“But you have your suspicions,” I say.
Bradyn nods. “Both Gio and Heath have motive to want her dead if she helped Felicity in the way we think she did.”
“Helped her with what?”
Bradyn crosses his arms and leans back against the door. “She told Dylan and Tucker that she wanted to see her husband’s legacy crumble. That she and Felicity had that in common. She also helped organize your escape with the boutique manager.”
I press a fist to my chest, just above my heart. “She’s okay?”
He nods. “For now.”
“When will they be back?”
Bradyn shrugs. “I’m not sure about that either. Tucker said as soon as possible, but they have to wait until she can be released from the hospital.”
“They’re at risk just being there,” I say.
“They are, but that’s the job.”
“Except the job was finding me, not stopping two major crime families. I’m right here. The job is done.” My heart is pounding. Head spinning. He’s going to get himself killed. Someone else is going to die for me before this is all over.
Is that why Dylan is doing it? Because it’s a risk? I shove the thought aside even as it crosses my mind. No. He wouldn’t be risking his brothers this way. Even if he doesn’t value his own life, he values theirs.
“You know Dylan. He’s not going to let this go until the threat is over.”
I look up at Bradyn. “Then make him stop. You’re in charge, right? You’re the one who officially runs the team.”
“Emma—”
“Tell him to stop. That it’s not worth his life.”
“He doesn’t see it that way.”
“He doesn’t have to. If you order him to?—”
“Emma. We don’t operate that way. Yes, I started the company. Yes, I technically run it, but we all work together. We all decide which missions we take, and I’m not going to tell him to not risk everything for your safety when I did the exact same thing to protect Kennedy.”
I glance over at Kennedy now, who’s been silent during our exchange.
“That was different,” I insist.
“No,” Bradyn replies. “It really wasn’t.”
“Yes. You two were together.”
Bradyn’s expression softens just a bit. “You might not be in a relationship anymore, but make no mistake—my brother never stopped loving you, Emma. Even if I did try to convince him that we couldn’t be involved in this, he’d go do it alone. He’s not backing down from this. Not until the threat is eliminated—or he is.”
Tears fill my eyes, and I wrap both arms around myself. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“What do you think the future looks like for us?” I ask as I tilt my face up to stare at the stars.
Dylan’s arm is around my shoulders as I lean against him on the porch swing while we wait for my mom to come pick me up. “What do you want it to look like?” he asks.
I turn my head to look at him. “I asked you first.”
He grins. “But I want everything you want, Emma Franklin. Which means you already know what I want.”
I smile, my heart fluttering in my chest just like it always does whenever he says ridiculously adorable things. Which happens relatively frequently. Even at seventeen, I know what I want.
