Deacon nodded, still not voicing. “He knew how to escape it. He took cover under my SUV, but he caught some shrapnel before he was able to roll under it. He’s bleeding, but it doesn’t look too bad. Kate’s with him and we had two ambulances on standby.”

Faith looked over her shoulder to check on Joshua and, seeing him still searching the toy box, asked, “How did he start a fire?”

Deacon glanced at Michael and sighed. “He threw a Molotov cocktail at the house. Do you know what that is, Michael?”

Michael nodded. “I told you. I watch TV.”

One side of Deacon’s mouth twitched up. “So you did.” He sobered. “He tried to break the front window first by throwing a rock at it.”

Faith’s smile was dark. “I hope it bounced back and hit him in the head.”

“I wish.” Deacon scowled. “He was standing far enough back that he didn’t trigger the floodlights.”

“So he’d been watching the house for a while.” Faith’s signing was less fluid than Deacon’s, but she was understandable, and that was all that was important right now. She looked at Michael. “The windows are made with hurricane glass. They’re all impact resistant. You can’t break them with a rock or even a hammer.”

Michael understood Deacon’s confidence now. “That’s why you knew he couldn’t get in.”

Deacon nodded. “Exactly. The doors are set in three inches of steel and I installed cameras and an alarm system. Just like at our house. Nobody’s coming through that door. But if you stay here, he’ll wait us out. We’re moving you ASAP.”

“Where?”

“To a nice place,” Faith told him. “You’ll like it there. Go ahead and pack up the Xbox and your clothes and I’ll help Joshua gather some toys and his clothes.”

“What about Coach and Dani?” Michael asked, feeling new panic rise.

“They’re going to meet you there,” Deacon promised.

“How is Stone?” Faith asked.

Deacon’s face went grim again. “He’s going to be okay.”

But Michael didn’t need to be able to hear to know that Deacon wasn’t so sure.

Faith exhaled slowly. “Okay. I’ll go to the hospital as soon as we have the boys settled.”

“I think Jeremy and Marcus would appreciate it.” Deacon leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. “Dani had to do chest compressions and Diesel breathed for him.”

Faith closed her eyes. “God.”

Michael sank to the sofa. Chest compressions meant that the guy’s heart had stopped. He’d died. Because of me.

“He’s a tough bastard,” Deacon said. “EMS brought him back with the paddles.”