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I’m glad I had to sit there with him. Because I finally got the chance to tell him off.”
Honestly, now that they’d come to this point, Nick wondered why he hadn’t said something to Tyler years ago.
No, he knew why. Because he’d never met anyone who made him feel like he had a right to what he wanted, not just what everyone else expected.
“Besides,” Nick said. “You were right. People do have different capacities for failure.”
“And triumph,” said Adam. Then he leaned forward and kissed him.
He drew back before too long, but not far. His voice was soft.
“Can you stay?”
Nick wanted nothing more.
But he shook his head. “Michael will have a panic attack if I’m not home soon. Too much is up in the air.”
“Are you in danger?”
“We’re always in danger.”
Adam stroked a finger along Nick’s cheek. “Can danger wait five minutes?”
Nick smiled. “Danger can wait ten.”
Darkness had claimed the sky by the time Nick made it home. Michael was waiting for him in the living room, re -
arranging the furniture to cover a large cut-out portion of carpeting. Nick could hear Chris and Becca and Hunter having a hushed conversation in the kitchen.
“I was about ready to send out a search party,” Michael said.
Nick flung his keys on the side table. The day had been long and terrifying. But now that his family was safe, old worries forced their way back into his head. “I’m fine. They’re fine.”
Michael looked like he was going to start picking, and Nick wanted to head that off at the pass. “What happened to Tyler?”
“He helped make sure the woods were clear, offered to help re-carpet the living room, and then he left.”
Nick scowled. He’d hoped Tyler would be the usual selfish prick he knew him to be. “Wow, that was generous of him.”
“Sometimes,” said Michael, “when a fight has been going on for a long time, it stops being about who’s right and who’s wrong, and it starts being about who can bury the hatchet first.”
Nick was too tired for this. “Thanks, Yoda. Wise words, you say.” He headed for the stairs.
“Hey,” Michael called after him. “I’m not just talking about Tyler.”
Nick didn’t pause. “Caught the subtext, Mike. Really understated.”
Nick expected Michael to say something else, but his older brother moved away from the bottom of the stairs.
When Nick made it to the top, Gabriel was leaning against his bedroom door frame. Waiting.
Nick had known he would be. He’d known it almost since he’d walked through the front door.
His twin looked worn. Tired and drawn. Nick knew the feeling. But Gabriel’s bullet wounds had healed. A good night’s sleep and some sunlight and he’d probably be good as new.
“Hey,” Gabriel said. Hesitant, probably for the first time ever.
Nick was tempted to blow right past him and slam his door in Gabriel’s face. But he stopped. “Hey.”
