Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(9)
Nothing was going right, and it was all Dave could do to keep his cool. When they were finally pulling up to the motel where they’d be staying, near the barrio, Dave mumbled, “If all goes well, we can be out of this fucking place and back to the States by morning.”
Zara stared at Meat in bewilderment. “Is he serious?”
“I’m guessing.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t think that’s how this is gonna go,” Zara told them, reiterating the opinion she’d shared on the plane.
“Why do you think so?” Meat asked.
“I don’t want to be the downer here, but Dave, your wife has been living a completely different life for ten years. She never told any of us about her life in the States, or about you. None of us talked much about what brought us to the barrio either, but I know Mags . . . suffered.”
Dave frowned at Zara’s words. He knew she’d suffered. Not a day had gone by over the last decade without him thinking about what she’d been through. And the thought of his beautiful wife hurting was enough to make him want to kill someone. But to be so close, yet feel so far away from her still, was killing him.
“And no, I can’t tell you specifically how she suffered, because I don’t know the details. But I think it’s obvious. She once said that the only reason she was allowed to leave del Rio’s employment was because she got too old. The bastard’s actually somewhat picky about the women he forces to work for him, which is why the others—Teresa, Bonita, Maria, and Carmen—were all kicked out too. I don’t know what happened with them, but they’re all very thankful they were fired. Life in del Rio’s compound was hell. And not something any woman can truly ever fully recover from. I just . . .” She shook her head. “I just don’t think Mags is going to take one look at you and simply agree to leave right that second.”
Dave hated pretty much everything Zara had just said. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but Raven was his wife. They loved each other. The five years they’d been married had been the happiest he’d ever been in his life. Why wouldn’t she want to get the fuck out of Peru after everything she’d been through and go home with him? He had no answers to that question, and it bugged him.
“She’s right,” Arrow said. “I know what my Morgan went through, trying to recover from everything that happened to her, and if your wife was in the sex trade for years, she’s going to be a completely different person. She might not be anxious, or even able, to resume your life together.”
Dave clenched his teeth. “You’re all tiptoeing around what I already know. I know why my wife was kidnapped. She’s fucking beautiful, and some asshole decided she’d be the perfect addition to his stable of women. I have no doubt she was raped and abused for years. I don’t know for sure what happened between the time she was taken from me and when she showed up in the barrio, but what you aren’t understanding is that I don’t give a shit. I vowed to be with her for richer or poorer. Through sickness and health. To love her until death do us part. And dammit, death hasn’t parted us, and I love her just as much today as I did that day ten years ago when she was ripped away from me!
“Love isn’t about just being with someone when things are good. And I love Raven. With everything I am. I’ve spent the last decade looking for her. I’m also not stupid. I know she’s not going to take one look at me, throw her arms around me, and let me carry her off into the sunset. But I’m not going to wait one more minute to let her know that I’m here. That she’s safe. That things are going to be all right from here on out.”
“At least let me approach her first,” Zara begged. “I can explain what’s going on and that you’re here to talk to her.”
“No,” Meat said emphatically. “You aren’t going back into that barrio by yourself. No fucking way.”
Zara turned to face her fiancé. “I didn’t mean going by myself. I’m guessing Ruben and his gang of assholes are still around, and if I ran into them on my own, I’d be in big trouble. But I truly think letting me see her, talk to her alone while you guys all wait nearby, would be best.”
“I can’t stand the thought of you going back there,” Meat said a little less harshly.
“I know, but think about it. If all seven of you show up at once, demanding to know where Mags is, people are gonna freak. But if I go in and explain what’s going on, Dave will have a better chance of being able to talk to Mags without it turning into a huge battle of wills. And believe me, Mags is stubborn. She’s had to be. Besides,” she went on, “the women don’t really trust men. They haven’t lived easy lives. From the time they wake up until they go to sleep, people are trying to steal what little they have. Take what they don’t want to give. All of you showing up, looking pissed off because of their situation, isn’t going to work.”
“As much as I don’t like it, she has a point,” Arrow said.
Zara turned to Dave. “I know you want to see your wife and that it’s painful to have to wait, but trust me, it’s for the best. Mags is one of the most amazing women I know. She helped me more than I could ever explain. But she’s also hurting. I saw it every time I looked in her eyes. If you show up out of the blue and attempt to force her to leave . . . it’s possible you’ll lose her forever. She’s not the Raven you used to know. She’s Mags.”