Raul reached out to touch her cheek, but Lila turned her face away. Raul brushed a tear from her cheek. “The night I left, I went to work, as I had been doing since we arrived. I had already made up my mind to find a way for the two of us to leave. I never should have brought you there. I was a fool to take the job in the first place.”

Lila’s features didn’t soften.

“Daniel must have suspected,” Raul continued. “That night, two of his men forced me to go with them at gunpoint. Cisco Ramirez and Klaus Mahler drove me into the desert. They beat me, then they shot me and left me for dead.”

He pulled up his T-shirt. There was a healed bullet wound on his side and a web of scars covering a portion of his chest and shoulder.

Lila’s hand flew up to stifle a gasp.

“It was God’s miracle I survived. Thinking of you is all that kept me going. I dragged myself to the highway—I don’t know how far it was. Twice I thought I would not make it, but there you were—in my mind and in my heart—telling me to come home to you. Telling me how much you needed me. Telling me I could not let you down.”

Lila made a sound in her throat but didn’t move.

“Finally, I reached the highway. A family stopped when they saw a man lying on the side of the road.”

Lila began to tremble. “Raul . . .”

“I was unconscious for three weeks. When I finally woke up, I began to remember what happened. I told the police about Daniel Henson and what he was doing at Blancha Springs. I begged them to let me go so that I could return and get you out of there.”

He sank back down on his knees, his black eyes filled with tears. “I love you so much, querida. You and our baby. Please forgive me.”

Tears washed down Lila’s cheeks. Her throat worked, but no words came out. More tears fell. Reaching for Raul’s hand, she drew him to his feet.

“I’ve missed you so much, Raul. I love you so much.” Raul pulled her into his arms, and Lila clung to him, sobbing against his shoulder.

Skye realized her own eyes were filled. Skye looked at Callie, who was also crying, and both of them slipped quietly back into the kitchen.

She could hear Raul telling Lila the rest of what had happened, how the police had turned him over to the DEA and he had agreed to help them. Then both of them were crying.