“What even happened to them?” I asked quietly. “That one looks…”
Wyatt and I tensed at the same moment as we looked over the closest body. It wasn’t a student – I’d had them all moved inside as soon as I’d arrived back this morning. This was one of the attackers. Even on his all black outfit, some darker wet spots were visible.
His body, though…
It sort of resembled…I shivered. It appeared as if all his bones were broken and his skin was the only thing holding it all in. He had no shape to his face or skull, and his arms and fingers were at odd angles. There was very minimal bruising, which meant his heart had stopped so abruptly, the blood hadn’t had time to move to the area of injury.
“He looks…” Wyatt trailed off.
“Squeezed.” I finished in a whisper. “Who the fuck did that?”
As if I didn’t already know.
“Oh shit, Rafe. Alejandro incoming,” Wyatt said quickly, shifting closer to me.
I sighed deeply.
“Rafael,” My father’s deep voice clipped. I sighed again as I turned to face my mother’s least favorite Link.Or most hated?“What is the meaning of this?” He gestured absently, like that was supposed to tell me anything about what he was asking.
“The meaning of what?” I asked, confused.
“Don’t play games with me, boy.” Alejandro hissed.
I barked a laugh in disbelief before looking at Wyatt, who’s eyebrows were nearly to his hairline. This was something I could have made worse if I were in a joking mood, but I was still pissed about student bodies being left out in the rain and Wyatt not realizing he could cause goddamn earthquakes.
FuckWyatt. Why did I even talk to him?
I rolled my neck to rid myself of the sudden tension.
Alejandro’s eyes flashed as his gaze moved from me to Wyatt behind me.
“Color me surprised to see you’re involved in this,” Alejandro said to Wyatt.
“Excuse me?” Wyatt’s voice held that lethal edge to it that always freaked me out. I repositioned myself so that I was blocking my friend more fully while my father took a big step away from us.
“What the hell is your problem?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“I just spoke to Jameson,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
I blinked.
“Theengineer,” he practically snarled at me.
“Oh, right.” I snorted. “Pity. I figured you’d be more upset about the loss of life, here.”
Alejandro breathed out slowly, like he was trying to keep himselffrom exploding. Any other time, and I would have fanned the flames, but not now. Not when the press was only a hundred yards away, watchingeverything. They’d have a field day if they caught some royals having it out at a disaster site. They’d already seen me step between Wyatt and Alejandro, and with the sound of dozens of shuttering cameras, I realized the boyfriend rumors were about to explode again.
I wondered, not for the first time, exactly how far Wyatt’s patience with me could go.
“I wouldn’t know about that,” Alejandro said. “He wouldn’t tell me anything. Becauseyouare apparently in charge of this whole operation.”
I opened my mouth to defend myself, although I wasn’t sure exactly what I could say. I hadn’t meant to be in charge, people just started approaching me so I listened to them.
Mostlylistened to them.
I snapped my jaw shut.
“This is a hell of a time for you to decide you want a job. You’ve never wanted to work anything before, and now, you suddenly want to take ondisasterrelief?”
