“Annette’s stuff is in the rig still,” Cullen said quickly. “We didn’t take it. Too much to carry.”
Nico shook his head. “Nope. That’s not going to fly. Simon checked the semi after we fixed the tire that Lover Boy shot out.”
Lover Boy?“He was going to rendezvous to help Annette escape, wasn’t he?”
Nico’s eyes were cold fury. “She thinks she’s smarter than I am, cooking up some relationship with her john, Kyle, and arranging to meet him behind my back. Thought she’d keep me from coming after her by sending me that photo as a taste of what she thinks she has on me. Fatal mistake. I won’t be blackmailed.” He jerked a chin at Tot. “Baby’s probably his. Little liar told me it was mine. Don’t know why I let her keep it, except that she’s one of my best earners. Simon figured she’d stay in line with a kid tying her down, but she wailed so hard and long about the pregnancy it gave me a migraine. Lesson learned. So where’s her stuff?”
“Like I said, we didn’t take it.” Cullen climbed unsteadily to his feet.
Nico’s gaze slid to Tot. “But there were baby supplies. You’d have taken that, wouldn’t you?”
Cullen’s heart thudded. No choice. “We took a duffel,” he admitted. “And there was money in the bottom of it.”
Nico arched a brow. He hadn’t known about the money. “She stole from me too? After everything I’ve given her, she’s been skimming off the top. How much?”
“Ten grand. It’s all still there in the diaper bag. Take it and go. We’ll never see each other again.”
“That’s the truth, because you’re both going to be dead.”
Cullen swiped at the blood. “Don’t waste the bullets or the possible forensics trail you’ll leave. Volcano’s probably going to get us anyway, right?”
But Nico was fixated on Tot. He moved toward her, and Archie would have lurched at him, but Cullen pinched his arm, gripping the table edge with his other hand. Archie blinked to show he understood. If Nico messed with Tot, Cullen would overturn the table and hope to take Nico’s legs out from under him. It was the only plan he could think of. His nerves iced over at the thought of Nico’s gun inches from baby Tot. One reflex flinch of the trigger finger...
Nico looked around Tot’s sleeping mat. “Where is it? The baby stuff?”
“Upstairs,” Archie said quickly. “I’ll get it for you right now.”
“No,” Nico said. “You stay. Soon as I check here, I’ll go find it.”
And kill usfirst.A shadow crossed under the door, and Cullen’s gut tightened. Kit was about to enter. “Come on, Nico,” he said loudly. “Not like we hid your goods on a baby. What is it you’re looking for? If it’s not the money, why’d you barge in here with a gun? What’s so important you’d risk your own life? What was on the photo she sent you?”
“Shut up.”
“No, really. Smart girl to collect evidence without your knowing. Must have been something for you to risk pursuing her here.”
“I said shut up,” Nico said louder.
The shadow had frozen.
Don’t come in.
His heart slammed into his ribs.
Run,Kit.
But where would she find safety? Now? By herself?
Nico stared at the baby in her pajamas and poked the toe of his boot to pull up the edge of her mat. He reached out, and Cullen gripped the table. He’d have to shove it with sufficient force to topple Nico but not enough to strike Tot. He and Archie would laser in on the same target ... Nico’s gun hand. Whatever happened, bullets could not be fired in this small space with an infant lying unprotected.
Where was the shadow? Where was Kit?
Nico pawed at the small stack of supplies Kit had left for the last-minute change of clothes and diapers.
Cullen’s breath caught as he saw movement, now in the front window, to the side of the “Welcome, friends” sign. Kit peeked through a dusty pane of glass.
Her eyes were wide, searching, taking it all in until she locked on him. She turned away for a millisecond, returned to view, held up her fingers in a silent count. Archie saw too. Nico tossed aside the baby clothes, kicking them into a heap. Tot stirred.
Kit held up three fingers.
