Chapter Five
“Fuck, I’ve got so many questions.”
“I know.”
He ran his fingertips over her face, neck, and chest. “First, tell me how you got here.”
“Someone in the village had told someone in your camp that I was still alive, so they tracked me down. I was living with my cousin, Larmina, while recuperating. I have a feeling it was her who gave your men the information. When I was well enough, they got me a visa to come to America. But there was so much red tape. I was put in a hotel in Afghanistan for a few weeks while we waited. A few of the American men guarded me the whole time.”
“Why the hell didn’t they call me?”
“They did several times but never even got a voicemail. Finally, one of them contacted someone in your unit, and they told us you were at a cabin and didn’t have a phone.”
“Goddammit. How much time did we lose?”
She cupped his cheek. “Don’t think like that, eshgham. We’re together now. We had some trouble with insurgents in the last few weeks in Afghanistan, but your men kept them away. We stopped calling when that started because we didn’t know if we would make it, and I didn’t want you to grieve again.”
“Fuck, baby, I haven’t stopped. It was like all the light was sucked out of my life. Sometimes it felt like I couldn’t breathe because the pain was so great.”
“It would have made it worse if you’d known I was alive and then ended up dying. I didn’t want you to go through that. So, when I got to the United States, I was put in another hotel for a week. I’m not sure what was going on, but Ryker told me not to worry.”
“Ryker? He’s the one?”
“Yes. He and his group of men.”
“Jesus, I owe him everything.”
“He said he’d talk to you soon.”
“Good. How long is the visa for?” God, the thought of her having to go back made him sick. He wouldn’t let it happen. If they had to, they’d live in the cabin where no one could find them.
“Three months.”
He watched her grin. “What, baby?”
“Ryker got us a K-1 Visa.”
He’d never heard of it. “What’s that?”
“It means we’re engaged, and we have to marry within ninety days, or I have to go back.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Ryker and the men thought it was funny. They kept calling it a shotgun wedding, whatever that means.”
Drake laughed hard, both thrilled and relieved that she would stay. When he finally stopped, he paused.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing, I just realized that was the first time I’ve really laughed since you…” Fuck, he couldn’t finish the sentence.
Tears slid down her cheeks, and she leaned in and pressed her mouth against his.
“What’s it say?” she asked.
“We’ve got the condo to ourselves for three days. I’m staying with my brother and his woman until a condo is ready or I find a place close by. You’ll have to help me look.”
“I’d love that.”
“Good. Let’s go lock ourselves in.”
She laughed as they stepped onto the elevator.