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“True.” Lia shook her head. “Why on earth would he be out here at this time of night? It’s freezing.”
Kaden unhooked his belt. “I’m going to find out.”
Without warning, Lia reached out to grasp his arm. “How?” she demanded. “You can’t just go up there and ask him.”
“Until I know what’s happening, I’ll have to improvise.”
She rolled her eyes. “Because that’s worked so well for us in the past?”
“Sometimes.” Kaden leaned forward, sweeping his gaze over her upturned face. “I have a vivid memory of your improvisation when you discovered the tattoo on my—”
“You can’t risk confronting him,” she sternly interrupted his teasing. “Tate Erickson might act like an idiot, but he’s cunning and selfish and probably armed. If he feels threatened, he’s going to pull the trigger.”
Kaden stilled. She was genuinely worried. A strange warmth spread through him. He’d grown up with parents who didn’t give a damn whether he was safe or not. Only Darren cared.
And now this amazing woman.
He reached out to cup her cheek in his palm. “I’m not going to do anything stupid, I promise.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I wish I believed that.”
“Lia, I know you think I’m impulsive.”
“You are.”
Kaden sighed. He couldn’t argue with that. He did tend to act first and think later. Like packing a bag and heading to California. Or opening a business he knew nothing about. Or rushing to Pike when he heard a skeleton was discovered.
“I can be . . . reckless on occasion.” Kaden didn’t give her a chance to interrupt. “But when it came time for a dangerous stunt, I can assure you that it was meticulously planned to the tiniest detail and I practiced it a hundred times. I have no intention of getting shot. In fact, I don’t intend for Tate to even know I’m here.”
“Good.” She suddenly smiled. “In that case, I’m coming with you.”
Kaden cursed as his attempt to reassure his companion backfired in spectacular fashion. He’d meant to comfort her, not encourage her to put herself in danger. Dammit.
“Lia.”
“You just said Tate wouldn’t even know you were here.”
Before he could continue the argument, Lia was out of the Jeep and headed toward the building. More curses flew from Kaden’s lips as he quickly joined her, not bothering to shut off the engine. He wanted a quick getaway if things went sideways.
And they were bound to go sideways . . .
They reached the front of the building in silence, carefully bypassing the deteriorating porch and rounding the corner. It was only then they could see light spilling from the back window to reflect against the layers of snow. Kaden frowned, briefly confused by the glow. Surely the electricity wasn’t still turned on? The place had been abandoned for years. It wasn’t until the breeze swirled around them that he caught the smell of smoke coming from the chimney.
Whoever was inside had started a fire to combat the frigid temperature.
Lia quickly pressed herself against the side of the building, no doubt aware the light would cause shadows once they got closer. She didn’t hesitate, however, as she continued to inch toward the back window, her face set in lines of grim determination.
Kaden was content to follow behind her. He’d seen enough movies to know the bad guy always snuck around the house to ambush the good guys. He intended to be prepared for any sneak attack. Of course, he’d be a lot more prepared if his feet weren’t freezing and he’d put on his stocking hat, he wryly admitted, relieved when they at last reached the window.
When he returned to Vegas, he was going to spend the next month lying in the sun by his pool. It was going to take that long to thaw out.
Leaning to the side, Lia peered through the grimy panes of glass. Kaden pressed close behind her, using his superior height to see over her head. Not that there seemed to be much to see. It looked the same as it had the last time he’d peeked through the window. An old kitchen that doubled as an apartment, with bunk beds, a desk, and a dresser. The only difference was the fire that blazed in the old-fashioned iron stove, spilling a weird orange glow through the space.
And the man lying in the center of the floor, blood dripping from the hole in his forehead.
“It’s Tate.” Lia breathed in horror. “He’s hurt.”
She took a step forward before Kaden could wrap his arms around her. There was no way either of them was going inside. Everything about this situation screamed of a trap.
