with an unreadable glint in his eye, studying him for what felt like eternity.

But then he said, “I know your grumpy ass is in there, cuz you still hit like a bitch.”