Page 105 of In Hiding

Wilson stood. “I hear they call you the Great Dane?”

He wanted to roll his eyes. “I’m Danish, yes. Am I great?” He winked. “That’s up for debate.”

“And this hair style?”

Erik thought about his hair. It was a hark back to the Vikings of old his grandfather described when Erik was a boy. “It served its purpose.”

“Is it staying?” Wilson looked unimpressed by the thought and rounded the desk to stand over him. “Do you plan on staying in my town?”

My town.

All the humor disappeared, and the air grew thick. Of anything the cop wanted to know, that was the crux of it. His numerous and unexpected visits to the dealership to check how Erik was settling in were little more than a ruse. All along he’d been judging Erik, weighing up the potential he posed for trouble, but the gloves were off now, and the truth was laid bare.

“Honestly?”

The cop nodded.

“I don’t know. The only reason I’m here is my family, but they’re safe now. I’m not needed.”

“Think again.” A hand settled on his shoulder. “And McCafferty?”

“Is somewhat of a mentor.”

“But you owe him?”

If he did, that was between he and the legend. “I understand if you want me gone. Truth be told, my future is up in the air.”

Unexpectedly, the cop smiled. “Then, stay.” He patted his shoulder. “Let’s go see if your nephew is finished.”

William waited in the silent reception area with Detective Ray Wells. The kid’s bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes and hot cheeks brought him to a halt. Blood still smudged the sleeve of his shirt where Ryan’s blade made contact. The paramedic had slapped a bandage over the superficial wound but Erik wanted a doctor to give it the once over.

Overall, William looked ready to fall in a heap. Maybe Wilson was onto something. The fear and uncertainty were unmissable as he looked up at Erik.

A much younger image of the kid flashed through his memory. It had been not long after Sarah and Ryan married, when William met him for the first time. He’d been a shy little thing. Meek and mild, he jumped at the smallest noise. It took Erik weeks to coax him out of his shell and it struck him how much the kid had needed a friend.

Now was no different.

He strode forward and tugged William into his arms. He expected a fight. Instead, his nephew clung to him like young koala to its mother. Erik glanced over his shoulder to see the cop nod at him. Your nephew needs you. He smiled and accepted that whether he wanted to or not, he had to stay.

“Can we go and see Jake?”

Erik smoothed a hand over his hair and nodded when the kid looked up at him. The hopefulness in William’s eyes was encouraging. He turned the boy around and nudged him toward the doors as a figure emerged from the dark to meet them.

McCafferty.

The glass doors slid open and they exited the building. Cold air chilled him as Damien greeted them. Tiny snowflakes swirled on the breeze in the light of the streetlamp. The three of them walked toward the enormous black SUV Damien drove.

“Any word?”

Damien shook his head as he opened the rear door for William. He waited until the boy was safely inside before closing the door. “He’ll be fine. My daughter will save him, like she saved your sister.”

William had told him the story of Sarah’s fall, though she had tried to shrug off the severity of it. It was yet another trauma they’d suffered and survived. Was it another reason for him to stay? The thought he’d almost lost his sister—again—rattled through him. He’d missed the last six years of their lives and it left a hole in his heart but without the threat of Ryan, would they need him?

“Have your men located the body?”

Damien nodded. “He is dead.” If there were any lingering doubts, they vanished. “She’s safe. William’s safe.” He smiled. “And so are you. Hop in.”

Erik climbed in, thankful for the warmth of the interior. He watched snowflakes land, then melt, on the windshield. The way they floated down from out of the darkness was strangely mesmerizing.

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