“It’s exactly your head that they were aiming for.”

“How do you work that out?”

I glare at him. “Maybe because they yelled out that’s him and shot at you.”

“They were shooting at you.”

“Then why were you the one almost hit? Also, hate to break it to you, but I wasn’t even outside when it all went down. I only came out to help you.”

“Bullshit. I was helping you.”

“No.”

“You stepped outside. Then they yelled out. Then they shot at you.”

“That’s not what happened.”

Perry finally loses some of his bluster, and he sinks into the chair beside my desk. “Are you sure?”

“Very. Unfortunately, I have experience in these situations.” I’m not sure whether to say more or not, but fuck it. “Thanks to you.”

“Him?” Lars demands.

“Perry’s the one who tried to kill me.”

Before Perry can react, Lars storms toward him, wraps his hand around Perry’s throat, and lifts him partially out of the chair. “Who are you working for?” He squeezes so tight that Perry lets out a gargle. “Where’s Colin?”

“He doesn’t know where Colin is.”

Lars glances over at me. “How do you know?”

“He told me last night.”

“Last …” Anger flares behind Lars’s eyes. This probably shouldn’t be the first he’s hearing about it, but if I’d told him, there’s no way he would have let me out of his sight this morning. And I needed to see Perry to confirm that I saw what I thought I saw.

Lars releases him, and Perry drops back into the chair with a gasp.

“How about we all just …” Perry starts. “Take a second. It’s been a big morning, we’re tired⁠—”

“Shut up,” Lars demands before turning his attention on me. “You want to fill me in?”

It’s inconvenient to go back over everything when we’re potentially still being hunted, so I try to condense it as much as I can. “The masked man paid me a warning visit last night. I spotted him wearing Perry’s bracelet, so I went to the cafe this morning to make sure, and then Perry ran off, was shot at in the alley behind the cafe, and we bolted for here. You’re all caught up.”

His shoulders stiffen. “Were you followed?”

“No clue.”

Lars takes a determined step toward the door before pausing. Then, changing his mind, he walks back over to Perry and pulls a set of handcuffs from his belt. “Hands behind you.”

“That isn’t a smart choice for me.”

“It’s not a choice. Hands. Behind your back. Now.”

“What if whoever’s coming for us gets through you and finds us here, and then I’m handcuffed to a chair like sitting prey?”

“If they get through me, I’m dead, so I don’t think I’ll really care what happens to you.”