Page 102 of The Woman with the Handcuffs

Her gaze flicked to mine.

“Yes. I tried to break my fall.”

“Was it already broken?” Salvatore asked, looking over at me.

“A hairline fracture,” she told him.

I saw the way he glanced down at her hand and his jaw tightened.

“We’re going to need to do a scan,” he told her. “See what’s going on in there. I’m going to cut off that cast too. We can put a new one back on if all is well.”

“Okay.”

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“Her face,” I supplied.

Salvatore pulled off his bloody gloves and tipped her chin up with his bare hands.

“You’re getting a nice bruise,” he observed. “Were you punched?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not swelling, so I don’t think we have to worry about anything being broken. That won’t make it feel any better, but a little ice will probably help. Anything else?”

“I was kicked in my stomach.”

A fire burned its way up my gut.

Kicked.

Not bad enough they hit her twice, but the fuckers kicked her?

“May I?” Salvatore asked, grabbing the hem of her shirt.

Caitlin’s gaze slid away, her cheeks going pink, but she nodded.

I moved closer, letting her lean the side of her head against me as Salvatore pulled up her shirt and pressed around on her stomach.

“No pain?”

“Not really. A little ache.”

“Good. Again. You might see a bruise, but I don’t think anything is hurt in there. But I will draw you up a list of things to look out for. For your face, stomach, and head. Just so you can check your symptoms if something feels strange. But let me go get some supplies for your head. Then we can worry about scans.”

When we were alone again, I moved onto the table with Caitlin, pulling her close.

“How are you doing about this? I know this kind of thing freaks you out.”

“I’m a little numb.”

“I guess that’s not a bad thing right about now.”

“Is this going to hurt?”

“I’m assuming Salvatore is going to use a local.”

“Is he a doctor?”