Rafael was taught to obey the line. Kane was taught to hold it—until both of them let it blur.
A gang leader running out of options in a city owned by megacorps.
A corpo medic pulled past borders he was taught to obey.
Survival was the goal—until neither of them wanted to walk away.
Kane rules his territory through discipline and reputation. Never attachment. Bringing a Midtown medic into the Outer Districts is a calculated move to keep his crew alive. Wanting him was never part of the plan.
Rafael expects cruelty beyond gang borders, the kind he’s only seen through V-link feeds. Instead, he finds a community holding its ground, and a leader who carries the weight of every order he gives.
As Rafael tends to wounds that never make corpo news, his refusal to flinch or judge begins to chip away at Kane’s defenses. And Kane’s steadfast protectiveness makes it harder for Rafael to walk away—even when the choice is finally his.
