Page 44 of Wilde In His Arms

Nickturnedontotheroad leading to Mrs.Lopez’s place and spotted a white panel van in the driveway, the back swinging doors wide open.A man with tan skin, black hair, and tattoos on his neck, wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, pushed someone into the back of the van.Nick didn’t have a great vantage point to see if it was an adult or child.But the second the guy spotted Nick closing in, he yelled something up to the house, closed the van up, ran to the driver’s side door, jumped inside, and hauled ass out of there.

Nick called Agent Hayward.

“I’m five minutes out,” he said when he picked up.

“White van headed east.Possible child abduction.”He rattled off the license plate number.

“They’re driving toward me.I won’t miss them.”

“Call for backup for me.I’m headed in to see who’s still in the Lopez house.I’ve got Julia’s car out front and a black Charger parked along the side yard.I might get lucky and find Javier here.”

“Be careful.”

Nick slammed on the breaks behind Julia’s car, blocking it in.He jumped out and as he was headed for the open front door, he heard a male voice say, “Get down the fucking stairs.”

He pulled his gun and announced himself.“FBI, come out with your hands up.”

A child wailed.

Nick rushed to the kitchen, taking a second to glance down the hallway to Mrs.Lopez’s room.She stared back at him, wide-eyed and scared.

That moment of distraction was all it took for him to miss Julia coming at him with a kitchen carving knife.She plunged the blade into his shoulder.He shoved her away and the blade tore out of him, making him grimace in pain.“Put the knife down.”

What the hell!How could she come after him?

He held her at gunpoint and walked toward her, glancing into the kitchen, finding a young boy on the ground holding his arm, tears trailing down his cheeks.His arm looked swollen and bright red, probably broken.An ACE bandage and brace were on the counter right near Javier Lopez.

“Don’t fucking move,” he told Javier, who had a gun in his hand, pointed at the boy.“You don’t want to do this, man.Not to that kid.Not in your mother’s house in front of your sister.”Nick kept his focus as his heart jackhammered in his chest and in his mind he prayed nothing happened to the small boy.

Javier sneered.“Let me go and no one gets hurt.Worse,” he tacked on, looking at the blood spreading across Nick’s shirt and chest.

“You’re under arrest.Drop the gun and kick it to me.”

Javier shook his head.“You drop it.I leave.You live to see another day, you asshole.”

Julia stood in the corner, her back to the counter, her chest heaving.“Go, Javie.Please.”

He glared at her with disdain.“I fucking told you to move the kids yesterday.Now look what’s happened.What good are you to me if he arrests you for stabbing him?”

“I have things to do besides babysit your brats,” she snapped.

The boy on the floor shook with fear, sweat dripping from his brow.He didn’t look good.Pain etched lines into his forehead and made him pale.

Nick’s fucking shoulder hurt like hell, but he kept his gun trained on the man he’d wanted in a cell for three long years.

Javier made a move toward the back door.The kid on the floor blocked it.

Nick shook his head.“Don’t even think about it.”

“I’m not letting you take me in.You don’t get to be the hero after you betrayed me.”

“There’s no way out.More agents are on the way.My partner probably already has your man in the van in custody.You’re going down.”

Javier glanced at his sister.

Nick didn’t take the bait.He kept his eyes glued to Javier.

“Javie,” his sister pleaded.For what, Nick wasn’t sure.To get her out of this.To take her with him.To turn himself in.She’d stabbed an FBI agent.She was going down with him.

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