Sacrifice
Finally, her father’s expression shifted, but only for a second. “I’m not at fault here, Hannah. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“No, you never do. Trust me, I get the memo every day.”
“I’m not going to argue this with you. I have a job to do. I did it. End of story.”
“Yes, sir.” She saluted.
He set his jaw, but he didn’t lose his composure. “Until this investigation is over, I don’t want you seeing Michael Merrick anymore. Do you understand?”
“Are you for real?”
“Yes, Hannah, I’m for real. This is a matter of life and death, and as much as I want to share details with you, I can’t. So I’m asking you—begging you—to listen to me. For once.”
“For once. God, you really are an ass**le. Move.” This time she didn’t even wait for a response. She just ducked under his arm and headed for the bathroom.
She fully expected him to grab her arm, but he didn’t. “What does that mean?” he said.
She turned in the bathroom doorway. “It means I listened to you for seventeen years. Every word. You know how many times I didn’t listen to you? Once. And I’ve been paying for it ever since. Guess what, Dad? I’m a grown-up. No matter what you think, I’m a good mother. I’m a good firefighter. And I’m going to be a good paramedic. Michael is not a criminal. He’s doing the best he can, despite people like you making it impossible. If I want to see him, I’m going to see him. And if you don’t like it, that’s just too bad for you.”
With that, she slammed the door and turned on the faucet, glad that the sound of the shower would drown out anything else he had to say.
The nurse had a toothbrush. Toothpaste, too. And a razor and shaving cream. She removed Michael’s IV and examined his stitches, then told him he could take a shower. Adam and Hunter said they’d wait.
Michael turned the water as hot as he could tolerate and stood under the stream for a while.
He still had no idea where to go. Back to Adam’s for the night? And then what?
Guilt tweaked his thoughts. He should have warned Hannah. But what would he have said? A crazy bomber/arsonist took a picture of you and James to threaten me. Watch your back. Oh, and he might have Elemental powers.
Sure. Maybe he’d like another night in the hospital—in the psych ward.
No matter what Michael thought of the fire marshal, he was glad Hannah lived with a man who could provide some protection for her and James.
Unlike you.
He told his conscience to stick it.
The water felt good across his shoulders, but eventually his skin began to prune. He’d need to face reality sooner or later. It might as well be sooner.
The clothes still had tags on them, and Michael added another line to his ongoing mental list. He’d have to pay Adam back when he found his wallet. Everything felt starchy and new, and the shirt was nothing he would have bought for himself, but it all fit. Even the shoes.
When he walked out of the bathroom, he found another visitor waiting in the chairs next to his bed.
“Wow,” said Tyler. “That is one teal shirt.”
“What are you doing here?” Michael threw the bag on the bed. Hunter and Adam didn’t seem fazed by Tyler’s presence, but they didn’t have the history with him that Michael and his brothers did.
If he didn’t know better, he’d say Tyler looked hurt. “Gee, Merrick. Glad to see you made it through okay.” He stood, and Michael realized he had crutches with him. “Guess I’ll leave you alone, then.”
“He came to check on you,” said Adam.
“Said you were trapped under the restaurant together,” added Hunter.
Michael sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He’d been so caught up in the drama with his brothers that he hadn’t even thought to ask if Tyler had survived.
Pretty shitty, especially considering that Tyler had probably kept them all from burning to a crisp.
“Stop,” he said to Tyler. “Wait. I’m sorry.”
Tyler turned, and one crutch squeaked against the floor. “Did you just say you’re sorry?”
“Don’t make me take it back.” He paused and gave Tyler a clear once-over. “I’m glad you didn’t lose your leg or anything.”
“They said I might need surgery. Screw that. I told them to give me the good pain pills and let me get the hell out of here.”
Michael raised his eyebrows. “And they listened?”
“Nah, but Quinn brought me a lighter. My second ultrasound looked amazing. They must have read the first one wrong. The crutches are really just for show. ” Tyler half smiled. “Maybe I should have brought you a bag of sand or something.”
“I’m all right. Nick helped.” Michael swallowed.
Tyler glanced at Hunter and Adam. “Yeah, they told me what happened.” He paused. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” He gave a laugh though nothing was very funny. “I don’t even know where my wallet is, much less—”
“Here,” said Hunter. He pulled a plastic bag from beneath his chair. “The nurse brought this by. She said it was everything you had on you.”
Michael began pulling things free. His jeans: filthy and torn. His shirt: filthy, torn, and bloody. His shoes followed the trend.
But at the bottom of the bag was his wallet—with everything intact, from what he could tell—and his watch. He pocketed the first and slipped the second over his wrist. In the pocket of his jeans he found his keys.
He pocketed those, too. “At least I have access to a vehicle,” he said. Maybe his day was looking up.
Adam and Hunter exchanged glances.
“What?” said Michael. “Jesus. I can’t handle one more thing. What?”
Hunter winced. “The truck isn’t drivable.”
“Define ‘isn’t drivable.’ ”
“Like . . . you can’t drive it.”
“Hunter!”
“You were parked behind the bar,” said Adam. “Hannah said most vehicles took some damage, but the truck had a beam through the cab. They towed it. You can probably—”
“Stop. God. Stop.” Michael ran his hands down his face. His truck. His truck.
No. Not his.
His father’s.
He waited for this news to tighten his chest and bring tears to his eyes, but surprisingly, he felt nothing. Maybe all his emotion had been used up.
“Have you been back to the house?” he said, his voice bleak. “What about the SUV? Is that drivable?”
“They’re not letting anyone on the court,” said Hunter. “Well, not us anyway. We tried, but they’ve got it cordoned off, with an officer standing guard.”
“Great.”
“I have a truck,” said Tyler.
“Good for you,” Michael snapped. “I’m sure you have a place to live, too.”
“Maybe if you’d quit with the shitty attitude I could say, yeah, I do, and yeah, you can stay with me.”
Now they were all staring at him. For the first time, Tyler looked uncomfortable. He shrugged and looked back at the door. “If you need a place. I have a spare bedroom. I’m just saying.”
“Why would you do that?” said Michael.
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
Michael didn’t buy it. “You? Altruistic? Try again.”
“Because it’s what my sister would want me to do.”
That, Michael bought. It had been years since Tyler’s sister had died, but Michael still had clear memories of Emily Morgan. She’d been the first Elemental in town who treated him like a human being instead of someone who needed to be put to death.
“Won’t it piss off your parents?” he asked Tyler.
“You going to call and tell them?”
“No, but I don’t want to wake up chained to the bed and set on fire, either.”
“Look, man, whatever you want to do with your sex life is your business—”
“I’m serious,” said Michael. Tyler and his friends had once trapped Michael in a parking lot. They’d pinned him to the ground with a truck chain and Tyler himself had put a butane lighter against Michael’s face.
It had been years ago, but Michael hadn’t forgotten. Tyler’s sister had rescued him—but that moment had led down the path that had ended with Emily’s death.
Tyler hadn’t forgotten either. He looked at Michael. “I can’t play both sides anymore. I’m either one of you or one of them.” His expression didn’t waver. “I don’t know who blew up the restaurant, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he sent you to a place my parents own. A place where I’d be. Do you?”
Michael hadn’t considered it. He’d been focused on the people he’d been told to bring: his brothers and the police. He hadn’t thought about the people who’d already been there.
“No,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence at all.” He paused. “What if he targets your place?”
Tyler’s expression darkened. “He already tried to get rid of me once.”
“You afraid?”
“Fuck that,” said Tyler. “I dare him to try. What do you say, Merrick?”
Michael looked at him, and realized he could see something in Tyler that couldn’t be said for anyone else in his life. Tyler was an adult. He was a powerful Fire Elemental—possibly more powerful than Gabriel. He owed Michael nothing—and vice versa. Tyler wasn’t an obligation or someone who needed protection.
Tyler was an equal.
Michael smiled, and for the first time in forever, he felt a shadow of genuine emotion behind it. “I say bring it.”
CHAPTER 19
Michael sat at Tyler’s kitchen table and studied the list he’d made. He couldn’t decide if it made him feel better or worse about the state of things.
4) Find out status of truck
5) Find place to live
6) Cancel jobs? Rent truck?
7) Talk to David about custody stuff
8) Talk to David about legal stuff
9) Call insurance. House secure?
10) Repay Adam
He’d taken care of the easiest things first. He wasn’t allowed to talk to his brothers, but as soon as he’d had access to a working phone, he’d called the social worker to find out if they were okay. She’d assured him that they were fine and she would pass on that he’d asked about them.
Her manner had been cool and distant, but Michael couldn’t hate her for it. He’d tried to sound as confident as he could while telling her he’d straighten out their living situation over the next day or so, and he’d be arranging a court date with his attorney as soon as possible.
She’d wished him luck and hung up.
Tyler had let him borrow his truck to run errands, and Michael had taken Nick’s phone to the wireless store to see if he could move everything from his phone to this one. He was half lucky: he could have access to his old number, but his contacts, photos, and messages would all have to wait until he had his old phone back.
But still. Something was better than nothing. He’d been able to text Hannah to tell her what was going on.
She’d promised to call him after her shift.
Clothes had been next, and it had been so long since he’d bought new clothes for himself that he’d had to check the tag of the jeans Adam had bought, just to find his size.
Now he was back at Tyler’s, sitting at the table, staring at his list.
He left a message for his insurance agent.
He left a message for David Forrest.
He thought about leaving a message for the fire marshal, but he didn’t think he should speak to anyone in law enforcement until he spoke with an attorney first. David had made that abundantly clear yesterday.