39
To live is defying.
To love is poetry.
“We have to go.”
“They can fucking wait,” Takeshi rasped, pulling her back toward him. He locked his lips with hers like an entire army would have to tear them apart.
They kept stealing prolonged kisses that made her heart skip multiple beats, maintaining skin contact wherever possible, making up for all the time they spent apart.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Someone knocked harder on the door.
“If you don’t bring her out in three seconds, Takeshi, I’m rearranging your face, and you’ll look more messed up than my aunt Agatha after a few drinks,” Serene yelled from the other side.
“Winnie concurs! She’ll craft sonnets of your grotesque transformation,” Winnie added with a flourish.
Takeshi growled into Khalani’s neck, hands firmly gripping her backside as her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.
“Sounds serious.” Khalani grinned.
“I can put the bed against the door,” he offered, and she chuckled, threading her fingers through his hair, genuinely considering it.
“I hear you laughing, Khalani,” Serene warned. “Don’t think I’m leaving you out of this threat either.”
“All right, put me down,” she told Takeshi. He grumbled the whole time as he reluctantly slid her down his body.
“Be nice,” she reminded him.
“I am nice. To you,” he said, keeping one arm around her waist.
She raised an eyebrow and fixed him with a long stare.
“Fine.” Takeshi sighed. “I guess I can be nice to our family too. Sometimes.”
“All the time.”
“Most of the time. Don’t push it, Kanes.”
A mischievous glint lit behind his eyes as he stole one more kiss.
“KHALANI!” Serene screeched.
“Okay, okay!”
She changed out of the hospital gown and put on fresh clothes set out for her, and when Khalani opened the door, she was immediately ambushed by Serene and Winnie, who wrapped her in a tight embrace, nearly cutting off her circulation.
She laughed, throwing her arms around them, the pieces of her heart finally fitting together.
But when she winced slightly from the ache in her stomach, Takeshi stepped forward, his frown returning.
“Careful. She’s still healing.”
Serene and Winnie gently released her before turning their attention to Takeshi, studying him like a mystifying puzzle.
“It’s been a full week. Are you back with us?” Serene asked, eyeing him carefully.
“Yes.” Takeshi lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry for the pain I caused and for betraying you when Alan was in control.”
Khalani wanted to grab his hand and reassure him once more that it wasn’t his fault. But something told her that this was something he needed to handle alone.
Brock stood in the background, arms crossed, his intense gaze on Serene, but he paid close attention to Takeshi’s every word.
Winnie stepped forward, her purple dress flowing to the floor, her head barely reaching his chest.
Takeshi flinched, waiting for the backlash.
But Winnie threw her arms around his waist. “Winnie missed you.”
His mouth parted, muscles freezing up. But he slowly hugged her back, warmth spreading in his eyes like the desert sun.
“I missed you too, Win.”
Takeshi approached Serene next, and he reached out his hand in greeting. She rolled her eyes and gave him a hug.
“Believe it or not, you don’t annoy me as much anymore,” she muttered, like it was the highest compliment. “But hurt my sister again and I’ll break your balls.”
Serene patted him on the back with an innocent smile, while Brock grinned savagely behind her.
“You’ll never have to worry about that.” Takeshi’s voice deepened as he threaded his fingers through Khalani’s.
Brock stepped forward from the shadows, giving her a once-over. “Feeling better?”
“Oh, you know.” Khalani shrugged. “Just a little stab wound. Nothing a girl can’t handle.”
“Don’t I know it.” Brock snorted before shifting his gaze to Takeshi, the tension building in the air. “Your stomach looks bigger.”
“Wish I could say the same for your brain.”
Oh no.
They were about to fight.
Khalani glanced around, searching for a weapon that might help separate them.
But they both grinned at the same time and gave each other a manly slap on the back.
Her mouth hung open.
Takeshi winked at her and pulled her toward the exit. When they exited the hospital, she shielded her eyes from the sun’s bright glare, white spots covering her vision.
The echo of hammers and reverberated around her. And when she lowered her hand, her body teetered in shock, like the world was tilting on its axis.
They stood in the city of Genesis.
Hundreds of people milled about, chatting and working together. And judging by the nature of their clothing, it wasn’t just the rich. The underground citizens of Apollo stood by their side, sweeping glass off the streets. They cleaned stores that had been ransacked. Rebuilt fallen structures.
Khalani had never thought she’d live to see such a sight.
People of all ages and backgrounds walked under the sun. In the distance, kids kicked a ball back and forth, and among them, she spotted a familiar figure.
“Derek!” she yelled.
He turned, a huge smile overcoming his face. He sprinted toward them and swooped Khalani up, twirling her around, trying not to squeeze her ribs too hard.
“You scared the cave lights out of us, Khalani,” Derek rasped, setting her down. “I’m glad to see you’re finally up. From what I heard, this one hasn’t left your side the entire week.”
She glanced at Takeshi, who smirked, not denying it.
“I’m so happy to see you.” Khalani wrapped Derek in another hug. “Penny and the others really are okay?”
“Yes.” He laughed. “Penny believes they survived because Allen preserved their brains rather than use his own code to create them.First thing they did was tear down the library, and they’re even talking about taking down the wall. Penny’s waiting for you to visit when you recover.”
His eyes sparked with joy, and she nearly cried at the fact that they were all uninjured and alive. But as she looked around, panic crept in as memories of the battle rushed back.
“Where’s Adan?”
“This way,” Serene said with a knowing grin. She walked ahead and suddenly stopped. She turned, studying something behind them before reaching out and grabbing Brock’s hand.
“Let’s go, slowpokes!” Serene yelled back, practically skipping along the cobblestone. Brock kept staring at their joined hands, a slow smile forming.
They ran through a city being rebuilt—one Khalani had thought she’d never see again. And even though the people they ran past looked exhausted and worn-out, many of them peered up at the sun, a new sense of light and wonder forming in their eyes.
A hope that could only arise after darkness.
They sprinted all the way to the edge of the city, toward the white bridge that hung beautifully over the winding river. And when they crossed into the flower field, she gasped.
Hundreds and hundreds of tents had been erected. The citizens of Apollo appeared to be building thousands more as droves of people came up the elevator, carrying supplies.
She finally found Adan speaking animatedly with Spade, holding blueprints in his hand as they overlooked Genesis.
Khalani ran full speed ahead.
Adan grunted as she barreled into him, nearly knocking him over.
“There she is.” He laughed, pulling her close, but she hit him in the chest.
“You almost died!”
“So did you,” he retorted, grinning as he gingerly patted her stomach. “Probably best we don’t get married after all, Khalani. We bring too much mayhem.”
Takeshi let out a hearty chuckle, and Adan shifted his bright gaze to him. “Happy to see you no longer want to kill us.”
“Watch the hands, Adan, and I won’t have to.”
“Don’t listen to him.” Khalani waved him off. “He’s grumpy when he doesn’t get at least eight hours of sleep.”
Takeshi gave her a roguish look, but when she nudged her butt into him, he wrapped his arms around her.
“You know I’m going to make you regret that,” he whispered into her ear.
“I’m counting on it.”
Spade glanced over at them, wearing fancy black slacks and a button-down, never failing to dress better than everyone else.
“Good to see you walking around,” he noted.
“What are you guys doing?” Khalani asked, eyeing the blueprints.
“Nearly everyone from Apollo is coming up to the surface, and Genesis—in its current state—isn’t big enough to house all of them. We’re putting together plans to expand the city so we can provide for everyone here. Not just the rich,” Adan said proudly, his shoulders squared with renewed purpose.
She remembered him telling her that one of his biggest regrets was building the Genesis Dome. A structure responsible for killing hundreds of people. Now, he finally had a chance to build something worth believing in.
“I told him to add a casino too, but he doesn’t think it’s a good idea.” A sly voice sounded behind them.
She turned, eyes widening when Raziel, Ryder, and Jack joined them. They were dressed in black capes, and for the first time, Raziel had his mask off.
The lower half of his face was littered with scars, but he was handsome, like those roguish pirates Winnie had once told her about in novels. His brown gaze kept stealing glances at a nearby girl with short black hair, who was struggling to set up her tent.
“For the last time. No casinos,” Adan said, exasperated. “We’re trying to help people, not corrupt them.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
Adan rolled his eyes to the sky, praying for patience.
“When you come to your senses and want some real fun, come visit us in Vegas,” Ryder said with a grin.
“Vegas?” Brock frowned.
“Yes.” Jack turned. “After what happened here, thousands of drones have been dropping genetically engineered plant seeds all over the surface. Vegetation is already starting to grow, and we’ve gotten word that the people of Hermes are starting to leave the underground.”
The revelation settled in her bones like the promise of a new day.
Project Helix was truly activated. What Timothy Talbot and the scientists of the past had built to save humanity was not a doomed mission. Through the destruction and chaos, they’d found a way to save the planet and bring everyone back up to the surface.
And maybe, many years from now, the earth would look like what it once did. Perhaps even better.
“What’s your plan?” Brock asked.
“Given that the Aces’ hideouts were all compromised, we’re starting fresh. We’re going to build a new business of operations on the surface.” Jack lifted his chin. “We’ll start with a new casino that’s run just by us in Vegas.”
“That place is nothing but ruins, though.” Serene frowned.
“Give us a few years, and you’ll be begging to visit.”
“You’re all leaving?” Khalani asked.
“Well”—Jack glanced at Raziel—“not all of us.”
Raziel continued to watch the black-haired girl. He felt their gazes upon him, and he reluctantly pulled his attention away.
“I’m staying here for a while to help rebuild.”
“Finally putting up the torture business?” Brock chuckled.
“I still brought my blade collection.” Raziel shrugged, like anything less was preposterous.
A breeze rolled through the field, and Khalani took a deep breath, still feeling like she was in a dream.
But maybe good things can happen to those who persist.
“Jack,” she said softly, lifting her gaze. “I just wanted to say thank you. To all of you. You traveled all the way across the Death-Zone to fight with us. We wouldn’t be here if not for you. We are forever in your debt.”
Jack dipped his head in mutual respect, and if he wasn’t one of the most feared gang lords in the world, she would’ve run over and hugged him, too.
“So, where will you go?” Raziel asked, looking over the rest of their group.
“I don’t know.” Serene turned to her. “Where are we going, Khalani?”
The truth was, she hadn’t thought about it.
For the first time, she didn’t have to worry about what was going to happen in the next second or whether she’d be alive when the sun rose.
They were finally free to live life the way they wanted.
Explore.
Settle down.
Lie on the ground and simply stare at the sky.
The possibilities were endless.
Growing up, Khalani had always felt lost.
But with her entire family surrounding her, she smiled, knowing that wherever she went…she’d be home.