“Someone did this to you?” Cal asked and Kathryn nodded slowly.
She could barely see him straight as she lay against the couch, looking toward the ceiling. She didn’t even remember anything after Seth picked her up from the Starbucks. When he saw her he damn near panicked but got her in his car in one piece. On the way back, he had called Cal and told him to meet them at his place.
The next thing she knew she was back in Seth’s apartment with Cal sitting beside her. Seth came back in with a wet wash cloth and brushed it against her forehead. They had taken off her clothes and she was down to her underwear but her skin had started to purple from the bruises on her chest, stomach and part of her face.
“Yeah,” she mumbled and recoiled away as Seth pressed the towel against her face. “Fuck Violet.”
“Sorry it hurts. I’m not the one covered in bruises,” he said sharply but when she focused and looked at him she saw the look on his face. She reached toward him absently and her hand hung in the air before dropping.
He caught her hand squeezing it lightly before going back to working at her bruises. Dabbing at them one by one turning the previous light towel dark. “Yeah Cal,” she said answering his question. “Something who looked like us except they weren’t. Orange and I had never seen anyone like them before. And they hit really fucking hard.”
“Yeah no kidding,” Cal said frowning hard and holding her hand lightly. “I didn’t think there were any others like us out there. Unless.”
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Seth asked looking back at him and they nodded together. “This is what Ley warned us about.”
“That’s my guess too.”
“Well at least I got beat up for a good cause right?”
“Shut up Kat,” Cal mumbled. “Just close your eyes and heal.”
“Aren’t you the one who used to tell me about being tough and still over doing it?” Seth whispered as he kissed her forehead lightly.
She turned, giving him a light kiss and laughed despite the pain, “Haha Violet. Biting me in the ass now.” She rolled her head over and tried to get comfortable. “Just wake me up in a few hours.”
It took a moment for her to go but she finally relaxed and slipped into sleep. Seth watched her go and sighed getting off the couch. He walked away toward the opposite side of the room and hit his fist against wall and almost shouted.
“What the fuck is this new shit,” he growled through gritted teeth. “We can’t even wander around the city without risking getting attacked by guys like that?”
“I don’t think it was that simple,” Cal said getting up and putting a hand on Seth’s shoulder. Seth looked at him sharply but took a slow breath and calmed down.
Taking off his glasses he rubbed his eyes, “Keep talking. You want water? Or something strong?”
“Water’s fine,” Cal walked toward the corner of the couch as the faucet turned on. “From what Kathryn said she didn’t get attacked until she powered up to fight the Taq-Law. Meaning I don’t think they know who or where we are. So as long as we keep a low profile we’ll be good.”
Seth nodded turning off bringing two glasses, one clear with water and the other a darker brown with scotch. Cal took the water drinking half of it nodding his thanks. Seth sat on the arm of the couch keeping an eye on Kathryn.
“Something that does have me thinking is that Taq-Law,” Cal said after a few more moments of silence.
“What about em?”
“There was just a random one buried in the subway,” Cal traced the top of the glass. “They didn’t come here until last year. And after we took out the big one we hadn’t seen anymore. So this one has been what? Just been lurking around?”
“Yeah it sounds weird,” Seth sipped his drink slowly. “And why didn’t it wake up any time in the last year?”
“I don’t know,” Cal replied setting the water down and pacing toward the window and staring out at the grey sky. He shivered feeling the outside cold, despite the functioning heat inside. “Going to have a lot of questions for Ley tonight that’s for sure.”
“Oh, I’ll have more than questions,” Leaning his head back he took another sip from the drink and got his phone out swearing to himself.
“What is it?”
“My job. Jeff’s asking me where I am.”
“What’d you tell him?”
“Nothing. Just told him to cover for me.”
That made Cal laughed, “So what? He’s freaking out now?”
“Something like that,” he sighed shoving his phone back into his pocket. “I don’t want to leave her.”
“Go. I’ve been taking care of Kat since long before we met you guys,” he smiled. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t hurt herself while we’re here.”
“Yeah,” he sighed and got up finishing the drink and holding out his hand. Cal handed the glass to him and he set both of them into the sink and shook his head. “Alright. I’ll be back in a few hours. TV works, food in the fridge, just don’t touch anything with purple tape on it.”
“I’ll do my best,” Cal replied nodding and sitting on the other couch.
Seth nodded, grabbing his jacket and put it on his shoulders. Going back over to Kathryn he kissed her head lightly and waved to Cal before heading out. Cal watched him go and could vaguely hear his footsteps outside before looking toward Kathryn. “Alright Kat. Hope you’re good with trash midday TV.”
The Harlequin Library 