Hannah closed the car door as quietly as she could and eased into the house like she wanted to rob the place.

This is pathetic. You’re pathetic.

She didn’t see her father on the main level, so she quickly loped up the steps, springing silently on the balls of her feet. She could grab some sweats from her dresser and be in the bathroom before he even knew she was home.

Except for the fact that her father was sitting on her bed.

He looked like he’d been up all night, too. The few lines on his face seemed more pronounced, and she could see dark circles under his eyes.

Hannah frowned at him. He hadn’t been in her room in years. “What are you doing?”

“Where were you?” he said.

“I took James to church,” she said.

Something in his expression tightened. “He’s with your mother?”

“Yeah. He’ll ride back with Mom after lunch like they always do. What’s with the look?”

“Where were you earlier?”

She shrugged and began digging through her dresser.

“Hannah.”

She looked at him. “What? I need to take a shower, Dad.”

“I’m not stupid. Did you go back to the hospital?”

“I’m an adult. It’s none of your business. ”

His voice remained level. “I’m not trying to police your behavior. I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, okay. Is this more of your procedures nonsense?” She pulled a jersey T-shirt and cutoff sweats from the bottom of the drawer and went to move past him. I’m not trying to police your behavior. That was rich.

“What are you talking about?”

Hannah glared at him. “How could you report Michael to social services? How could you do that?”

He looked incredulous. “How could I not, Hannah? His brothers are minors. You want me to leave them out on the street? You think that’s better?”

“No, I expect you to show a little compassion. He’s not some stranger. He’s not some deadbeat dad who left a toddler home alone. He just lost his home, and you took his family away.”

Her father’s face didn’t change. “Every time you talk like this, I wonder when you’re going to grow up.”

“If that’s what growing up means, I hope I never do. Does Mom have any idea of what you did?”

“Your mom has nothing to do with this.”

“Sure. Because she would have done the right thing. She would have made them meals, or heck, she would have invited them to stay here. She would have treated them with kindness, instead of acting like Michael is some felon.”

“This is an active investigation, Hannah. People are dead. The FBI is involved. Do you understand that? Do you have any idea what a conflict of interest that would be?”

“Yeah, I do. And somehow I still manage to treat people with common decency. You think you’re so smart that you figured out I was at the hospital all night? Clearly you weren’t concerned enough to head over there and find out for sure. You took his family away and you didn’t even wait to see if he was okay. He was alone, Dad.”

Finally, her father’s expression shifted, but only for a second. “I’m not at fault here, Hannah. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“No, you never do. Trust me, I get the memo every day.”

“I’m not going to argue this with you. I have a job to do. I did it. End of story.”

“Yes, sir.” She saluted.

He set his jaw, but he didn’t lose his composure. “Until this investigation is over, I don’t want you seeing Michael Merrick anymore. Do you understand?”

“Are you for real?”

“Yes, Hannah, I’m for real. This is a matter of life and death, and as much as I want to share details with you, I can’t. So I’m asking you—begging you—to listen to me. For once.”

“For once. God, you really are an ass**le. Move.” This time she didn’t even wait for a response. She just ducked under his arm and headed for the bathroom.

She fully expected him to grab her arm, but he didn’t. “What does that mean?” he said.

She turned in the bathroom doorway. “It means I listened to you for seventeen years. Every word. You know how many times I didn’t listen to you? Once. And I’ve been paying for it ever since. Guess what, Dad? I’m a grown-up. No matter what you think, I’m a good mother. I’m a good firefighter. And I’m going to be a good paramedic. Michael is not a criminal. He’s doing the best he can, despite people like you making it impossible. If I want to see him, I’m going to see him. And if you don’t like it, that’s just too bad for you.”

With that, she slammed the door and turned on the faucet, glad that the sound of the shower would drown out anything else he had to say.

The nurse had a toothbrush. Toothpaste, too. And a razor and shaving cream. She removed Michael’s IV and examined his stitches, then told him he could take a shower. Adam and Hunter said they’d wait.

Michael turned the water as hot as he could tolerate and stood under the stream for a while.

He still had no idea where to go. Back to Adam’s for the night? And then what?

Guilt tweaked his thoughts. He should have warned Hannah. But what would he have said? A crazy bomber/arsonist took a picture of you and James to threaten me. Watch your back. Oh, and he might have Elemental powers.

Sure. Maybe he’d like another night in the hospital—in the psych ward.