I approach Top-heavy warily while Brennan rifles through Brawler’s pockets. Top-heavy seems out, but I don’t trust it. Maybe because I took him out by accident. Or maybe it’s just always this way, when the adrenalin leaves me.

I kick his foot, but he doesn’t react. Not that he would . . . .

I glance over at Pipe-man, but he’s still clearly out. I guess I gave him quite a blow to the head.

Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.

“Uh . . . ” I hear myself say, as I return to Top-heavy.

“Problem?” Brennan replies instantly. I look up. He has Brawler pressed up against the bonnet, his hand in one pocket.

I watch him for a moment, then shake my head.

“Promise me you’re going to kill that bitch,” he growls at me and returns to his search.

Kill her?

“What, you think she screwed us?” I say. But I’m avoiding. Clearly. Top-heavy isn’t moving himself, and we have to go before we’re discovered. I kick him hard in the knee. He groans, but doesn’t move, or open his eyes.

“What the fuck do you think just happened?”

Fine. Just get over it! He’s out or he isn’t. If he isn’t, you’ll deal.

I kneel down and shift an ankle under each of my arms, and start to drag him. He doesn’t react. And holy shit is he heavy.

Yeah, but at least it’s dead weight. I laugh silently.

I drag him up near Pipe-man and drop him. I jump clear. Just in case.

“I don’t see how this plays as a setup. They clearly wanted her, and they clearly wanted to chase after her when she took off.

“I think she was trying to lead them away from us.”

“Found ‘em!” he exclaims, holding the keys up victoriously. He tosses Brawler down toward the other car. He lands with a wet, squishy thud on top of Declan.

Brennan reaches into his own pocket and tosses me our keys. “Back her out once I’ve got this one clear.”

I nod.

Maybe I should suspect worse of her. She really has been nothing but trouble since Dugan called her name. But I can’t help it. At her age, in her position . . . I might have done all of the same things. And, if it hadn’t been for her distraction, the fight would have been nearly impossible. She broke them up. Even if she didn’t intend it, she saved our asses.

I don’t care what Brennan thinks. She gets a chance to explain, and if I don’t like the explanation, we’ll take her home. We’re wolves, not humans—we don’t play each other this way.

I shift the car into reverse and wait while he backs out Brawler’s car, then back through the space. Top-heavy’s hand moves slowly to his head as I clear the gap.

I pull up past Brennan and get out.

“Park it across the road,” I say as I climb out of the drivers seat. He gets back into Brawler’s car and moves it, then runs over.

“Give me his keys,” I say as he approaches. He tosses them over, and I turn and chuck them as far into the field as I can.

I climb in to the passenger’s seat.

“Let’s go.”