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She'd downplayed their involvement, because she didn't want anyone else to feel guilty or responsible. Both Drew and Tim had risked their lives for her. And without them, the night would have had a far different ending.
"I'm going to lie down," Megan said, her face pale, as she paused outside her bedroom door.
"Are you okay?" Ria asked.
Megan hesitated. "I want to be happy, but it doesn't seem real."
"I know."
"And what about you?" Megan asked. "I heard you talking about custody. I don't want them to take me away from you. I don't want to go back to Spain, and I don't want to see anyone in the Valdez family. You're my family now."
Ria saw the fear in her eyes and wished she could erase it completely, but they had some hurdles still to clear.
"Don't worry about that now," she said. "Max said he would help us."
"And he will," Drew interjected. "And so will I. The Callaways have a lot of connections, and I'll use every one I have to in order to make sure that you two aren't split up."
Megan nodded, reassured by Drew's words. And why not? The man was a superhero in Megan's eyes—in Ria's eyes, too.
"Okay. Are you going to stay here tonight, Drew?" Megan asked.
"Absolutely. There's no place I'd rather be."
Relief filled Megan's eyes that Drew's strong presence would be right outside her bedroom door.
As Megan went into her room, Drew turned to Ria. "You should go to sleep, too. It's been a long night."
"It has," she agreed. "But I feel tired and wired at the same time. On one hand, I think I could sleep for a week, but on the other hand I'm not sure I can close my eyes. I keep reliving every moment of the night. I don't know how to let it go."
"Breathe deep. Adrenaline packs a big punch, but the downside is usually utter exhaustion. Once you lie down, you'll start to relax."
"Relax—what a concept," she said with a bewildered shake of her head. "It's been so long. I'm not sure I even know how."
He smiled and put his arms around her. "You're safe now. I've got you, and I'm not letting you go."
"I may not let you go, either," she said, sliding her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder. He squeezed her tight, burying his face in her hair. And for several long minutes they just held each other. "I was afraid I'd never see you again," she murmured, living her head to look at him.
"I felt the same way, Ria," he said heavily. "I've never been that scared."
It was hard to believe that anything scared this man.
I have so many things I want to ask you," she said. "I don't even know how you knew where we were."
"I arrived at the docks just in time to see a man grab Megan and throw her into a boat. Then I saw you jump in after her. I couldn't believe it."
"I couldn't let Megan go without me," she said.
"You're incredibly brave."
"I was acting on instinct." Her eyes blurred. "I love that kid, you know."
He gave her a tender smile. "I know. I'm quite fond of her myself."
"So what happened next?"
"I called in the Coast Guard and Max. I told Max to get every agency he could think of involved. And he did. Then I had Tim pick me up and we went looking for you."
"How did you know where to look?"
"I didn't. We flew around for far too long before we spotted the yacht. I remembered seeing one that looked a lot like it on the island. When we got closer, someone took a shot at us. I knew we were in the right place."
She thought again about his daring rescue from the helicopter. "I couldn't believe it when I saw you coming out of the helicopter with people shooting at you. What the hell were you thinking?"
"That I wasn’t going to lose you again. It almost killed me the last time, and I barely knew you." He paused, his gaze darkening with emotion. "I love you, Ria. I have from the first minute I saw you."
Her heart turned over at the truth in his eyes. "Oh, Drew, I love you, too."
"Thank God," he said with relief.
She licked her lips. "But—"
He put a finger against her lips. "No buts, not tonight. In fact, I don't want to talk anymore. I just want to hold you. We'll figure out the rest later."
