Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(37)
“I’m not scared of you,” Mags said. There was so much more in what he’d just said, but she couldn’t think about it all without wanting to cry. So she focused on the simpler stuff. “I’m sure whatever Ball got is fine, but I’d prefer putting my own things back on.”
“If you want, you can clean them in the shower and wear the new stuff just while your own clothes are drying. Then you can change back into them . . . before you go.”
It was obvious how hard those last few words were for Dave. “It’s not that I don’t want to wear what Ball got for me,” she tried to explain. “It’s just that I’m more comfortable in my own things.”
He nodded. “I know. Go on, sweetheart. Take your time. I need to send these pictures and talk to a few of my contacts.”
Mags knew she’d disappointed him. And she hated that.
Then something struck her for the first time. “Do my parents know?”
Dave tilted his head as he studied her. Mags had forgotten how he’d do that when he was contemplating what to say. It was one of the million and one things she loved about him . . . and she’d forgotten it. Sadness threatened to overwhelm her.
“Know that you’ve been found? Yes. I emailed them the second night I was here. They’re anxious to see and talk to you, and I told them that they’d have to wait for you to be ready. Acclimating back to your old life will take some time. But they’ve been in touch since.”
“You didn’t tell them about David?” she asked.
“No. It’s not my place.”
“But you told your friends.”
Dave nodded. “I did. Because I need their help to get him out of the country. After seeing where del Rio is keeping him, it’s not going to be as easy as I’d hoped. I doubt we’ll just be able to walk into that house and take him out.”
Mags nodded her head, agreeing.
“Right. So I had to tell them. They had to know it’s no longer a matter of waiting for you to be comfortable coming with me. We have to rescue a child. Our son.”
The way he kept claiming David as his own threatened to undo Mags. “I’m afraid to ask what they think of me. Of you still wanting to be with me, knowing I had a child with someone else.”
Dave put his laptop to the side and slowly walked toward her. He stood close, but didn’t touch her. “Raven, they understand. They’ve been working trafficking cases for years. They know exactly how things work and the consequences of them. You want to know what they think of you? They’re fucking impressed, that’s what. You’re amazing. Strong as hell. Somehow you’ve managed to keep your humanity and compassion even after what was done to you. They know David is your son, and is mine now too. We take care of our own. Period. There will be no uncomfortable questions you’ll have to answer, and each and every one of them will protect David as if he’s their own. You have my word.”
And with that, tears formed no matter how hard she tried to hold them back. She’d been scared for herself plenty of times, but knowing David had the protection of each and every one of the big, strong men who’d come to Peru specifically to look for her had Mags feeling more emotional than she could remember feeling in a very long time.
Dave raised one hand and used his thumb to slowly wipe the tears off her cheek. “You aren’t alone anymore, Raven. You’ve got a big family now. They’re a pain in the ass sometimes, and way too nosey, but they’re loyal as the day is long and fiercely protective of each other.” He gestured to the bathroom. “I have it on good authority that the water in this motel is nice and hot, and you can take as long a shower as you want, and it won’t run out.”
Mags did her best to smile. “Zara?” she asked.
Dave returned the grin. “Yup. Meat said she stayed in there so long the first time, her fingers pruned up badly enough that he thought they’d never recover.”
She knew he was teasing, and she appreciated him attempting to lighten the mood.
“You’ve always been so fucking beautiful,” Dave said out of the blue. “But I had no idea what beauty was until I saw you with our son today. He’s perfect, Raven. So fucking perfect, I almost couldn’t breathe when I saw the two of you sitting together.”
And just like that, Mags was crying again.
“I swear on my life that I’m getting both of you out of here. Del Rio will be nothing but a bad memory, and I’ll spend the rest of my days making sure you and our son have everything your hearts desire.”
All Mags could do was nod. She couldn’t see him anymore through her tears, so she blindly turned toward the bathroom.
She needed to get away from him and his beautiful words. She needed time to compose herself. As if realizing she was on the brink of a breakdown, Dave let her go without another word.
Mags closed the bathroom door and didn’t bother to lock it. Seeing the stack of clothes on the counter made her cry harder. She turned on the water in the shower, and when it was the perfect temperature, she stepped into the tub fully clothed. Raising her face up to the spray, she let her tears fall hot and fast.
Chapter Nine
Dave wanted to kick himself. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. He just couldn’t hold back from telling her how touched he’d been, seeing her and David together. The second he’d laid eyes on the boy, Dave had fallen in love. He could so easily see his wife’s features in David, and witnessing the obvious love they had for each other had made him vow right then and there to do whatever it took to keep them both safe.