She was a blur of elbows, fists and feet as she continued to back Daniel across the floor. If Hutch hadn’t been so damn scared for her, he’d have admired the way she totally kicked ass.
Blood poured from her nose, but she didn’t even stop to wipe it as she continued her relentless assault. She executed a mean jab and must have found the bullet wound, because Daniel’s muffled cry of pain echoed across the room.
Finally the rope came free, and Hutch scrambled to his feet. He launched himself at Daniel, and they went down in a heap. His brother was built like a damn cement block. It was like hitting a brick wall going sixty miles per hour.
Hutch played dirty. He rammed his fist into the shoulder that had taken the bullet. Daniel grunted but threw a punch of his own, knocking Hutch off him.
As Hutch struggled to his feet, Daniel charged him, bellowing like an angry bull.
Reggie stepped in front of him and went down under Daniel’s assault. Rage blinded Hutch. Fury that Reggie had placed herself in front of him, fury that Daniel had hurt her.
Reggie reared back with her head and butted Daniel right in the nose. Blood spurted as Daniel howled in pain. Hutch leapt for him, knocking him off Reggie as they rolled in a mass of twisted arms and legs.
Hutch slugged him in the shoulder again then followed it up with one to his nose. The combined force of him and Reggie was getting to Daniel. His attack was weakening. Hutch felt a surge of hope. He and Reggie might get out of this yet.
Daniel connected with a fist to Hutch’s chin, and Hutch fell back. Daniel turned on Reggie again as she dragged herself to her feet. The gun was just a few feet from her, and she lunged for it, landing on her stomach as she reached.
Daniel reached down, grabbed Reggie by the back of her neck and pulled her up with one hand. He tossed her back, and she landed with a thump several feet away. Hutch lunged for the gun, but Daniel got to it first.
It was one of those moments when according to books and movies, things were supposed to move in slow motion. But Hutch barely processed the next few seconds.
Daniel raised the gun and pointed it directly at Reggie.
“Noooo!” Hutch yelled.
The shot echoed like a cannon in the small room. Hutch looked at Reggie in horror, but it was Daniel who faltered and then sank like a sagging puppet to the floor. The gun fell from his hand, and he clutched at his chest, sucking air like a friggin’ guppy.
Hutch yanked his head around to see Jeremy standing in the doorway, gun drawn. Behind him, a half dozen cops poured into the room. The entire world had gone to hell.
Reggie.
He whirled around again, searching for her. She sank to her knees, but she was alive. Sweet relief burst over him. Never had he seen such a beautiful sight as Reggie kneeling on the carpet as her fellow cops surrounded her.
He dragged himself to his feet and stumbled over to her. He threw one cop out of the way and yanked her into his arms.
“Don’t youeverscare me like that again, baby.”
“Me?” she sputtered. “You’re the one who disappeared on me. I find your empty truck on the side of the road, your blood, and you nowhere to be found. If anyone was scared it was me.”
He held her close, stroking his hand over her hair.
“Can we get out of here?” he said.
They pushed themselves to their feet, unsteady as a couple of toddlers learning to walk. She looked like hell, and God only knew how bad he looked. But he needed air. He needed to be away from the sight of his brother lying on the floor as the paramedics tended to him. As much as he wanted to feel hatred for Daniel, all he could summon was deep sadness.
Reggie hooked his arm over her shoulder, and began helping him toward the door. Oh hell no.
He dropped his arm and tucked her against his side, determined to helpher.
She dragged his arm back up to her shoulders and held it there in her firm grip as they both staggered out the door into the night.
“How the hell did you find me?” he muttered. “I don’t even know where the fuck we are.”
“It wasn’t easy. I had to comb the entire countryside after I found your truck. I had the whole department looking.”
“I feel like I got run over by a damn Mack truck,” he said with a groan.
“You look like it too,” she said.
