Page 58 of Sinner's Sacrifice

“A few things. I have a team of three looking through the footage, and there’s a lot. They’ve only been at it for just over two weeks. I have a few names and faces you might want to look into.”

“When were you planning on telling me?”

“I was going to have Baz tell you and stay out of it myself, but...” He looked at Sam with a rueful smile. “Things changed.”

“Does your team need help?” Nika asked.

“Not at this time. You could set up your own team of people to do the same with the footage from cameras the city has access to.”

“That’s not a bad idea. We could share creeper lists.” Nika glanced at Davis and Williams. “I want you two to pull the missing persons list for the last three months, specifically, people between the ages of fourteen and thirty-five. Men and women. Our human traffickers like them young.”

“You want us to see if we can find them on footage?” Williams asked. “That could take months.”

“Not if you looked at when and where they were last seen and started with the cameras near that location.” Nika shifted her attention to Sam. “I’d like you to write your statement while I book the creep for attempted murder.”

Sam breathed out heavily. “Thank you.”

Davis and Williams left the room as Nika handed Sam some papers and a pen. She nodded at Yvgeny then turned to Baz.

She leaned down to whisper something in his ear.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said, not bothering to whisper.

Nika sighed. “Baz, I’m not going anywhere, and no one is going to get into the precinct to kidnap me.”

He opened his mouth, but she put her hand over it. “No. I can’t have you following me around when I’m working.”

Yvgeny saw the look on his cousin’s face and recognized the hard glare for what it was. A big fat no.

“Nika,” Yvgeny said in his cajoling tone. “You can’t just tell him to go away. Look at him.” Yvgeny extended a hand and waved it in Baz’s direction. “He needs a purpose. A mission.”

She closed her mouth and removed her hand from Baz’s face. “Is this like that last shift I worked at the diner?”

“Kind of,” Baz said, one side of his mouth lifting upward. “Sorry. I keep seeing you in that dingy bedroom in that condemned apartment building.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Sorry.”

Nika leaned down and kissed Baz. It went on long enough that she straddled his lap so she could get closer.

Yvgeny cleared his throat. Loudly.

Nika pulled away and gave Yvgeny a glare. She backed away from Baz, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at Sam. “The other victim. Where is she?”

“She’s getting some IV antibiotics,” Sam answered. She hesitated, then rushed on. “She’s at a free clinic, but I don’t know how long they’ll keep her.”

Nika turned to Baz. “Please go and find out how she’s doing, when she might be well enough to come in and give her statement.” She turned to Yvgeny. “You’re giving her a place to live? Right away?”

“Yes. I won’t require her to start working until Samantha clears her.”

Next to him, Sam jerked. “Me? I’m the onsite paramedic, not a doctor.”

Yvgeny looked at her. “I think you’re the only one she’d trust to make that determination.” He thought that would make her happy, but her mouth tightened until her lips were white.

Now what had he done to make her angry?

“What’s the address?” Baz asked.

Yvgeny had to force himself to look away from Sam’s face. “What?”

Sam huffed and gave Baz the address, then added, “But you shouldn’t go alone. She won’t believe you’re who you say you are unless I’m there to vouch for you.”

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