“Don’t waste yourenergy.”
“How many hours have I beenasleep?”
“You’ve been out for four days. You almost died. If it hadn’t been for Melissa, you would have.” Her voice broke. She reached up and swiped a palm at the corner of her eye. “You’d been shot in the gut, it punctured yourintestines.”
“Dawson.” So, he hadn’t been dreaming. Dawson had been there. “Did we gethim?”
“No, I’ve heard your team talk about him a couple of times. He escaped, but Juarez thinks he wasinjured.”
Diggs heard something in her voice, hesitation, like she wasn’t telling him everything. “What else?” She was hidingsomething.
Audra leaned over him, the satiny pads of her fingers skimming down his cheek. “They got away with the gold. When you were injured, we had to rush back to thecompound.”
“What about King?” Diggs rasped out, his throat tight. Audra’s gaze bounced from his and dread settled heavy in his gut, right alongside the burning. “Audra, tellme.”
“King isalive.”
“But?”
“But he hasn’t woken up yet and he was shot in the eye. Melissa doesn’t believe he’ll be able to see out of itanymore.”
Hot, burning, razor-sharp guilt sliced down his sternum and Diggs slammed his eyes shut against the agony. His fault. He could’ve warned King. He should’ve seen Dawson coming. He should have done something besides lie there like a helplessnothing.
He’d failed everyone, evenAudra.
“Hey, at least he will live. That’s the most important thing, right?” Audra’s hand squeezed his but he pulled away. He didn’t deserve her. He didn’t deserve to be on the team. His entire existence had done nothing but harm, not help. All his life he’d just wanted to be thehero.
But the battle with Dawson had shown him exactly how unrealistic a goal that was. He’d never be anyone’shero.
“Diggs?”
“I’m tired, Audra.” How could she stand to look athim?
“I’ll get Melissa.” He felt her lean over him to kiss his cheek, but hebalked.
“Take the dog.” He didn’t need the reminder of the real heroes. And Trigger was exactlythat.
“Are you in pain? Tell me what’s wrong.” He heard the confusion in her voice, but refused to look at her. He couldn’t. He was too weak. If he did, he might cave and beg her to stay and that was the last thing she deserved. She deserved someone who could take care of her. Someone who could defendher.
“I’m fine,” he said in a harsh tone. “Just go. Let merest.”
She brushed his hair and he cringed away, her soft touch like sharp nails on his destroyed ego. The mattress shifted and he heard her soft footsteps headed toward the door. He kept his eyes shut and forced his breathing to remain even, as if he were falling asleep, too cowardly to faceher.
“Trigger, come on,” she saidsoftly.
The dog didn’t budge. Diggs would have to move and prove he was wide awake if he tried to shoo the dog. He let his hand fall from his head to themattress.
“Trigger, come on boy.” Audra’s voice cracked and his chest hitched.Coward. Slime. You failed her. At least be man enough to let hergo.
If only the damn dog wouldleave.
Trigger didn’tbudge.
He heard her breath hitch and knew he was hurting her.Dammit just go.He wasn’t strong enough to hold out muchlonger.
The door creaked open. Diggs could feel her staring at him. He kept his eyes shut. He could smell her indecision. God, he wanted to beg her to come back. Take her in his arms and never letgo.
But what about the next time? The general wouldn’t stop hunting them and neither would Dawson. Her life would be in danger as long as she was with him. If he’d failed to protect her once, he’d failagain.
No. He wouldn’t allow it. Audra had to leave. He could live the rest of his life knowing he’d done the right thing. She’d find someone else. A real man. A man who could keep hersafe.
Diggs curled his fingers into a fist. How long was she going to stand there? His resolve wavered. He didn’t want another man touching her. The thought turned hisstomach.
And then the door clicked shut, Trigger dropped his head to the bed beside him and Diggs knew she’d gone. He felt the emptiness like a truck load of concrete settling in his emptysoul.
Fatigue tugged at him and Diggs didn’t fight the exhaustion. He welcomed the darkness with openarms.
