Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(90)

They all chuckled at their simultaneous outbursts. Ro leaned forward and spoke for the group. “We don’t want to stop doing what we’re doing. There are still thousands of women and children out there who need our help. It’s just that the overseas missions take us away from our own families for long amounts of time. And they’re more unpredictable. We don’t want to quit, just change our focus. But if that doesn’t work for you, we’re still not quitting. We’ll just ask for more time between missions.”

“Done,” Dave said without hesitation. “I’ll concentrate on finding those in the US who’ve gone missing.”

“Just like that?” Ball asked.

“Just like that,” Dave confirmed.

“But what if we find information about someone like Morgan, who’s been taken outside the US and needs rescuing?” Meat asked.

“Then I’ll pass the info along to one of my connections,” Dave said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

“One of your connections,” Arrow echoed.

“Yup,” Dave agreed.

“How many teams are you running?” Black asked.

“Just this one,” Dave reassured his friends. “But I know of other groups similar to ours out there. Not to mention my connections with the FBI, CIA, police chiefs, and heads of various Mafia and mob organizations that don’t deal in human trafficking.”

Gray simply shook his head. “I knew you were connected, but we still don’t know the half of it, do we?”

Dave didn’t even crack a smile. “No.”

“Fair enough,” Gray said. “So, it’s settled, then.”

“Yup.”

“That was way easier than I thought it was gonna be,” Ball admitted. “You’re normally a stubborn son of a bitch, Rex.”

At that, Dave did smile. “Thanks.”

“Wasn’t a compliment,” Ball muttered. Then he pulled an envelope out of his pocket and threw it on the table toward Dave.

“What’s that?” Dave asked.

“You’re stubborn,” Ball said. “But we’re more so. You’re taking that—and we won’t take no for an answer.”

Leaning forward, Dave picked up the envelope and pulled out the papers that were inside. It took a minute for what he was looking at to register, but when it did, his head jerked up, and he stared at his team in shock.

“It’s forty acres of land up near Monument. You’re directly responsible for us meeting our women and for helping hundreds of others. This world would be a worse place without you in it. We know you’ve been looking for a place to settle with your family, and this land is perfect. It’s secluded, but not so far out that there isn’t phone and internet service or an infrastructure in place for water, electricity, and septic. The view from the north end of the property is unparalleled because there’s a bluff that overlooks a mountain valley below. You can build as big or as small a house as you want. But what you can’t do is refuse our gift.”

Dave didn’t know what to say. He didn’t feel like he’d done anything special. After all, he’d formed the Mountain Mercenaries for extremely selfish reasons. He’d been looking for his wife, and had found other women and children along the way. But looking around at the men he trusted with his life—and more important, trusted with the lives of his wife and child—he nodded and simply said, “Thank you.”





Seven Months after Returning Home


Mags stood on the bluff of their property and looked up at her husband. The wind was gently blowing, and, at the moment, there was nothing but the sound of birds singing all around them. They were alone—well . . . almost alone—something that didn’t happen often anymore.

Dave stood in front of her, his hands gripping hers as they faced each other.

When Dave had asked her to remarry him when they’d been in Peru, Mags had said yes. They could’ve had a big ceremony in front of their family and friends, but when Dave had suggested this, a simple but meaningful exchange of new vows with just the two of them, she’d jumped at the chance.

They’d both been in hell. A different kind of hell, but hell, nevertheless. And somehow reaffirming their vows with just the two of them seemed right.

All their family and friends were waiting for them back at The Pit. Gabriella and Harlow had made all the food, and there would be upward of fifty people there to help them celebrate. But for now, they just had eyes for each other.

“Margaret Crawford Justice, you are the love of my life. You are the reason my heart beats, and you give me the courage to get out of bed every day and face the world. I’m in awe of you and am prouder than I know how to put into words of your fortitude and strength. You’re a warrior through and through,” Dave said as he stared into her eyes. The wind blew her hair into her face, but before she could lift a hand to brush it away, Dave’s hand was there. Mags shivered as his fingertips brushed against the sensitive skin of her ear.

“The only thing that kept me going when you were gone was the promise of one day being able to look into your beautiful blue eyes again. I give you my solemn vow right here and now that I’ll always be there for you. I will never cheat. Never raise my hand to you or our son. I’ll bend over backward to give you what you want and need. I’ll love you for all the days of my life and even beyond that. You hold my heart and soul in your hands, Raven, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”