"I think you took a bullet for the girls without hesitation. I think she noticed. And I think whatever happened between you two in that van rattled both of you more than either of you want to admit."
I want to argue. Want to tell Luna she's wrong, that there's nothing between me and Rachel except a fucked up rescue and my own stupidity.
But I'm not good at lying to myself.
And the truth is, Rachel does rattle me. Her anger, her defiance, the way she looks at me like she's trying to see past the shadow to whatever might be underneath, it all gets under my skin in a way nothing has in years.
"She asked me why I did it," I tell Luna. "Take the bullet. Told her it's because I've left people behind before and I'm tired of carrying the weight."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing. I walked away before she could respond."
Luna sighs. "Of course you did. Shadow, you can't run from every difficult conversation—"
"I'm not running. I'm being smart. Getting involved with that woman would be a disaster for both of us."
"Probably," Luna agrees. "But life isn't about avoiding disasters. It's about deciding which ones are worth risking everything for."
Before I can respond, King appears in the doorway. He takes in my bandaged shoulder and nods approvingly.
"Good. You're patched up. We need to debrief." His gaze shifts to Luna. "How are the women?"
"Physically, they'll recover. Emotionally..." Luna shakes her head. "That's going to take longer. Except for Rachel. She won't let me examine her, won't talk to any of us, and is currently locked in one of the spare rooms refusing to come out."
King's expression darkens. "Is she injured?"
"I don't know. She won't let me close enough to check."
"Force her if you have to. We need to know—"
"No," I interrupt, surprising myself. Both King and Luna turn to look at me. "You can't force her. She needs to feel in control right now. Forcing her to do anything will just traumatize her more."
"Shadow's right," Luna says. "These women have had their autonomy stolen. Forcing medical care on them, even with good intentions, would just be another violation."
King runs a hand through his hair, frustration clear on his face. "So, what do we do? Just let her potentially bleed out or suffer from internal injuries?"
"Let me talk to her," I hear myself say.
What the fuck am I doing?
"You?" King raises an eyebrow. "Brother, you're not exactly known for your people skills."
"I know. But she..." I struggle to find the right words. "She responds to me. Even if it's just to argue. That's more than she's giving anyone else."
King and Luna exchange a look, then King nods slowly.
"Alright. You've got thirty minutes to convince her to let Luna examine her. If you can't, we'll have to consider other options."
I stand, testing my shoulder. The pain is there, but manageable. "Which room?"
"End of the hall, second floor," Luna says. "And Shadow? Don't push too hard. She's fragile right now, even if she doesn't show it."
Fragile isn't the word I'd use for Rachel. Sharp, maybe. Dangerous, definitely. Like a broken piece of glass that will cut anyone who tries to pick it up.
But fragile? No.
Survivors are never fragile. We're just good at hiding the cracks.
