On my way, darlin’. Just hang on a little longer.

A faint yellow glow lit the path ahead as he slipped farther into the tunnel. Kade edged quietly through the dimly lit interior, following the source of the light.

“We’ve talked enough,” Egan said. “I’m going to have you, Ellie. Every way I can think of. You can make it easy on yourself and give me what I want—but I really hope you fight me.”

Anger tore through Kade, and his hand tightened around the Colt. He forced himself under control. One mistake and he could get Ellie killed.

“You want me to fight you?” she said. “Don’t worry. I intend to do just that.”

Kade swore foully and started running. Gun in a two-handed grip, he rounded the corner just as Ellie leaped from a thin mattress in the corner of a room inside the tunnel. She tackled Egan, and both of them went down.

“Ellie!” Unable to get a clear shot, Kade holstered the weapon and went after Egan, who rolled Ellie beneath him and slapped her hard across the face.

Kade grabbed the man by the back of the neck and dragged him off her, spun him around, and slammed a fist into his face. Blood flew, spraying drops of crimson over the front of Kade’s jacket, and Egan went for his throat, wrapping his hands around Kade’s neck, trying to cut off his air supply.

Kade pried Egan’s fingers loose and punched him hard in the jaw. The men struggled back and forth but managed to stay on their feet.

Egan swung a hard punch that slid off Kade’s jaw. “I’m going to kill you, Logan!”

Kade buried a fist in Egan’s gut, then punched him in the mouth. Egan staggered but didn’t fall, bounced back with a series of blows that Kade managed to counter. Egan was tougher than he looked, his body lean and wiry. A hard blow sent Kade crashing backward into the narrow table along the wall. The kerosene lantern went flying, spilling fuel all over the ground, and Kade went down.

“Kade!” Ellie’s warning came an instant too late as Egan grabbed a heavy flashlight and hit Kade in the head. His vision blurred, and everything went black.

By the time Kade opened his eyes a few moments later, a sagging timber was ablaze, Ellie was struggling with Egan, doing her best to fight him with the sharp metal trowel in her hand, and there was ice-cold fury in Egan’s blue eyes.

Kade swayed a little as he came to his feet, just in time to see Ellie dodge Egan’s powerful fist and shove the blade into his stomach.