The screaming stopped.
“Figures the empath isn’t a fan of needles.” The EMT was loud in the sudden silence. “You can look now.”
Reece reluctantly peeked through his fingers. Braker was slumped on the gurney, eyes closed, chest slowly rising and falling. “What did you do?”
“Sedative,” she said. “What didyoudo?”
There was a suspicion in her voice that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Reece shook his head. “Nothing. I don’t understand—”
The ambulance door swung open without a knock or a warning, revealing a tall man with a hard mouth and wide eyes. “I thought I heard screaming—” His gaze landed on Reece and outrage blossomed. “Who the hell let this kid in here?”
“I did, Agent Nolan,” the EMT said. “He’s an empath.”
“Empath?”Nolan’s gaze darted to the gloves, then to Reece’s face. “How did you find this scene?”
Reece cleared his throat. “It’s complicated.”
“Oh, it’s not complicated,” the EMT said, perky and helpful. “He’s Detective St. James’ brother.”
That was the wrong thing to say, Reece instantly knew. Nolan’s confusion hardened into anger. “Brother.” He moved closer to Reece. “And is there a reason Detective St. James didn’t tell the FBI she’s got an empath brother?”
Shit. “Why should she?” he said defensively. “She’s also got a ficus and too many shoes and I bet she didn’t mention those either.”
Nolan’s lips pressed flat. “Putting aside that I found her brother, not her ficus, cozying up to our only witness, it’s because the murder victim is Senator Hathaway.”
Shit shitshit. Every empath in the country knew who that was, because Senator Hathaway had put forward the harshest anti-empathy bill ever drafted. Cora had railed against it yesterday because it would ban empaths from government work and she’d have to leave the veterans’ hospital.
No wonder Reece wasn’t supposed to be here.
Nolan’s eyes were still narrowed “I’d like to know what an empath thinks he’s doing at the scene of Hathaway’s death.”
“Trying tohelp,” Reece said, ignoring Nolan’s eye roll. “I don’t care about her job or her agenda. I’d be sorry for anyone this happened to.”
“You sorry for that guy too?” Nolan jerked his head at Braker. “And you thought your sister and your bleeding heart gave you the right to trespass on our investigation?”
“He was going to try to bring the witness out of catatonia,” said the EMT.
Nolan stilled. “Empaths can do that?” He looked between Braker and Reece, the scorn slipping from his face. “Canyoudo that?”
Reece watched Braker’s chest slowly rise and fall. “I don’t know.”
Nolan jerked his head at Reece’s hands. “You still have your gloves on. Did you actually touch him?”
“No,” Reece admitted. “But—”
“But nothing,” said Nolan. “We need to know what he saw. Get your hands on this guy.”
Reece looked at the EMT, but despite her lingering distrust, she nodded. “He’s right. You didn’t actually try.”
Because Braker hadscreamed. Reece hesitated.
“I need to talk to him,” Nolan said, as he bent over to examine Braker’s face. “He’s catatonic, for crying out loud, it’s not like you can make him worse—” Nolan froze. “What the hell is that?”
Reece stared, his stomach curdling.
A thin trail of blood, like a tear, was trickling out from the corner of Braker’s eye.
Reece staggered up to his feet. The EMT was already at Braker’s side, on her radio, but Reece could only stare, disbelieving, at Braker’s face.
