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She put the cards down. “Since last night.”
“Who has James?”
“Mom. Who do you think?”
Michael’s brothers watched this exchange like a game of tennis. Back. Forth. Waiting for something substantial to be said.
But her father was still fixated on James. “Have you talked to her? Is James okay?”
Something in his voice made her frown. “Yeah, he’s fine. Why?”
His expression darkened. “You should be at home. You shouldn’t be here.”
“Have you seen Michael?” said Nick.
The question derailed her father’s anger. His shoulders seemed to sag. “Yes. I’ve seen him. You can go up. He’s in room forty-four-fifteen. He wants to see you.”
They almost knocked the table over in their rush for the elevator.
Her father got in their way and put his hands up. “Family only.”
Layne and Simon drew back to wait with Adam, but Gabriel got in her father’s face. “Fuck that,” he said. “They can all come. We’ve been waiting all day—”
“He’s not alone,” said her father. “For right now, family only.”
That shut them up.
He’s not alone. Her father’s voice was full of foreboding. What did that mean? What had happened?
Hunter stepped back. His face was a little pale. “It’s okay,” he said. “Text me. It’s okay. I can wait.” When they hesitated, he gave Gabriel a shove. “Go!”
They went.
Hannah stood there for a minute, then moved to follow them.
Her father caught her arm. “You need to go home,” he said. Then he looked past her, at the others. “You all need to go home.”
“What’s going on?” said Adam.
Hannah couldn’t figure out the note in her father’s voice, but it wasn’t good. “What happened?” she whispered. “Is he dying?”
“No,” he said. “Physically, he’ll be fine.”
Physically.
She jerked free of his hold. “What happened? What aren’t you saying?” He wasn’t responding, and it took everything she had not to hit him. “What did you do?” she demanded. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything, Hannah.” He sounded tired. Exasperated. Weary. It wasn’t a tone she was used to hearing from him. “There are laws here. Procedures I have to follow. This has nothing to do with me.”
The elevator dinged, and David Forrest walked out. Apparently Layne thought she’d get more information from her father than Hannah had hope of getting from her own, because she rushed forward, full of questions. “Dad? Is he okay? What happened?”
Layne’s father put his arm across her shoulders and squeezed. “He’ll be fine. I’ll tell you on the way home.” He looked at Hunter. “Have you called your mother? I can drive you home.”
Hunter had looked pale a minute ago, but now he looked positively sick. “No. Why do I need to call my mother?”
“Would someone please say what’s going on?” said Adam.
Mr. Forrest glanced at him, then at Hunter. His expression was grave. “Given the events of the past two days, and considering his brothers are under eighteen, the county has stepped in.”
