Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(42)

She couldn’t believe Dave hadn’t been with another woman in all the time she’d been gone. She wouldn’t have been upset if he had—life went on, she knew that as well as anyone. But the fact that he’d abstained only proved how deep his devotion ran.

For just a moment, a spark of hope flared within her breast. Was there a chance they could pick back up where they’d left off ten years ago?

But then reality set in.

“I’m not sure I want to have sex ever again,” she whispered.

Dave’s arm tightened around her briefly in a kind of sideways hug. “I couldn’t give a shit about that. I’ve done without for ten years, and I’ve managed just fine with using my hand when I really need to get off. I don’t love you because of the sex, sweetheart. I love you for you. All I want is you back in my life. You’re enough just the way you are. And honestly, I don’t blame you one bit. If I’d been through what you have, I wouldn’t want to be touched either. The fact that you’re here with me, letting me sit next to you, is a miracle. One that I’ve prayed for every day for the last ten years. We’ll forge our way to a new relationship, together.”

Gah! She’d always known her husband was amazing, but she’d forgotten just how much. “Do you think you’ll continue on with the Mountain Mercenaries?” she asked after a minute.

“Yes,” Dave said without hesitation. “I’ve found you, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other women out there who need to be rescued. They have loved ones who desperately want to know what happened to them. Where they are. I can’t abandon them now that I’ve found you. I just can’t.”

Mags didn’t bother to brush away the tears that fell from her eyes, soaking into the cotton material of Dave’s shirt.

“And more than that, I’ve been thinking . . . it makes little sense to give Daniela’s old house to Maria, Carmen, Bonita, and Teresa.”

Mags stilled. “Why?”

“Because they should be able to go home if they want. Back to Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico. They have families, just as you do. I can get in touch with their relatives and let them know they’re alive.”

Shit, Mags was going to lose it again. She managed to say, “And Gabriella?”

“She was born in the barrio, right? I thought if she wanted to, and if you were agreeable, maybe she could come back to Colorado with us. It might be good for you to have someone with you, in addition to Zara, from this part of your life. Someone positive.”

And just that easily, Mags fell head over heels in love for the second time with her husband.

“I’d like that. And I think she will too,” she managed to say.

“Good.”

“What’s next?” she asked.

“I need to get with my contact and tell him we’re adding another person to our traveling party. She’ll need a visa, and I’ll have to grease some wheels with my contacts at the State Department. And getting the others back to their home countries won’t be a walk in the park, but I think I can bribe some officials here in Peru to make that happen pretty easily.”

“And David?” Mags asked nervously.

“That’s a little trickier, but I swear, we aren’t leaving without him.”

Mags had a million more questions, but she was exhausted. Emotionally and physically. And she was more comfortable than she could remember being in a very long time. Dave’s arm around her didn’t feel threatening. It felt safe. She could hear his heart beating under his chest, and when he shifted to lie down, she didn’t panic.

Moving with him, she lay under the covers while he stayed on top. Her head was on his wide chest, and a flashback of sleeping this exact way with him, except they’d both been naked, whirled through her head.

Safe. In Dave’s arms, she was safe.

Her eyes closed, and she was asleep in seconds.



Dave held as still as possible and simply memorized the feel of having his wife in his arms. He couldn’t believe she was letting him hold her like this. He felt as if it was Christmas and every other holiday wrapped into one.

He’d spent the last decade dreaming of this exact moment, of having Raven in his arms, safe, and the reality was so much better than his fantasies.

She’d gone through hell. Absolute hell. He couldn’t even begin to process it. But he hadn’t lied. He was as proud as he could be of her. She’d survived. Somehow, miraculously, survived. Dave hated that she was ashamed, but he’d spend the rest of his life making sure she knew how much he loved her and how proud he was.

It was unbelievable that she was actually here. That he was holding her. He’d always known his wife was tough, but after hearing her story, and after learning she’d birthed their son alone, he was even more impressed. On top of it all, she’d done whatever she could to protect David as well—not an easy task when someone like del Rio was controlling every second of the little boy’s day-to-day activities.

Dave was more than ready to get his wife and son out of this country and back home to Colorado. Unfortunately, they needed to wait until they had David’s passport. They’d come into the country pretending to be tourists, and while it might look odd to have two additional people go home with them—three, if Gabriella came too—it could still work, especially if they bribed the customs officials at the airport.