Broken heart of a warrior

Chapter 17

The cab rolled to a quiet halt in front of the spa, its engine humming quitly. Pale light spilled from the entrance, casting a warm glow across the pavement, yet none of it reached the dull ache pulsing through my knee and ribs. It throbbed in steady waves, a reminder of the damage I had taken. In a few hours it would mend, my body already working beneath the surface, but my damn rib would take longer, lingering like an unwelcome guest that refused to leave.

Leaning forward, I reached over the back of the driver's seat and pressed the folded cash into his hand. "Here, man. Thanks for waiting for me. Two hundred bucks, just as I promised."

He did not let go right away. His fingers tightened slightly around the money as I pushed the door open and stepped out onto the curb. The cool air brushed against my skin, carrying the faint scent of eucalyptus from inside the spa, sharp and clean against the grit of the city that still clung to me. Behind me, the soft mechanical whir of the window broke the silence as it rolled down.

"C-Can I ask you something?"

There was hesitation in his voice, but also something deeper, something that made me pause. I turned back toward him and gave a small nod, letting him know I was listening.

"Who are you?"

The question hung between us, heavier than it should have been. It was not fear that drove it, nor suspicion. It was curiosity, raw and unguarded, the kind that came from someone who had seen too much in one day and could no longer pretend it was normal.

I studied him for a moment, taking in the lines around his eyes, the exhaustion that had settled into his posture, and something else beneath it all. Kindness. He had waited for me, driven me through chaos, and never once asked for more than what was promised. I owed him something.

Closing the distance between us, I stepped back toward the cab and leaned down toward the open window. My fingers slid to the zipper of my leather coat, the faint rasp of metal breaking the quiet as I pulled it down. Slowly, deliberately, I tilted my head to the side, exposing the mark etched into my skin.

His reaction was immediate. His eyes widened, breath catching so sharply it was almost a gasp, the color draining from his face as though the world had shifted beneath him.

I had seen that look before. Shock. Fear. Disbelief.

I was ready for it.

What I was not ready for was what came next.

"I can't believe it," he breathed, his voice trembling, though not with fear. Something brighter flickered there. "I spent the afternoon with a Warrior." His grip tightened around the wheel as a grin spread across his face, boyish and full of wonder. "No one will ever believe me. This has got to be my luckiest day ever. There is no way my boys will believe that their papa drove around one of the most amazing, beautiful protectors today."

For a moment, I could only stare at him. The words did not land the way I expected. There was no recoil, no judgment, no fear of what I was.

Only admiration.

Then his expression shifted, the lightness settling into something firm, something grounded. He looked at me like he saw more than the mark, more than the strength, more than the blood that stained my past.

"Girl, you are precious. Let no one in this world say otherwise. You hear me, okay?" His voice steadied, each word landing with quiet certainty. "You are strong, you are brave, and you have something to give to this world. I don't know what your future holds, but I know you will change it."

Something in my chest tightened, sharp and unfamiliar.

"It has been my honor to drive you today," he continued, softer now, but no less certain. "And if you ever need another lift, I will be there. All you have to do is call. May God bless the path you are on and may He protect you from the evil forces in our world."