Page 141 of Dustwalker

“Cheyenne! All those people. You left us to sift through the fucking Dust, trying to find enough shit to earn a few bites of food from that bastard when this whole time you had food and shelter and medicine here. You have protection here!”

She didn’t realize that she’d stood up and advanced toward Rodriguez until Ronin’s hands settled on her shoulders and stopped her.

Rodriguez didn’t back away, didn’t break eye contact. “You’ve been through a lot, and I can’t pretend I know what it’s like.”

“And you did nothing. My sister is dead, hundreds of people are dead, and you might as well be responsible for it. You let that monsterrun free while you live here in luxury.”

“We work foreverythingwe have down here. Every. Fucking. Thing. Every time someone eats a piece of fruit”—his eyes dropped to the crushed apricot in her trembling fist—“we have to worry about whether we’ll be able to produce another. Every time someone needs medical attention, there’s a chance we’ll never be able to replace the supplies used to care for them. We have a lot of our own people to worry about right here, Miss Brooks. We’re not responsible for the rest of the damned world.”

“Fuck you!” Lara’s chest heaved, and black spots dotted her vision. Agony pierced her chest. But her heart hurt more than anything. All those years, all those people, all that suffering, and peace and abundance had been right here the whole time? “Fuck…”

Nancy rushed forward. “That’s enough, damn it!”

Lara’s legs gave out, but Ronin was there, taking her sagging weight into his arms. He carried her to the bed and laid her down carefully.

“You need to drink this now,” Nancy said. Something cool pressed to Lara’s lips.

It smelled sharply of alcohol and something else—the sleep of the dead.

“No. I don’t…want it…” Lara turned her head and swiped at the cup.

Nancy was quicker, moving it back before Lara could knock it out of her hand. “Tilt her head back and plug her nose.”

Ronin followed her orders, his hands too strong to fight, yet somehow retaining their gentleness.

No!

Lara stared up at him, unable to believe the betrayal.

Nancy held the cup closer to Lara’s mouth. “This will dull the pain and calm you before you do any lasting harm to yourself.”

“Please listen, Lara,” Ronin said, his voice oddly strained.

Tears stung her eyes, and she averted her gaze. The moment she opened her mouth to take a breath, Nancy poured the foul liquid in, covering Lara’s lips to prevent her from spitting it out.

With no other choice, Lara choked it down.

“She’s not going to get out of it,” Rodriguez said. “I expect to be notified when she’s well enough to be questioned, Doctor Cooper.”

His footfalls were heavy as he walked away.

“I’m sorry, Lara. I really am,” Nancy said, pursing her lips as she and Ronin removed their hands. “You need to rest. Once you’re stronger, you can berate Jack all you want, but as your doctor, I can’t allow you to hurt yourself.” She brushed a stray lock of hair back from Lara’s temple, glanced briefly at Ronin, and left.

Lara turned her face away from him as tears trickled from the corners of her eyes.

Ronin’s fingers slipped around Lara’s right hand, but she jerked it out of his hold. “Don’t.”

“I vowed to protect you, Lara Brooks,” he said, curling a finger beneath her chin and guiding her face toward him. After she met his eyes, he leaned forward and brushed his lips over her forehead. “I’m not going to fail to uphold that vow again…even if it shatters me.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

As Ronin carried the tray of food toward the cloth partition serving as Lara’s room in the infirmary, his processors whirred. He should’ve been concerned about the early morning meeting he’d just had with Jack Rodriguez.

The colonel was furious after meeting with Lara yesterday. He’d said that he had half a mind to kick them both out. Ronin didn’t believe the threat; if Rodriguez was serious about the base’s security, there was no way he’d let two strangers who knew both its location and so much of its layout just walk away. And there’d been something in his eyes today, something in the tone of his voice, that suggested he’d been shaken.

Lara’s words might’ve done more than anger him. They might’ve made him think.

Ronin had smoothed over the situation as best he could, urging the colonel to consider her perspective and give her some more time. Rodriguez had reluctantly agreed. The situation was far from ideal, and remained volatile, but it wasn’t what dominated Ronin’s thoughts now.