Deathtrap (Crossbreed #3)(31)

Christian leaned against the doorjamb. “She’s over there on the sofa. Refusing anyone’s help.”

Niko’s bare foot kicked one of the cartons, and it skidded across the floor. Without breaking stride, he approached the couch. I couldn’t help but notice his drop-crotch pants. They were baggy all around except at the ankles and not something I usually saw him wearing. Given he was sans shirt and his hair was uncharacteristically messy, Christian must have dragged him out of bed, and that made me feel a little bit guilty.

Niko looked me over. “I almost didn’t recognize your energy.” He knelt down. “I heard you tested the theory of gravity tonight.”

I conjured a mirthless grin. “It’s my elbow. I’m just waiting it out until morning.”

“Is it cut?”

“No. I think it’s broken. I banged it up pretty good.”

Niko put his hand on my hip and felt around until he located my arm. “This one?”

“Yep.”

“Can you remove your coat?”

“My arm and leg hurt most from hitting the wall. I’ve got some scrapes and bruises, but—”

“You can draw light in the morning, but it’s better to fix breaks right away. Sometimes if a bone starts to set in the wrong position, it has to be rebroken.”

That thought didn’t sound pleasant, so without sitting up, I let Niko help me free my arm from the sleeve. I growled when I had to bend it, the pain intolerable.

“Apologies. Just a quick touch of light to set the bone.”

Warm heat penetrated my skin like liquid, and before I saw the flash of light, the pain in my elbow vanished. I still ached in other places, but nothing unbearable.

“Better?” he asked.

I sighed, grateful for his kindness. “Thanks, Niko. You always save the day.”

“Just be sure to draw light first thing in the morning. If it’s overcast again, come see me, but only if it’s something serious… like internal injuries.”

“I’m just a little banged up, that’s all.”

“I hope your suffering was worth the effort.”

“We got a license plate,” Wyatt said around a mouthful of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker. He sat down in a leather chair and switched on a laptop. “Suspect numero uno.”

“If this doesn’t turn out to be the right guy,” I began, “I still want to know his name and address.”

Wyatt began typing. “What are you going to do, give him a speeding ticket?”

Christian came up behind Blue and put his hands on her shoulders. “How’s the search going, lass?”

“Only one bid came up for a minor—a twelve-year-old.”

The room fell silent.

“Can’t we bid on him?” I asked.

Christian turned. “You can’t save them all. We don’t have unlimited funds.”

“But you’ll have rescued the kid.”

“Aye. And if we’re lucky enough to catch the seller, we might not have enough evidence against him. We can’t prove they were the kidnapper, and we can’t link them to a murder. It would be the decent thing to do, but it would also put us out of business. Sometimes there is no child. Here we have an opportunity to capture the person on the front end. Whether he’s the actual seller is irrelevant; he’s the man who does the dirty work. If we catch him, we can save a lot more lives.”

Niko rubbed his eyes and stood up. “If my services are no longer required, I’ll bid you all a good night.”

“Hey, Niko,” I quickly said.

He half turned.

“I owe you a training session.”

“Tomorrow. One hour before breakfast, we’ll work on balance.”

After Niko left the room, Christian strolled over to the sofa and looked me over. “You should lie down.”

“That’s what I’m doing.”

“Viktor might have plans for us tomorrow once we fill him in. Better you get some rest in a proper bed.”

Without warning, he bent down and scooped me into his arms. I grimaced when a dull ache spread across my shoulder, but I didn’t complain. My leg was fine as long as I didn’t walk on it.

We moved into the hall, which was illuminated by a few lanterns on the walls. Christian hadn’t put on a shirt since arriving home, and unlike me, he was buzzing with energy. He had the look of a person after they get off a roller coaster. Even the smirk beneath his scruffy beard told me his spirits were high.

“Why are you in such a good mood?” I finally asked.

“I thought Blue was a daredevil, but I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman as fearless as you.”

I smiled lazily. “My daddy’s a biker. It’s in my blood.”

“Were you this brazen before you were turned?”

“I once went train surfing at night.”

“Surprised it wasn’t on an airplane.”

“Couldn’t afford the ticket.”

He ascended a wide staircase that gently curved to the left.

“Where were you at tonight?” I asked.

“Just having a pint.”

“You got to the bridge pretty fast.”

“It wasn’t that far off. I shadow walked most of the way. Had to leave behind the Honda.”