“I have a name, Uncle. Was one of the men Nico Kostas?”

“No,” he said.

One of his eyebrows rose just a bit. Was that a tell?

“Just tell us,” Bryce pleaded. “It will be worth your while. You’ll get a lighter sentence. And Joe has already offered you money for a lawyer.”

Larry looked intently at Bryce. “Why is it so important for you to learn the truth?”

“Because Luke Walker was my cousin. Because Talon is Joe’s brother. Because I have a son of my own now, and I would die inside if anything like this ever happened to him. So I want to know the truth. I want to know who those fuckers are so we can get them off the street and they’ll never again hurt innocent children like my son.”

Larry looked at Bryce, his face stern. “Look, I’ve got nothing against you, kid—”

“Kid? I’m thirty-eight,” Bryce said.

“To me, you’re a kid.” Larry coughed. “I’m not going to tell you who they are.”

Bryce stood. “Then Joe and I will find them on our own.”

Still facing Bryce, Larry curled his lips into a sleazy half smile, his blue eyes creeping eerily toward me while his head stayed still. “Keep looking if you want to, kid, but let me give you a piece of advice. The truth is overrated. Once you open the door to that dark room, getting out is damn near impossible.”