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Kneeling next to him, I set my shaking fingers to his neck and felt his thrumming pulse. A pained sound escaped me. He was alive but beaten so badly his face was already swelling. I stood and went for a cold, wet washcloth. He didn’t make a sound when I set it over his eyes.
I dried my tears and stood, debating what to do. For all I knew, the men were still in the house, cleaning us out. Even if they weren’t, I didn’t trust them not to come back and finish what they’d started.
That decided me.
Our attackers had proven I posed no threat. I couldn’t protect Adam, no matter how much I wanted to. Leaving him on the floor, I pulled on my pants and grabbed my knives before quietly making my way toward the front door. The house was quiet and everything untouched.
Trusting nothing, I ran as soon as I was outside. Adam had pointed out Matt’s house the day before. I didn’t stop until I was at the man’s door, alternating between ringing the bell and pounding on the wooden surface.
The lights turned on inside.
“I’m coming,” Matt yelled.
I could see him running through the window.
He jerked the door open, his gaze sweeping over me, and he swore.
“What happened?”
“They broke in and beat Adam. It’s bad. He’s bleeding, and he’s breathing so shallowly I had to check for a pulse to make sure he’s alive.”
Matt swore again and waved for me to come in.
“I can’t,” I said. “He needs help.”
“And I’m getting it for him. Don’t move.”
He hurried back into the house and turned on a radio.
“It’s Matt. There’s a problem. I need Cassie.”
A voice immediately responded.
“We will send Kerr.”
“Hurry.”
Matt grabbed his jacket and jogged toward me. Instead of heading in the direction of our house, he veered toward the wall.
“We need to let the fey know where to go,” he explained before I could ask. He yelled instructions to the guards then ran with me back to the house.
It was as quiet as it’d been when I’d left, and Adam lay in the same spot.
Matt knelt beside him and lifted the washcloth. Then he leaned down close, his ear near Adam’s nose and mouth.
“Get more of these,” he said, indicating the washcloth as he straightened.
For the next several minutes, Matt asked me questions as we worked. Did I see anyone or anything identifying? Would I recognize their voices? Was there anyone who stood out as overly angry when we’d returned? Nothing I could say helped solve who had attacked us, other than it was clearly in retaliation for the man who’d died because of Adam’s trap.
Matt and I lapsed into silence, and I gently washed away the blood on Adam’s face while Matt cushioned his head with a folded towel.
“Matt?”
The suddenly loud voice made me jump.
“Up here,” Matt answered.
Feet echoed on the stairway, and I looked up as a woman with red hair entered.
