“Fine. Pull over.”
Michael didn’t.
Gabriel snorted. “See.”
“Cut the crap. If I let you out, you’ll just get in with Nick.”
Chris almost wished they’d left him with the policemen. When his brothers got going, it was usually better to be somewhere else.
Michael glanced in the rearview mirror. “Care to weigh in?”
Chris kept his mouth shut and shook his head.
Michael turned his head to look at Gabriel. “The worst part is that you dragged Chris into this. It’s bad enough the crap you pull with Nick—”
“He didn’t drag me,” Chris snapped. “I wanted to go.” He hated the way Michael said that, as if Chris came along like a stray dog, coaxed by a piece of meat and a pat on the head.
Didn’t you?
He shoved the thought away. Maybe Gabriel’s plan had been over the top—Chris knew he should have been more suspicious that Nick wasn’t in on it. But Chris didn’t blame Gabriel. He was grateful. Christ, for the first time, he felt like one of his brothers understood him.
“It wasn’t his fault,” Chris said.
Gabriel glanced into the backseat, caught Chris’s eye, and smiled.
Solidarity. Chris smiled back.
“You know I can lose custody, right?” Michael said. “You all start acting like a bunch of delinquents, and they’ll yank the court order so quick—”
“Boo hoo,” said Gabriel. That smile was gone.
Michael glanced over at him. “What were you thinking?” When he didn’t get an answer, he reached over and smacked Gabriel on the back of the head. “Seriously. What the hell were you thinking?”
Gabriel drew back and practically snarled at him. “They beat the crap out of Chris. It’s time for them to remember we can strike back.”
“So wait.” Michael raised his eyebrows, the sarcasm thick. “Getting arrested—that wasn’t part of the plan?”
“Fuck you.”
“Typical.”
Gabriel leaned forward, those headlights catching his eyes and making them gleam. “I shouldn’t have been the one taking him out anyway. Maybe if you gave a shit—”
“Maybe if I gave a shit?” Michael grabbed his arm. “Look, you little—”
Then Gabriel took a swing at him, and the car swerved.
“Hey!” Chris grabbed the handle over the door. They were grappling in the front seat, all barely contained rage.
He unclicked his seat belt and grabbed Gabriel’s arm while Michael grasped the steering wheel again. Chris got an arm around Gabriel’s neck and pinned him to the headrest.
“Lemme go,” Gabriel ground out. “Damn it, Chris, lemme—”
“Chill out.” Now Chris wished Gabriel had ridden in the SUV. Nick was better at countering his twin’s rage. “Both of you. We’re almost home.”
But getting home solved nothing. Gabriel wrenched free and shoved out the door before the truck came to a full stop in the driveway.
“Wait a minute,” Michael called. “Don’t think this is over.” He hustled to get the truck in park and slid out of the cab.