Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(50)

“But you found her?” Raven asked breathlessly.

“We found her,” Gray confirmed. “She now teaches dance to special-needs children in Colorado Springs, and we just had our first child, Darby James.”

Raven turned to the other men. They took the hint. One by one, they told her the very abbreviated stories of how they’d met their own women.

“Chloe was kept prisoner by her brother. I found her . . . and decided I was keeping her,” Ro said succinctly.

“Morgan Byrd was one of the most famous missing persons in the United States. We stumbled across her while on a mission in the Dominican Republic,” Arrow said. “And you know that she recently had our baby girl, Calinda.”

“I knew Harlow when we were in high school,” Black said. “She’s a chef, and was working at a women’s shelter when some developer was putting heavy—and illegal—pressure on the owner to sell. He ended up setting the shelter on fire, and Harlow had to jump out a third-floor window to escape.”

“I helped Everly find her sister, who’d been kidnapped. We thought it was a sex-trafficking ring, but it turned out to be just a crazy man who was looking for his next wife . . . who he wanted to keep chained up in his house for the next twenty years,” Ball explained.

Raven’s eyes were huge in her face, as were the other women’s when Zara finished sharing the men’s stories.

“And you know Meat’s story, and about how we met,” Zara said with a chuckle. “I saved him, but when someone from my past decided she wanted my money, he had to rescue himself that time.”

“You guys certainly don’t lead boring lives,” Raven quipped.

“With the exception of maybe Black, we all met the loves of our lives because of your husband,” Gray said.

“Nope, even though I didn’t meet Harlow while on a mission, I wouldn’t have gone to the women’s shelter to help with self-defense if I hadn’t been a Mountain Mercenary,” Black said. “I wouldn’t have even been in Colorado Springs.”

“True. Okay, then, as a result of Rex and his dogged determination to do whatever it took to find you, we’ve all found the women who make us complete,” Gray amended.

Dave felt Raven looking at him, and he turned to gaze at her. She was staring at him with a look he couldn’t interpret.

The other women in the room all began to talk at once. It was obvious they were impressed and touched by the stories of how the men had met their women. The mood was happy, and Dave loved simply hanging out with his men like this. He hadn’t had a lot of chances to do this in the past, since he was simply the bartender. Being in the middle of the group and being included felt good.

But sitting next to his wife, who he honestly had begun to think he’d never see again, was the icing on the cake. He was happy for his friends that they’d found women to love, but he was even more thrilled for himself.

The only thing standing between him and a long, beautiful life—what was left of it—with his wife and child was del Rio. And getting out of Peru.

Not long after all the men had told their stories, the party started to break up. Daniela said she needed to get back before it got too late, and the other women agreed. They hadn’t had any issues with Ruben and his friends since the gang’s encounter with Dave, but no one wanted to push their luck. Black and Ro were going to escort them back to their hut and stand watch for the night. Ball and Gray would make sure Daniela got back to her house safely as well.

Everyone said their good nights, and Dave escorted Raven to the room they’d been sharing. She got ready for bed in the bathroom, and Dave stripped off his shirt and pants. He got under the comforter, but stayed on top of the sheet. Raven came out of the bathroom and climbed into bed. She didn’t say anything about him not wearing a shirt, but he saw the hesitation in her movements.

“I can put it back on if you want me to,” Dave said gently.

She took a deep breath, then shook her head a little desperately. “No. It’s fine.”

“Come here,” Dave said, and held out his arm.

She hesitantly scooted closer to him, and he could tell the second she realized there was still a sheet between their bodies. He hated the relief he could see in her eyes, but reminded himself that they’d only been reunited for a couple weeks. That wasn’t long enough to wipe out the memories of other men and the things they’d done to her.

She gingerly lay her head on his bare shoulder, and he sighed in relief when her arm slowly crept across his waist. Raven’s head lifted slightly, and Dave knew she was staring at the scar on his upper chest. The slice from the motorcycle-club member’s knife had trailed down his neck and stopped just above his nipple.

“Who took care of you after this happened?” she asked quietly.

“I did. I checked myself out of the hospital as soon as possible, but not before the lead detective on your case read me the riot act and told me to get the hell out of his city. I went home to Colorado Springs and got back to work. Both at The Pit and at searching the internet for any trace of you.”

“I hate that I wasn’t there.”

Dave chuckled.

She glared at him. “What are you laughing at? Nothing’s funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” he countered. “Raven, if you’d been there, I never would’ve been hurt in the first place, since I got this little memento while searching for you.”