Page 27 of Raven

But barely.

* * *

Back at base,stitched and bandaged, I stepped outside and pulled out my phone.

One bar.

That was enough.

I typed a single message:

I kept my promise. Coming home.

A minute later, my screen lit up.

I’ll be waiting. Just don’t get used to leaving.

—B

15

Raven

It feltgood to be back home. I dove beneath the crashing waves again and again, letting them slam into me like a cleansing force. For nearly an hour, I swam out past the breakers, away from everything, before finally surrendering, letting the tide pull me back toward shore.

My heart and mind were at war. My heart whispered I was in love with Beatrice. My mind argued back—I didn’t know her well enough for it to be love. It was madness.

When my feet touched sand again, I trudged onto the beach, chest heaving, water dripping from every inch of me. That’s when I saw Oliver standing there, arms crossed.

“I thought I was going to have to rescue you,” he said, scowling. “What the hell were you thinking, swimming out that far?”

I gave him a tired look. “Were you really that worried about me?”

“Yeah. I was. You promised me breakfast this morning, remember? That new place downtown—you said you were treating.”

“No, you said you were treating me to breakfast this time.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just get changed so we can go.”

As I turned to head inside, Gage stepped out and waved Oliver over.

“I’ll talk with Gage while you get ready,” Oliver said.

Twenty minutes later, I came back out, showered and dressed. I spotted Troy chatting with a few of the guys. I caught part of the conversation and froze.

“…Beatrice went to investigate,” Troy was saying.

I stepped closer. “What about Beatrice?”

“She went with the Fire Marshal to check out that warehouse fire in Palm Desert,” Troy explained. “If the person behind all this figures out she’s involved, she could be a target.”

“Then she shouldn’t be anywhere near the investigation.”

“We’ve told her that,” Troy said, frustration creeping into his voice. “But you know Beatrice. The more you tell her to back off, the more determined she gets. She keeps saying we need to trust her judgment, but Dan and I are not comfortable with it. That’s why I’m here. Can you talk to her?”

“I already told her to be careful. She said she would.” I sighed. “But I’m flying overseas tomorrow. I need someone to keep an eye on her while I’m gone.”

“You’re leaving? Where to?”

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