“Eh. I’ve had worse hangnails.” Denver inched forward just a little.
“Stop moving, jackass.” Cobb cocked his head to the side in the same way he’d done when Denver had been a helpless kid. As if he was studying a bug on a microscope slide, trying to figure out how to dissect it. “I’ve been waiting for revenge for so long that it hurts to end this.”
“Revenge, huh? Did your oath as a cop ever mean anything?” Of course it hadn’t. Good cops didn’t hit kids. Malloy was a good cop, and he’d probably like to lock this jerk up. “You should want justice. Not revenge.” If Denver could keep him talking, maybe Ryker or Heath would make it upstairs. Denver had to get the baby clear before any shots were fired. “Right?”
“Justice and revenge are the same thing.” Cobb’s chest puffed out. “Are you about done stalling?”
“I figured you needed time to catch your breath after running up the stairs.” Another couple of feet, and Denver would be clear of the baby. “How about we take this outside?”
Cobb sighed and glanced toward the crib. “She’s a pretty little thing.”
The hair on the back of Denver’s neck rose. “I’m glad I killed your brother.”Focus. Back. Here.
Cobb swung his gaze.
Good.
“It hurts to lose something you love.” His smile almost gleeful, Cobb turned slowly and pointed the gun at the crib. “Payback, loser.”
Denver reacted instantly, throwing his body between the crib and Cobb. Three shots echoed in rapid succession, and pain bloomed across Denver’s chest. The impacts threw him back against the crib, and he hit, falling to the floor.
Talia started to wail.
Denver choked out air, his body convulsing. Holy fucking shit. Pain overwhelmed his central nervous system, and he tried to roll over. God. He couldn’t breathe.
Cobb grabbed him by the jacket and lifted him, shoving him into the dresser. The top drawer shattered. Denver’s shoulders hit first, and his head flew forward and then back. The room went dark, and he shook his head, trying to stay conscious. He had to stay awake to protect Talia. Gravity grabbed him, and he slid down to land on his ass.
His body was one large pulsing nerve of raw pain.
Cobb was instantly in his face, crouching down, his hand around Denver’s neck. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
Denver inhaled deeply and punched up, nailing the sheriff in the throat.
Cobb gasped and fell back, reaching for his trachea.
Denver tried to push himself to his feet, his legs unsteady. He used the dresser at his back and stood, wobbling slightly. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and the scent wafted in the air around him. Definitely his blood.
Cobb released his neck and lifted his gun hand.
Denver kicked out, hitting Cobb’s wrist and sending the gun clattering to the other side of the room. But Denver’s balance was off, and he dropped to the floor on both knees.
“Oh, this is better.” Cobb advanced, whipping a knife out from his back pocket. He grabbed Denver’s hair and jerked his head back. “Much better.”
Denver wheezed and forced a smile even as blood dribbled from his mouth. “You never won,” he gasped, his chest shuddering. “You were bigger and stronger . . . and you never broke us.” He let his head roll so he could look the asshole directly in his evil eyes. “Not once.”
“Maybe not,” Cobb snarled. “But I’m gonna kill you. It’s a nice consolation prize.”
Talia continued to scream, and Denver’s body short-circuited. He couldn’t leave that baby with this monster. Noni’s face flashed across his vision. She trusted him. She needed him. They both did. “You just don’t get it,” Denver said softly, his entire being settling.
“What?” Cobb pressed the knife against Denver’s jugular. “What don’t I get?”
“You can’t win. You can’t beat us. Ever.” With one smooth motion, Denver pulled his knife from his calf and shoved up, jumping from his knees to his feet and keeping going. The blade pierced beneath Cobb’s chin and shoved right up into his skull. He fell back, and Denver fell with him, landing hard and sending the knife all the way home.
Cobb’s eyes widened and then went blank.
Denver rolled off him, leaving the knife in place.
Talia kept crying.
