Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(88)
He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. The kind he hadn’t had for at least three thousand, six hundred and fifty days.
Epilogue
Two Months after Returning Home
Dave was on the couch watching the late-night news with Raven. David was asleep in his room. Both of them had been to the doctor for complete checkups. They both had some vitamin deficiencies, and Raven would have to see a doctor regularly for a while, at least, but that wasn’t unexpected. They’d seen a dentist and an eye doctor too, and Dave had taken both to the mall, when Raven was ready, to do some much-needed shopping for necessities. David had been wide eyed at seeing the array of stores, and he’d almost cried when Dave had bought him a bagful of brand-new clothes, something he’d never had in his entire life.
David had also started kindergarten, and he was loving every second of it. Dave was so proud of the boy. David had been nervous and scared on his first day, not sure if anyone would like him, but since then, he’d been outgoing and popular with the other children. In fact, on the weekends, he was sad when he didn’t get to see his friends.
They’d had a long talk with the teacher, who’d agreed that, intellectually, David was way ahead of his peers. She suggested they test his IQ so they knew exactly what they’d be working with. She also volunteered to work closely with David to make sure he was being challenged. Everyone agreed he’d be better off staying where he was and not being pushed into a higher grade just yet. He needed to connect with children his age and learn how to be social with others.
Gabriella was flourishing in her new country. She lived in the apartment with them for a while, and they’d moved her into her own place nearby just a couple weeks ago. She’d enrolled in an English as a Second Language class and was learning amazingly fast. During the day, she was either in class or working with Harlow. The two women had hit it off immediately, and Gabriella was becoming an excellent chef. In the evenings, she usually came over to visit with Raven and David.
And Raven had begun to accompany Dave to The Pit. At first she’d been extremely nervous, even with the subdued crowd that came in during the day. Men still made her skittish, and every time Dave thought about why, he had to control his rage.
Strangely enough, however, when she worked with him behind the bar, she seemed to be okay. They’d figured that since he was with her, and because the bar was between her and everyone else, it gave her a bubble of protection that her psyche needed.
Dave loved having her near. Loved working side by side with her. It was literally a dream come true, for both of them. So during the day, they tended bar, and in the afternoon, they picked up David together and spent the evenings laughing and relearning how to be husband and wife, as well as a family.
Every night, they both read to David, then tucked him in and sat next to each other on the couch. It had become their new tradition. Sometimes they watched TV. Sometimes they talked. Other times they read books. But no matter what they did, they did it together, touching. They would hold hands, or Raven would lean up against him, or put her legs in his lap as she used the arm of the couch as a pillow.
Dave relished these times. In the past, he’d sat on that couch and stared off into space, torturing himself by wondering what his wife was doing right that second. Wondering if he’d ever get a chance to tell her how very much she meant to him.
They were still living in Dave’s apartment, but they’d been talking with a real estate agent and scouring the listings to see if they could find either a home on a few acres, or land they could buy to build a modest house, where they could live out the rest of their lives peacefully.
Dave was lost in his head, thinking about one of the homes they’d seen online earlier, when Raven gasped. Tensing, he was immediately on alert.
Raven gripped his forearm tightly, but her eyes were glued to the television screen. Dave’s eyes whipped forward to see what had alarmed his wife. The news anchor was sitting behind a desk on the set—and a picture of none other than Roberto del Rio was superimposed over her left shoulder.
“The man known as del Rio was found dead today in his sprawling compound in Lima, Peru. Details are sketchy, but based on crime-scene photos, an inside source has suggested homicide, due to the gruesome nature of the scene. Del Rio has long been suspected of being the head of a massive sex-trafficking operation, and when police raided the compound, evidence of child pornography was found, along with dozens of young women from all over Central and South America as well as countries around the globe. Sources speculate that del Rio may have been targeted by rival criminal factions.
“Lima has long struggled with corruption throughout its police, military, and government agencies, and along with the women and pornography, guns, drugs, and lists of names were also found inside the home. The lists are alleged to be those del Rio was extorting, and perhaps others whom he was paying to turn a blind eye to his operation. Our source says it will take months, if not years, to sort through the mess, and that hundreds of people will most likely lose their jobs as a result of the corruption. Thousands of cases in the Peruvian courts will also have to be reexamined. Hundreds of innocent victims could be released from Peruvian prisons, once the extent of the corruption is uncovered.
“Experts warn in the coming months, there will be a power struggle in Lima among those who may want to take up where del Rio left off. We’ll bring you more information as it comes in on this constantly updating situation in Peru. Tom, what’s the weather going to be like tomorrow?”