Page 136 of Finding Denver

My knees meet the floor.

“Colt,” she cries. “Colt, get up!”

Denver drags me to my feet, and we stumble outside and into the cold air, falling into the snow. The air is fresh, but I still cough and splutter as I pull it in, my head spinning. Denver cups my cheeks as she kneels by me.

“Are you okay?” she asks, and I stare at her soot-covered face. “Colt, say something.”

I nod. Pain radiates through me as I push myself up. Sirens scream as the house burns, and Finn kneels in front of me, handing something to Denver as the flames glow behind him.

“Colt,” Finn says, and my gaze shifts lazily to him. “Can you stand?”

The world slows. Blue lights throb against the buildings. Flames lick at the darkened sky, a dance of orange against inky black, and Denver’s fingers lace through mine. I look at her, my movements delayed, my body too light. She’s holding a toddler, his pink, tear-stained face against her chest.

Theo. Ranger took him. He took them both and was willing to let them die.

And now…

“Can you stand?” Finn repeats, and somehow, I nod.

He helps me up, and Denver presses herself into my side. My breath feels clunky, but at least it exists, so I’ll take that as a fucking win.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, and she nods tearfully up at me. I have her. She’s in my arms. She’s alive. I kiss her head. “We’re okay.”

My knees dip, and Finn wraps an arm around my waist. He eyes the blood on my T-shirt and shifts the collar to look at the wound. “Fucking Christ, Colt. Were you shot?”

“Little bit,” I say.

Denver hits my good arm. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Fucking gunshot victim here. Don’t hit me,” I say, and she glares at me as Finn guides me to the ambulance.

On a clean, crisp gurney, two bullet wounds are patched up. Denver lies beside me, Theo on her chest, an oxygen mask on his tiny face.

We don’t speak. She doesn’t cry, she doesn’t shake, she just stares out of the back of the vehicle, my arm around both of them. The fire department tackles the flames, and when Denver finally speaks, I must have fallen asleep, because I have to open my eyes again.

“I should talk to the police,” she says. “Will you watch him?”

I nod and take Theo from her. He doesn’t stir, his small lips parted as he sleeps deeply.

“His mom is on the way,” Denver says. She runs her fingers through his hair, biting her lip before forcing a smile. “I’ll be back, okay?” She kisses me, and I cup the back of her head, holding her lips to mine. A tear falls down my cheek, but I keep kissing her, keep holding her.

Because I almost lost her. Almost lost everything.

My voice breaks. “I love you.”

“I love you.” She rushes out the words as if she’s afraid she might never have been able to say them. “I love you so much.”

As she climbs out of the back of the ambulance, I rest Theo on my chest, running my hand down his back. I feel his tiny heartbeat against mine, and I kiss his head.

“She loves you,” I say. “I promise she’d keep you if she could.”

I hope I can tell him that again someday. I hope he shows up at our door and Denver gets the chance to explain that if it had been her choice, Theo never would have left her side.

I close my eyes, the pain relief drifting across my brain in waves. I feel lighter. More hopeful than I should.

My eyes refuse to stay open, but I try anyway. People are darting across the street, instructions are shouted to tame the fire, and police are telling neighbors to stay back.

My eyes flutter closed.