Page 40 of Freeing Camila

“I’m sure she understands,” she tried to reassure.

“She was injured. Spent two weeks in a coma. Being the asshole I was, I left her alone in the hospital. Buried my friend without her. Cut her from my life completely.”

“Oh, Wade,” she breathed, aching for him.

“Two years later I discovered she’d settled down in Michigan to open her own photography studio and started dating another Ranger friend of ours. That’s when the truth came out about the photos she’d said were lost from that evening. She’d hidden them away. Too afraid of repercussions to publish them. She decided to let me have the SD card the photos were on, hoping that studying them might reveal the faction’s identity.”

“Did you meet with her in person?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I pulled my head out of my ass. She’d been kidnapped when I’d arrived?” She gasped, and he held up a hand. “?a story for another time. I helped my buddy rescue her, then ate a little crow. She graciously accepted my apology.”

“But you haven’t forgiven yourself, have you?” She didn’t know how she knew that, but she could tell by the widening of his eyes that she’d hit the nail on the head.

“I’m working on it. Which is why I should be thanking you. You’ve made me see how much I’ve locked away. I didn’t really allow myself to grieve my best friend. I think I’m finally ready.”

“And I’ll be here to help you through it.”

He smiled, a tender expression softening his features, and leaned in, his lips brushing gently against her temple. “Thank you, sprite.”

With a gentle release of her hand, he swung his arm around her, gathering her close to his side. A wave of comforting warmth washed over her as she reveled in the feeling of safety. She turned into his hold and placed her hand on his chest, her head nestled in his shoulder.

She played with the material of this T-shirt as she thought about all he’d told her. They’d both let a lot off their chests tonight. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, but she pushed it away, unwilling to relinquish the pleasant comfort she felt with Wade just yet.

“Did you ever learn anything from the pictures?” she asked, referring to the photos from the night his friend died.

“Sutton managed to capture a perfect image of the leader. A guy who goes by El Sombra, the Shadow. And he’s just that?a shadow, a ghost. He manages to elude capture anytime we think we’re closing in on him.”

“That sucks,” she said, her eyes growing heavy.

“We’ll get him someday,” he assured.

“Good.”

She released a contented sigh and settled into his embrace, the scent of leather and woodsmoke lulling her to sleep. As she drifted off, she felt something settle in her. Something sure.

She wasn’t falling in love.

She was already halfway there.

CHAPTER16

The phone callin the early morning hours woke him from the best sleep he’d had in years. He reluctantly disentangled himself from the warm, sweet body beside him and climbed out of his truck to answer.

“Get your gear. Wheels up in two hours,” Flint stated.

He rubbed a hand over his face, hoping to rid himself of the last vestiges of sleep. “Where to?”

“Colombia.”

That woke him. “No shit?”

“Yeah. Baker and Haley think they found him. You’re going to team up with the SEAL team from Hawaii.”

“The same team that rescued Cammie?”

“One and the same.”

“Okay. I’m in the mountains, but I’ll head home now.”

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