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“He’s very different… from other people,” Nalla prompted.
Rahvyn nodded gravely. “Yes, he is, and that alienates him. But everybody needs support and—”
A soft chiming sound brought both their heads around to the monitoring screen mounted by the microwave.
“Looks like we have company,” Rahvyn said with a sudden smile. “Yourmahmen, how great.”
As the female headed out to open the front door and do the greeting thing, Nalla closed her eyes and let her head fall back.
But come on, she couldn’t avoid her parents forever.
Out at his crappy log cabin, Nate closed the door and leaned against the rough planks, his arms crossed over his chest. As he opened his mouth to speak—
He didn’t have a chance to say anything.
“You’ve got to cut the shit downtown.” Murhder’s eyes were as direct as a slap in the face. “You can’t be pulling the crap you do, expecting other people to clean up after…”
As his father continued speaking from that worn-out armchair by the dead fireplace, Nate knew that responses from him weren’t required. Then again, it was all things that had been said before, none of the condemnations wrong, all of the conclusions correct, each sentence punctuated with the same frustration with which it was received.
Hehadgone off the chain with the shit he’d pulled on Market. Hehadbeen an asshole the last decade or three. And…?
“So what do you have to say for yourself?”
You fucking asshole, Nate tacked on for his father.
And well, he was surprised that there wasn’t anyhing about Nalla and the slayer in that alley.
“Nothing? That’s what I figured.” Murhder shook his head and got to his feet. “So I’ll stop wasting my time. You’re off rotation—”
“Oh, fuck that.” Nate uncoiled himself as well. “That’s—”
“The only responsible thing to do.”
“—ridiculous. There arelessersall over the city. The Brotherhood is stretched thin. You can’t spare me.”
“We can’taffordyou. Do you have any idea how many hours Vishous and his team wasted last night, striking footage from those municipal cameras on Market? But worse, did you not consider, for even a second, the danger you put Shuli in?”
Nate started pacing around, making a circle of the mostly vacant room. Certainly the old sofa and that one armchair didn’t get in his way much, and in his current mood, it was a good thing all his stuff was on the lower level. He was feeling like throwing things, mostly because he knew the Brothers were right to remove him from the schedule.
He was out of control.
“Okay, fine,” he said as he forced himself to calm the fuck down and face his father. “When do I get back on.”
Murhder’s upper lip twitched like his fangs were descending. “You don’t.”
With brows popping, he leaned forward on his hips. “Excuse me?”
“You’re out.”
“You can’t be fucking serious. Over one car accident.”
“That’s not the first time you’ve done something stupid, and you know it—”
“I want to talk to Tohr.”
“He’s not interested in talking to you. And the only reason this termination hasn’t happened sooner is because I went to bat for you in the past. I’m not doing it anymore. I’m done.”
As his father headed for the door, Nate stepped into his path. “Hold up, we need to talk about this—”
