“But you’ll return all the same, won’t you?”
Denver’s brows were down, his mouth flat, his chest expanding—and she realized Armie was right.
This hurt him, her insistence on trying to handle things herself. She’d been so intent on not imposing on him, she’d made matters worse.
Regret knotted her stomach, but she lifted her chin. “You want an answer, Carver, is that it?”
“You made me wait so long, darlin’, I want a damn sight more than that now.”
“All right.” Her hand trembled, but she held the phone out to Denver.
Satisfaction altered his entire demeanor. His golden eyes glowed as he accepted the phone, bent to quickly kiss her, then clicked on the phone to check the number before putting it to his ear. In a near jovial tone, he said, “Damn, Carver, you must change out phones every day. That’s got to be getting costly, you cowardly prick.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
DENVER KEPT HIS gaze on Cherry while he listened to Carver’s harsh breathing.
“Put Cherry back on.”
“C’mon, Carver. You’re not that stupid. You know you’re never speaking to her again.” Cherry hadn’t agreed to that, but she’d trusted him this much so somehow he’d convince her. “Resign yourself.”
Desperation escalated his rage. “She’ll tell you—”
“What?” Denver touched her warm cheek, smoothed her soft blond curls. “That you’re a twisted fuck who’s too chicken-shit to talk to a man? That you get your rocks off tormenting little girls? I met you, man. I already knew what a weak fuck you are.”
“I’ll...”
“What?” Denver taunted. “What will you do?”
A lengthy pause showed Carver’s reticence to implicate himself. Finally he said, “I heard there was some trouble at the gym today.”
“Not that I’ve heard of.”
Another tense pause. “Have you been there?”
“I’m there now. Why? You planning to visit?”
“But...I thought...”
“What?” Denver glanced at Armie and shook his head. Carver was nowhere around or he’d know the fuss his false alarm had caused. “What did you think?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“About what? You’re not making any sense, man.” He had Carver backed against the cage and they both knew it. “Maybe this conversation would be better in person. You man enough to meet with me, Carver?”
A faint, eerie laugh sounded. “Cherry knows what kind of man I am.”
Knowing he had to stay calm to pull this off, Denver drew his gaze away from Cherry, popped his neck, worked his jaw. “Yeah, when she was a kid you were able to frighten her.” Good, that sounded indifferent enough. “But she’s a woman now, and she’s with me. She knows there’s no reason to be afraid.”
“Goddamn you—”
“You see,” Denver continued, still good-humored, “when compared to a real man, you’re nothing, Carver. Nothing at all. Why would she even give you a thought?”
Armie snickered, but Cherry just stared at him, one hand over her mouth, her expression horrified.
Denver had already spoken to Cannon and made additional plans to keep Cherry safe, otherwise he might not have felt as comfortable provoking Carver’s rage. He would never, under any circumstances, put her at risk.
Demented men could be unpredictable, especially when enraged. That’s what he counted on. He needed Carver to act so he could get hold of him and end his bullshit.
Or just end him. Either way worked for Denver.
As long as the psycho hid away, Denver had no way to control things, so he’d do what he could to draw him out.
“Carver?” he asked quietly. “You still there, you lousy little puke?”
“She’s mine.”
The unnatural calm after near hysterics made the fine hairs on Denver’s neck prickle. “If you believe that, you’ve lost your grip on reality.”
“She’ll always be mine.”
It turned Denver’s stomach to know Cherry had once had to deal with Carver on her own. “Tell me where you are, Carver. I’ll be happy to meet up and prove to you just how wrong you are.”
In a dead monotone, Carver said, “Tell her she can’t hide anymore.” And with that he disconnected the call.
God, Denver hoped Carver had cracked. He paused only a second to let his mind settle, to gather together his satisfaction, then he turned to Cherry. When he saw her standing alone with Armie, he realized everyone else had gone inside. And now that the call was over, Armie turned his back, giving them some privacy.