I nearly crossed my arms too, but saw I’d look as dumb as he did, all trussed up in his own surly limbs. “I always say it’s all I had left when I rolled out of Abel’s Wave.”

He snorted. “Here comes the sob story.”

“I only share stories with my friends.”

A feral grin flitted across his face. “Glad we got that settled.”

I wondered what friendship meant to a kid like this one. Was that redhead he carried around a friend or an accessory?

He slid his palms down his jaw, flicking water off his fingers. “Anything like a towel around?”

I pointed to one hanging in a locker. It puffed off dust when he snatched it, but he shrugged and wiped himself down. His sleek hoodie seemed to shed the rain. He threw the towel in the sink, like someone else might hang it up for him, and returned to the window. He unlatched the sash and swung it out just enough to fit a hand through the opening. In his palm, a little phone like Daniel’s. He worked it with an agile thumb, then pocketed it and closed the window. He dropped into a chair, stretched out his legs, failing to look relaxed. So young to have lost all his softness and ease. “So, how’d you hook up with old Dan?”

Didn’t want to think about Daniel and what might have happened to him, but he was all we had in common. “I could ask you the same.”

He smirked. “I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

Damned if I’d ask for more, just so he could blow me off again. I plopped down on the couch. “I met him at the Souk. Tried to sell him a book. Now his boat’s tied up at my den.”

“Oh yeah. Unca Joe.” His attention drifted off into the shadows.

I felt on the defensive. “What do you know about it?”

“All I need to know.”

Jeez, he was irritating! But maybe useful? Like, could I needle info out of him? A long shot, but . . . “So, you’re a know-it-all. Maybe you know about the arrows?”

His gaze slid my way under lowered brows. “What arrows?”

“The ones plunked down back there? When those goons were shooting at us?”

“Didn’t see any arrows.”

“C’mon . . . you didn’t?”

He gave a slow shrug, like, she’s off the rails. “Plenty bullets. No arrows.”

I was not, was NOT, imagining things. “Are you sure?”

“I was too busy doing big brother’s bidding, saving your ass.”

“Right. Wait . . .” I sat up like a stick. “What did you say?”

“About saving your ass?”

“About Daniel.”

“About doing his dirty work?”

“No. You said . . . you’re Daniel’s brother?”

“Oh. Yeah. To my eternal pain and misfortune. Yep.”

“His brother.” I dropped back heavily against the couch, arms spread. “Wow.”

“What’s the big deal?”