I tilt my head, voice mocking. “Shouldn’t you be calling your friends in the FBI?” Because, seriously, where the fuck is their help? Last time, it wasn’t him handling shit—it was Crait Quantum Shield. The same people who came when Nysa had a stalker. I heard The Organization stepped in when he was dealing with Galeana’s property, too.

He exhales, gaze darting away. “It’s complicated.”

I step closer, letting the question drag between us. “Try me.”

His jaw clenches. “I can’t. But I need to know what we’re doing here, Atlas. You might be bringing another fucking syndicate to my doorstep. Are you aware of that?”

I nod, unbothered. “Which is no problem at all. I’ll take them down if needed. And hopefully, that fucker will be here so I can take him down too.”

Malerick lets out a dry laugh, disbelief flashing across his face. “You’re just a fucking artist. Are you going to draw them to death?” His voice dips lower. “Unless you’d like to share why you have a state-of-the-art alarm system and a security setup more advanced than my department’s.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is when you have someone who might become a⁠—”

“Blythe is mine. Mine to protect, to cherish.” My voice is pure steel. I step in, close enough that he gets the message loud and clear. “And I’m not giving her away. Do you understand me?”

Malerick lifts his hands in surrender, but his eyes stay on mine, measuring. “I get it. But I need more than what you’re giving me, Atlas. I’m not your enemy. I’m your brother.”

I scoff. “Please. You’ve seen me as your enemy since the moment I stepped into this town. And I was six.”

“It was a different time, Atlas. I was a kid trying to survive. I hated my life. Hated our parents.” His voice lowers, rough at the edges, as if he’s letting the past and the regrets talk instead of him. “If anything, I’m grateful for what you did for my mother. While she was lonely in this town, you visited her more than any of us. You took care of her when she was sick. You still visit her in the cemetery whenever you come to town—even when she wasn’t yours.”

“Therese was cool.” I shrug, keeping it casual.

But Malerick doesn’t let me off that easy. “I’ll help you keep Blythe safe, but you need to tell me what you’re hiding.”

I scoff. “What can you do?”

Malerick scrubs a hand through his hair, exhaling. “First, I’m going to slow things down. A missing persons case from another state doesn’t automatically give him power here. I’ll tell my contacts the case is being reviewed locally. That buys us time.”

Time.

I nod. “And after that?”