Great, now he chose to show up. I shot him a look, but it didn’t stop my brother from running his mouth.

“Cam stepped right between them, even with that gun pointed straight at his chest.” Xander beamed like a proud parent.

Hell. I was in Hell. And knowing Hope, she’d see straight through me.

“You stepped… He had a…” Hope blinked quickly and then spun back toward the living room as Dad stepped into the hallway. “You aimed a gun at my daughter?”

“Claws are out,” Xander murmured.

“Because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut,” I retorted.

“Like the whole town won’t know by morning,” he scoffed.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Dad shouted, jabbing his finger in my direction.

“You aimed a gun at my Willow?” Hope repeated, getting right up in Dad’s face.

“I didn’t know it was Willow, and you have my most sincere apology,” he told her quietly, then focused his venom right back on me, as usual. “Explain yourself.”

“Dad, it’s Camden. Remember? He was up at the ravine with us earlier. He’s home now,” Xander said slowly, as if he were talking to a child…or a man who couldn’t remember who he was 50 percent of the time.

“I know who the hell he is, Alexander. Why are you in my home, Camden?”

Hope gasped and stepped back.

“I’m here to help you,” I told him in the calmest voice possible, gathering every emotion in my body and shoving them in a box, just like I did on missions.

“You? The boy who vowed never to darken my doorstep again? The boy who burned down the bunkhouse in a fit of boredom? The boy who’s been here once in the last ten years, and only to bury his brother? You’re here to help?”

The boy I’d been would have cried.

The teenager I’d grown out of would have cursed at him and walked away.

The man I was now stood there and took it because I was finally strong enough to.

“Dad!” Xander snapped, stepping forward. “Stop it! You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying. He’s the reason Sullivan isn’t here. He’s the reason your daughter”—he looked at Hope—“buried the love of her life when she was nineteen. He’s the reason everything goes to shit.”

“Art, you know that’s not true,” Hope said quietly.

“He gave the order that killed Sullivan.”

My breath caught as Dad’s ice-blue eyes met mine. I couldn’t deny it. Not when it was the truth.

“I didn’t know—” I started.

“You got him killed! You’re not sleeping under my roof. You’re not welcome here. Get out.”

My stomach turned to lead and plummeted to the floor.

“Dad! No!” Xander shouted.