Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(63)

“I mean it. Black’s good at what he does,” Dave told her. “Probably a little too good.”

“I get it, Dave. But if you think I’m going to get squeamish about Ruben being hurt, you’re wrong. If he knows anything about where David is and doesn’t want to tell us, I don’t care what happens to him.”

Dave loved his wife’s bravery, but he still didn’t want her around the violence he knew Black would dole out to Ruben if necessary. “Fine, but if things get too intense, I’m reserving the right to get you the fuck out of there.”

Raven smiled, and Dave held his breath as she reached her hand out to him. In the three weeks since he’d found her, it wasn’t often she went out of her way to touch him. But he was as happy as he could be under the current circumstances that they’d reached a turning point after their shower. When her warm hand gently palmed the side of his face, Dave closed his eyes in contentment and satisfaction.

Her voice was low as she spoke. “I wasn’t ever going to try to contact you. It tore me up inside, but I thought you were better off without me. I didn’t think you’d ever be able to look past what I had to do to survive. I didn’t think you’d want to take me back. But more than that, I knew I’d never be able to leave David. Yes, he was conceived in the worst possible way, but I love him. I’d die to protect him. And while I knew you would’ve been a great father, I didn’t think it was fair to ask you to accept a child whose father I couldn’t even name. But . . . I realize now . . . I was wrong, and I’m sorry. So damn sorry. If I had just tried to get ahold of you right after del Rio kicked me out, maybe you wouldn’t have missed David’s first steps, his first words. Or his first smile.”

Dave reached up and took hold of Raven’s hand. He turned his head and kissed the palm before placing it back on his cheek, with his hand holding it there. “I’d die to protect you and our child,” Dave vowed. Her eyes filled with tears, but he continued. “I accept David because of who his mother is. Because you love him. All those years ago when we talked about our hopes and dreams for our children, I realized that I’d do anything to make you a mother. In vitro, a surrogate, adoption . . . it didn’t matter. I knew then that you’d make an amazing mom, and the proof is right in front of me. I love you, Raven. I love you because of your strength, your protectiveness, and your ability to keep on going no matter what. I’m in awe of you and all you’ve overcome. I’ll spend the rest of my days doing everything in my power to protect you from the shit life has to offer. And that includes protecting you from the kind of violence the Mountain Mercenaries sometimes have to use to get results. Okay?”

Dave knew his words were rushed and that he’d crazily jumped from one topic to another, but his mind was whirring with emotions. Love for his wife. Relief that he was alive. Hatred for del Rio. And concern for their son. He might’ve found Raven, but if anything happened to the little boy who she’d given all her love to in the last four and a half years, he’d lose her all over again. And he wasn’t willing to let her slip through his fingers. No fucking way.

“Okay,” Raven said.

“You ready to go, Meat?” Dave asked louder, not taking his eyes from Raven’s.

“Ready,” Meat confirmed.

Slowly, so as not to alarm her, Dave leaned forward and gently kissed Raven’s forehead. She sighed and looked up at him after he pulled away. It looked like she wanted to say something, but Meat opened the door to the room, and the moment was lost.

Dave took hold of Raven’s hand and led them out the door. Ro and Ball were in the hallway waiting for them. Either Black had called them earlier, or Meat had notified them via his computer. The group headed out of the building toward the barrio.

Dave hated that place. Hated thinking about Raven spending even a second living there. It was depressing and dirty. It wasn’t safe even for locals, but he was proud of his wife for making the best out of the impossible situation she’d found herself in.

They walked through the entrance in the cinder-block wall and headed for the hut that Raven and the five other women had been living in, six when Zara had been there, and when they entered, Dave wasn’t too surprised by what he saw.

Ruben was sitting in a rickety wooden chair, his ankles and wrists restrained by some sort of twine or rope. His head was hanging down, and he had blood coming from his nose and what looked like two black eyes forming. Black had obviously already started making sure Ruben knew who was in charge.

The second Ruben saw Raven, his eyes narrowed, and he began speaking rapidly.

Raven’s eyes widened, and she took a step backward, running into Dave. He put a hand on her shoulder to steady her and physically saw her straighten her shoulders.

“What’s he saying?” Dave asked.

“Nothing important.”

Black walked up to her then and stood so close, Dave felt her press against him as she looked up into his friend’s face.

“That’s not how this is gonna work,” Black said quietly. “You need to tell us exactly what he says. Every word. You can’t leave anything out.”

“I understand, but all he was saying was shit to rile me up. He said it was about time I got here, that it’s not an orgy without a woman to stick his dick into.”

Dave stiffened at the crude words. He was glad to see the others in the room get just as pissed when they heard what Ruben had said.