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What did it say about her life that she got a greeting like that?

"Becca," she said, and suddenly she alh her tears "Becca, I really need to talk to you"

CHAPTER 24

Nick found Gabriel in his bedrooed on his bed, surrounded by textbooks Headphones trailed from his ears, and his pencil tapped in ti to He either didn’t notice Nick standing at the door, or he deliberately wasn’t looking up

Nick wanted to shove hiressive, my ass

Gabriel finally looked up and yanked the headphones free

"So I have to leave you alone, but you get to stand there like a freaky stalker?"

Oh, good New adjectives Nick told his heartbeat to chill out He pushed Gabriel’s door open "I need to talk to you about so"

Gabriel stared at him Nick could read the debate on his face: screith Nick or just play it easy

He ith the latter His pencil dropped into the spine of his trig textbook "Okay Talk"

"If you grabbed someone by the wrist, could you set their skin on fire without anyone knowing you were doing it?"

Gabriel’s eyebroent up "Not exactly what I thought you’d want to talk about"

Nick didn’t have an answer for that He kept his gaze steady and waited

"Look, Nicky" Gabriel hesitated "Whatever I did to piss you off, just--"

"Forget it" Nick was halfway out his door before Gabriel slid off the bed to grab his arm

"Stop," said his twin "I’ll answer your question, all right?"

Nick stopped, but he didn’t look at hiht Nick did resent Gabriel For not figuring it out For not understanding

For ed breath, and it took Nick a second to even re "I don’t know I’d have to try it It would take a lot of control A lot of focus"

"Fine" Nick held out his wrist, the good one "Try it"

"Okay"

Nick braced himself, but Gabriel turned his head "Hey, Chris Co"

Chris came out of his room, took one look at them, and turned around "No way I know that look"

But Gabriel was too quick He rushed around Nick and caught Chris’s door before it latched He forced his way through

And five seconds later, Chris was yelling and punching hiet to the bathroo his wrist "What the fk, Gabriel?"

Then the door sla

Gabriel turned to Nick and smiled "So, yeah I can do it"

Nick didn’t san? No way"

Nick held up his ar his scabs "Way"

His brother’s face darkened "I’e boiled up and he shoved Gabriel Hard "You don’t need to defend me all the time!"

Gabriel fell back a step and put his hands up "Jesus, Nick

Fine! You kill hi the way he expected Nick took a second to get it together "I don’t know if I could I think he lanced behind hio find out?"

Gabriel had an idea already Nick could sense it It would probably be half cocked and downright crazy The kind of plan Nick would usually talk him out of

The kind of plan Nick was expected to talk hietHunter along He was a Fifth, and a powerful one, and they were liter-ally playing with fire

But Nick was already on edge, and he wasn’t sure he could handle the pressure of being with two people on opposite ends of a spectru his secret, one not

So he and Gabriel went out alone

Nick drove Gabriel usually claimed the driver’s seat, but Nick needed to be in control of soo to pieces He’d snatched the keys out from under his brother’s hand in the front hall, ready for Gabriel to protest

But his twin had just shrugged and said, "Fine You drive"

Thick clouds hung overhead, blocking the stars, cloaking the road in darkness The rain had stopped, but those clouds would only need a little push to start duain

Rain could’ve been a safety net Maybe they should have brought Chris

If nothing else, for conversation Gabriel wasn’t saying a word He’d been silent for miles Nick could feel the tension like a vibration in the air,with the cool humidity, as if his brother’s uncertainty created a whole new level of energy

Gabriel aiting for Nick to spill, to pour out his problems the way he usually did Nick was the thinker The talker

The analyzer Gabriel was all about action If Nick presented a problem, Gabriel provided a solution--even if his idea of a solution was a fistfight

Not having a way to solve this proble Gabriel nuts Nick could tell

And a petty, vindictive part of Nick reveled in it

That lasted about twenty seconds Then he felt like crap

He glanced over "Hey What’s your plan?"

"To set him on fire"

"Seriously"