Page 52 of Raven

“You don’t understand!” she snapped. “I was here before her. I earned everything the hard way. And then she shows up and suddenly she’s the golden girl. Everyone loves Beatrice. The captain. The crew. You.”

My eyes narrowed. “And what, Katherine? That justifieskilling her?”

“Does that justify you killing the firefighters, causing all the horrible injuries?” The captain asked. Standing behind her. “You will be locked up for the rest of your life.”

She stood still, chest heaving now. “She needed to disappear from my life forever. I couldn’t stand being in the same room with her. Perfect Beatrice, she could never do any wrong.”

“You killed those firemen!” The captain growled.

“They shouldn’t have tried to open the door. You told them to stay back. It was their fault.”

I took a step closer, voice low and lethal. “She’s not the one disappearing, Katherine.You are.”

Behind them, the door opened. Two officers stepped inside, quietly flanking the hallway. Katherine noticed them too late.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” one of them said.

Katherine didn’t fight. She didn’t run. She just stood there, shoulders rigid, as they cuffed her hands and read her rights.

As they led her out, she looked at Raven one last time.

“You would’ve loved me too… if she hadn’t shown up.”

I didn’t say a word. I didn’t need to. Everyone knew she was wrong and talking out of her head. Then I stopped and turned. “I didn’t even know you; if I did, I would never have loved you.”

* * *

When I returnedto the hospital later that night, Beatrice was sitting up in bed when I walked into her room. Her eyes were tired but warm, and I knew she was happy to see me.

“She’s gone, Bea,” I said softly. “It’s over. She broke down and admitted to everything.”

Beatrice reached for my hand, and I wrapped my fingers around hers. This woman was mine, and I would never let go of her again.

“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered.

I kissed her knuckles. “You saved yourself, sweetheart. I just brought you home.”

* * *

It had beenfive days since they brought me home.

Five days of slow movement, soft blankets, and my brothers hovering like mother hens over me.

But through it all, Raven never left my side.

And when the nightmares came—when I jolted awake, gasping, my heart pounding like I was still falling—he was there. Always.

Tonight, he took me out on the deck. I don’t know why he thought I needed help walking. My brothers threw a fit when Raven picked me up and took me home with him, but they stopped complaining when we ignored them. I was comfortable with Raven; this is where I wanted to be.

The sunset spread like gold across the sky, quiet and healing. Just watching it gave me peace.

I leaned back against the seat, my arm in a sling, my ribs still tender. Raven sat beside me, close enough that I could feel his warmth.

“I forgot how good it feels to breathe. I will never again take breathing for granted. When I was on that branch and the wind was knocked out of me, it was so hard just to take a breath,” I said softly.

Raven leaned down and kissed me. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“I’ll try not to,” I murmured. “I seemed to be a magnet for falling objects and homicidal coworkers.”

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