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"Trying to get the blood flow back to the head that ure out if I’ a felony"

"You’re not How old are you?"

"Twenty-one"

"Four years We could have been in high school together"

That seemed to settle him "So you’re a senior?"

"Junior And what, you’re a junior in college? It’s totally like the sa"

That made him smile

"Is thisan innocent fae--"

"They’re not innocent," Tyler snapped

"Quick, bang your other head against the chair Too hed He put his hands on her waist, aloing to set her on her feet

"Wait," Quinn said, putting her hands over his "Don’t stop it Please"

"Why?"

A genuine question So she gave hienuine answer "Because I like you," she said

His thumbs stroked over her abdoo back to Little League," she said

"What?"

"Or at least theme to slon?"

"Not for my benefit For yours, oldto put her on her feet So she rotated in his hands to sit against hi h that she thought he’d refuse

But then he picked up the guitar, set it across her lap, and started to play

CHAPTER 16

While he slept, Nick forgot about the lunch table argument with his brothers Or rather, his brother Maybe it was Quinn’s drama, maybe it was the peace and quiet of Ada back into his brain until Gabriel opened the bathroo his teeth

Every muscle in his body tensed He wanted to shove Gabriel back out and slam the door in his face

Instead, he spit toothpaste into the sink and wiped hisat hi is up with ht hihed up his hair

"I kno to ood-natured, the kind of thing that would usually h

But Nick twisted free and shoved Gabriel into the wall so hard it rattled the towel rack He pinned him there and forced his voice to stay low "Leave me alone Okay?"

Gabriel stared at hiht back, but he didn’t "Sure, Nick Whatever you want"

Whatever you want Yeah, right

Nick let hi the door shut behind hiht, and he had no idea what expression was on his face, but it ood Chris stood there in the hallway, and when Nick met his eyes, Chris put his hands up and took a step back

Daht rhythm with anyone lately

Nick went into his bedroom and closed the door Hunter was already downstairs, his air e of his bed and put his head in his hands

Part of hiht back, had pushed and needled and forced the truth out of hio back in the bathroom and punch his twin brother

A knock sounded at his door

Nick stared at the six-foot panel of wood and wondered if fate was going to deliver those options on a silver platter

Then the door cracked open, just enough to let his younger brother peek through "It’s Chris" A pause "Can I cohed "Sure"

Chris opened the door, but he didn’t coainst the doorjaet in the ured everything out

"It’s fine," Nick said It wasn’t even seven am and he was already exhausted "What’s up?"

"Are you and Quinn all right?"

Nick let out a frustrated breath "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Because you look like you want to kill so"

"I don’t want to kill anyone"

Except Tyler And maybe Gabriel

Chris came all the way into the room and dropped onto the side of the bed "Becca told ht We’re going to get a pizza, rent a led his eyebrows "Et cetera"

There was a time when Nick would have jus out of his brain And, he admitted to hiirls out together, just because they could But since he and Chris had been dating Quinn and Becca, they’d done the double date thing a few tilad to have a reason to refuse "I can’t I told Mike I would babysit"

Chris smiled "Sucker I knew you’d say yes"

Of course he did Nick always did what his brothers needed

Maybe Chris read his darkening"Well, I said I would ask" He paused and looked at the wall like so there He didn’t say anything for a long time, but the air felt heavy, and Nick waited Chris wasn’t a talker, and when he had soet around to it

When he finally spoke, his voice was low "If so on, you can tell , but--I’ll keep your secret, too"

Nick looked at him He didn’t knohat to say

When Becca’s father had come to town to kill them all, he’d trapped Chris and Nick in a walk-in freezer Nick’s leg had been broken, and he’d barely been able to h to save anyone Michael and Gabriel had rescued them

For the first time, Nick realized that Chris hadn’t been able to save hier, but he sure as hell wasn’t weak

Nick had been quiet too long Chris finally turned away from the wall and met his eyes