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Kit’s last finger went down. It was followed by the crash of breaking glass.

Something shattered the window. Tot’s eyes flew open.

When Nico spun toward the noise, Cullen bulldozed him, hitting him squarely in the stomach in a textbook football tackle.

With a gust of air, Nico went over with Cullen on top of him aiming all his weight on Nico’s right side, desperately grappling for the gun.

Nico was strong, enraged. He writhed and tried to jab Cullen in the ribs, but Cullen kept hold.

Archie stomped with both feet on Nico’s wrist.

Nico cried out, releasing his grip, and Archie triumphantly kicked the gun away, then lowered his bony knees on Nico’s arm. Cullen panted hard, immobilizing Nico.

Kit raced in. “Hold on,” she said breathlessly. “I’ll duct tape his wrists.”

Cullen and Archie managed to hold him in place, though Nico kicked and swore. It took extreme effort to pin him long enough for Kit to loop tape around his wrists. Cullen loosened his bear hold and helped Archie prevent Nico from kicking them off while Kit did the same with his ankles.

“You’re dead!” Nico spat.

“Quiet. You’re going to upset the baby.” Kit ripped off a piece of tape and slapped it across his mouth.

His eyes sparked vicious fire at her, but she didn’t shy from it.

Conversely, she brought her own face close to his and took his cheeks between the thumb and fingers of her right hand.

“Are you listening closely, because this is important. I’ll speak in simple sentences so you can under stand.

” She leaned a fraction closer and lowered her voice to a whisper.

“You don’t own Annette. And you don’t own the baby.

And you never ... ever ... will.” She shoved him away and went to check on Tot, who was whimpering.

Cullen could only stare. The strength in this woman, like a small, perfect stone standing fast against a raging current. His whole body went hot then prickled with gooseflesh, and he was certain he had never seen anything so impressive.

With Archie holding the gun on Nico, Kit bade Cullen to sit in the chair. “Your face is a mess. You need a bandage.”

He looked dumbly at her and sank into the seat she offered him. She tipped his chin back with an index finger and examined him. “That looks like it hurts. A lot. Are you going to be all tough and pretend it doesn’t?”

“I...” It was exactly what he’d been preparing to do.

She arched a brow.

“No, ma’am.”

“So it hurts. How much?”

“A ton and a half.”

She smiled and held a stack of gauze to his wound. “Hold this, please.”

Her mouth was close to his, her satiny cheek inches from his battered one. He swallowed. “First aid skills on top of your others?” he croaked.

“In my job, it pays to be able to take care of yourself.”

“Well, you took care of Nico all right,” Archie crowed.

She pulled a wry smile. “Sorry I smashed the window.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Archie said. “Your plan worked slicker than a slug on wet cement.” Nico stirred, but Archie’s at tention didn’t waver. “Not going anywhere, dirtbag, till we say so.”

When the bleeding stopped, Kit dabbed some ointment over the cut, which stung, and then covered it with an adhesive bandage. He was sorry when she moved away.

“Here.” She tore open a tiny package and handed him two tablets and a bottle of water. “Aspirin will help.”

He dutifully swallowed it down though it hurt to tip his chin back. “The second guy’s his brother, Simon. He must have dropped Nico near town. Nico said he’s on another assignment. He’ll come here sooner or later.”

Archie poked at the phone he’d taken from Nico’s jacket.

“He doesn’t have any service either, so his brother will be in the dark about good old Nico’s situation.

GPS might still be working though.” Archie handed the gun to Cullen, then trotted to the break room, and there was a sizzle and bang.

He returned with a grin. “Good thing I already warmed the water for Tottie. You should never put a phone in the microwave, by the way.”

“I’ll make a note of it.” Cullen pocketed Nico’s gun and the spare clips he confiscated. “If Simon catches up, we’ll be ready for him.”

Tot started to fuss, jamming her thumb into her mouth and whimpering.

Cullen was already lacing up his boots, but he took a second to drain the dregs of his coffee.

Who knew when he’d see any again? Kit grabbed his cup, hers, and another for Archie, carrying them to the sink before she started snatching up bundles, staging them by the door. “I’ll load the rest.”

Archie yanked on his boots and went to the tiny kitchenette. “I’ll whip up that travel bottle for Tot.”

“Make a couple,” Kit called. “We can keep the extra in the insulated lunch bag I found. There’s an ice pack in the bottom of the mini fridge.”

Archie shot a worried glance at the baby.

Cullen echoed the feeling. It was one thing that they’d somehow escaped injury thus far, but there were endless risks of driving an ATV in the dark through a fire-breathing wilderness.

And Nico. Oh, but if Cullen had the chance, he was going to make sure Nico understood the error of his ways.

Traffickers were the reason his career had ended, why Daniela couldn’t walk, why he lived with an anvil of guilt in his heart that he could not dislodge with any amount of prayer.

This trafficker was not going to win. The fatigue was replaced by a harsh adrenaline buzz.

“Shotgun, Arch?”

“Already in the car with extra shells. Mind you don’t lose my weapon like you did your rifle, huh?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kit darted a look at him. “The rifle’s gone?”

He ducked his chin and confessed, “Dropped it when I fell off the drainpipe.”

She shrugged. “At least it wasn’t Tot.”

“Baby’s hungry,” Archie said.

Cullen was going to volunteer to feed her when the ground shook, rattling the window coverings and the bits of broken glass on the library floor.

No, delaying wasn’t an option.

Not anymore.