Cam groaned and draped an arm over his face. “Fuck. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. But…now I’m oh for two. This is the second time you’ve saved my life in a matter of months and what the hell have I done for you?”
“You’ve saved me, too.” Vaughn hadn’t planned to say it out loud, but he was still too raw from the fight, too emotionally charged, and the wall he usually hid his emotions behind was in crumbles.
Cam dropped his arm. “What?”
“You, uh, save me every day. Keep me level.” He rubbed a hand around the back of his neck, but even that hurt, so he stopped. “These last few months, I started to go off the rails. But every time I did, you were right there with me, the voice of reason yanking me back from the edge. Nobody else could have done that for me.”
Cam said nothing for a long time, but his throat worked like he was trying to swallow down his emotions. Maybe they weren’t that different after all. Finally, he nodded and cleared his throat. “Uh how’s Lark—er, Dahlia?”
“I don’t know. She’s been with the feds since they arrived.”
Cam lifted his head and looked at Marcus, who was trying to be as unobtrusive as possible as he loitered around the ambulance’s back end. “What are they planning to do with her?”
“I have no idea.” Marcus lifted a shoulder when Vaughn’s gaze swung to him, too. “Sorry, guys. I’m not FBI anymore.”
Cam struggled to a sitting position and clasped Vaughn’s hand, pulled him in for a hug. “If they put her in WITSEC, go with her.”
Of all the things he’d expected Cam to say, that was not one of them. He reared back in surprise. “I’m not leaving you or Wilde Security.”
“Yeah, you will. If it comes to it, you will. You’ve found something good with her, bro. The same thing I have with Eva— I can see it in you and you’ll be miserable without her. You were miserable without her.”
“You’re full of shit.”
Cam cracked a smile. “Usually. But this time I’m right. Go with her.”
“No. Fuck that. I’m not leaving my family. I’m done chasing her.”
“That’s good,” Dahlia said softly behind him, and Vaughn swung around to see her standing where Marcus had been moments before. She offered a weak smile. “Because I’m done running.”
Vaughn glanced from her to his twin, who nodded encouragement. He sucked in a breath that hurt like a bitch. He wasn’t sure if he was still pissed at Dahlia for pulling his gun on him, or if the anger was born of fear because she’d nearly sacrificed herself to help Cam. Either way, he was not happy with her.
He squeezed Cam’s shoulder. “I’ll see you at the hospital. Eva’s probably already there waiting for you.”
“She is. I talked to her.”
“Good. I’ll be right behind you.” He gave Cam’s shoulder another quick squeeze then climbed out, moving slowly since his body was starting to stiffen up. He spotted the pain-in-the-ass medic waiting impatiently by another ambulance nearby and gave him a one-finger salute. Dawson’s mouth twitched as if he was holding back a grin. He gave as good as he got, then shut the ambulance and walked away, obviously realizing it was a war he wasn’t going to win.
All right. Yeah, Vaughn liked the guy.
Dahlia had gotten a blanket from somewhere—probably one of the medics—and she hugged it to herself against the icy February wind. He waited for her to speak again, but she didn’t.
“So you’re done running?” he finally asked.
She nodded and released a breath in a huff, like she’d been holding it. “The FBI says they’ll protect me.”
His heart sank. “You’re going into witness protection then?”
“What? No. There’s no need. They’ll have all the major players in the Bellisario family in custody by the end of the night. I’m not running anymore because…” She laughed, and the sound of it was bright in the snowy, overcast day. “I’m free. Vaughn, you freed me.” Her laughter dissolved into sobs, and she curled in on herself, pressed a hand over her mouth to hold them in.
Faced with her tears, he couldn’t stay angry, couldn’t keep his distance. He stepped forward and dragged her into the circle of his arms. He kissed the top of her head. “Don’t cry, vixen.”
“I don’t mean to, but I’m so relieved.” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her hands. “I was afraid I’d have to leave you. I didn’t think I could do it again.”
Go with her.
He heard Cam’s voice, as clearly as if his twin had just whispered in his ear, and staring down at her tear-streaked face, he realized he would have followed her into witness protection. In a heartbeat.
But he didn’t have to make that decision. He didn’t have to choose between her and his brothers. He could have both.
She was done running, but he wasn’t done chasing. Not yet.
“Dahlia—”
She pressed a finger gently to his lips. “Please don’t call me that. Dahlia is long dead.”