Murder Game (GhostWalkers, #7)(99)

Kadan swallowed bile and bent over her. You’re all right, baby. He’s getting it out of you. Just breathe through it. Almost there.

All the while Kadan soothed her, he kept shifting his gaze back and forth between Tansy’s face and Nico. Ryland put tweezers into Nico’s hand, and Nico carefully inserted the tips into the wound. Sweat beaded on Tansy’s forehead; there were white lines around her mouth. Her lashes fluttered and her eyes turned opaque.

Kadan wanted her to pass out. Her fainting would be good for both of them. He willed her to let herself go, and thankfully, she did, slumping in his arms, making it much easier for Nico.

“Got it.” Triumphantly, Nico held up the small chip. He handed it off to Gator and turned back to the deep slice along Tansy’s hip and thigh. “I’m going to need to stitch this. Do we know her blood type?”

Kadan nodded. “It was in her file. She has the same type I do.”

“That’s not a surprise,” Ryland said. “Lily found documentation that Whitney’s been trying to make us universal so we can all give to each other. With pairing, he tried to make certain. Remember, we’re all supposed to be the ultimate weapons in combat situations, so that means we have to be able to heal each other.”

“Yeah, well, if I can’t do my thing with her, she’s going to be out of commission for a while. We may need to take her to a hospital.”

“Do your thing then,” Kadan said, ice creeping back into his voice, “because protecting her in that public a place will be nearly impossible.”

Nico didn’t reply. He simply began the intricate and difficult job of meticulously repairing the damage Tansy had done to her leg.

“Do we move her? We’re going to have company and she probably needs a transfusion,” Ryland said. “It’s up to you, Kadan.”

“We fight here. Get fluids in her and see if we can hold off the transfusion until we move. If we’re lucky, maybe she won’t need one.” Kadan wanted a battle—even needed one. He felt the familiar calm settle over him. The warrior was stronger than the lover, more recognizable. The persona fit him. “I’ve got the escape routes ready. If you have to go up, there’s a rope ladder as well as a cable to shoot to the roof on the west side. I don’t want to let it get that far.”

“I’ll be outside then,” Nico said. “When I’m done here, I’ll find myself a spot.”

“They’ll send a team,” Kadan warned. “I took out two of them in the mountains. They aren’t going to be happy about it.”

“I’m feeling a little mean about now,” Nico said as he took another stitch.

Gator nodded, and the smile not only faded from his eyes, but his mouth had gone tight and grim. “I’m getting damn tired of our women having to suffer.”

Kadan looked at Ryland, who shrugged his broad shoulders.

“I’ve been looking for a little action ever since I found out Freeman was involved. She’s a traitor of the worst sort, turning on her sisters to further her own cause. I could use a little combat time.”

“Set up an IV in the bedroom,” Nico instructed. “I’ll try to heal her. Don’t worry, bro, we’ll get her right.”

“I can’t do what Dahlia does,” Kadan said, “but I’m fairly accurate at focusing energy. I can take a shot at helping you.”

Nico nodded and kept working. Ryland added more light while Gator found a mop and a bucket to try to clean the mess.

“What are we going to do about her clothes?” Ryland asked.

Kadan sighed. “She’ll run out at this rate. I’ll cut off her jeans. They’re ruined anyway. She’ll have to be ready to go once we take out the team. I’ll get her ready, don’t worry.”

Nico sank back on his heels and wiped his face, smearing it with Tansy’s blood. “Get her ready then. Are you set otherwise?”

“No. Rye, you’ll have to pack up the war room. Don’t touch anything with your skin. Use gloves, double them up if you can. I’ll need everything out of there, and be especially careful with the game pieces on the table. She handles those to track the killers.”

Kadan lifted Tansy into his arms. She flinched and murmured a protest, instinctively trying to pull away. “Do you have painkillers in that bag?”

“Yeah. Hurry, Kadan. We’ll need you for this. They’ll be coming in when they think you’ve gone to bed.” He glanced at his watch. “We’ve probably only got an hour before they come at us.” He threw a towel on the bed as Kadan jerked a knife from his boot. “I’ll get the equipment, but if she ends up needing a transfusion we could be in trouble.”

Kadan appreciated Ryland giving him a few minutes of privacy to strip the bloody clothes from Tansy’s body. He cleaned her as best he could and wrapped her in one of his shirts, but left off the sweatpants he’d found in her bag until Nico gave healing a try. He was covering her when Ryland returned with the IV equipment.

They worked fast, pushing the fluids while Nico knelt beside the bed. He unwrapped a crystal from a soft cloth he kept in his pocket. “This is amethyst for focus, Kadan. You want to direct through this. I’ll use the rose quartz for healing.” He unwrapped the second piece.

“I’ll place my hands over the wound and you gather the energy using the amethyst. Try to pull it to you and then focus it over my hands. I’ve never done this without Dahlia.”