From the hall came a sharp crash—a vase shattering. Aiden, too nervous to wait in the car, had wandered in and accidentally bumped it.
Victor stepped out and spotted the boy.
“And who’s this kid?” he asked.
“He’s the one who saw her,” Nathan answered. “He’s the reason I found any of this.”
Victor’s gaze locked onto Aiden with a cold, calculating interest the boy recognized right away. It was the look he’d seen in dangerous men in bad neighborhoods—the look someone got when they spotted something they wanted.
Victor exhaled and set the newspaper aside.
“All right,” he said quietly. “I’ll tell you something. But not here. Come tonight. The old shed by the river. The place I used to meet Darden.”
Nathan narrowed his eyes.
“And why would I trust you now?”
“Because if you don’t show up tonight,” Victor said, “tomorrow might be too late. For you. And for her.”
The night air was like a knife as Nathan’s car made its way toward the rusted shed by the river. Aiden sat in the back, arms around Ranger, who kept low growling at the darkness beyond the window.
“Are you sure we should come?” Aiden whispered.