It was a simple act, really, but it obviously had held so much meaning to them. They were truly a family. She liked seeing Denver as part of a family—as not being alone. Even if they couldn’t find a future together, he had people. That mattered.
Just like she had Franny and Verna. She rubbed her chest. Man, she wished they could see how hard Denver was working to bring Talia home to them. How much he was willing to sacrifice to save the baby. When she’d wondered if he’d be able to love a baby, to love her, she’d been wrong.
Denver was more than capable of love. His brothers proved that.
Ryker had black hair that curled over his collar and sparkling bluish green eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. His features were more angled than Denver’s but not as much as Heath’s. He was just as tall as Denver—maybe about six foot four. Heath seemed just as tall too, with brown hair and greenish brown eyes.
Ryker pointed out defensive positions, Heath opined the best offense, and Denver seemed to put it all together into a workable plan. They often spoke in shorthand, but they apparently understood one another. Malloy interjected several times with plans for the police presence while Tina kept an eye on his injuries; the arm had suddenly started bleeding again.
It was odd to see Denver work so effortlessly with his brothers, but it made a nice kind of sense. He seemed like such a lone wolf that observing him with people he loved, with people he trusted, gave her hope that someday he’d find peace. Was there a chance he’d find that with her and Talia?
If not, she’d leave him with a kiss and go become a single mom. But . . . what if?
At the thought, she straightened her shoulders.
Denver turned toward Malloy. “I think we’ve got this.”
Malloy snorted. “I’m a cop. You should know me by now.”
Ryker cut Heath a look.
Tension rolled through the room.
Malloy seemed to relax. “I also know you guys.”
Noni shivered, caught by the undercurrents. “What’s going on?”
Malloy focused on her. “Your boys here are trying to figure out a way to keep me out of this. To keep the authorities out of this.” If anything, the cop sounded cheerful as he announced the news.
Denver crossed his arms. “Say what you’re going to say.”
“I already set the plan in motion.” If Malloy had been a more dramatic guy, he probably would’ve twisted an imaginary mustache. “SWAT is ready to roll.”
“Damn it,” Heath snapped. “Sheriff Cobb has our faces all over the news. Our pictures are probably stuck on bulletin boards all across the country.”
Malloy nodded. “Yep. The only way I can make this work and not make you guys true fugitives is to do this within the law and say you’re working with me. Cobb has your pictures up and has put out BOLOs, but he’s in a different jurisdiction, and I can plead ignorance. For a while, anyway. Long enough.”
Denver shook his head. “Let’s get the baby and worry about our fugitive status next. You two will have to take up sniper positions as soon as we have a location. Then get out as soon as possible. If I get taken in, we’ll deal.”
Noni gulped. “You’re assuming we’ll get Talia.” God, she had to believe them. She had to. The idea of not getting her baby, of Talia in a monster’s hands, was too terrifying to imagine.
Denver sent her what he probably thought was a reassuring smile. “The ear communicators my brothers brought with them will keep us in contact with one another. This is good.”
They’d also brought a box of bulletproof vests, more guns, and several wicked-looking knives. Denver’s eyes had gleamed at the knives.
She shivered. The more she listened to the plan, the more her stomach began to hurt. “You think the gang is going to try to double-cross you,” she murmured, finally catching some of the subtext.
Denver shook his head. “The smart thing for them to do is honor the deal.”
Heath looked up from papers on the table, his gaze serious. “There’s an odd code to the dark web—one they shouldn’t want to violate. If word gets around that their auctions, any of them, are rigged, then nobody will bid on their items. And they make a lot of money from selling drugs on the dark web.”
Were the brothers trying to reassure her? If so, they were in perfect sync with one another. “Right,” she mused. “That’s only if you can make it back to the auction site to report them or talk about them or whatever. If you die, then nobody will know you were double-crossed.” She wasn’t born yesterday, for goodness’ sake.
Ryker grinned from his position of leaning against the fridge. “Smart. Denver said you were smart.”
Heat climbed into her face. Denver had talked about her to his brothers? She kept her gaze level and tried to stop blushing. “He was gone so quickly from Alaska that I hadn’t thought he’d noticed.” Yeah, she was being a smart-ass. He had deserted her, after all.
Ryker bit back a snort, and Heath grinned, keeping his gaze down on the papers.
