Page 55 of Healing Warriors

I moved in to hit him again but was startled when his cry turned into cackles.

The guy had officially lost it.

But then I heard it too—faint yelling and shouting was coming from the rooms beyond the offices. The cops were here and Detraux knew they’d be his salvation, just as they had been for the two men who had chased Aria.

I realized I had no more time to toy with the man. I needed answers.

“Where are they?” I growled, my fists at the ready.

Detraux looked at me with a blank expression, blood leaking from his nose and mouth.

“Where are they?” I demanded again. This time my leg collided with his shin with a resounding crack.

“Ahhh!” Detraux screamed as he dropped to the ground.

“Next time it will be worse,” I said through my teeth. I had seconds more with him at most. “Tell me!”

“The briefcase has all the information you need,” Detraux said as he held his leg. “Oh, but you let that get away, didn’t you? Was I worth it?” He leered at me triumphantly, letting go of his leg as if the pain was gone even though I knew that couldn’t be the case.

This man was a psychopath.

But I needed more answers and I had one more chance to make him talk. I kicked out at his clavicle, knowing the intense agony that would cause. He’d be nearly delirious with pain by now.

He shrieked again but then began to laugh. He had to feel no pain. That was the only explanation. But I had to keep trying.

“Where are they?” I demanded.

“You may find some of them, but you’ll never save them all,” he sang instead of answering my question.

I fought the urge to wrap my hands around his throat and forcibly keep him from saying these things. We had to find the women.

“Make sure you find the children. They’ll be the first to go if you leave them for too long,” Detraux continued in his sing-song voice.

I saw red. My thoughts were literally murderous as I hurtled toward the vile creature.

“Shai!” Colt’s voice somehow penetrated my unadulterated rage.

“Shai!” he said again, closer now. I could feel it.

I looked down at my red-stained knuckles and realized I’d started punching Detraux, his face now bloodier than it had ever been.

Colt had saved his sorry life.

“We’re arresting him,” Colt promised. A uniformed officer arrived with handcuffs, slamming them on Detraux’s wrists.

“The briefcase,” I said, suddenly feeling the effect of all the fighting. I leaned shakily against the wall behind me but Colt didn’t let that last.

He nodded at the other officers in the small hall and they began to gather up the unconscious thugs as Colt tentatively put an arm around my waist.

When I didn’t resist, he leaned my body on his and led me down the hall.

“We got it,” Colt assured me. “We were coming in just as the guy was escaping. He’s in custody along with the briefcase.”

It couldn’t be true. We’d gotten both Detraux and the evidence?

“I need to see it,” I said.

Colt nodded as if he’d anticipated just that and led me into an office where a few officers stood with Aria and Ella. A brown briefcase just like the one Detraux had been holding was on the table.

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