“We have too much to deal with now as is,” I shake my head. “We’ll find them, but we can’t do everything. Finish the tasks I’ve given you first and then we can think about doing the feds’ jobs for them.”
I can see his hyper-focus on the attackers, in the way his energy burns brightly. It’s a stark contrast to the others’—the same anger, but focused, like an intense blue flame. I snap my fingers to pull them out of their thoughts, “Sadly, there’s no time for rest. Top-up anyway that’s best for you and then move as quickly as you can.”
“Some people are going to blame us for this,” Tobias adds.
“That’s why Xavier needs to get the jump on those reporters first,” I agree. “Any rumours of us taking the diamond need to be shut down before they can start.”
“And Christian?” Gabriel is the first to mention him, and the small charm in my hand suddenly feels heavy. I’ve been reading the expressions of other people my whole life, but I have no idea what expression I might be making now.
I walk away, “Christian can’t do anything if he’s out. Dismissed.”
“How is he?” Xavier rushes to walk next to me, and I find myself passing my thumb over the charm.
“Broken ribs,” I answer softly, “Fractures. But I don’t know the extent.”
“Can we see him?”
I find myself pausing by the front door. “Why?”
Xavier blinks at me as though he doesn’t understand my question, until a surge of irritation spreads across his face. “Why?” He repeats with a snap. “We all want to see him.”
“Christian isn’t your responsibility,” I shut him down with a warning look. “At least not until I know for sure…” I manage to stop the words before I can finish them, but it looks like Xavier has already guessed what I mean to say. His shock is palpable, his eyes widen slightly, and I can swear I see a flicker of hurt in his energy. One that’s immediately swallowed by a tidal wave of new anger.
He opens his mouth to fight me again, but I cut him off before he can start, “I don’t want to fight, Xavier.” My tone is final as I pin him with a hard stare, “Remember your tasks. Get started as soon as possible.”
I close the door behind us as I head out, forcefully ending the conversation. I’m lucky that Wesley is already there, waiting for me.
I nod to him, “Hospital. Quickly.”
He opens my door with a nod and Tobias steps out into the morning air, “If we’re going to be visiting the families together, I should come with you.”
I didn’t necessarily mean together, but one look at Tobias and I know there’s more to it. There’s a strange sensation in my chest that I quash immediately. The whirlwind of a memory of my finger on a trigger and the barrel of a gun pointed at one of my own… and with it, a lingering guilt.
“Fine.” I resign myself to it for now. There’s too much to be done.
The car is moving off from the courtyard when Xavier throws open the door with an angry orange tint in his energy, looking like an enraged pumpkin in the rearview mirror.
“We’reallresponsible for each other, Reuben,” he calls after me furiously and I blink with surprise.
I feel like it’s something I’ve forgotten. I know that the four of us would riskour lives for each other without a thought… but I brought on Christian without even properly consulting them. I can’t expect them to be responsible for him or owe him anything… or have his back.
I’m the only one I can trust to protect Christian right now.
But the entire ride to the hospital, all I’m seeing is the anger in Xavier’s eyes mirrored in Tobias’ energy, even as he quietly looks out the window from the backseat.
And it feels like I’ve forgotten something important.
The air in Seattle is freezing one hour before sunrise, but the hospital at least is warm inside. It belongs to my mother, both a legitimate practice and a front for her organ business, so the staff recognizes me and leads the way to Christian’s room, while Tobias follows silently. Wesley will be waiting in the parking lot on standby, but I don’t intend to stay long… I just want to see that he’s alright with my own eyes.
Christian’s room is large enough for me to walk to his bed in ten steps, where I meet his doctor and hear about his condition.
Seven fractures… along his ribs and arms, from attempting to block the slide before it hit. Abdominal trauma. Acute hypothermia. And if he wakes successfully, they’ll need to test for brain damage.
He sounds like a dead man.
The room spins for a moment but Christian is the constant. He doesn’t look like a dead man. There’s colour to his cheeks, more than there was when I’d handed him over at least, and his chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm.
“He’s used to getting hit and making a comeback,” Tobias offers after some moments of silence. “We all are. He’ll just be coming back with stronger bones.”
