“Knock it off.” Denver grabbed the sofa cushions near his legs to keep from launching up and tackling his brother. “I’m right here.”
“Yeah. You are,” Ryker said, moving forward and dropping into a seat. “We’re all here, and we’re us. No matter what genetic material they spliced into us. We’reus.”
Denver tried to shrug off the panic engulfing him. “I think I knew,” he whispered, his tone going hoarse and his throat hurting from the heat. “There were times, when she treated me differently, that I thought . . .”
Heath reached over and clasped his shoulder. Hard. “It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t matter.”
But she did. She always had. “Did you know? Suspect?” He looked at his brothers.
“No,” Heath said, his voice hoarse.
Ryker didn’t answer.
Denver sat back. “Ry?”
Ryker’s jaw stiffened. “I wondered.” He scrubbed his hands over his eyes. “She treated you a little differently, and you have similar eye color and eye shape.” He paled.
Denver couldn’t breathe. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Why?” Ryker’s chin lowered. “Why would I?”
Good point. Denver breathed out. “She knew about Ned and the sheriff. She knew they hit us,” Denver said, feeling eight years old and all alone again. How could his own mother—the person who was supposed to love him, to care—leave him with monsters? How could he come from such a monster? Yeah, he’d always been dark. But that dark? “We’re nothing but an experiment to her. I’mnothing.”
“You’re my brother,” Ryker said simply. “We made ourselves, Den. She has nothing to do with who we are and what we want. What we love.”
Denver’s arms trembled. He wanted her to hurt. To pay for everything—to regret not loving him. To regret not protecting him and his brothers. Everything inside him, all the darkness she’d given him, rose to the surface.
And a part of him, way down deep where hopefully nobody ever could see, wanted her to love him. Somehow. Guilt flushed him at that thought. He shouldn’t care about her. He really shouldn’t. It felt somehow disloyal to his brothers. So enough of that.
He swallowed.Think, damn it.“You’re right,” he said, focusing on his brothers and forcing himself to climb out of the pit. “We made ourselves. To survive.”
Heath released him and sat back. “Exactly.”
“So that’s what we’ll do.” Determination rocketed through him. Two could play at her game.
Ryker’s chin lifted. “The look on your face. I’m not sure I like it.”
Even Denver’s smile felt mean. “Let’s see if she gives a shit at all. Let’s play her.”
Heath straightened. “You want to try and manipulate Madison? Really?”
Denver looked up. “I think Madison will sacrifice Cobb for the good of the organization.”
Heath nodded. “Definitely.” His gaze sharpened. “You have an idea?”
Denver gulped down air. “What if I show vulnerability? I mean, try to hide the fact that I’m freaked out about Noni and the baby? I’ve gone from being alone to having responsibilities.” That was the absolute truth. But he wanted that responsibility. He wanted to protect Noni and Talia—needed to do it. But those were human emotions, and Madison didn’t have those. She surely couldn’t understand those.
“I don’t know,” Ryker said, leaning closer as if to offer support. “Madison won’t fall for it. She knows you, Denver. Or she wouldn’t have written on Noni’s bare and very vulnerable back.”
Denver frowned. “Yeah, but that could open the door for a weakness Madison could pounce on. She has to think I’m vulnerable from learning the truth.”
“You are,” Heath said in a low tone.
“Yeah, but we can use that,” Denver said, nausea swirling through his gut. “Though she’s not just going to meet me somewhere.” Messing with Madison like that was a long game. Talia couldn’t stay in Madison’s clutches that long. The baby wasn’t safe. “There isn’t time for that.”
Heath rubbed his temples. “You calling Madison might still knock her off balance a little. She gave a number for when you’re ready to sacrifice yourself, right?”
“At least now I understand better how I can figure Madison out,” Denver said. Did genetics give him that ability? Or was it just a coincidence?
