filled her lungs like hot iron as the men collided in a blur of fists. Barrett’s punched straight and true, springing blood from the soldier’s nose. The German ducked and slipped like a snake, striking his own blows to Barrett’s ribs. Tripping over the rifle, they tumbled to the ground. Barrett grabbed the front of the boy’s tunic, hauling his head off the ground, and socked him on his bloody nose.
He’s going to kill him. And get us dangling from the end of a noose when the Gestapo finds out.
Declawing Ellie’s fingers from her arm, Kat crawled over the ground. Broken gravel dug into her knees as she splayed her hands out. Where are you, you bloody club?
The soldier’s hand snaked around Barrett’s ankle and flipped him backward. Pulling a knife from his belt, he jumped on top of Barrett and stabbed downward. Barrett’s arms blocked the fatal blow.
Without thought, Kat scrambled to her knees, grabbed the rifle, and rammed the butt into the back of the Nazi’s head. He fell limply onto Barrett’s chest.
The gun fell from her numb fingers. Its clattering on the slick pavement jolted her back. Rolling the unconscious man off of Barrett, she fished the identification papers from his pocket and stuffed them down the front of her blouse. Turning back to a tear-streaked Ellie, she yanked her to her feet as the prostrate soldiers moaned. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
Pushing to his feet, Barrett pressed a finger to his lips and motioned for them to follow. Ellie’s feet tangled together, pitching her forward. Kat caught her before she hit the ground. Impatience flashed across Barrett’s face as he hurried back, caught Ellie up in his arms, and rushed out of the alley. Kat ran behind them.
Doors and buildings blurred as they raced the length of the block. Tick! Tick! Tick! Kat’s heels fell like hammers on the footpath as her legs pumped as hard as they could to keep her going. Rounding the corner, she threw a glance back to see if the dogs would continue their chase, but only eerie silence hounded them. More locked doors and windows passed until Barrett skidded to a halt in front of a solid black door. Slipping a key in the lock, he pushed in with Kat right behind him.
Inside, a staircase ran up in front of the door. Next to it, a long hall disappeared into the back. Turning into the lantern-lit room on the left, Barrett gently lowered Ellie onto a flower-printed settee. A cold fireplace took up the far wall, while outdated pictures hung on the faded wallpapered walls. One oversized chair with peeling leather stood in a corner next to a lamp with a stack of newspapers on the floor.
Barrett turned on her. Feet braced apart and hands fisted at his sides, his dark eyes seethed. “What were you doing out there?”
His low growl reverberated in Kat’s chest, terrifying her pulse into overdrive. She ran a shaky hand through her hair. A tortoiseshell comb dangled from the end of a curl. “We—I, that is, Ellie was sick. By the time she was well enough to move, I didn’t bother looking at the clock. I wanted to get her home before anything happened.”
“Oh, aye? How’d that work out for you?”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You could’ve asked me.”
“To what? ‘May we sleep on top of your bar for the night because my sister needs to sober up?’ No, thank you. I can figure out a solution to our problems.”
“And look where your solution got you tonight.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth as if to hold back a curse. Turning on his heel, he stalked to the fireplace and braced both hands on the mantel. Muscles strained in his forearms. “Do you realize the gravity of what would’ve happened if I hadn’t heard your screams on my way home from the pub?”
“Words can never express how grateful—”
“I don’t want your thanks. I want you to swear you’ll never do something so stupid ever again.”
“I won’t.”
He spun back to her. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Swear it, Kathleen.”
“I swear.” Her tongue revolted on the word. If her mother ever found out she’d betrayed her upbringing to the ill-breeding manners of swearing . . . “And we are grateful, no matter if you want to hear it or not.”
The tick in his jaw slowed as his gaze swept up and down. “Are you all right?”