Notes: Thanks to all my wonderful list sibs on The Magnificent Two and A Gambler's Lust lists. Ya'll are truly wonderful and the most fantastic support system a writer could ever want. Thanks to my KS for the help with this, for the beta and everything else you have done for me. Thanks to Jo Ann for cracking the whip <eg>.

He had seen the fear in his lover's eyes. He watched as the stark naked terror dissipated in the deep emerald pools as he made his promise to never leave the southerner. There had been no barriers between them for once. No ghost standing in the way of his heart's desire. Even if the ghost had taken flesh in form. It really didn't matter, for he now knew that his soulmate had accepted their destiny together.

Vin watched warily as the now fleshy ghost walked into Ezra's hospital room. Chris had told him that Dakota Paske didn't want him anywhere near Ezra, but he couldn't give a flyin' fuck what the asshole, that hurt his gambler, wanted. He had made promise to Ezra and come Hell or high water he would never break it.

"I want you out of here and away from Ezra." Dakota demanded in a low growl.

Vin held the sleeping conman's hand and just stared at the interloper, making no move to leave. He would defend this special love from any threat with his life.

"Get out or I'll call security." Vin's smirk only seemed to provoke the man further. "This is your last chance to leave on your own."

Vin watched as Paske stalked towards him and would have reacted to the hand that grabbed his arm but the hand that he held tightened around his fingers almost a vise grip in it's intensity. Vin looked into frightened, panicked filled eyes of his lover. In his concern to reassure Ezra that he was not leaving him, he ignored his primal instinct for survival and turned his back on his mortal adversary. The tracker never saw the arm raise above his head, holding a gun. He only had time to register surprise, then the pain as he slid into unconsciousness.

Ezra had heard his old lover threatening Vin. With fear that the dreamscape was about to coming true, he tried to pull himself out of Morphus's sweet embrace. Tightening his hold on Vin's hand for strength, he dragged his weighted eyelids open to a horrifying scene being played out in front of him. He had changed the outcome of his spirit walk and saved Vin from himself, but had never thought that in changing the outcome that he would place his beloved Texan into a more deadly and vulnerable position.

The End

To be continued in Dishonorable Impersonation