Archer glanced at his partner who gave him a slight nod in return. “Okay,” Archer said. “We can work with that.”
Aaron wrapped his arms around his body as a cold shiver ran through him. “So now what?”
Pulling out a folder from his bag, Archer then spread the contents over the coffee table. “Now, we plan.”
“I DON’T understand.” Aaron pointed at the photos spread out over the table. He’d been listening to the two detectives talk for the last hour. “If you already know so much about Smith, or Daryl White, whatever, why do you need me?” The photos showed Smith/White and his bodyguards walking into one of the clubs Smith owned. The same bodyguards that accompanied him to the fights. Aaron recognised them all.
Archer glanced up at him, eyes shining with excitement. He’d been far more animated once Aaron had agreed to fight, eager to explain what they wanted to happen. “These guys.” He tapped a finger on one of the photos. “Are legally employed by White, and he takes them everywhere. That information’s easy enough to find out. We know he runs illegal fights and gambling, but we have no proof—nothing that we could use in court, anyway.”
“And the murders? Why do you think he’s involved with them?”
Archer looked at him like he was stupid. “Well, for starters, there’s everything you’ve told us about the last victim. And White has some connection—albeit tenuous with one of them—to the other victims. I know in my gut that he’s involved somehow. And at this stage, I believe he’s the key to finding out who the shifter is.”
“Your gut? So it’s instinct that’s telling you to investigate him further?” Out of all the things the two detectives had told them so far, this was the one that resonated with Aaron the most.
“Is that a problem?” Archer asked, eyebrows raised in challenge.
Aaron smiled, a big genuine smile, the first one he’d managed for a while. “Nope. Not at all.” He gestured to the other members of his pack. “We all understand instinct.”
Archer huffed out a laugh, and even Coldwell’s lips twitched. “I guess you do.” His expression softened for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough for Aaron to want to see more.
“So, as far as Thursday night goes…” Archer looked at Harry. “Do Smith and his men know that you’re a shifter?”
“Um…” Harry frowned. “I’m pretty sure they do, yeah. Rob had to tell them who he was bringing, and I think he had to declare if he was bringing a shifter or not. They don’t like surprises.”
“Right, in that case, it won’t come as a shock to them if you turn up on Thursday night with backup. Unless they specifically told you not to?”
“No, they didn’t. They just said they’d get the money from Rob if I don’t show. And I’m guessing they wouldn’t be asking him nicely.” Harry bit his lip at Archer’s expression, and Aaron sensed the despair in his friend.
“I wouldn’t have thought so, no.” Archer hesitated, then asked, “Do they have contact details for you or Rob?”
“They have Rob’s. He had to give it to become a member. But they only have my first name. And now my phone number.”
They’d have no trouble finding Rob if Harry was a no-show. Aaron knew Rob well enough. He was a nice guy, but Aaron had gone off him a bit for getting Harry involved with all of this. Not that Harry hadn’t made his own choices, but still.
That said, Rob wouldn’t be any match for Smith’s bodyguards, and the thought of them going after him set Aaron’s teeth on edge.
“Okay, so I’d suggest you take Isaac with you on Thursday.” Archer turned to Aaron as though sensing he was about to object. “You can’t go for obvious reasons.” He gestured to Isaac. “But they won’t know you. Especially if you wear a hat and hang back a little. Just let them know what you are, enough to ensure they don’t try anything.”
Sam frowned. “The people Harry’ll be meeting. How likely is it that they’ll have guns?”
“If they know that Harry’s a shifter, I’d say with one hundred per cent certainty that they’ll be armed.”
“Fuck.” Sam’s sigh was loud in the suddenly quiet room. “I don’t like it.”
“I know it sounds dangerous on paper, but they’re not going to do anything to Harry if he pays on time. Especially not for the sake of a couple of hundred quid.”
“You can’t know that for sure.”
“No,” Archer conceded. “That’s true. But Harry’s a source of income for them. If he’s borrowed money once, odds are he’ll do it again, and as long as he pays up each time, then he’s a cash cow. They’re not going to jeopardise that.”
Sam didn’t seem all that convinced, but Aaron thought Archer made a good point. That was how people like Smith made their money, wasn’t it? Letting people borrow money when they were caught up in the excitement of gambling and then charge extortionate amounts of interest. As long as they paid, they were fine. “Makes sense to me,” he said when the silence stretched too long for his liking. “And if things look to be going wrong, then Harry’s quick enough to get out of there before they have chance to get their guns out.”
Isaac flexed his hands, claws out. “I was thinking they’d be dead before they had chance to shoot at us.”
“You’re going to go with him then?” Aaron asked, feeling better already at the prospect of Isaac agreeing to go.
“Yeah, of course.” He said it as though there was never any doubt in his mind. “Even if you weren’t part of my unit now, I wouldn’t let Harry go alone.” Glancing at the detectives, he added, “And I’m assuming the fewer people who know about this, the better?”
