“He didn’t know,” she whispered.

“Why not? Too busy with another guy?”

She flinched. It was just a little too close to the truth. “Just because Nick didn’t know about my brother doesn’t mean he should be killed.”

“If a lion escapes from the zoo, do you think they should let it run loose, or do you think they should shoot it before it hurts someone?”

“They can shoot a lion with a tranquilizer dart.”

Tyler circled the table, leaning down over her. His voice was intense, but his words were soft. “Or that could piss it off so it causes more damage.”

Her eyes flicked to his lips. She had no idea why he was sexier while he was arguing, but there it was.

“In fact,” he said, “I have a theory.”

“What’s that?” she said.

“If a Guide comes to town to kill them, he’s going to have to be good. Really good. He’s going to have to figure out a way to take them all out at once.”

Quinn swallowed. She didn’t like that he sounded happy about that. He was so hard to classify in her brain: protecting her, kissing her, defending her.

All while wanting her friends dead.

“Why?” she whispered.

Tyler smiled. “Otherwise, he’ll learn what I learned. You just have to mess with one to piss the rest off.”

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15

Nick didn’t make it home until one a.m. He expected to find the house dark and quiet, but Michael was half asleep on the couch, some late-night news program throwing light against the back wall.

He’d hoped to sneak up to his bedroom unnoticed, but Michael sat up and rubbed his eyes when Nick slid the deadbolt on the front door.

“It’s late,” he said quietly.

“Sorry,” Nick said, wondering if he was going to catch any crap about coming home after midnight every night this week.

“How’s Quinn?” Michael said.

Nick shrugged, feeling like the question was a trap. “She’s all right.”

“You okay? You look a little scattered.”

“Just tired. You know.”

“Anything going on?”

Nick’s heart kicked into triple time from all the questions. Michael wasn’t one for small talk. “No. Why?”

Michael picked up the remote and turned off the TV. “What did you do tonight?”

This was starting to look like a round of Let’s Talk, and Nick really didn’t want to play.

He shrugged again. “Nothing really.”

I pissed off Quinn, and probably chased her into the arms of a psychopath.

Yeah, Tyler. Remember him? He used to make our lives hell.

Oh, and I made out with another guy. It’s a miracle our clothes stayed on.

He suspected the latter half was Adam trying not to push him further than he was ready to go. Amazing and excruciating, all slow hands and fierce kissing, broken only when Nick would hesitate. Adam never pushed.