Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(85)
They could both begin living again.
Chapter Seventeen
Hours later, after the plane had landed at the Colorado Springs Airport, Mags was nervous. Dave and the others had reassured her that there would be no press there when they landed. No one knew about her and her ordeal. As far as the airport was concerned, they were just a normal private plane landing. They would disembark onto the tarmac and walk into the terminal like any other travelers.
She’d been so relieved to see David and her husband enter the plane. She’d been worried sick, and even though Meat and Black had reassured her over and over that things were going according to plan and they were fine, she hadn’t relaxed until she’d seen them with her own two eyes.
After the grueling takeoff, which Dave had told her about once they’d been in the air for over two hours, the flight had been uneventful. David had been so excited about his first plane ride and had spent most of it with his nose glued to the window. There was so much he had to learn about the world, and now she could get him into school, and give him everything else he’d been deprived of for the first four and a half years of his life.
Mags had no idea what she was going to do with herself, but Dave had reassured her that she didn’t have to do anything. She could spend as much time reacclimating to life in the US as she needed. She and Zara had talked a little bit about how difficult it had been for her to feel comfortable doing even the easiest tasks, like grocery shopping, and it made Mags feel a little better knowing she would have both Zara and Gabriella to lean on.
Seeing her husband break down nearly crushed her heart. Dave had always been the strong one. A “man’s man.” So seeing him cry as if he would never stop had been heartbreaking and touching at the same time. Somehow she knew he was letting out all the emotions he hadn’t let himself feel for the last decade. She still felt a little numb herself, but knew she’d have her moments in the near future as well.
But sitting in his lap, with her son under one arm and holding Dave with the other, Mags was exactly where she wanted to be. Dave wouldn’t hurt her. Ever. He would protect her and David with his life. She had no idea if she could ever be a “real” wife to him again, but she decided in that moment to do everything in her power to try. She’d go to counseling, talk with other sex-trafficking survivors, and do her best not to give del Rio one more second of power over her.
Dave held back as the others got off the plane and headed for the terminal. He shook both pilots’ hands and said, “You’ll both be hearing from my accountant very soon.”
The pilot scowled and said, “I’ll be happy to receive an invitation to your kid’s birthday party or his graduation, but if you send me anything else, I’m gonna be pissed.”
“Same,” the copilot said. “We’ve been over this. We were doin’ our job, and I have to say, it was a hell of a lot of fun playing chicken with those assholes. The only thanks I need is these two standing right here, smilin’ like they are.” He nodded at Mags and David.
“Fine. But if you ever need anything, call,” Dave said.
“Will do.”
“Of course.”
And with that, the two men headed out to do their checks of the plane.
Dave turned her toward him and put his hands on her shoulders. Just days ago, that might have freaked her out, but after what had happened after takeoff, she saw her husband in a new light.
“I need to tell you before you get in there . . . your parents are here.”
Mags stared up at him in disbelief. She shook her head. “No . . . I . . . I’m not sure about this.”
“Sweetheart, trust me. They’ve been just as devastated as I’ve been. This is gonna be fine.”
She couldn’t help but worry. She knew her parents had already learned about her son, but that didn’t make the upcoming meeting any easier. It had been a long time since she’d seen her parents, and while she wanted to be the daughter they knew and loved, she’d changed a lot.
“It’ll be okay,” Dave repeated, reading her mind, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers. “They couldn’t be happier about David. They’re excited to meet him, but more than that, they just need to see you for themselves. I warned them that right after we landed probably wasn’t the best time, but you know your dad, he wasn’t going to wait a second longer to see you.”
Mags was scared. She knew she had to do this. Hell, she wanted to see her parents. Had worried about them for years, wondering if they were all right, if they were even alive. Hearing that they were still alive and doing very well had been such a relief. But seeing them now? Right this second?
“Come on,” Dave said, reaching for David. “They’re probably freaking out since the others are already inside.”
Mags let him take their son and relaxed a bit when he took her hand in his. She looked up at him. “You’ll be there the whole time?”
“Right by your side. And if anyone says anything negative, which I don’t think will happen, we’re out of there.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
She squeezed his hand, then walked down the narrow stairway and waited for him at the bottom. When he got to her side, he grabbed hold of her hand once more and said, “Raven?”
“Yeah?”