Emily jerked away, and Danny smacked her across the face with the back of his hand—just in case she’d forgotten they were actually on opposite sides of the law. Tears sprang to her eyes, and through her blurry vision she saw Nash scratch his left ankle again—where he’d removed a knife from a holster outside of Brett’s trailer.
“Hey!” Nash shouted. “There’s no need for that. You’re gonna make me think we can’t work together. If you’re not gonna take care of her, I’m not gonna help you.”
A smile stretched Gustavo’s lips. “I like where this is going, Agent. We’ll keep la pelirroja safe and sound while you use your connections to find that baby—and our drugs. You keep one. We’ll take the other.”
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Was Nash’s plan to get the thugs to separate the two of them so they could each go one-on-one? She knew without a doubt Nash had something up his sleeve...or rather up his leg.
She studied Danny’s dilated pupils. She could take this guy, but not while Gustavo had a gun on Nash.
She continued. “Nash, do you really believe Las Moscas will allow either of us to live after this? You? A Border Patrol agent?”
“We won’t allow either of you to live right now if you don’t agree to cooperate, so I guess you take your chances.” Gustavo nudged Danny. “Get her out to the car.”
“He’s right, Emily.” Nash tapped his left knee. “Think about the baby. They have no use for the baby once they get their drugs. He can’t be a witness. We have to trust that they won’t harm him.”
Okay, that had to be a signal. There was no way Nash would ever tell a member of Las Moscas that he was right.
“Listen to him, la pelirroja. We’ll keep you comfortable while he locates the baby. Then we’ll release you.” Gustavo’s eye twitched, and Emily knew he was lying, not that she needed an eyebrow to tell her that.
“Go with him, Emily. Do what he says.”
Another signal if she ever heard one. It’d be a cold day in hell before she ever did what this scumbag told her to do.
“All right, but what are you going to do to him?” She leveled a finger at Nash. “Don’t hurt him.”
“Hurt him? He’s going to help us. We’re going to work out a few things while you wait in the car, and then I’m going to join you and leave him here so he can get to work.” Gustavo spread his hands. “Cooperation, sí?”
Emily stood up suddenly, and the gun flashed in front of her.
Danny said, “You move when I tell you to.”
“Got it.” She stared into Nash’s face. “You do what you have to do. I can take care of myself.”
Danny jabbed her in the back with the gun. “Move.”
She walked to the front door, her muscles coiled, ready for anything on one word from Nash.
When they stepped onto the porch, she asked in a loud voice, “Where’s your car? We didn’t see it when we drove up.”
“Shut up.” He gave her a shove from behind and she tripped.
A low growl reverberated in the air, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
Something scrambled from beneath Nash’s truck, and Danny took a step back. A white flash barreled toward him, and as Denali sank his teeth into Danny’s leg, he screamed and got off a shot.
While he hopped on one leg, Denali attached himself to the other. Emily sprang up, wrapped her arms around Danny’s middle and tackled him.
Two shots popped off in the house, but she closed her mind to what might be happening inside.
Danny’s arm flailed at his side as he tried to take aim with the gun, which he’d held on to but in an awkward position.
Still on top of him, Emily kneed Danny in the groin and then lunged for the gun. Their hands twisted into an intricate dance to gain control of the weapon.
She ground her teeth together as the gun began to turn in her direction.
“Hold it, or I’ll blow your head off.” Nash’s voice cut through the life-and-death tension, and the man’s body went limp beneath her.
She peeled the gun from his hand and rolled off him, panting in the driveway.
Denali whined and licked her face.
“Nash, are you all right? What happened in there?”
Nash strode toward them, handcuffs clinking as they dangled from his fingers. “When we heard the commotion out here, I made a move for my knife strapped to my leg. I was able to stab Gustavo, get possession of my gun and shoot him. He’s dead.”
Danny swore, and Denali bared his teeth and stood over him so that the drool from his tongue dripped onto his face.
Emily rose to her hands and knees and then stood up. She held out her hands for the cuffs. “Do you want me to do the honors?”
“Do you remember how?”
“Just like riding a bike.” She took the handcuffs from Nash, commanded Danny to roll over and cuffed his hands behind his back. She placed her shoe on his neck. “Stay there.”
Nash already had his phone out. “I’m calling the Paradiso PD right now.”
“Were you just playing dead, boy?” Emily patted Denali’s head. “You came back to life with a vengeance.”
“Is that what happened?” Nash tucked his phone in his pocket. “I heard this idiot scream, but I wasn’t sure if you did something to him or he did something to himself.”
“Neither case.” She scratched Denali behind the ears. “When we came out of the house, Danny pushed me one too many times. Denali must’ve already come out of his unconscious state and immediately went on the attack. When he did, I saw my chance and I went on the attack.”
“Good job, both of you.” He cupped her face and kissed her cheek, which had started throbbing from the slap she’d received inside the house. “I
