The back door clicked shut and Kane dropped the heavy bar into place with a solid thunk. The house felt smaller with four people inside now, the sandbags and plywood making the living room feel like a bunker instead of home. The air was thick—old blood from last night still lingered under the fresh cordite smell on his jacket, mixed with the sharp metallic tang coming off the girls.
Raven sank onto the couch the second he set her down, legs shaky. Her torn band shirt had ridden up, showing the soft curve of her belly, pale skin streaked with dried blood and a shallow cut along her ribs. She pressed a hand there, breathing fast. "Um… I'm okay. Really. Just… everything hurts a little."
Willow sat right beside her, shoulders touching. Her glasses were fogged from tears and the cold alley air. She took them off, wiped them on her sleeve, and put them back on crooked. Her tight little frame trembled, red curls matted and dirty, a bruise already darkening on her cheek. "I can't stop shaking," she said quietly, voice cracking. "I thought we were done. Like… actually done."
Kane didn't waste time. He pulled the first-aid kit from the bug-out bag and dropped it on the coffee table. The zipper sounded loud in the quiet. "Let me see the cuts. Both of you. Shirts up if you have to. I've done this before."
Raven hesitated, cheeks flushing, but she lifted the hem of her shirt. The soft belly showed clearly now, gentle and real. The gash on her side wasn't deep but still bled slow. She bit her lip and looked away. "It's not that bad… I think."
Willow rolled up her sleeve. A knife slice across her forearm oozed fresh. She kept her eyes on the floor. "I don't want to be any trouble. We can clean it ourselves if you show us how."
Kane knelt in front of the couch, gloved hands quick. He tore open a gauze pack, pressed it to Raven's cut, and held pressure. She flinched but didn't pull away, her breath warm against his shoulder. The blood soaked through fast, so he swapped pads, added a second, and wrapped it tight with tape. "Hold this here. Firm. Don't let up."
Raven nodded, fingers brushing his as she took over. Her touch lingered half a second, shy and grateful. "Thank you… I mean it. You didn't have to come. Nobody else did."
He moved to Willow next. Cleaned the slice with antiseptic wipes—the sharp alcohol smell cutting through everything—and pressed fresh gauze. She winced, green eyes watering, but stayed still. "You're really fast at this," she whispered. "Like you've done it a lot."
"Enough times," Kane said. He wrapped the arm snug and taped it. "Keep it elevated. You'll both be sore tomorrow, but nothing's getting infected if we stay on top of it."
Liora stood by the hallway the whole time, arms crossed tight, messy auburn hair in her eyes. She hadn't spoken since they walked in. Her hazel eyes flicked between the girls and Kane. When he finally stood and started packing the kit, she stepped forward.
"Daddy," she said, voice small but blunt, "they can't stay."
The words landed heavy. Raven looked up fast, dark eyes wide. Willow pushed her glasses higher, mouth opening like she wanted to speak but didn't know how.
Kane crouched so he was eye level with Liora. "They're hurt. They've got nowhere else. We've got the room and the supplies."
Liora's lip pushed out. "But it's our house. You and me. They're strangers." Her small hands clenched. "What if they need more stuff? What if Mom comes back and gets mad?"
Raven shifted on the couch, pulling her shirt down over her belly. "Um… we don't want to cause problems. Really. If it's too much we can go back out. We'll figure something out."
Willow shook her head quick, red curls bouncing. "No. We can help. I can organize things or watch the windows. Whatever you need. We just… we don't want to be alone out there again." Her voice got quieter, almost pleading. "Please. We'll stay out of the way."
Kane stood back up, one hand resting on Liora's shoulder. "Nobody's going back out there tonight. Not you, not them. We've got food, water, and walls that hold. That's what matters right now." He looked at the girls. "You two take the couch. I'll take the armchair. Liora's in my room. Doors stay locked, lights stay low. We figure the rest in the morning."
Raven gave a small, shaky nod, silver-streaked hair falling across her face. "Okay. Thank you. I still can't believe you just… showed up." She touched the fresh bandage on her side, then looked at him again, something soft and dependent in her eyes. "You smell like… safety. Gun oil and safety."
Willow managed a tiny smile, even though her hands still trembled. "I don't know what we would've done without you." She glanced at Liora like she was trying to include her, but Liora just stared back, arms still crossed.
Kane moved to the kitchen, found the last two bottles of water, and brought them over. "Drink slow. Small sips. You're both dehydrated." He handed one to each. Raven took hers with both hands, fingers brushing his again. Willow held hers like it was something precious.
Liora watched the whole thing, then turned and walked to his room without another word. The door shut behind her—not slammed, but firm.
Kane let out a slow breath. The house felt crowded with two extra people now, the air thicker. He checked the front window through the firing port—street still empty, bodies still in the yard. Distant gunfire popped somewhere east, but nothing close.
Raven curled up on one end of the couch, pulling the spare blanket over her legs. "We were in college together," she said after a minute, voice soft. "Roommates. Trying to get home when the power died. Then everything just… fell apart." She looked at Willow, then back at Kane. "We don't have families close. Nobody's coming for us."
Willow nodded, adjusting her glasses. "We hid in the apartment until they broke in last night. Ran after that. We've been moving ever since." She swallowed hard. "You saved us. I don't know how to pay that back, but… we'll try. Whatever you need."
Kane sat in the armchair facing the door, Mk18 across his lap. "Just rest tonight. That's enough." He kept his voice low and steady. "We'll sort supplies in the morning. See what we've got for four people instead of two."
Raven's dark eyes stayed on him a little longer than they needed to, grateful. Willow kept glancing too, like she was memorizing the way he sat there, solid and calm. They huddled under the blanket together, breathing slowing as the adrenaline finally faded.
Liora's door stayed closed.
Outside, the wind rattled the plywood over the broken window. Another scream echoed far off—short and cut off. Then silence again.
Inside, the four of them sat in the candlelight, the house holding its breath right along with the city.
Kane rested his hand on the rifle and watched the front door.
The two new girls were safe for now.
But Liora's words still hung in the room like smoke that wouldn't clear.