Before he could reach the brass handle, a soft, rhythmic knocking echoed through the hallway.

Three slow knocks, then two fast ones.

Dante paused, his hand hovering over the lock.

He looked back at me, his face completely expressionless.

I held Lily tighter to my chest, my heart beginning to hammer against my ribs once more.

He turned the lock, and the heavy oak door began to swing open.

The door swung open, and the cold night air rushed into the hallway.

Silas stood on the porch, his black wool coat soaked with rain.

His face was pale under the yellow porch light.

“It is Lorenzo,” Silas said, his voice flat and tight.

Dante did not flinch, but his grip on the doorknob tightened.

“Where?” Dante asked.

“The old warehouse on 4th Street,” Silas said. “James tried to sell him the ledgers.”

My heart stopped at the mention of James.

My cowardly ex-partner had stolen my savings, and now he was trying to sell Dante’s secrets to a killer.

“James is a fool,” Dante said. “Those ledgers have been useless for months.”