Chapter 182

DAHLIA

Diego exhaled slowly, like he was pulling himself out of a tight corner. “We go home,” he said. “All of us.”

Sebastian stiffened. “Now?”

“Yes. Now,” Diego replied. “The sun is already coming up. Staying parked in the middle of nowhere won’t help anyone. Dahlia needs rest, and we need clear heads.”

I leaned back against the seat, exhaustion finally crashing through the adrenaline. He was right. My body felt like it had been wrung dry… every nerve buzzing, every muscle aching. Even breathing felt deliberate.

I should be at the hospital… it took serious insistence from me for Sebastian to agree not to take me to the hospital immediately.

“And I’m almost certain,” Diego continued, his tone sharpening slightly, “that Alex will reach out soon. Very soon.”

My stomach twisted. “Because he knows I’m gone.”

“Because he thinks you’re shaken,” Diego corrected. “Scared. Alone. Desperate for anyone’s help. He’ll want to reassert control.”