Page 34 of Omega Inked

She comes to the helm to sit with me as we make our final approach to the Raft, slumping into the co-captain's chair with a sigh. I don't want to give into her, but she's damn cute--and I can't resist when I glance over.

"You good?" I ask.

She nods. "Nervous. What should I expect?"

"Huh..." I trail off. "Well, the two men in charge are Carson and Rafe. Carson, you probably know because he shows up in the news all the time. Rafe is our espionage guy--I don't even know his real name. You'll probably meet one of those two once we get there."

"And they're going to help us save Jade and Kendra?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I've told her it might not be doable, but she's so damn stubborn.

"Yeah, they'll help us if they can," I say, not wanting to give her false hope. "But you need to understand that they're not exactly the nicest people in the world. They do what they have to do to survive in Solstice Bay--and that can mean they do some unsavory things."

"I can handle it," she says, determination in her voice.

I give her a skeptical look. "You sure about that?"

"I'm sure," she says, and I can tell that she's not going to back down.

We reach the Raft soon after, and I feel a sense of relief wash over me. The houseboat was getting to be too much--too much baggage, too much drama. The Raft is a welcome change of pace.

And who do I see on the dock but Lex.

She makes her way toward us with a grin, her shaved head having grown out a bit to blonde fluff. She stands on the dock with her hands on her hips as we get closer, her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. Soon, we're docked and disembarking, Phoenix immediately slinging an arm around Lex in a one-armed hug that I vaguely notice makes Olivia scowl.

"Holy shit, dude," Phoenix says. "You're alive. After that day at the tattoo parlor, I figured you were a goner."

"I appreciate your faith in me," Lex deadpans. "And this must be the girl...?"

Olivia extends her hand, her cheeks flushing. "Olivia. Olivia Cruz," she says.

Guess she's owning it.

That shifts my strategy a bit.

"Okay," Lex says. "Strong handshake. And..."

She pauses, her nose wrinkling.

Then she looks from Olivia to Liam to Phoenix.

"What the hell," she mutters. "You're packed up?"

Liam says 'yes' at the exact same moment that Phoenix says 'no.'

Olivia shrugs. "It's complicated."

Lex gives a low whistle, eyeing them all with her brows raised. "Well, I'm sure it is."

I step in before things can get more awkward. "Is Carson around?"

Lex shakes her head, her expression growing serious. "Nope. He's out on a...job. Won't be back for a few days."

I feel my stomach sink. This was our best shot, and now we're stuck waiting for Carson to return.

But then, Lex speaks again. "But Rafe's here. He's in the main building. Come on, I'll take you there."

We follow Lex through a maze of shipping containers and makeshift buildings, the sound of the ocean in our ears. Finally, we reach a building that looks like it's made of old shipping crates stacked together. Lex leads us inside, and I'm hit with a wave of heat and the smell of sweat and metal.

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