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  “My damn heart,” a familiar deep voice answered from the open door.

  Brit’s eyes flew to River’s, his words hitting her as though he’d physically struck her. Her mouth parted in shock and she noticed how angry he looked as he limped across the room toward her.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Fuck And Run?” River halted in front of her. “And don’t even deny that’s exactly what you did to me again. Have you lost your mind? You were safe at the ranch or would have been once we set up camp.”

  “I―”

  He cut her off. “Don’t. I’m so pissed right now I’m tempted to put you over my knee and give you some swats for the damn anguish you’ve put me through the past few hours. I imagined the worst, damn it.”

  “What the hell is going on here?” The cop glared at Drake.

  “It’s complicated. She’s a victim of abuse and her abuser got himself killed. A family member of his has ordered a hit on her. I’m sorry for the lie we told about why we needed to find her but you saved her life when you arrested her.” Drake blew out a deep breath. “We need to go right now. If Marthum has any law enforcement contacts, he could learn where you detained her. We don’t want her to still be here if he sends someone to kill her. Her safety is priority and catching that jackass is secondary.”

  Brit hesitated. “I called his office and gave his secretary a message to tell him I’m the one who shot Kyle. I thought I would be able to bail myself out and be long gone by now.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  She met River’s stunned, angry gaze. “I don’t want him coming after you.”

  “Did you say where you were?” Drake tensed.

  She forced her attention from River to his brother. “No, but the caller ID did.”

  “Shit.” Drake shook his head. “We need to go. He definitely knows where she is by now.”

  “Wait until we get home,” River said under his breath. “Your ass is mine.”

  She glanced up at him but then his hand gripped her wrist, strong fingers gently but firmly curving around her skin. He gave her a tug, turning her to face the door, and pulled her after him. Drake moved ahead of them but then froze at the open doorway.

  “Shit,” he hissed. He jerked the door closed and twisted the deadbolt to lock it. He spun to face the room. “There are two thugs walking this way. It could be nothing but call me paranoid. Get her over there by those file cabinets, bro.” Drake unzipped his jacket, his hand reached inside and he pulled out a big, black gun.

  “Unlock the door,” the officer ordered softly.

  “Are you on the take?” Drake’s gun rose to point at the other man, his frown deepening.

  “No.” The cop shook his head. “But we can control the situation better if we let them walk right in. Otherwise they are going to be firing through the walls, fishing to hit something. You said there are two of them and there are two of us. I’ll take the one on the right, you take the one on the left, and we’ll come out of this alive. Call me J.P. We should be on a first name basis if we’re about to face a deadly situation together.”

  Drake lowered his weapon until it pointed at the floor. His other arm shot back to twist the bolt free. “Good plan. I want to know the location of their boss.”

  “Understood.”

  Drake glanced at River. “Cover her, bro.”

  “Got it.” River jerked his head in a sharp nod.

  Brit opened her mouth to ask what that meant but then she gasped as River released her wrist, grabbed her around her waist and the back of her knees, and her feet were jerked from the floor. He shifted her into the cradle of his arms, moved a few feet to a heavy desk and knelt behind it. He laid her down flat on the cold, hard floor, and his body crushed down on top of hers.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like?” He arched a black eyebrow. “They may have guns and there’s nowhere to go but the floor. I’m protecting you with my body in case the desk doesn’t stop a stray bullet.”

  The situation sank in and Brit reached up, cupping his face. “I only left you because I’d rather let you go than have you die.”

  Something softened in his gaze. “You’re still in hot water with me.”

  “I stole your heart?” She still couldn’t believe he’d said those words. “What exactly did you mean by that?”

  “You want to talk about this now?” Dark eyes widened. “Really?”

  “I―”

  River’s mouth silenced her as he dipped his head, his full, sensual lips sealing over hers. His tongue delved between her parted lips, tasting her mouth with a teasing swipe. Brit kissed him back, her arms sliding around his neck, and enjoyed the passion that flared between them intensely until the door banged open. Their lips parted when they jerked their heads in the direction from which it came.

  Brit could see the bottom of the front door from her position under the desk. Two men walked in wearing boots.

  “Freeze,” Drake ordered. “Drop your guns.”

  “Fuck,” a male hissed.

  Two shots rang out immediately. River suddenly blinded her when he slumped over her totally, his body crushing down, and his face pressed hard against her cheek. Something heavy hit the floor and a male groaned loudly.

  “Damn it,” Drake ground out. “You should have dropped the damn guns.”

  River’s head jerked up. “You okay, bro?”

  “Yeah. We’re great but these two idiots need ambulances.” Metal clamored across the floor. “Clear,” Drake suddenly said. “Why don’t you call this in, J.P.? The one you shot looks like a through and through to the shoulder but this asshole took one to the gut when he lunged at me.”

  River lifted off Brit, slowly getting to his knees. When she tried to sit up, he reached out a hand to help her, pulling her up to a standing position next to him. Brit took in the scene in front of her.

  Two men she’d never seen before lay by the door on the floor. One held his stomach, blood on his hands, and a grimace etched on his features. His companion gripped his shoulder, blood spreading slowly down his blue shirt, and he leaned against the wall next to the door. He glared at her.

  “This is Officer J.P. Jenkins,” the cop said into a cell phone. “We need two ambulances sent to the station. I have two perps down with gunshot wounds.”

  “What happened?” River inched over, blocking most of Brit’s body from the guy glaring at her still. He glanced at his older brother.

  “These two idiots walked in here gripping guns.” Drake jerked his head. “I kicked their guns over by the cells so they aren’t stupid enough to go for them.” He kept his gun trained between the injured men. “But I’d love for them to try to go for one of them. I’m a real believer in the death penalty and assholes who walk into police stations pointing guns are prime reasons why.”

  “Is she still alive? I want to watch her take her last breath,” a man called out as the sound of running feet approached.

  Brit watched in stunned silence as Kevin Marthum jogged into the room. He came to a halt when he nearly tripped over the gut-shot thug he’d obviously hired to kill her. His startled expression over the situation he’d run into changed to anger quickly when he saw her unharmed across the room.

  “I heard the shots,” he gasped. “I thought you’d shot her and the cop.”

  “I told you I’d call you on your cell,” the one injured in the shoulder muttered. “They were waiting for us, like a trap.”

  Kevin’s face turned bright red with rage and he took a threatening step in Brit’s direction. “You bitch! You killed my son. I want to see you suffer and bleed to death in agony the way he did.”

  “You’re under arrest,” J.P. kept his gun trained on Kevin. “Slowly turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

  “It’s not fair,” Kevin raged. “You’re nothing but a two-bit whore. You’re trash my son threw his life away over. You―”

  River closed the distance in three long strides and his