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P eter drifted in and out of consciousness.

The world was heat and haze. Muffled voices. Cold hands. Then warm ones.

He remembered snow. Trees. A dog barking. And his brother’s voice. Or was that part of the nightmare?

When he woke fully, it was to the steady beep of a monitor and the weight of warm blankets.

A hospital.

The light was dim, and his mouth was painfully dry. His body ached, but everything seemed… intact. He turned his head slowly.

Adam was there.

Slumped in a chair next to his bed, his boots still muddy, his jacket draped over his lap. His head was tilted back, mouth parted, sleeping the sleep of the dead.

He and Adam had just gone through this with Claire. Now, Adam was here again, watching over him.

He didn’t want to wake him.

But he couldn’t help himself.

“Hey, man,” he rasped.

Adam jerked upright so fast the chair nearly tipped. His eyes flew open, then softened. “Peter.”

“You found me,” he said, though his voice was barely a whisper. “You’re a superhero, man.”

He reached for his hand. “That’s what we Midnight Sons do, right?”

His eyes filled. “I thought I was going to die out there.”

Adam shook his head. “Not on my watch.”

Peter took a shaky breath. “Is Claire…”

“She’s okay. Clara Mae has her — or she has Clara Mae. They’ve both been a basket case since you went missing.”

Peter blinked back tears. “I was so scared, Adam. They just kept asking about the money. About drugs. But all I knew about was the little bit we had. They wouldn’t be chasing that amount of money. And where are the drugs? I never saw any drugs.”

“One of the guys smelled like perfume.”

Adam’s mouth twisted. “Lala.”

He’d known the scent Claire remembered wasn’t random. It might be popular, but not in the deep Denali forest.

“Why would Lala?”

“Her father, maybe?” he said. “I’m thinking Boyd might have been the first connection, but Lala was the real hook up. Boyd confirmed enough, but only to me. Still his word against mine, and both times he was drunk or under duress — according to Sheriff Wheelan. Please tell me you saw someone?”

Peter tried to sit up. “They put a hood over my head. But the first moment it sounded like they left, I got out. You know ties can’t hold my skinny wrists.” He breathed out a shaky breath. “No one found them?”

Adam pressed his shoulder down gently. “We’ll find them. But right now, you rest. You’re safe. One way or another, we’re gonna find the head of this snake and chop it off.”