Page 47

EIGHTEEN

Nico aimed the rifle at them. “Sheer, dumb luck wins out sometimes, doesn’t it? Found that little crash site you engineered, and while I was at it, the road collapsed right in front of me. I almost died. And who do I find down here when I switch direction ? The people who got me into this mess.”

How could Nico have done it again? Cullen’s gut clenched with outrage.

Kit pulled Tot closer.

Nico extended a palm. “You know there’s no more chances. Toss Annette’s stuff to me, whatever it is. Now. I’m done with this.”

Behind them, a fissure opened between them and the river, belching noxious gasses. The lava rose inside, hissing steam and surrounding Nico in a vaporous corona. He shot a terrified look behind him. “Hurry up!”

“You’re not gonna drive out of here after what you’ve done,” Cullen snarled.

“What I’ve done? I’m only looking out for myself, and I’ve lost my brother in the process.” His face twisted. “He was the only one I could trust on this whole lousy planet. We’ve had each other’s backs since we were kids.”

Cullen shrugged. “You didn’t work very hard to save him.”

Nico’s mouth trembled. “I didn’t understand what happened. You took off so fast and I followed, figured Simon was passed out or something and I’d get back to him after, but ...” He shook his head. “He’s dead because of you two.”

“It was an eruption of carbon dioxide from under the lake,” Kit said. “We didn’t have anything to do with it.”

Nico cocked his head. “Doesn’t matter. You got involved where you had no business.”

“We didn’t—”she started.

Nico fired three rounds in quick succession, the bullets plowing the ground in front of them. Kit cried out. The baby wailed.

Cullen’s jaw clenched tight, and he jerked Kit and Tot behind him. “Wise up, man. We’re on an exploding mountain in case you haven’t noticed. The ground is literally going to swallow us up. There’s no point in wasting lead by shooting anyone.”

“It’d be a way to honor my brother’s memory.” Nico swiped an arm over his sweating brow and gestured to Kit with the gun. “Open the back of my SUV. Take a look inside.”

“Kit...” Cullen warned, but Nico swiveled the gun to him and Tot.

“Shut up,” Nico said. “She’ll do what I tell her.”

His muscles were wire taut as Kit walked to the vehicle, opened the rear hatch, and looked in. “A rolled-up mat, so ...” Then she stopped and peered closer, her expression sick with horror. “It’s Annette.”

No. His heart dropped. Not Annette.

“Simon caught her just after the landslide. She was practically dead anyway. When he pressed, she told him the proof against me was with the baby stuff in the duffel. I know she was telling the truth because she thought it would save her life.” He shrugged.

“Turns out, she was wrong. You two have it. And you’re going to give it to me now. ”

Cullen’s brain spun. There had to be a way out. Something.

Nico’s finger tightened on the trigger, his face paling. “The proof, now. You can give it to me or I can cut you down and take it off your dead bodies.”

Kit looked at Cullen, and he nodded. She unzipped her jacket and tossed Nico the plastic packet. He caught it with his free hand. “Finally. Just one more thing you’re going to do for me before you die.” He used the gun to point to Cullen. “Get Annette. Dump her in the ravine.”

Cullen’s stomach clenched, roiling in protest. He shook his head. “Not doing that.”

Nico cocked his head, walked to Kit, and aimed the weapon at her forehead. “Yes, you are. You’re the reason Simon’s dead, so now you’ll do his work.”

Sweat burned his eyes, and his breathing grew shallow.

Nico would shoot them all as soon as Cullen followed directions.

He’d failed. He was going to lose Kit and Tot.

The thought of watching them die, knowing he could have, should have made other, safer choices, squeezed the breath from his lungs. His gaze welded to Kit’s.

Her mouth trembled, but she raised her chin.

Tot wriggled in her arms, and Kit rocked her, soothing and comforting her though tears trickled down her own cheeks.

She would offer what she could to the child until there was nothing left to give.

Tot had survived so much, and so had Kit.

Two strong women in different-sized packages.

What if he could find a way out of this?

Determination slammed through him like a landslide, knocking away the defeat.

He’d been forgiven for what he’d allowed to happen to Daniela, and he’d even begun to forgive himself, inch by inch.

He could meet his Lord resting in that truth.

But he would see to it that Kit and Tot did not have their lives cut short by this pathetic excuse for a man.

He locked on her. Be ready.

Her eyes narrowed. Message received. Her throat convulsed as she swallowed. So beautiful in her courage.

He faced Nico, giving voice to his disgust. “Why should I cooperate? You have no reason to keep us alive.”

“Correct.” Nico twitched as the ground shuddered. “But you’ll do as I tell you anyway, because you don’t have the stomach to watch them suffer.”

But I’ve got plenty of stomach to watch you suffer.

Cullen walked over to the open tailgate where Annette was rolled in the mat.

He could see only the toe of a pink sneaker.

She’d tried so hard. Suffered so much. Too late for her, but he wouldn’t let it be for nothing.

He bent over, pretending to pull the bundle toward him as he grabbed the muddy pink shoe and slid it off.

He clutched it in his sweat-slicked palm.

No line-of-duty heroics. Not fueled by some overblown sense of his own capabilities. Just a desperate man with only his faith and one slender chance to preserve the life of a woman and a baby he’d grown to love.

He gripped the shoe with his right hand and pulled the wrapped body toward him to give him a few more seconds. Lord , help me.

Then he whirled around and threw Annette’s shoe directly into Nico’s face. Kit was indeed ready, and she dove aside as it left his fingers. Nico’s eyes widened and he squeezed the trigger while throwing up his forearm to block the blow.

Bang.

Cullen was astounded that Nico’s shot missed him.

Nico recoiled as the shoe glanced off his shoulder, the gun flying loose as he stumbled.

Taking the advantage, Cullen delivered a punishing kick that sent Nico’s head snapping back.

Kit didn’t hesitate. With Tot clutched like a football, she ran forward and snatched the envelope from Nico’s pocket.

Good woman. The best. Get them away now. Quick.

They’d take Nico’s vehicle. Drive to safety. Odd that his legs weren’t moving at the command of his brain.

He smiled at Kit, a unique woman of strength and sensitivity. Incomparable.

Who else could have survived what she had?

What other woman could look at him with such ferocity and tenderness and a mouth that made him want to kiss her? One delicate hand was thrust out as if she might embrace him.

Her outline grew fuzzy, and he blinked to keep her in focus.

“Cullen?” he heard her say.

The ground shuddered underneath him. Mount Ember would wait no longer.

Get to the SUV. But no words actually came out. His thoughts turned liquid and slow, and the ground rushed up to meet him.

He felt her pressing against him, noted the slow burn from the bullet he now realized hadn’t missed after all. Tot squirmed at Kit’s shoulder. Good job , Tottie. You survived. Your mama would be proud .

Kit put her face to his, inches away, and glared at him. “You will not die.”

I will not die , he tried to repeat.

From over her shoulder, he saw a shape loom into view. The killer with nine lives.

“Nico!” he shouted, but it came out as a croak.

There was a hideous bang.

A shot?

The volcano?

Kit ...

She screamed, curling around Tot. Cullen managed to roll onto his side in time to see Nico spin around, clutching at his ribs, falling onto the ground that was bucking visibly.

From the other direction, Archie and Gideon ran toward them, away from a familiar truck. John’s. Was he dreaming? Could that actually be his brother and a very dirty Archie Esposito?

Gideon had taken the shot, the gun still held in his hand.

Gideon never missed.

Archie ran, limping badly, and snagged Kit in a wiry embrace, darting a worried look at Cullen. “Truck. Now. She’s gonna blow. Gotta get to the helicopter.”

Archie. Thank you , God , he’s alive.

Kit shoved Tot into Archie’s arms. “You take her.”

She returned to Cullen’s side, and he felt a flash of alarm that her sleeves were dotted with blood until he realized it was his.

On her knees, she joined Gideon, who was ripping his shirt loose and shoving the wad of fabric against Cullen’s chest, none too gently.

He wanted to protest, but his mouth didn’t work.

Gideon glared at Kit. “Get in the truck.”

“You first,” she snapped back.

Cullen smiled. Those two were opposite sides of the same unyielding coin. There was going to be fireworks for sure.

Gideon swore softly.

Not in front of the ladies , he wanted to say.

“I didn’t come all this way to haul you out of the fire and have an argument,” his brother said.

“Guess your plan isn’t working,” Kit said. “Apply more pressure. He’s bleeding too much.”

The lava was now yards from them, the heat searing his face. “Go,” he whispered to Kit.

She ignored him, speaking to Gideon. “We’ll carry him to the truck together.”

One angry shake of Gideon’s head. “Too much time. Get to the truck and—”

She stood, grabbed Cullen’s boots. “Are you going to help or am I dragging him by myself?”

More swearing and Gideon hooked Cullen under the arms. As they lifted, the ground fractured yards from their position, a latticework of turf above a lake of lava. Underneath it all came a soft, orange glow.

No , no , no.

Fingers of molten ground gobbled Nico’s SUV, pulling it under with a hiss of steam.

Annette. I’ m sorry.