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That sa around his apartment now

What would he do, now that she knew? It seeh of a reason to put her out Quinn pulled on the T-shirt and a pair of lace panties, then slapped a coy smile on her face and strolled out the door

It sounded like all the air left Tyler’s lungs at once Quinn kept walking, picked up a copy of Maxiestively against the cushions

She flipped open to the middle and didn’t look at hi to head south

But then her sweatpants hit her in the chest, landing on the lanced at him "You don’t really want me to"

He came and sat in the chair in front of her He kept his eyes level with hers "If I hadn’t just watched your ht I wouldn’t want you to I don’t knohat you think you’re doing, but I’ to play Put sohed "Fine The hell with it Sit around half naked"

She pushed the azine and the pants to the side and crawled into the chair with hiht before

Tonight, however, his jaas set, and he didn’ther chest against his, he caught her waist, holding her at a slight distance

"What do you think?" he said "That if you don’t sleep withto put you out on the street?"

Well, that was honest Anger flared, and Quinn started to clihtened on her waist She struggled, but he held fast "Why is it that you get to screith nant?"

Honestly, because arguing was easier than thinking

"Let o," she said

"No way Not until you tellaround in that head of yours"

She o or I’ll tell Nick and his brothers what you can do"

Well, that broke his control His face turned furious and he shoved her onto the couch roughly, leaving her there and storerator door opened with a creak, and he slah to make the contents rattle

"You don’t knohat the fk you’re talking about," he snapped, using an opener to jerk the cap off a bottle of beer

"Don’t you get it? This isn’t a ga ho for so"

"I’!" he yelled "I never hurt anyone with this! They did"

Quinn sucked back into the couch, holding her breath His anger was frightening, reht behind the 7-Eleven, when he’d burned her ar "I riskto turn it around and threaten?

That what I did was enough to earn a bullet to the head?" He took a long drink and slammed his beer onto the counter "God damn it"

Quinn wished she could ed her knees to her chest and wished she’d put the pants on She felt too exposed Too vulnerable

She was ready for hi her or physically shove her out the door But he just stood there and took another long drink

After a gressive "Nice job, getting the conversation off of you" He paused, and his expression turned resigned "Tell the Merricks whatever you want I knohat I did--what I a shallow, scared to move

As usual with Tyler, she wasn’t sure whether he was a good guy or a bad guy He’d helped her-- to do--tell Nick about Tyler’s secret so these mysterious killers could killher life?

But he was sitting here judging the Merricks for soled with hi so you hated about yourself?

I never hurt anyone with this

Did he really believe that? He’d burned her arm He’d brutal-ized the Merricks--she knew that froone after Becca more than once

Or did he think that was okay because his sister had died?

That because he hadn’t killed anyone, he soot a free pass?

Quinn pulled the sweatpants up her legs and walked into the kitchen

"I’ll keep your secret," she said quietly "You were right I was angry--I didn’t want--I don’t--"

Then her er and violence overtook her, and Quinn started crying

Tyler folded her into his arht"

She laughed through her tears, sniffling against his shoulder

"Tell me about it" She hesitated "Do you really think there’s a Guide in town?"

He took a long breath "There have been a lot of fires I’d be more surprised if there’s not a Guide in town"

"And they’d kill you for saving me?"

"I don’t know I don’t know" He paused "Did Merrick ever tell you what really happened at that carnival last week?"

She nodded against his chest "So the Guides here She wanted to start a war"

Tyler drew back to look at her "Calla Dean? I don’t know her Her fainal deal with the Merricks"

Quinn swiped reht not ever know her She disappeared after the carnival Nick said they don’t know if she was killed or if she ran But there haven’t been any further arson attacks, so"