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Raven glared at him over the sheet. “And you’re here to tell me there’s a price.”
“I’m here to make this legal,” he said, grinning his charming boy smile. “I’m your officiant.”
Raven wasn’t sure exactly how this was going to work. The Academy had so many resources—they could help. The lawyer had been so concerned with making sure he didn’t get charged with murder while everything was straightened out. He’d told Raven to volunteer to stay in custody since his ID couldn’t be cleared through official channels. Was this their solution?
There was no way Raven would have been allowed to stay in the country. Not with his rap sheet. And he wasn’t sure about getting into bed with the devil. It felt like, by doing so, he was asking Kayli to do the same. “What do you want from me? For this?”
“Nothing, at the moment.”
Raven raised an eyebrow. He hated this game. “I won’t sign until I know the price.”
Blake pressed his lips together, staring at him. He was quiet for a long moment. “All right,” he finally said. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“What?”
“I want a fair shake.”
“Shake?”
“I want a do-over. A true fresh start with you and your team. Wipe the slate clean.”
“Why?”
“Because for God knows what reason, Kayli likes you and your friends,” he said. He combed his fingers through his hair, brushing back the locks. “For whatever crazy reason, she cares about you. I’ve seen how far you’ll go to save people, including her. That makes you just like me.”
Raven growled. “We’re not the same.”
“It’s a simple request,” Blake said, and he pushed the pen toward Raven, the metal scraping against the wood. “Sign on the dotted line, and you’re her husband. But that doesn’t mean I’m going away that easy.”
Raven held the paper and the pen in his hand, each item feeling like it was on fire as he questioned the wisdom in this plan.
Kayli wanted to marry him. Corey had come up with the idea, too. His heart melted, knowing why, but also knowing they didn’t have to and had chosen to do it. For him.
At the same time, Kayli believed in Blake enough to have risked her own life to try to save him on the ship.
Corey had said they hadn’t really given him a chance, and Raven trusted Corey more than anyone. With his own life, if it came to that.
“We have another problem,” Raven said, tapping the pen on the table. “The Academy…”
“What about it?”
Raven hated outing his own group. Corey wouldn’t like it. “They don’t like you. They wanted us to get rid of you. Not like…not like Sam did. Just to get you to go away.”
“Kayli isn’t in your Academy,” Blake said.
“The rest of us are.”
“So ask them to give me a second chance.”
“There’s a lot at risk.”
“I’ve got a lot at risk,” Blake said. “And it’s made me realize I can’t go charging in like I have been. This trip, with Kayli, there was more than just me, my life, at stake. That used to be the only thing I was putting at risk: myself. Now…now it’s all different.” He sighed. “I tried to involve her, thinking I could protect her, and she’d see I could be different. That I wasn’t like you with your guns and your rushing in. Then I did the same thing.”
“You thought it would be different because they were executives? People with money?” Raven blew out a loud breath. “You should have known executives that are in that deep will call in their dogs.”
“I told her I was sorry,” Blake said. He pointed to the marriage certificate. “I told her I’d make things right, starting with this. This is my promise to her.”
Raven bowed his head again, looking at Kayli’s name. “She knows my first name now,” he said.
“Yeah,” he said. “She seemed surprised.”
“Did she say anything?”
“She signed the paper.”
Raven smirked, and then used the pen, scrawling his name in big letters in the spot he was supposed to sign.
If she did it, he would too.
He’d go anywhere with her. He’d go after her again and again.
Blake winced. “Couldn’t have done that with a little more sympathy for me?” He put his palm over his own heart. “You’re killing me here.”
Raven traced the pen over his name again, thickening the black ink in the lettering.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t rub it in.” Blake reached for the paper, taking it and folding it over.
Blake reached for the pen next, and this time, Raven grabbed his wrist, holding it firmly. He met Blake’s eyes. “Wait,” he said.
“Let him go,” the officer warned behind him.
Raven released Blake. Blake took the pen but tucked it away. “Something else? You’ve already married her. Not enough?”
“Is she out of the hospital?”
“On her feet, but still in the hospital. They want to do an operation. Don’t know when yet.”
Raven had heard it from the lawyer. Kayli’s insides were messed up. Poison had gotten to her. “I need…a favor.”
Blake raised an eyebrow. “Another one? These are piling up.”
“Find her brother. He should know. Find Wil Winchester.”
Blake’s face fell. “What? She still hasn’t found him?”
“We traced him to a local high school, but he seems to be in over his head with something. We were asked to steer clear, and she wanted to lay low, let him approach her. Only on the ship, I think I convinced her to go find him.” He leaned in close, causing Blake to do the same. “Circumstances have changed. He should know she’s in the hospital. You should bring him to her.”
“Why ask me?” Blake asked. “I thought she found him before now, because she hasn’t said anything about him in a while. Not that I mind, but shouldn’t you be asking your friends to do this?”
“The Academy,” Raven said. “They were the ones to ask us to give Wil some space. They’ve been watching him. He’s mixed up with some kids. He should know about this, though.” He pointed to the paperwork. “I’m her husband now, though. I can ask for her. She’d want this. I know it.”
Blake nodded slowly. “I’ll find him.”
Raven remained at the table as Blake stood. Blake was escorted out first, and then the officer came back for Raven.
He was guided back to his cell, but it felt like he was floating the whole way.
Married. He was married.
Seemed right.
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Books by C. L. Stone
The Academy Ghost Bird Series:
Introductions
First Days
Friends vs. Family
Forgiveness and Permission
Drop of Doubt
Push and Shove
House of Korba
The Other Side of Envy
The Healing Power of Sugar
First Kiss
Black and Green (coming soon – turn the page for an exclusive sneak peek!)
The Academy Scarab Beetle Series
Thief
Liar
Fake
Accessory
Hoax
Tempest (coming in 2017 – turn the page for an exclusive sneak peek!)
Other C. L. Stone Books:
Spice God
Smoking Gun
Bonus!
Turn the page for an exclusive snea
k peek at Tempest, the next book in The Scarab Beetle Series!
