Page 27

27

Raven

Katherine was organizing reports at her desk like any other day.

Like she hadn't left Beatrice to die. Like she thought Beatrice was already dead.

I walked in first, flanked by Dan and Troy. No smiles. No greetings. Just quiet, purposeful steps across the station floor.

Katherine looked up. “Raven. Did you find Beatrice?”

“Yes, and she’s alive,” he said flatly.

Katherine’s hands froze mid-shuffle.

“We rescued her from where you pushed her over the cliff,” Troy added, his voice edged with fire. “She told us everything.”

Silence fell over the room like a dropped curtain.

Katherine blinked slowly.

“She told us about the trip to Croft Ridge,” I said, stepping closer. “How you lured her out there. She told us how you knocked her out, how you threw her into a ravine . She told us it was you who started those fire bombs, it was you who killed those men. ”

Katherine’s face didn’t move at first, but her fingers twitched—barely.

“You’re lying,” she said, voice cool but thinner than before.

“She survived, Katherine,” Dan said. “She landed in a tree. She screamed for more than two days. And we found her. You didn’t win. You’re going to pay for trying to kill my sister. ”

Katherine’s jaw clenched. “You have no proof.”

Raven reached into his pocket and pulled out a small voice recorder. “She gave a statement. The police are on their way here. You will be locked away for the rest of your life for murder and attempted murder.”

Dan stepped forward. “And guess what else? There are security cameras on the way to the ridge. Caught you driving in with her—and leaving alone .”

Troy’s voice dropped, rough with fury. “You dumped her like trash. You left her to die, on the bottom of that cliff. Thank God for that branch. If the police weren’t here, I would kill you myself.”

* * *

She’d survived.

I wanted to scream and stamp my feet.

And worse— he had found her.

Raven.

Of course it was Raven. The damn golden boy with the haunted eyes and perfect timing. He always showed up for her, like some kind of storm-worn hero ripped straight from a propaganda poster.

And now the entire Golden Team was on the board.

* * *

Her eyes darted between us, like a cornered animal. “You don’t know what she did to me. She took everything. The attention. The praise. You all made me invisible.”

“You made yourself invisible the moment you stopped seeing everyone as people and started seeing competition,” I said.

“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 justifies killing 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 returned to 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 been five 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.”

He looked at me, his smile fading into something quieter. “When I got that call… when your brothers said you were missing, I swear—Bea, I’ve been in warzones that felt less terrifying. I heard in their voice how scared they were. I don’t want to ever be that scared again.”

My throat tightened. “I kept thinking about you when I was out there… on that branch. I wanted to hold on for you,” I said, leaning on his shoulder.

He looked down at our hands, his fingers tracing the edge of mine.

“You don’t have to hold on alone anymore,” he said. “Never.”

I turned to him. His eyes, God, those eyes, they were steady, fierce, and full of something I hadn’t dared to name until now.

Love.

“Raven…”

He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my cheek, his touch featherlight.

“I know this isn’t how it was supposed to go,” he said. “But I’m done pretending I don’t care. You’re it for me, Bea. I love you.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but I smiled.

“You’re it for me, too.”

He leaned in slowly, carefully—his forehead resting against mine.

“You sure?” He whispered.

“I’ve never been more sure. I love you. I was so scared that I would never be able to tell you again that I loved you.”

Then he kissed me—soft, reverent, and full of every promise we hadn’t spoken until now.

And for the first time since everything fell apart, I felt whole.

“This is perfect,” I said as he kissed me again.