His strong fingers curl around mine and hold tight. Warmth floods through me. I squeeze his hand back and find that I don’t want to let go.

“We’ll see if that changes after I check out the building,” he says. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

I drop Atlas’s hand as the meaning of what he said hits me. “Wait,” I say, scrambling to grab the folder from him. “What do you mean you’ll let me know? I’m going with you.”

“No,” he says, yanking the folder away and shoving it into his bag. “You’ve taken more than enough risks, and if my dad is being held there, just hanging around on that block could be dangerous.” He crouches in the tight space and heads for the ladder. “I’ve got this.”

That’s what he thinks.

He starts down the ladder and I head for the slide. When he climbs out of the fort, I’m standing at the bottom waiting for him. “I can go with you, or I can meet you there,” I say firmly. “Take your pick.”

He shoves his hands into his pockets and sighs. “Have you always been a pain in the ass?”

“Yes.” My matter-of-fact response seems to take him off guard. “Look,” I say. “I get that this is about your father, but my mother died looking for this information. You said the two of them were working together. I’d say whether you like it or not we’re going to have to do the same.”

He shakes his head, paces away from me, then turns back. “Okay, here’s the deal. You agree to do what I tell you.” He cuts me off when I start to object. “Meri, you’re smart and more than capable, but you’re also new to this. I’ve lived with it my entire life. If I tell you to do something, you have to do it. There won’t be time to play twenty questions. Okay?”

“I’ll try.” It’s not exactly what he asked for, but it’s honest. “That’s the best I can do.”

Atlas shakes his head, but I see a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he agrees, “Fine. We have to get moving. Just remember that you wanted to do this. Do you like to run?”

“I hate it.”

Atlas turns and gives me a wide, toothy smile. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. Lock up your bike and we’ll go find my dad.”

My throat and side ache by the time we go three blocks and stop to wait for the light to change. Atlas, however, has barely broken a sweat. The light turns, and Atlas jogs across the crosswalk with me scrambling to catch up.

“Do you plan on us running all the way?” I gasp. Because the building is across town and maybe Atlas can make it on foot, but there is no way I’ll be able to walk by then. Maybe that’s his plan to ditch me?