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This sucked.
“What do we need to do?” said Chris.
Michael looked up and sighed—but Chris wasn’t talking to him. He was talking to the fire marshal.
Marshal Faulkner glanced between Michael and his brothers. “Same as before.” He hesitated. “You’ll stay with someone approved for emergency custody for a few days.”
“Fine,” said Nick.
“Fine,” agreed Gabriel. “Let’s go.”
“Not fine,” said Michael. He couldn’t let this happen again. He couldn’t go another night without knowing where his brothers were. Not now, not this soon. “I told you—”
“Wait.” Marshal Faulkner held up a hand. “Would you feel better if you knew where they were?” He looked at each of them again. “If you all agree to behave until your brother has a court date, I can pull some strings.”
Michael hesitated.
“We agree,” said Chris.
“We agree,” said Nick. He punched Gabriel in the arm and got the same response.
“Besides,” said Gabriel. “You can’t be a pain in the ass from jail, so you’d better do this the legal way.”
o;A Fifth,” Irish said. “Not a Guide.”
Too much had happened for Michael to play this any way but aggressively. “Tell me why I shouldn’t shoot you, too.”
Irish took that question at face value. “I’m not like him. I wasn’t here for you.”
“Then who are you here for?”
“Myself.” He paused. “I moved here to get away from all that.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because my father was a Guide. I saw what he had to do. I wanted no part of that.” He paused. “I think your Hunter was the same?”
Your Hunter. Michael had to put a hand over his chest, the ache was so strong and sudden.
Irish reached out, and Michael jumped. He had the gun pointed before he’d finished a breath.
Irish put his hands up. “Take it easy. I’m sorry. You’re hurting—”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Fine,” Irish said equably. “But I’m not your enemy.”
“We’ll see.” After a second, Michael put the gun away.
“There are more of us than you’d think,” Irish said. “The Guides don’t like us much either, for what it’s worth.”
“Why?” said Michael.
Irish shrugged. “Younger generation. New way of thinking.” He paused. “A lot of us think it’s time for a change.”
“Me, too,” said Michael.
“Maybe we can make that happen together,” said Irish. He held out his hand.
