Page 34 of Forgiveness River

“Never again,” he promised, his arms tightening around her. “Whatever comes next, we face it together. As partners. As equals.”

“Speaking of what comes next,” Raven said, propping herself up on one elbow to look at him, “What happens when Moss realizes his men failed to take me?”

Wyatt’s expression sobered. “He’ll either go to ground immediately, or he’ll accelerate his timeline for the shipment. Either way, things are going to move quickly now.”

“And I’m not leaving your side,” she stated, making it clear this wasn’t open for negotiation.

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” he agreed, surprising her. “But we do this smart. You stay here, at the safe house, where I know you’re protected. I coordinate with the DEA team to bring Moss in.”

Raven considered this, weighing her need to be with Wyatt against the reality of the danger they faced. “I can accept that,” she said finally.

Wyatt sat up, taking her hands in his. In the pale light of dawn, his eyes shone with an emotion so powerful it took her breath away. “I would walk away from the DEA today if that’s what it took to keep you,” he said solemnly. “You are everything to me, Raven. Everything.”

She leaned forward, sealing the promise with a kiss that held all the hope and love she’d carried since they were children—a love tested by fire, but emerging stronger for the tempering.

Outside, the sun continued its slow ascent, casting golden light across the land they both called home. Within forty-eight hours, the threat would be eliminated one way or another. And whatever the outcome, they would face it as they should have from the beginning—together, without secrets or shadows between them.

Because some bonds, once forged in the heat of love and tempered by hardship, become unbreakable. And what Wyatt and Raven shared had always been stronger than any force that tried to tear them apart—even when that force had been their own fears and misunderstandings.

They had found their way back to each other. And this time, neither one was letting go.

Chapter Thirteen

Morning sunlight streamedthrough the cabin windows, painting golden patterns across the rumpled sheets. Raven woke slowly, momentarily disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings until the events of the previous night came rushing back—the attempted kidnapping, Wyatt’s rescue, their passionate reconciliation by Forgiveness River.

She turned her head to find Wyatt already awake, propped on one elbow, watching her with an expression caught between wonder and uncertainty. A tentative silence hung between them, their newfound closeness suddenly fragile in the harsh light of day.

“Hi,” she said softly, pulling the sheet higher over her bare shoulders.

“Hi,” he echoed, his voice morning rough. A lock of sandy hair fell across his forehead, making him look younger, more vulnerable than the tactical agent who had taken down three armed men the night before. “How did you sleep?”

Such a mundane question after everything they’d shared, everything they’d confessed. Raven couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her. “Really? That’s what you’re going with after last night?”

A slow smile spread across his face, easing the tension. “Would you prefer, ‘Good morning, wife who until recently wasn’t speaking to me but who I just spent the night making love to for the first time in months’?”

“Much better,” she teased, though her cheeks flushed at the memory of their reunion. She’d forgotten how easily they could slip from intensity to laughter and back again—one of the foundations of their relationship since childhood.

His smile faded, replaced by something more serious as he reached out to trace the curve of her cheek with calloused fingertips. “I missed you. Not just physically—though God knows I missed that too—but this. Waking up to you. Seeing your face first thing in the morning.”

“I missed you too,” she admitted, turning her face to press a kiss against his palm. “Even when I was furious with you, I still reached for your side of the bed every night.”

The confession seemed to pierce him. His eyes darkened, and he leaned forward to kiss her—a gentle brush of lips, a promise rather than a demand.

When they separated, the awkwardness had dissipated, replaced by a tentative peace. Raven stretched, wincing slightly at the pleasant soreness in muscles that hadn’t been used in too long.

“As much as I’d like to stay here all day,” Wyatt said, reluctance evident in his voice, “we need to move. Blaze called while you were sleeping. The family’s gathering at the ranch to coordinate our response to Moss.”

Reality crashed back, the bubble of their reconciliation giving way to the danger that still loomed. “Your family knows about the operation now?”

“Blaze filled them in on the basics,” Wyatt confirmed, sitting up and reaching for his discarded shirt. “But they need to hear the full story from me—from us. And we need their help. Theranch is the most defensible position we have, and with Moss targeting you directly…”

He didn’t need to finish the thought. Raven nodded, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “How much time do we have?”

“Blaze is sending a detail to escort us. They’ll be here in thirty minutes.” Wyatt’s gaze swept over her, a mixture of appreciation and concern. “You okay with this? Facing the family together, I mean?”

The question held layers of meaning. Not just about confronting external threats, but about presenting a united front after months of estrangement.

“I am,” she said, surprised to find she meant it. “They deserve to know the truth. All of it. And I’d rather face Moss with your family behind us than try to handle this alone.”

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