Page 120 of Finding Denver

Why not? Don’t I deserve that?

“I’m sorry I just dropped by. I knew you wouldn’t see me if I called.” I remain frozen in place. “I’m not armed, Denver. I haven’t held a gun since?—”

“My wedding day.”

His jaw tightens, his blue eyes shining as he nods. His eyes are the same shade as Colt’s. But when I look at Colt, I see warmth, and life, and laughter, and caring.

Wilder is … empty.

“I won’t insult you by apologizing,” he says. “I know it isn’t enough. It’s never enough. But I want you to know I regret what I did. Every day. And if I could change it, I would.” He looks at his hands. His fingernails are bitten down, the skin around them red and torn. “I can’t change what I did, but I can do something about you and Colt.”

I frown gently. “What about us?”

“He loves you,” he says, meeting my eyes. I take in a small breath, and my swallow is painful. “And I’m guessing by your reaction that you love him, too.” I don’t speak because I can’t admit that, not to him. “He’s a better man than me, and he deserves to be happy. So … please stay, Denver.”

It takes a second to absorb the words. “What?”

“Don’t go because of me,” he says. “It won’t be easy, I know that, and I’ll do everything I can to limit our contact?—”

“Limit our contact?” I say, unable to curb the bitterness in my voice. “You think that will help?”

“It’s only an idea,” he says gently. “We can work on it. I can compromise if you can.”

The rage is hot across my skin. “Compromise.” My body is trembling as I rest my hands on the desk. “Wilder, if you weren’t wearing a bracelet that made me think of your daughter, you’d be dead already.”

“Then keep thinking of her, and how much you love my brother, and work with me to figure this out.” He stands and I straighten. “I just … I just had to say my piece.”

He turns but stops when he hears me pull back the hammer of the gun. My hand shakes as I point the weapon at him, but the safety is off, and all it would take is one squeeze of the trigger.

Ethan would be avenged.

So would Harley.

This thing I’ve been fighting for would finally be over.

Wilder releases a small breath, his shoulders relaxing, and I wonder if part of him wants me to do it. If he’s actually tortured over what happened, and it would finally be over for him, too.

Maybe Wilder’s death is for the best.

But I lower the weapon.

And I put the safety back on.

And Wilder Harland walks away.

A large envelopeis on my bed when I get home. I open it, emptying the contents onto the comforter—it contains everything for my new life. Passport, birth certificate,and details of a new home rented and waiting for me and Wesson.

A fresh start.

“How was your day, kid?”

I face Finn and force a smile. “The same as always. I was somehow able to organize the mess at the bar. How do you not have a filing system?”

He leans against the doorframe. “I’m old fashioned.”

“A fancy way of saying stuck in your ways.”

I sit on the bed, and he watches me, a small smile on his lips. “You being here has been a little like having Cara back.”