Deadly Silence (Blood Brothers #1)(71)

Denver yanked free. “Not now, Ryker.”

Hell, he really didn’t want to do this. But Ryker moved fast and blocked the way into the kitchen, panic threatening to blind him. “Talk to me.”

Denver lifted his chin, and his eyes narrowed to a pissed blue flecked with gold. They both stood at about six foot four, maybe five, and a fight between them would be disastrous. “Get the f*ck out of my way.”

Ryker swallowed and shoved down his rapidly approaching temper. Denver was the peacemaker between them all, and it was unsettling to see him out of that role. Ryker tried to keep his voice calm. “It’s time you stopped punishing yourself for leaving her. It’s been a year, Denver. Let it go.”

Red infused the hard planes of Denver’s face. He bunched and swung.

Ryker blocked the punch and shoved hard. Denver slid sideways into the wall. Oh, he was definitely off from the booze. “You’re drunk,” Ryker snapped.

“Jealous?” Denver countered, regaining his balance.

Ryker winced. He had been in a bottle not too long ago. “Come on, Denver.” Ryker’s chest ached. There had to be something he could do to ease his brother’s pain. “I’ll do whatever you want. We can go get Noni right now and bring her here.”

Denver moved faster than Ryker could track, grabbing his shirt and shoving him against the wall. “I cared for her, damn it. You don’t take a nice woman like that and bring her into our shit-storm of a life. I wouldn’t do that.”

Ryker stilled. “This is about Zara?”

“You’re an *,” Denver spat, shoving him and backing away.

“I know,” Ryker muttered, remaining against the wall, his entire body hurting all of a sudden. “I should’ve let her go, but then I convinced myself she was in trouble and needed my protection.” But that was a lie. Even before he knew she was in danger, he’d been playing mind games with himself. “Then somebody actually tried to take her.”

“Yeah.” Denver ground a fist into his left eye and took several shuddering breaths. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Ryker. Of course you have to provide cover. She’s in danger.” His head hung, but he faced Ryker. “Sorry.”

Ryker knocked his head back on the wall, feeling raw from the look in Denver’s eyes. “I kept her even before I knew that. She’s in me, Denver.” He hit his chest with a closed fist, needing to confess it all to somebody who’d get it. “In here. I don’t want days without her in them.” His voice sounded a whole lot more tortured than he wanted, but he didn’t hold back with his brother.

Denver closed his eyes and nodded. “I get it. This is my deal, not yours. I’m sorry for dragging you into it.”

Ryker frowned as realization slapped him upside the head. “It hurts you to see me with Zara.” Why hadn’t he thought about that? He was playing house, and he hadn’t given one thought to how that would make Denver feel. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault, man. I made my choice.” Denver’s broad chest shuddered. “She doesn’t even know my real name. Never gave it to her.”

Ryker grimaced. “So there’s no way she could reach out to you?”

“Figured it was safer and cleaner.” Denver’s lips peeled back, the booze no doubt giving him freedom of speech for the moment. “We had only a month together. It’s been a year, and I still taste her.”

“Then she’s not going away,” Ryker said gently, wondering if he should just go get Noni and bring her to Cisco. The self-hatred in Denver’s voice ate him alive. “Maybe you should call her.”

Denver snorted. “She may have been a sweetheart, but that girl had a hell of a temper. She surely hates my guts now.”

“Not if she loved you.” He’d met Noni only once, because the case had been mainly Denver’s, but she’d seemed like a gal who would stick. “Of course, you’d have to admit that you initially asked her out as part of a case.” Ryker blanched. “They kind of insist on honesty.”

“Shit.”

Ryker nodded, his chest relaxing as he got back in synch with Denver. “We can come up with an excuse for you to see her.”

Denver sighed, and his eyes finally focused. “Right now we have enough on our plates. Let’s get Greg to his family, find out who Dr. Madison really was, and save your woman from whatever danger is after her. Oh, and find the Copper Killer.”

They did have a lot going on. As if on cue, the computer in the corner dinged. “What?”

Denver glanced toward the screen. “Another bite. They’re coming, brother. We need to get ready.”





Chapter





25




Zara finished up her bowl of chili while Grams and Greg chatted happily about recipes and spicy foods. After a couple of uncomfortable moments when Greg couldn’t stop looking at Grams and kept smoothing back his hair like he was heading to church, they’d moved into a mutual love of all things edible.

Ryker had been gone for a couple of hours, and Zara couldn’t help but worry. Not only about his safety, but also how quickly the guy had wanted to escape his suddenly full apartment. As a loner, he didn’t seem comfortable with houseguests. He’d all but had CONFIRMED BACHELOR stamped across his tough features as he’d run away like a wounded dog. She set her dish in the sink, wandered into the guest room, and noted the queen-sized bed with a dark blue bedspread. The furniture was almost utilitarian and without any warmth. A few throw pillows would warm it up a little.