Page 5 of Raven

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Later that morning,I walked barefoot across the sand, pretending everything was normal. Raven was on his deck again, sipping coffee and brushing Mandy’s hair. He looked like a man who hadn’t slept much either.

His eyes locked on mine as I approached.

“You okay?” he asked, standing.

I shrugged. “Mike puked up seaweed. I’ve been up since three.”

His lips twitched. “Your dog has a thing for chaos, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, well, he learned from the best.”

I hadn’t meant to say that. But there it was—floating between us like a warning. I always had plenty of chaos around me. My Dad used to say trouble followed me.

Raven didn’t press. Smart man. Too smart, maybe.

“I owe you a clean shirt,” I said, handing it over. “Washed and dried. Smells like Tide with Downey.”

He chuckled. “Thanks.”

I turned to go, but paused. “Thanks for yesterday. You kept your cool with Lori.”

His smile faded just a little. “Mandy didn’t sleep last night. She was pacing the deck.”

So it wasn’t just me.

“You think someone was out here?” I asked, testing the waters.

“Iknowsomeone was out here,” he said flatly. “And they came too damn close.”

A beat passed between us.

Then I nodded once. “If I see anything, I’ll let you know.”

And just like that, we had an unspoken pact.

I wasn’t just the new girl on the beach anymore.

I was someone with a past.

And Raven Ledger—he was the kind of man who’d find out exactly what I was hiding.

3

Beatrice

I enjoyed being a firefighter.I understood fire in a way most people didn’t.

You can’t fight something you don’t understand.

“Your turn to restock the engine, Jones,” Captain Ramirez said as he walked past with his coffee.

I saluted lazily. “On it,” I called out.

Mike was back at the house, hopefullynotchewing through the couch. I would hate for Ryan to have another sofa chewed up. He hated being left behind, but it was protocol. I grabbed my gloves, zipped up my gear, and started checking hoses and fittings, keeping busy and staying focused.

But my mind wasn’t in it today.

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