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“Wait! The girls.” She pushed at Kevlar’s chest. His tried and true vest bounced at her fist. “I promised them.”
“There’s my feisty girl.” He kissed her forehead. “Glad to have you back.”
A sudden swell of government agents swarmed the banquet room. Gunshots rang out, along with screams from men and women. She gripped Kevlar’s neck tighter, burying her face in his shirt, his familiar bulletproof vest hard against her.
Once they were clear of the bullets, she wriggled out of his arms, and he let her feet touch the floor. The need to save the others superseded her need to be comforted. There’d be time for that later. Her adrenaline was up and running through her veins thanks to Kevlar and his brothers.
“Come on, the rest are being held back here.” She hurried down the hall, cursing the dress for her limited mobility. Stopping outside the room, she ripped the hem and sighed in relief.
“Holy shit, she’s a badass,” Hawk said, amusement lining his face.
She managed a grin. “Does somebody have an extra gun? They took mine.”
Rubble passed a handgun to her, and she nodded her thanks. “Don’t shoot the women, please. They’re scared and most don’t know English.”
The four men nodded, her underlying plea obvious to them all. Hawk and Rubble burst into the room first. Two shots echoed, and she was glad to see the bodies of two Diablos men fall to the floor. The mass of women huddled together, some whimpering, others crying.
“You get the girls,” Rubble called. “We’ll watch the doors.”
Hawk fired again at a Cutthroat charging from the hall. “But hurry. There’s a shit ton of these guys.”
Hustling to the end of the room where the women congregated, she handed Kevlar her gun and held up her hands. “It’s okay. We’re here to help.”
Yasmina broke through the crowd and said something in Russian. A quarter of the women reacted with hopeful nods. “You came back,” she said, walking closer. Her eyes were bloodshot, and a new bruise darkened her left cheek.
Nikita pulled her in for a hug. “I told you I would.”
Before they could celebrate, angry cries in several languages paired with gunshots sent the women scattering again.
“All right, everybody needs to follow me,” Kevlar said, taking charge. It was sexier than hell the way he owned the situation. “We have help waiting outside for everyone.”
Bringing up the rear, Nikita waited until the last woman walked through the door to let herself relax. It wasn’t over entirely. The shouts from inside told her as much, but the Phoenix night sky was speckled with stars. It gave her hope for the women and children being ushered into emergency vehicles waiting outside.
She turned and watched the group of Russian girls climb into an ambulance. Lifting a hand to her mouth, her adrenaline gradually wore off. Her body trembled as silent tears coursed down her cheeks.They’re safe. She was safe. Her job was complete. The severity of it all sent her staggering backward.
“Come here, baby.” Kevlar’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his warm embrace. She let the tears flow steadily, relief filling her at long last.
“I thought…. I didn’t….” Her lips wouldn’t let her finish the sentence.
“Shh, it’s okay.” He eased back and sought out her eyes. “You did it, Kita. All those women—” He nodded to the mass of women and children once in the semi-trailer with her. “—they all get a second chance.” He kissed the top of her head. “Because of you.”
Nikita kicked off the absurdly uncomfortable heels Zane had forced her to wear. A quick glance down at her body and a laugh escaped her at the sight of the torn dress, no shoes, and makeup most definitely streaking. “I look like a train wreck, don’t I?”
Kevlar swiped his thumb under her eye, taking dark eyeliner with him. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but—”
She smacked his chest good-naturedly. It was then that she finally got a good look at the tall man in front of her. He wore a black suit and matching tie, though both were in disarray thanks to the recent gunfight. A streak of blood raced down his left temple, his body otherwise untouched. He looked good. Damned good.
“Thank you, Kevlar. I told you I didn’t need your help, but I was wrong. I should’ve trusted you from the start.”
“Yeah, you should’ve.” Tearing off his tie, he tossed it to the ground. “I’m glad I could help.” He tipped up her chin and pressed a delicate kiss to the tip of her nose. “You can save yourself, Kita, but every now and then, it’s okay to let someone do the saving.”
“You’re my only exception, Kevlar.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tenderly kissed him. His arms circled her waist, pulling her flush to his hard body. All at once, she didn’t care where she was or how she got there. She deepened the kiss, sighing when his tongue matched hers. The memory of him had kept her sane in the back of the trailer, and she never wanted to be without him again.
Someone clearing their throat broke them apart long before she wanted. She eyed the man dressed in a black windbreaker, an earpiece hanging from his left ear. Without a doubt, he was part of a government agency.
“Sorry to break up your little love fest or whatever, but we need Agent Stockdale to identify the people who kidnapped her.”
Stepping away from Kevlar, she rubbed her lips together, the taste of him lingering on her tongue. The next part wouldn’t be fun. Neither would the part afterward. But the end… nowthatwas what she looked forward to. It was time to put Diablos and the Cutthroats to bed.
