Wyatt answered for him while unwrapping a MoonPie. “You sleep like the dead.”
“From what I hear, the dead don’t sleep.”
He pointed at me and winked. “Now you’re catching on.”
Shepherd appeared in the doorway, looking like a man who’d survived an explosion by the skin of his teeth. He hadn’t changed out of his shredded pants, so I could see the cuts on his legs, probably from escaping the bomb. Though his face and hair were rinsed, he hadn’t done anything to clean the dried blood off his chest. He took a seat on the short end of the L-shaped sofa that faced me and tossed a pillow on the floor.
Viktor pinched the bridge of his nose. “Now that we’re all here, I’ll give you an update. After speaking with the higher authority about tonight’s events, the case is officially closed. Final payment will appear in my account in the morning, and I will distribute it to everyone by tomorrow evening.”
The baby suckling the bottle drew our attention away.
Blue tilted the end of the bottle higher. “Hold it like that so he doesn’t swallow air. This isn’t one of those fancy bottles.”
Claude was lost in the smell of a new baby. His nostrils twitched when he leaned over and sniffed his head. Unlike others in the house, Claude didn’t appear uncomfortable with holding him.
Viktor yawned. “I’ve requested the Regulators come by in the morning to collect the infant. Tonight he should rest and eat plenty while in our care.”
Wyatt yawned dramatically. “That goes for the rest of us too. Do we need to give statements, or can I sleep until noon?”
“I want to commend all of you,” Viktor continued. “The child is safe, and the threat is contained.”
I unstrapped the knife holster from my arm and set it on my lap. “What do we tell the Regulators about what happened to Cristo?”
Viktor centered his eyes on mine. “That he perished in the explosion. They will not send anyone down to scrape up what remains of him. Our confirmation will be sufficient.”
“Is that what really happened?”
He tilted his head to the side. “Did you see anything otherwise?”
“Nope.”
Viktor rose to his feet. “Tomorrow we rest. Christian, come with me. I need your help with a cradle upstairs.”
“You can put it in my room,” Blue said. “I’ll go light a fire. Does anyone want to make bottles? I’m not sure how often he eats, but it’s a long walk to the kitchen, and I could use the help when he wakes up hungry.”
Gem raised her hand. “I can.”
Blue jerked her head toward the door. “Come on. I’ll show you how. Claude, are you okay with him?”
Claude was in another world. He pulled the bottle out of the sleeping baby’s mouth and bent him forward, lightly patting his back until a burp slipped out. “Go on. He’s in good hands. Aren’t you, little one? No one’s ever going to hurt you again.”
When the little guy spit up, Claude lifted his own shirt and wiped the baby’s chin dry.
“There’s just one more thing,” Viktor said before Blue stepped out of the room.
Wyatt’s chair squeaked when he spun it around. “There’s always a catch.”
“No catch.” Viktor strode toward the door. “Just an invitation.”
“To what?” Shepherd asked gruffly.
“A charity ball hosted by Patrick Bane.”
Wyatt snickered. “This guy has more balls than a golf course.”
“I was going to respectfully decline, but after tonight, I have decided to donate my share of the money to the orphanage. Specifically, the orphanage that will be caring for this child. I think it is important that each of you attend and learn more about the politics involved. Our case ends, but it doesn’t really end. Perhaps with more of us there, we can persuade others to donate. Most people do not get to see where their money is going as we do,” he said, gesturing to the baby. “We have saved him from the black market. Let us see if we can save him from an underfunded system. Or else one day he might end up on our list of outlaws.”
Chapter 24
