She sighed heavily. “Sometimes you’re so blind.”
Did she sound miffed? “Then enlighten me. Please.”
“Stop playing games,” Madison snapped. “You forget. I have the baby.”
“Do you?” Denver tried to sound bored. “Not sure I believe you on that one.”
Movement sounded, and then high heels clicked on concrete. The gurgle of a baby came through the line, and then the phone dinged. Denver pushed a button, and a picture of Talia appeared, her dark eyes looking up from some sort of crib.
His knees almost buckled.
The screen went black, more heels, and then silence. “Are we finished playing games?” Madison asked, her voice cool and so damn cultured.
“I’ll exchange myself in a heartbeat,” Denver said, shocked when his voice remained steady and calm.
Ryker shook his head.
Madison exhaled. “Why? Because you know you belong here with me? Or just for that stupid baby?” For the first time, maybe ever, her voice had risen with what sounded like emotion.
What was her problem? Denver fought down nausea. “For the baby.”
“You’ll pay for that,” she said.
What kind of game was this? Denver pounded his closed fist against his forehead as quietly as he could. He didn’t trust a thing she said. “What makes you think I won’t just turn you in to the authorities for kidnapping a baby?”
“We’re past that, and you can’t find me. Take me off speaker. I can tell the difference.”
He glanced at his brothers, and Heath gave a short nod.
Denver swallowed. He clicked the speaker button off and slowly lifted the phone to his ear. “Whatever you tell me isn’t a secret.”
She laughed, this time the sound low. “Haven’t you wondered? Through the years?”
He blinked. His stomach clenched. “Wondered about what?” His voice broke.
“You know. You’ve always known,” she crooned.
His lids half lowered, and he braced himself. He wiped a hand across his eyes, and it trembled. This was happening. His worst nightmare. “Say the words.”
She sighed. “Fine. I’m your mother.”
“You let the woman go?” Elton Cobb burst into Isobel’s office, his pale face flushed a deep red.
Ah. She’d heard he’d secured transport back to Boise. She sat back in her chair and lifted her legs to the desk, crossing her ankles to reveal high-heeled red shoes. “I did. Yes.”
He slammed the door and leaned back against it, impressive muscles flexing in his arms. “I told you I wanted time with her.” Rage sizzled in his overly blue eyes, giving him the look of a shark circling a swimmer.
Isobel pushed her keyboard to the side and faced him directly, her heartbeat so calm she didn’t need to even take a deep breath. “And I told you I wanted Denver retrieved from the hospital. It was the perfect plan.” Having the local cops assist Elton in securing Denver would have put to rest the national manhunt, and then all of her boys could have just disappeared into her program. Yet Elton had disappointed her. The son of a bitch had tried to murder her son. Against her direct orders, no less. “Instead, you tried to kill him.”
“The bastard killed my brother,” Elton said, his hands in fists.
“Yes, I know.” She barely kept from rolling her eyes. “I truly don’t understand why you want a quick kill. He hurt you, thus you destroy him. You can’t do that if he’s dead.” Why did she have to explain things in such simple terms? The commander had understood nuances. Lord, she missed him. Although he’d never known of Denver’s lineage, he wouldn’t have wanted the kid dead.
A vein pulsed across Elton’s forehead. “Hence, the woman. I want to take my time with her and teach Denver a lesson.”
Elton was completely missing the fact that if he’d killed Denver, then Denver could no longer care what happened to Noni, so torturing her wouldn’t hurt Denver. “Elton, if you want to pursue your own agenda, I can’t stop you.” Isobel tapped her red nails on the desk. “However, I shall just pursue my own as well.” She had been willing to keep Noni for Elton to play with if he’d brought in Denver. Since he hadn’t, she would employ her own strategies. “This has been your choice.”
“I stabbed him.” Elton’s eyes glittered, and his nostrils flared. “He bled like a stuck pig.”
