The bitch was insane. “Wh-what about his father?” Noni asked, curious without wanting to be so. Plus, the longer she kept Madison talking, the more likely Talia would wake up and start wailing. Noni needed proof that her daughter was near. “Who was the sperm donor?”
“A soldier out of MI6, actually,” Madison said, seemingly fine about chatting. “He left the British and worked for us. For the commander, who was my partner.” She crossed and recrossed her legs. “Truth be told, I had a rather energetic weekend with him in Bora Bora that I still remember fondly.” She pushed a stray strand of dark hair away from her smooth skin. “Before you ask, we didn’t kill him. He died on a mission for us. Somewhere in Fallujah.”
Noni swallowed, her chest hurting. “What about the so-called uncle? The one Denver stayed with as a kid in Colorado?”
Madison frowned and then her forehead cleared. She rubbed the still-visible lines as if remembering not to create lines in her face. “I’d forgotten about him. He was a former soldier, one who’d washed out of our program and took off with Denver.” She frowned and uncrossed her legs, tapping one foot on the ground. “I made sure he was killed—violently—after we found Denver again.”
“You’re evil,” Noni said, her voice trembling. Talia still hadn’t woken. Was she really in the plane? What about her medicine? “My baby can’t fly. You have to know that.”
Madison shrugged. “I saw the medical records. She’s been on medicine for more than a day, and frankly, if her eardrums burst, I don’t care. Her only use to me is temporary.”
Bile rose in Noni’s throat along with fury. “I’m so going to kill you. With pain.”
Movement sounded, and a soldier with several guns strapped to his body appeared in the doorway. “The airport is secure, and the pilots are ready any time. There’s a storm brewing, and our window is only during the next hour.”
Noni fought against the bindings. “Help me, please. Let me out.”
The soldier ignored her.
Madison eyed him. “Has Sheriff Cobb reported in?” Her lips thinned into a white line, made garish by her bright red lipstick.
“Negative,” the soldier said.
“Get my bag from the plane, please,” Madison said, her eyes turning harder than any stone Noni had ever seen. The soldier instantly moved away from the doorway.
Noni dug deep to find calmness. She had to think clearly to save Talia. “You seem unhappy with Sheriff Cobb. Trouble in psycho-lovers-ville?”
Madison eyelids lowered slightly at the sarcasm. “If you must know, we had a very good plan that Elton apparently has dismissed. He was supposed to fetch Denver from the hospital and bring him here.”
Noni stiffened, her body aching. Her toes were so cold she could barely feel them. “So where is he?”
Madison sighed, a small catlike smile playing on her full lips. “If I had to guess, and I really don’t, he’s trying to kill your boyfriend right now.” She stomped her high-heeled boot. “He’d betternotsucceed.”
Denver rolled quickly to the side, and the knife plunged into the pillow next to his head. The IV was yanked out of his vein, and he ignored the pain. Without losing momentum, he swung back and struck Cobb in the ear, hitting him with a closed fist as hard as he could. The impact echoed loudly through the hospital room.
Cobb hissed and leaned back, grabbing his ear. His eyes were swirling pools of raw hatred.
Denver kicked off the blankets. Thank God they’d at least put a hospital gown on him. He swung out for Cobb’s head.
Cobb swiped down, smashing the knife hilt against Denver’s knee. Pain shot through Denver’s legs, attacking his nerves. Denver swung for Cobb’s wrist, hitting solidly, and the knife fell to the bed.
“I’m going to kill you,” Cobb said, keeping his voice low.
Good. No yelling. The cop didn’t want witnesses. Denver would have to silence him before he decided to call for help. Denver tried to sit up, but his body still fought him. Whatever had been in the darts wasn’t completely out of his system yet. “Why did your soldiers leave me alive?” he asked, grabbing for the knife with his free hand.
Cobb clubbed him square in the mouth and grappled for the knife. Agony spread through Denver’s skull, and he struck out, dropping the knife.
“Isobel’s plan involves using you on the outside,” Cobb gasped, lunging and winning the knife as Denver kicked him. The kick momentum threw Cobb back against the wall, and he hit hard. Sucking in air, red flushing his pale face, he regained his balance. “My plan involves something entirely different. Mainly, you gutted and bleeding out.”
“Your missus isn’t going to like that.” Denver pretended to sag back on the bed while wrapping his hand around the bar. He tugged. No give. “She’s not exactly the forgiving sort.”
Cobb straightened his denim shirt. In the blue shirt and jeans, he no longer looked like a county sheriff. Denver studied him. The guy had been working out. He even moved smoother than he had before.
“Don’t tell me. She has her soldiers training you.” Denver forced a wheeze into his voice. Fuck it. He might not win this fight. He struggled to get his focus back, but the ringing in his ears wouldn’t stop.
“I’m training them.” Cobb puffed out his chest and inched closer to the bed. “You don’t sound too good.”
Yeah, he still felt like shit. “How about you release this cuff and we have a fair fight?”
