Page 114 of Born for Starlight

I touched his cheek. “I’m sure. You did good, Matthew. You saved her. Now stop talking. Save your strength.”

“S’kay.”

He closed his eyes.

I turned to Simon. “Has someone called for an ambulance?”

“The authorities are coming. Layla had Beto call the sisters at Casa Semente. They’ll be here for the girls.”

I felt myself slump against Jase. “Graças a Deus.”

“What?” Simon asked.

“She just said thank God in Portuguese,” Jase explained.

Huh, I guess I did.

Chapter Thirty-Six

I looked up at the crucifix and said a prayer.

“He’s going to be okay, Angel. He’s strong.”

I turned and gave Jase the best smile I could, which was sad. I was the only one sitting, all of the men in the waiting room were standing. I didn’t feel overwhelmed. It was funny, somehow I felt protected. Dantas was new, Billy and Simon were Jasper Creek, and then there were my brothers, Jase and Bruno.

“He’s been in surgery for three hours.”

“According to Ana, there was a lot of muscle and ligaments involved,” Dantas spoke up.

“Ana?”

“Remember, the nurse⁠—”

I nodded tiredly. I remembered, the one who had information on Luzia. Luzia who I had left in the arms of Sister Beatriz. I was still amazed at how fast the sisters of Casa Semente had arrived. Bruno said that was Layla’s doing. She had told him to call them.

I frowned. She had been talking to him a lot.

Damn, like that mattered. What mattered is that Luzia was being taken care of, and that Matthew was in a good hospital.

“Are you sure that nobody is going to arrest Matthew or anything?” I asked Dantas for the second time. It was Simon who answered. “Matthew is still just your bodyguard, not part of the private security team that found out about the auction during your visit. The security team kept things under control until Dantas and the Policia Federal could take over.”

“His name?” I asked.

“We’ve checked him in under the name Rios, just to be sure that the Grainger name doesn’t float up,” Dantas answered.

“Won’t his cover be blown?” I asked.

“The only people who saw him in that room are in cells tonight,” Billy said.

I was so tired, but I needed to know things. I had to know. “What about the school, please tell me they’re shutting that down.”

“Child Welfare has taken over with my people. We’re ensuring that these Child Welfare people are clean. Nothing has been decided yet, except to get rid of the current staff. Even if they weren’t involved, they looked the other way.”

“And you’re sure that the girls who were part of the auc⁠—”

“Sister Beatriz is acting like a mother hen,” Dantas said.

“She has them all gathered together and Layla has found them a safe house to stay at,” Bruno explained.