Power Trip(8)

Sam looked at Matrix man. “You didn’t mention talent.”

“I didn’t know.” He shook his head slowly. “She touched me, Sam. I am wired beyond belief, and she touched me, touched my skin.”

“Interesting.” Sam and the doctor looked at each other.

“She’s also Jake’s sister.”

The doctor sat back on her heels. “Even more interesting. He’s been holding out on us?”

“Seems so.” He shifted on the sidewalk. “You gonna fix me up or what?”

“You don’t want your little champion here to take you to the hospital and set the bone?” the sparkly doctor asked.

What was wrong with these people? Couldn’t they see his broken arm waving like a crooked white flag? “I’m a geneticist, not an orthopedist. He needs surgery. Are you going to call an ambulance? Otherwise, I’ll just run over to the Lair and use my brother’s phone.” She pointed down the street.

They ignored her.

Sam squatted next to him. “The Doc’s about to do her thing. Want me to distract you?”

He shook his head. “I’m good.”

In spite of her irritation, Audrey was impressed that the doctor didn’t appear squeamish about getting blood on her hand or her dress as she palpated his arm. Audrey dropped down on the sidewalk next to them. “For God’s sake, be careful! There could be shards in there.”

The redhead shook her head. “He’ll be fine.”

“He’s not fine. Any second his body is going to realize something really bad has happened and he’s going to go into deep shock. We need to get him to a hospital. Please.” Why was she begging these people to help their friend? Wasn’t that why they had come?

Matrix man reached up with his good arm and took her hand, pulling her down beside him. She felt the tingle again, and fought the most bizarre urge to press closer to him. “You can call an ambulance if you want, but by the time it gets here, my arm will be good as new. The busy paramedics of Hudson have better things to do with their time.”

As he spoke, the redhead moved. Audrey blanched. She had gotten used to blood and bone and muscle in medical school, but the redhead was manipulating his broken arm, teasing the bone back under the skin into a straight line.

“Stop! You’re going to make it worse. Those muscles are swollen…”

Matrix man held both of her hands in an iron grip. “Give her a minute. I’m sick of sitting on the sidewalk in this shitty neighborhood. Want to go get a drink when she’s done?”

He was hitting on her? Her disbelief must have shown on her face because he smiled, eyes lighting with humor. “We could also skip the niceties and just go back to my place. Are you into kink?”

He was nuts. Tough as hell, but nuts. “Absolutely not. My brother is the only deviant in the family. I’m normal.” She glanced down at his arm and saw that it was straight and the skin was unbroken. It became impossible to breathe.

“No, you’re not. Are you a hypno-talent? Like your brother?”

Her jaw dropped. She shook her head. “No talent at all.”

“Right.” He rubbed his arm, flexed his hand, then used it to push himself to his feet. He held out his hand to help her up and she took it. All three of them stared at her as she stood up and self-consciously tugged her hand out of his grasp.

“Sorry, can’t do anything for your coat.” The doctor gestured at the singed leather.

Matrix man shrugged. “I have several more just like it.” Now that he was back on his feet, he towered over her again. Audrey’s mouth went dry as she tried to swallow. She shook her head to clear it. Peripherally, something gleamed on the sidewalk.

She stepped away from him. Oxygen rushed into her lungs. The gleam was her car keys. She must have flung them out of her purse when the creep grabbed her, thank God. At least she had a way home.

“I’m getting out of here,” she said.

The women smiled. “So are we. You interrupted our date.”

Matrix man bowed. “Sorry about that. Thank you, ladies.”

Sam helped the sparkling doctor to her feet, and then bent to offer her first one shoe, then the other, smiling up at her. The doctor straightened her dress and examined her arms—for blood, Audrey supposed. “You’re welcome, but I don’t want you driving just yet. Use the arm a little before you get on that motorcycle. I don’t want you going ninety on the highway and getting distracted by a stiff elbow.”

He sighed, then leaned down to air kiss her cheek. “Thank you for working your magic, my friend. I’m sorry I interrupted your date.” He tugged a pair of leather gloves out of his coat pocket and pulled one over his right hand before he held it out to Sam. When she shook it, he pulled her in for a not-quite kiss too.