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WREN
“Do you have time for a walk?”
I nibble my lip, not wanting to disappoint my friend, but also desperate to be back home.
Home.
Not in South Brook. Not even in Tribeca. Home has rapidly become the arms of the man I’ve fallen helplessly in love with.
“Raincheck, okay?”
Matt’s smile is askew even as he nods. “I suppose a fling is all about the sex, right?”
I’m about to retort that it’s not a fling—even if I don’t know exactlywhatit is—when Jules appears at my elbow.
“Ford called. We need to leave.Now.” His eyes are frantic, his body tense as he whispers hoarsely. “It’s Vaughn.”
I don’t ask questions, simply rising from my seat and following Jules out of the restaurant. I’m barely aware of Matt tossing some cash at the server before he’s hot on our heels.
The SUV is waiting outside the restaurant, and the three of us jump in silently before Jules pulls a U-turn as he peels out into traffic.
Ducking through several lanes, he runs a red light as I cling to the door handle in muted fear. Then, two blocks later, he suddenly slams to a halt.
He leaves the SUV running when he leaps from the driver’s side, sprinting for the sidewalk where there appears to be an ongoing scuffle.
I’m right on his tail as he dives past the handful of dissenting bystanders before slamming his fist into the face of a masked man. My eyes find two others who turn on Jules.
The tallest one grumbles, “Take a hike, or you’re up next.”
A low murmur runs through the gathering, yet not one person moves to stop them, palpable fear written across their faces. It’s then my eyes drift down, my heart ceasing to beat, when I immediately recognize an unmoving Vaughn.
My shrill cry as I drop to my knees to press my palm over the gash on his forehead sees everyone stiffen, all eyes shifting to me.
“Help us!”
Jules uses the distraction to body slam one of the assailants, knocking him onto the sidewalk, where I spot a prone fourth man cradling between his legs.
One of the other attackers rushes to tackle Jules, who’s getting the better of his opponent, while the other advances on me.
OnVaughn.
I raise my chin, watching him in utter disdain as I spread my arms over Vaughn’s still body. “You’ll have to kill me before I’ll let you hurt him again.”
The crowd murmurs malcontentedly, several of them moving to step forward at last when Matt throws himself at the back of the advancing masked man, tackling him to the ground and smashing his covered face against the sidewalk roughly.
He grimaces at the sound as I wince alongside him.
And it’s then that Detective Fratelli appears like an avenging angel, pulling his gun from beneath his suit jacket. “Everyone freeze.”
All four of the attackers do exactly that as Fratelli—completely at odds with the mild-mannered detective I’m used to seeing—snarls viciously. “Hands up, or I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”
Then Fratelli’s gaze lands on me and Vaughn, concern marring his brow as he slips his cell from his pocket. “Don’t worry, Miss Caputo. Help is on the way.”
CHAPTER29
VAUGHN
