Page 161 of Operation: Defiance

“Inara’s in Seattle now. Does K&R work mostly. I asked her to check on your apartment. And…a few other things. I’m going to put her on speaker so you can hear what she found first hand, okay?”

I wait until she nods again, then tap the screen. “Go ahead.”

Inara starts from the beginning. Raine doesn’t move, but I can see her arranging all the new information in her head. Filing it away, running it against what she already knows, what she suspects, what she hadn’t thought of yet.

“Can you expand your watch to anything involving replacement documents?” she asks, finally. “Driver’s license, passport, credit cards… They took my wallet. If they think I’m trying to rebuild my identity…they’ll be looking for me here. In Seattle.”

She takes a breath, but it hitches on the way in, pain tightening around her eyes. Dammit. She needs a break. But I know better than to expect her to take one.

“And alerts on my bank accounts,” Raine says. “Not just transactions—access attempts, credential resets, freezes. If those start popping up, it means they’re tightening their search. Trying to pin down where I might be.”

“Got it,” Inara replies, then adds, “Raine…what kind of situation am I stepping into here? This is a lot of heat for one person.”

Raine’s shoulders still. “I can’t tell you. If I name them, if they notice you, they’ll put you in the same hole they tried to bury me in.”

“Understood,” Inara says. “I know how to stay out of sight. And how to pull information without leaving footprints. But…I also work with some damn good people. You need more than just digital support, let me know and I can read them in. Anything else I need to be on the lookout for?”

Raine frowns, and her thumb drifts to her index finger again. I want to know why. What she’s searching for that she can no longer find. But later, after she rests.

“They’ll expect me to get a working phone. My contacts. That would trigger a SIM-registration check against my old number.”

“You want alerts in real time?” Inara asks.

“If you can get them. Ash—” Raine swallows hard, her gaze snapping to mine.

“Inara knows my real name. It’s all right.”

The relief in her eyes stirs a feeling I’m wholly unprepared for. She was worried about me.

“Asher gave me a phone. You can contact me directly.” Raine rattles off the number.

“Okay,” Inara says. “Anything pops, I’ll let you know.”

The call ends, and I tuck the phone into my back pocket.

For a few seconds, Raine stares at the laptop screen, but I don’t think she’s seeing it so much as trying to make sense of all the new information Inara gave us.

“We need groceries,” I say, keeping my voice gentle. “And the laptop and hot spot are ready. I should…finish getting dressed and go. Will you be okay for an hour or so?”

Her fingers curl in her lap. Not fear. Not exactly. But not confidence either. “Yes. I’ll…manage. Can you get more yogurt? Canned pears are usually reliable, too. Mashed potatoes with tofu might work for an actual meal.”

Wants. Asked for without ceremony or strain. She’s coming back to herself. She’s not there yet, but she’s getting closer.

“Done. Yogurt, canned pears, mashed potatoes with tofu. Oatmeal and chicken okay?”

“Yes. And eggs are…safe, even if they are boring.” She almost smiles.

Before I can turn to finally put on a shirt, Raine pushes to her feet. “Wait?”

I freeze, hands at my sides, relaxed.

“I want—” Her gaze lands on mine for a single second, then drops to my chest. “I want to try something before you go.”

At my nod, she steps close enough for me to breathe in the scent of her lotion. It’s soft, warm, and unmistakably her.

Her touch lands lightly, fingertips tracing a path across my chest. Slowly. Carefully. When her palm settles over my sternum, the warmth of it sinks straight to my heart.

“Can I…?” I lift my hand so she can see it coming, and at her nod, rest it over hers.