Heath blew out air. “Yeah. I know.” Ryker had proposed and was getting married. He needed to be protected for Zara. “I’m okay with it. Are you?”
“Absolutely,” Denver said, his gaze flaring. “I want him happy. In addition, I want you happy and safe.”
Heath’s shoulders jolted. “You’re not going after them alone. Don’t even fucking think it.”
Denver remained silent.
Damn it. “Listen. They have trained soldiers, and Cobb wants us dead, whether or not Madison needs us alive. Either way, it ain’t gonna be good.”
“I know. That’s why I left Noni.” Denver took another slug.
“If we beat them—if we end Cobb and Madison—are you going back for her?” Heath asked quietly.
Denver stared into his now-empty cup. “I don’t know.”
Yeah? Well, Heath sure as hell knew. If they lived through taking out Cobb and the psycho doctor, he’d kidnap both Denver and Noni and put them in a mountain cabin somewhere they couldn’t leave. Yeah. Good plan.
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” Denver muttered.
Heath grinned. “Okay. Let’s go back to agreeing about Ryker, okay? He stays safe when we go.”
“I have super-hearing, you dumb-asses.” Ryker strode into the room, bare chested and with his jeans unbuttoned. His hair was ruffled, and his eyes concerned. “I heard you guys.”
Heath reached for his glass. He would’ve heard Ryker had the guy not gone stealth on them. “The downside of having superhuman, genetically altered hearing. Shit wakes you up.”
“I’m not being left behind. Ever.” Ryker eyed the bottle. “You guys putting one on?”
“No. Too much to do still before we invite a killer into our little nest.” Heath took another drink. “Just having a bit of a chat.”
“Good.” Ryker scratched his whiskered chin. “You’re both dumbshits.”
Denver set down his cup, and Heath jerked his head toward his brother. “Excuse us?” Heath drawled.
“I’m done, Heath,” Ryker said, his gaze softening. “I have a woman in my bed muttering about place settings, I have Denver here losing his ass in a bottle, and now I have you, the normally reasonable one, being dishonest with himself. Not to mention you two just made a tacit agreement to go after killers without me. Not happening.”
Heath pushed his cup onto the desk and partially turned to face Ryker, his chest heating. “You’re gonna want to clarify the dishonesty statement, brother.”
Denver pushed away from the desk, no doubt to intervene if necessary. Always the peacemaker, wasn’t he? Heath took note of Denver’s movements while keeping his gaze on Ryker, who did look like he was done. His chest was out, his chin was up, and his eyes said he was pissed. Even with interesting little scratch marks across his battle-worn chest, which showed he’d probably just gotten laid, his temper was clearly present and ready to go.
“Cool it,” Denver said.
“No,” Ryker said. “You love her. Stop lying to yourself and deal with it.” He partially turned toward Denver. “I’ll deal with you next.”
Fire flashed in Denver’s eyes. “Looking forward to it.”
Heath shook his head. “I just met the woman.”
“Who gives a fuck?” Ryker snapped. “Time doesn’t really have constraints in our world, and you know it. There’s no reason to stop livin’ just because we’re being hunted. We’ve run long enough, and it’s time to end this. I agree it’s time to take the fight to Cobb and Madison.”
“You’re prepared? You know what we have to do?” Denver asked.
“There’s only one thing to do,” Ryker replied just as tersely.
Heath breathed out. “Shit, man.” Yeah, he could probably put a bullet in Cobb without breaking a sweat. But Madison? A woman?
“I’ll do it,” Ryker said. “I’m not asking you to.”
No, he wasn’t. But Ryker couldn’t cold-bloodedly kill a woman any more than Heath could. Not even that woman.
