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  If she didn’t freeze to death first.

  But he would be en route by now.

  Sophie whimpered.

  Tessa held her tighter and whispered softly to her as best she could without slowing her dead run.

  Her boot caught on something. Tessa plunged forward. She twisted her body so as to land on her back.

  Not even the snow softened the impact. The breath whooshed out of her.

  “You bitch!”

  Tessa pushed Sophie away from her.

  Howard lunged on top of Tessa. She struggled to jam the gun into his torso. A fist impacted her jaw.

  “You are dead,” Howard roared.

  She tried to knee him in the groin.

  He dodged, jabbed the muzzle of his weapon into her belly. “Die b—”

  His weight suddenly lifted. His weapon discharged. She saw the flash from the muzzle. He fell backward.

  Tessa lay there in the snow unable to move.

  Was she hit?

  The muzzle hadn’t been pointed at her when it fired.

  “Tessa.” Riley was suddenly kneeling next to her. “Are you all right?”

  “I think so,” she managed.

  He pulled her to a sitting position.

  Stark and another man were holding Howard on the ground. He was screaming about all the information he knew. Where other children were being held.

  “Sophie.” Tessa scrambled to her knees and gathered her baby girl into her arms. Sophie was sobbing quietly. Tessa uncovered her face and kissed her cheek. “It’s okay now, baby.”

  She held her child close against her chest and smiled up at the man who had saved her.

  It really was okay now.

  The beam of a flashlight glinted against the metal around Riley’s throat.

  Dear God…the bomb.

  Tessa pushed to her feet. “The Master’s dead.” She hadn’t thought…what had she done?

  “Where is he?” Riley asked, getting to his feet and reassuring her with his hands.

  How could he do that? His life was still in danger and he caressed her hair, touched her cheek. She had killed the man who held the key to Riley’s life.

  “He’s inside…the kitchen.” What had she done? What had she done?

  “Let’s get you in there,” Stark said to Riley.

  They trudged back to the cabin.

  “Stay back, Tessa,” Riley warned. “If this goes wrong, I don’t want you within the impact radius. Or Sophie.”

  If it were just her…but it wasn’t. She had to protect Sophie.

  Tessa nodded.

  Riley leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I’ll be back for you.”

  Her lips trembled as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

  “Let’s move back, ma’am.”

  Tessa didn’t know this agent, but he ushered her farther from the cabin.

  Seconds turned to minutes…the minutes seemed to lapse into eternity.

  Tessa did what she always did. She prayed.

  She hugged her baby and hoped Sophie would have the opportunity to know Riley.

  Tessa closed her eyes and imagined him hugging the little girl. Of her and Riley going together to be with her family.

  “Tessa!”

  Her eyes flew open.

  Riley walked across the porch, toward her.

  Was it over?

  Her heart thudded hard.

  She wanted to run toward him, but the agent held her back.

  Riley walked straight up to her and smiled. “The Master’s last act was to do the right thing. It’s over. He can’t hurt you or anyone else anymore.”

  Tessa ran into Riley’s arms. She was free of that evil. Free to begin her life again. With her sweet daughter. And maybe with this wonderful man.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chicago, Friday, January 1

  Victoria Colby-Camp considered her reflection in the mirror. The red was nice. She’d tried on several dresses already, but she simply couldn’t decide which one she wanted to wear.

  She and her husband, Lucas, were going to a very special party tonight. Ian Michaels and his lovely wife, Nicole, were hosting a New Year’s cocktail party for the entire agency.

  Victoria smiled. The new year was off to a wonderful start. Waylon Smoltz, the man who had called himself the Master, was dead. His organization was being dismantled by the Bureau. The one key survivor, Howard Keats, one of Smoltz’s deputies, was providing more evidence than anyone had dared to hope for. Hundreds of missing children were being tracked down. Emotion welled in Victoria’s chest. She was so proud of the members of her agency for their part in that incredible feat.

  Jim’s team of former Equalizers were fully merged with the Colby Agency now. Things were running more smoothly than ever.

  Her son had just yesterday sold the brownstone and the Equalizers name.

  Lucas was spending several days per week at the agency. Both Victoria and Jim genuinely appreciated his incredible insights.

  Victoria’s two beautiful grandchildren were happy and healthy.

  She couldn’t ask for more.

  The red silk dress, she decided as she went in search of shoes and a handbag.

  Lucas was already waiting in the den.

  But he was a patient man.

  Red shoes, red handbag. She fished through the contents of her purse to transfer the essentials. A business card drifted to the floor. She picked it up to tuck it back into her purse. The card with the date and time of her doctor’s appointment next week.

  Victoria groaned. She deplored annual physical examinations. But it was necessary. Lucas would never let her miss one again.

  With a last check of her hair, she was off.

  “It’s about time,” Lucas said as she entered the den. He whistled. “You look fantastic.”

  She whirled around, letting the silky fabric swirl around her legs. “Thank you. So do you.” Her husband looked exceptionally distinguished in his charcoal suit.

  He helped her into her coat. “Did Jim tell you that Porter is spending the weekend with the Woods family?”

  Victoria nodded. “He did. I think that’s a wonderful idea. The transition will be difficult for Tessa. Riley will make a fine buffer.” Victoria smiled. “That Sophie is a little doll.”

  “She is,” Lucas agreed. He kissed his wife’s cheek.

  “Let’s go show these kids how we baby boomers party.”

  Victoria and Lucas might be getting older, but nothing was going to slow them down.

  Together they were invincible.

  Purvis, Mississippi

  TESSA WATCHED FROM THE doorway as her parents played with Sophie. The little girl had only met them two days ago and already she loved them.

  And they loved her.

  An arm went around her neck and Tessa looked up at her brother. He smiled down at her. God, he’d gotten so tall.

  “I missed you,” he said quietly.

  She nodded, tears stinging her eyes. “Not as much as I missed you.”

  He ruffled her hair with his fist like he used to do when she was a kid. “Karin’s coming over after dinner.”

  Tessa smiled. She’d done a lot of that lately. “I can’t wait to see her.”

  Her brother nodded. “She wanted to give us some time.”

  Tessa tiptoed and kissed his jaw. “I always knew you two would end up together.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  He wandered over to play with Sophie.

  Tessa and her mother shared a smile.

  Tessa wasn’t sure her heart could take any more happiness. It was overwhelming…perfect.

  Another warm body moved up beside her.

  Riley.

  He was a major part of that happiness. She watched him watch her family. “This wouldn’t have happened without you.” It was true.

  He squeezed her hand. “I think you were on the right track. I just sped up the process.”

  “Maybe.”

&n
bsp; She studied his handsome face. The bruises from the beating he’d taken were pretty much faded now. She would never be able to repay him. She wanted him to stay…here. Forever. But he’d insisted they had to take this slow since she might feel otherwise when she got her bearings again.

  Victims often grew attached to their rescuers, he’d explained. The way she felt might not last.

  But it would.

  Tessa knew it would.

  She laced her fingers in his. “Just so you know,” she said, “you’re stuck with me.”

  He turned his face to hers, tried to hold back the smile toying with his lips but it wasn’t working. “That’s good because I have to tell you, I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  She punched him in the arm with her free hand. “You could’ve told me that already.”

  He shook his head. “I had to give you time.”

  “Time.” She shook her head. “I have a lot of lost time to make up for.” Her tummy tingled at the idea of some of the things she would like to catch up on and experience for the first time with him.

  “And you have my word that I’ll be around for every minute of it…as long as you want me.”

  She tiptoed and whispered in his ear, “How about forever?”

  He released her hand and draped his arm around her shoulders. “Deal…as long as we go real slow. You have college and lots of other stuff to do, too. I want you to have everything you missed.”

  “I’m holding you to it, mister.” Tessa didn’t care…as long as every step included Sophie and him. Her gaze settled on the people surrounding her daughter. And her family.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-7632-5

  COLBY CORE

  Copyright © 2010 by Debra Webb

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  *Colby Agency

  ††Colby Agency: Elite Reconnaissance Division

  **Colby Agency: Under Siege

  §Colby Agency: Merger

  §§Colby Agency: Christmas Miracles