Page 160 of Broken & Bound

My heart skipped a beat. “How?”

“Missing children databases. We know approximately how old she was and the year she was taken. Assuming they used the same method to choose her that they used for the rest of you, that’s enough to narrow the field considerably.”

“To what?”

“Whatever I can get my hands on. Public records, school registries, social media. If I find a name and enough supporting information, I can cross-reference state databases and try to get to a current driver’s license photo.”

He handed the tablet back.

“But don’t get ahead of yourself. We could do all that and still find nothing.”

“I know.”

“Do you, Izzy?”

A subtle shift in his brow and the cynical curve at the corner of his mouth spoke loud and clear. He didn’t believe me, which was annoying considering I’d brought him into my private space specifically instead of springing this on him at the last family meeting.

I knew this was a long shot. I set the tablet on my workbench. Beside it sat the books I’d been putting together for each of the girls. Winter’s was mostly empty. I’d wanted to wait until I knew exactly what she looked like now.

Age-progression software could come close, but nothing beat the real-life version.

“Can’t we just make Mikhail talk? He has to know who she was?”

“We’ve tried.”

“Try harder, then.” I whispered, feeling defeated.

Nik’s gaze met mine. “You think we haven’t?”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” He sighed and leaned against the edge of the table. “Alek has questioned him numerous times. Ivan has as well. Hell, we even had my mother try since she knows Konstantine. We’ve approached it from more directions than I can count. I honestly believe he doesn’t know who Winter was.”

“But how can he not know?”

“Because it wasn’t important to him.”

That hurt. My eyes drifted to the unfinished book.

“What about Fedarov?”

“That route is not an option. It would mean sending Kinsley to Russia, so if that’s what you’re suggesting—”

“I wasn’t.”

“I’m serious, Isabella. It’s dangerous. Physically and mentally. Her well-being comes before this. And I’m forbidding you from telling her anything about it. You know how she can be.”

I did. That was part of the problem. If pushed, she’d absolutely arrange a “trip” to France and then re-route to Russia. Alek would lose his fucking mind.

Nik pushed away from the table and nodded toward my tablet. “Send me copies of everything. The childhood drawings, the age progressions, any notes you’ve made about what you remember. I’ll start with the missing children and we go from there.”

It was more than I had yesterday. Pasha kissed my cheek. “Told you he’d be reasonable. Thank you, Nik.”

“No promises, but of course.”

Excitement pulsed through me as I uploaded the folder to send. Nik kissed the top of my head.

“Dancer, dinner is in five minutes. Don’t be late.”