Eventually dinner settled into a comfortable rhythm.
The children had finally exhausted themselves from climbing all over Bear.
Though one little boy had stubbornly claimed the giant man's lap as his personal seat.
Bear appeared resigned to his fate.
Ulyana found the entire thing endlessly amusing.
As laughter and conversation filled the small home, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
She looked across the table at Julio, then toward Bear.
"Bear."
The giant man looked up. "Hm?"
"Now that I have a translator…" Her expression softened.
"Can you ask Julio why he helped me?"
The room became noticeably quieter.
Even Selena paused.
Julio looked surprised by the question.
As though the answer should have been obvious.
Bear translated.
The mechanic listened carefully, then chuckled.
A short, almost embarrassed laugh.
He exchanged a look with Selena.
The couple shared one of those conversations that happened entirely without words.
Then Julio began speaking slowly.
Bear translated.
"He says when they found you, they thought you were dead."
Ulyana blinked.
Julio nodded.
His expression becoming serious.
More Spanish followed.
Bear listened then continued.
"He says Miguel was the first to see the crash."
Miguel immediately looked proud of himself.
"He thought someone needed help."
Another pause.
Bear's expression softened slightly.
"When they found you breathing, they carried you out."
Julio added something else.
The older mechanic gestured with his hands.
Speaking earnestly.
Bear translated again.
"He says where he grew up, if someone needs help, you help them."
The answer surprised Ulyana, not because it was complicated. Because it was so simple.
Julio continued speaking, his eyes never left hers.
"He says if it was Selena lying on the road or one of his children…"
Bear translated. "…he would pray somebody stopped."
Silence settled over the room.
The words hit harder than Ulyana expected.
Julio looked slightly embarrassed by the attention. As though he couldn't understand why anyone would make a big deal out of what he'd done.
Then he spoke again, longer this time. Bear listened, then laughed softly.
"What?" She asked.
Bear shook his head. "He says he almost didn't bring you home."
Ulyana's eyes widened.
Julio immediately started explaining.
Julio and Bear burst into laughter.
Even Selena covered her face.
"What did he say?"
Bear looked genuinely amused now.
"He says when he first saw you, he thought you looked expensive."
The room erupted.
Julio pointed dramatically at Ulyana.
Speaking rapidly.
Bear struggled not to smile.
"He says your clothes looked expensive."
More Spanish.
"He says your necklace looked expensive."
More laughter.
"And he thought if he brought you home, Selena would accuse him of stealing a rich woman."
The entire table burst into laughter.
Even Ulyana.
Selena immediately smacked Julio's arm.
The mechanic defended himself in rapid Spanish.
Which only made everyone laugh harder.
Finally the laughter died down.
Julio looked at Ulyana.
His expression becoming serious again as he spoke quietly.
Bear translated a final sentence.
"He says his family is alive today because strangers helped them once."
The room fell silent.
Julio looked down at his children.
Then back at Ulyana.
"And he says helping you was simply his turn."
Ulyana felt tears sting her eyes.
Because there wasn't a grand reason.
No hidden motive.
No expectation of reward.
No ulterior agenda.
Just kindness.
Simple kindness.
The kind that asked for nothing in return.
And suddenly she understood why Julio and Selena had raised such beautiful children.
Because the goodness in their home wasn't an act.
It was simply who they were.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Then one of the children tugged on Bear's sleeve.
Demanding attention again.
The spell broke instantly.
The table erupted into laughter once more.
The laughter gradually settled.
Dinner plates sat mostly empty.
The children had begun slowing down, their endless energy finally giving way to sleepiness.
One had fallen asleep against Selena.
Another was sprawled across the couch.
The other two were quietly playing on the floor.
For the first time all evening, the house became peaceful.
Ulyana leaned back in her chair.
And suddenly realized just how exhausted she was.
The emotional whiplash of the last few days was finally catching up to her.
Finding her memories.
Contacting her family.
Speaking to Rowan.
Learning people were searching for her.
Meeting Bear.
The adrenaline was fading.
And what remained was pure exhaustion.
Her eyes grew heavy.
She blinked slowly.
Then again.
Bear noticed immediately.
The giant man had spent most of his adult life watching over members of the Vasily family.
Spotting exhaustion was second nature.
He looked over at her. "You can rest now."
Ulyana looked up. "Hm?"
His expression softened slightly. "You're safe."
The simple statement settled something inside her.
Since waking up she had only been surviving.
For days, she had been trying to recover, stay alert, and piece together what had happened to her.
Now, for the first time, someone she trusted completely was here. Someone who had protected her family for decades. Someone she knew would stand between her and danger without hesitation.
Bear nodded toward the hallway.
"Get some sleep."
Ulyana smiled tiredly. "You sound like Deda."
"I've worked for him long enough."
That earned a small laugh from everyone.
Even Julio smiled.
Bear folded his arms.
"The Chairman arrives tomorrow."
At the mention of Rowan, Ulyana's cheeks warmed immediately.
Bear noticed unfortunately.
"So sleep."
The hint of amusement in his voice made her roll her eyes.
"Oh my God."
The giant security man looked entirely pleased with himself.
Julio glanced between them curiously.
Bear translated enough to make the mechanic laugh.
Ulyana pointed a finger at him. "Don't you start."
Bear's expression remained innocent.
Entirely fake innocence.
The room chuckled.
Then Ulyana stood.
Immediately regretting it when she swayed slightly.
Bear was on his feet before anyone else reacted.
One massive hand steadying her shoulder.
She smiled sheepishly. "Still recovering."
"No kidding."
That earned another eye roll.
But she allowed the assistance.
Because she really was tired.
More tired than she'd wanted to admit.
As she headed toward the small guest room Selena had given her, she paused.
Looking back at the family.
At Julio.
At Selena.
At the children.
At Bear.
The people who had kept her safe.
The people who had found her.
The people who had come for her.
Emotion briefly tightened her throat.
"Thank you."
The words were simple.
But everyone understood them.
Julio nodded.
Selena smiled warmly.
Bear simply grunted.
Which, from him, was practically an emotional speech.
Ulyana laughed softly.
Then finally disappeared down the hallway.
For the first time in nearly a month, she went to sleep knowing exactly where she was.
Knowing her family knew she was alive.
Knowing Rowan was coming.
And somehow that knowledge made sleep come easier.
-
Rowan's POV
The moment the call ended, Rowan stood up.
Nobody stopped him.
Nobody spoke.
Not Graham.
Not Hak.
The relief on his face had been obvious enough that both men already knew what the call had contained.
She was alive.
That much was clear.
What wasn't clear was where Rowan disappeared to immediately afterward.
The answer was the airport lavatory.
The moment the door locked behind him, the control he'd maintained finally cracked.
Rowan braced both hands against the sink.
Head lowered.
Eyes shut.
Breathing hard.
She's okay.
The thought repeated itself.
Again.
And again.
And again.
She's okay.
She's alive.
Alive.
The word alone felt overwhelming.
For days his mind had tortured him with possibilities.
Every terrible scenario imaginable.
Every nightmare.
Every outcome he'd been unable to stop himself from considering.
And now she was alive.
Safe.
Talking.
Laughing.
The pressure that had been crushing his chest finally eased.
Not completely.
Not yet.
But enough.
A shaky breath escaped him.
Then another.
For several moments he simply stood there alone.
Allowing himself to feel it.
The relief.
The gratitude.
The exhaustion.
The fear that still hadn't completely left.
Because although she'd been found…
He hadn't seen her yet.
And that uncertainty lingered.
Slowly Rowan straightened.
Splashing water across his face.
Trying to regain some composure.
Trying to prepare himself.
Because now his thoughts had moved beyond finding her.
Now he was thinking about seeing her.
What condition would she be in?
The question wouldn't leave him alone.
She had sounded tired.
Her voice wasn't quite right.
There had been pauses.
Moments where she seemed to be searching for words.
And the memory loss.
That bothered him the most.
Three weeks.
Three entire weeks.
Gone.
Missing from her mind.
What had happened during those days?
What had they done to her?
What had she endured?
Questions he couldn't answer.
Questions he wasn't sure he wanted answered.
Rowan closed his eyes.
Trying not to let his imagination get ahead of him again.
Because she was alive.
That was what mattered.
Everything else could be dealt with later.
The physical recovery.
The investigation.
The missing memories.
The people responsible.
All of it.
Later.
For now, he focused on something simpler.
Seeing her.
He pictured her stepping off a plane.
Or standing outside Julio's home.
Or sitting somewhere wrapped in a blanket, still recovering.
Would she be thinner?
Would she look frightened?
Would she cry?
Would she remember everything?
Would she still smile the same way?
The thought made his chest ache because more than anything else…
He just wanted to hold her.
To physically confirm she was real.
That she was alive.
That she was here.
Finally.
Rowan stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Then quietly laughed.
A tired laugh.
Because if someone had told him six months ago that one woman would have him crossing continents, losing sleep, terrifying entire organizations, and breaking down in an airport bathroom…
He would've called them insane.
Yet here he was.
Hopelessly in love.
And counting every remaining hour until he could see her again.
Rowan stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Then quietly laughed.
Here he was hopelessly in lo—
Rowan stopped.
Love?
The thought felt strange.
Almost ridiculous.
His brow furrowed. Love?
Since when?
The word lingered.
Refusing to leave.
For a moment he simply stared at himself.
Trying to work it out.
When did that happen?
Was it at the lookout?
When she cried and admitted she liked him?
When she asked about his past?
When she played with his hair while he told her things he'd never shared with anyone except Graham and Hak?
When she fell asleep on his office couch?
When she sat through endless meetings just to spend time with him?
When she worried about whether he'd eaten or slept?
He genuinely didn't know.
Somewhere along the way she'd simply become important.
Then indispensable.
Then…
This.
Love.
What a funny thought.
Because now that it had surfaced, Rowan couldn't entirely dismiss it.
Not after the last few months.
Not after the panic.
Not after the helplessness.
Not after the way he'd reacted when he thought something terrible had happened to her.
Not after the relief he'd felt hearing her voice.
The realization sat heavily in his chest.
Yet oddly…
It didn't feel like the important thing right now.
Because whether he loved her or not didn't actually change anything.
It didn't change the fact that she'd disappeared.
It didn't change the fact that she was recovering.
It didn't change the fact that she was sitting somewhere in Mexico with missing memories and unanswered questions.
Love.
Not love.
What did it matter?
Rowan exhaled slowly.
His eyes closed briefly.
No.
That could wait.
All of it.
Later.
Right now there was only one thing that mattered.
He needed to see her.
Not hear her.
Not imagine her.
See her with his own eyes.
Make sure she was truly okay.
Make sure she was safe.
Make sure she was real.
The rest could come afterward.
Rowan pushed away from the sink.
The uncertainty hadn't disappeared.
The fear hadn't vanished completely.
But it had direction now.
Purpose.
He opened the lavatory door and stepped back into the airport.
Back toward Graham.
Back toward Hak.
And toward the aircraft that would carry him across the world.
Rowan knew exactly what he wanted.
Not answers.
Not revenge.
Not closure.
Her.
He just needed to see her.
- -
Bear's POV
Bear had been in Canada when the call came through.
An underground assignment. The sort of job that ordinarily would've occupied his full attention.
Then Nikolai called.
That changed everything.
Bear didn't even wait for the briefing to finish.
The moment he learned Ulyana had been found alive in Mexico, he began making arrangements to leave.
Within hours he was airborne.
Within the day he had landed.
When Bear arrived in Guadalajara, several local contacts were already waiting for him.
Reliable people.
Professionals.
The sort of individuals who survived for years by knowing when to talk and when to disappear.
The drive through the city was quiet at first.
Then one of them finally spoke. "There has been chatter."
Bear looked up. "What kind?"
The man exchanged a glance with another contact.
"Cartel chatter."
That immediately got his attention.
"About?"
"A foreign girl."
Bear's expression didn't change, but mentally, he was already filing the information away.
The contact continued.
"No name."
"No photograph."
"But people are asking questions."
Questions. That was concerning. People searching for someone generally meant one of two things.
They wanted to find them.
Or they wanted to find whoever had them.
Neither option was good.
Bear nodded once. "Find out who."
The contacts immediately understood.
"Who is asking. Who they're asking. And why."
The men nodded.
Bear didn't need to elaborate.
He never did.
By the time he arrived at Julio's workshop, those investigations were already underway.
Then he found Ulyana.
And everything else became secondary.
For a while.
Hours later, after dinner.
After meeting Julio's family.
After ensuring Ulyana was safe.
After personally checking every door, window, entrance, and exit of the property.
The house finally settled into silence.
Ulyana had gone to bed.
The children were asleep.
Julio and Selena had retired for the night.
Bear stepped outside.
Phone already in hand.
The call connected almost immediately. His Mexican contact sounded alert. As though he'd been expecting it.
"We found something."
Bear leaned against a wall. "Talk."
Papers shuffled. Voices murmured somewhere in the background.
"The people asking questions are not cartel."
Bear's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
"What are they?"
"Private. Organized. Professional. Whatever you want to call it"
That wasn't reassuring.
The contact continued.
"They are paying for information."
Bear listened carefully.
"They have photographs."
That immediately concerned him. "Of her?"
"Yes."
Bear's jaw tightened.
The contact continued.
"They are checking traffic cameras."
"Dash cam footage."
"Witnesses."
"Repair shops."
"Hospitals."
Anything that might reveal where Ulyana surfaced after the crash.
"They're searching efficiently."
Not like criminals scrambling.
Not like desperate amateurs.
Methodically.
Patiently.
Like people following a plan.
Bear stared out into the darkness.
Thinking.
Then came the final detail, the one that bothered him most.
"They appear nervous."
Bear frowned. "Nervous?"
"Yes."
The contact hesitated.
"As though finding her is important. Urgent."
Not hunting.
Not celebrating.
Not boasting.
Urgent.
That detail sat poorly with him.
Because it suggested something else entirely.
Something more complicated than a simple abduction.
Bear ended the call several minutes later.
Then stood outside alone.
Thinking.
The pieces didn't fit together yet.
Not completely.
But one thing was becoming clear.
Whatever happened to Ulyana over those missing weeks…
The people looking for her hadn't given up.
And they were getting closer.
Bear glanced toward the house.
Toward the room where Ulyana slept.
Then he checked the perimeter again.
Just to be sure.
Tomorrow Rowan would arrive.
Until then, she was his responsibility. And Bear intended to make sure nobody got anywhere near her.