Page 42 of Her Steadfast Hero

Chapter Ten

It was a week after the little girl had died, each night David held her in his arms and comforted her if she cried. Tonight, he’d been the one to wake her. He had to leave again.

Sarah sat up, unconcerned that the sheet fell down to her waist, baring her breasts.

“Is everything okay?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized how stupid they were. “Scratch that. Will you need a nurse?”

David sat down beside her as he pulled on his boots. When he was done, he pulled her into his arms. “With Gray leading this op, the only medical assistance that might be needed will be the clinic personnel at the prison for the convicts.”

She wanted to ask if the SEALs were so good, why did David need to go, but she kept her mouth shut. This was his job. For now.

He must have seen the question in her eyes. “The good news is, this is almost done, Gray’s pretty sure this is the last group of prisoners.”

“More of Molina’s men?” she asked.

She could see him consider lying, finally he nodded.

“Be safe,” she whispered.

“Always, I have you to come home to.”

He dove in for a deep kiss. She got lost in the sensation. His taste, and urgency swept her away into a world of bliss. Finally David lifted his head. “Keep my place. I’m going to want to finish where we left off.”

She nipped his chin, and he laughed.

“I love you Sarah Marie.”

“I love you David Allen.”

She watched as the door closed behind him.

She pulled up the covers and curled into a tight ball in the bed. Her body started to quake.

“Don’t die. Don’t die. Don’t die. Don’t die.”

She jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying to stem the flood of tears.

She’d loved Matt, she really had. But it had been a girl’s love. It had been young love. She had given everything she could at that age.

But now?

Now, David was half of her soul. He was her world.

“Please God. Please God. Please God.”

Hearing those last few words, she calmed.

She’d been given the gift of David Sloane, and that was a blessing, in and of itself. He was amazing, and she needed to hang on to that, not worry about something that might or might not happen. Her breathing calmed. She was going to hold on tight for as long as God and the Universe chose to give him to her. That’s all she could do. And she would be grateful.

Sarah smiled. Her heart felt lighter.

She got up from the bed, and went to the bathroom and cleaned up. When she came back to the bed, she could breathe again, and she grabbed David’s pillow and sucked in his smell, reveling in his scent. The man she loved. The man she was going to love all of her life.

* * *

For the next two weeks, the island of Las Flores slowly emerged from its devastation. Day after day more prisoners were captured as Gray and his teams worked. Aiden and David worked primarily with Carys and Sarah, but occasionally with other aid workers who went out on the Outreach program to bring in the injured. David was relieved none of the other visits had been as bad as that first. There had been a couple of nights when Sarah would wake up crying, and he would rock her back to sleep.

He talked to his commander. They were down to the last eleven prisoners, so he would soon be going home. Gray had a similar talk with his superiors. He figured they had maybe another week on the island.