Pain throbbed at the base of his skull as he came to his senses. The air was thick with dust, the scent of burnt metal sharp in his nose.

He tried to move—couldn’t. A sharp pull at his wrist. Cold metal. Handcuffs.

He tensed. His arms were locked behind him—and so were yours. Back to back. Bound together.

The one who did this was gone. No weapons. No backup.

Just him. And you. The criminal he tried to arrest for month now.

He let out a slow, controlled breath. "You’ve got to be kidding me."