The man was on his knees, but he raised his palms while Kit scuttled over to Cullen, who was standing on shaky legs.
Cullen shot her a quick glance. “Bleeding? Hurt?”
“No.” She swiped at her mouth. “It’s his blood. I bit him before I headbutted him.”
Cullen quirked an admiring grin. “Nice job. Bashed him up good. Turn on the lamp.”
With shaking hands, she flicked on the small table lamp and backed against the wall so Cullen wouldn’t see that she was on the brink of collapse. Palms pressed to the wood paneling, she tried to slow her panicked breathing.
You’re okay. You’re in control.
Cullen shot a glance out the window. “Motorbike outside. Snuck in around my cameras. You the one who shot out the SUV tires?”
The man didn’t speak, so Cullen moved a step closer, gun aimed at his head. “Slide out the gun from your waistband with two fingers and ease it down on the carpet. If you move fast, you die fast. Got me, Evel?”
Not reacting to the nickname, he did as directed. Cullen seemed outwardly calm, but he was breathing fast.
Cullen gestured with the gun. “All right. Now that we’ve got that taken care of. Sit in that chair, hands in your lap.”
Kit felt her stomach uncoil a fraction as the man complied.
Cullen did not lower his weapon. “Who are you and why are you breaking into my cabin?”
The lamplight revealed him to be in his late twenties, her age maybe, as tall as Cullen but thin and wiry. His clothes were filthy but not threadbare. He remained silent, drops of blood flowing from his bitten hand and his nose.
“He asked me where she was,” Kit said.
Cullen frowned. “She who?”
“I don’t know.” Kit understood what Cullen wanted to know. Was the stranger after the baby or the missing woman? Or both?
Cullen took a step closer. “You’re going to start talking.”
Evel tipped his blood-smeared face to Cullen. “Who are you two?” he countered, eyes blazing. “How’d you get the baby? Where are they?”
Cullen’s head cocked ever so slightly. “You’re confused about the situation here, fella. You broke into my house, and I’ve got the rifle. Means you answer the questions, not ask ’em.”
The stranger’s leg muscles bunched as if he was going to spring from the chair. Instinctively, Kit braced to defend herself, but Cullen took a step closer, and Evel sank down again.
“She’s mine. They’re mine. I want them back,” the man said.
“That explains nothing,” Cullen said. “Right now, we got a whole bunch of people interested in this baby and her mom. Dunno who’s being truthful, and that means you’re gonna have to do some serious talking. Cops are notified. On their way now.”
“No, they aren’t. All the communication’s knocked out.”
A tiny beeping yanked their attention.
“What’s that?” Kit said.
“Front camera alert.” Cullen pulled out his phone and handed it to her. “Check the screen.”
As she did, her stomach contracted to a fist. “A car ... the SUV, coming this way.”
“How many inside?”
She squinted. “I can only see...” She gasped. “The image disappeared.”
Cullen muttered. “Lost the remaining signal.” He turned to her. “Know how to shoot?”
