“And I was lucky to wiggle out that easy. I ever tell you how much I despise Nevada’s jackass senator? The minute he heard there were Hunters on the hook he came sniffing for a deal. Only time he’s worried about a budget is when it comes to screwing over Hunters. Cutthroat rat bastard. I think we dodged a bullet. Lucky for us the casino management is dead set on Ick-mip being a success, which would be tough with two dozen of the attendees in jail.”

“I appreciate you getting us out.”

Earl snorted. “I didn’t spring you out of the goodness of my heart, Z. Don’t think I did this because we’re related now, either. I figure, pretty as Julie is, she could find a replacement husband in a couple days. Week tops.”

Sometimes it could be difficult to have the toughest Hunter of all time as your great-grandfather-in-law, but I had helped fight a demon inside his brain once, so we’d bonded. “I love you too, Earl.”

“Smartass.” Earl looked toward the main hall. The rest of us were being brought out, and Earl nodded at VanZant when he arrived. “Hell, if I wasn’t so worried about maybe needing y’all on short notice and hamstringing a quarter of my teams, I would’ve been happy to let the system take its time, and we’d just post bail when they eventually got around to it. But I got word Paranormal Tactical was trying to cut their own deal, with my clients, and that I will not tolerate.”

VanZant came over. “Admit it, old man. You’re just mad because we had a fistfight and nobody invited you. I seem to remember a time that me, you, and Sam remodeled a bar in Wyoming.”

“First time I’d ever beaten a man with a taxidermied moose head.” Earl had known VanZant for a long time and finally cracked a smile. “All right, you got me there.” The two very experienced Hunters shook hands. “Where’s your boy? The one that, from what I heard, started this mess.” Green came around from behind his team lead, bruised, haggard, nauseous, and seeming rather deflated. “You, I ain’t done with…And you’d damn well better not throw up in the rental van.”

Eventually, everyone that hadn’t been taken to the hospital was present. Holly had also managed to avoid being arrested, which wasn’t particularly shocking. “I think I chipped a tooth,” Lee complained as he felt around inside his mouth with his tongue. “Heh. Worth it, though.”

“That was awesome when you put that guy into the chocolate fountain,” Trip told him. “Bet that burned.”

“Not as awesome as when you body-slammed that one dude.” Lee and Trip fist bumped.