Surviving Raine (Surviving Raine 1)

“How did you know?” I asked.

“I actually read the names of the passengers, asshole,” John Paul smirked. “I knew before she even got on board. Did it help the dreams?”

“I didn’t think…I mean…I never…when she told me…ah fuck!” I gave up stammering like a fool and shoved the end of the smoke back in my mouth, inhaling hard.

“Coherent much?” John Paul snickered.

“I don’t know what I thought,” I finally said. “Regardless, they didn’t go away. They’re…not as bad…when I’m with her, but there are new ones, too.”

“New ones?”

“Yeah, don’t fucking ask.”

“Hrm.” He looked over his shoulder and then lowered his voice. “Did you kill four guys?”

“Yeah,” I said with a shrug

. “How did you know?”

“That’s what told me where to look,” John Paul informed me. “Reports of them going missing went through the underground right after the official search was called off. Given the location of where their boat was found drifting, I kind of had a hunch. Someday you’ll have to tell me the whole story. What did you do with the bodies?”

“Burned them,” I said nonchalantly. “Buried the bones on the north side of the beach. Who were they with?”

“No one I had heard of,” John Paul said. “Drug dealers, a few other illicit activities.”

“I figured.”

“Not one of the big players, but still…we should make sure they aren’t found. A connection could be made.”

“Probably.” I didn’t really give a shit at this point though I knew I probably should.

“Did they try to take her?” John Paul was always an intuitive guy.

“Yeah, but I think in the end they regretted it.”

“I bet,” he said with a humorless laugh. “Want another?”

I took another cigarette out of the pack. John Paul lit up, too.

“What about Alejandro?” I inquired.

“He’s good,” John Paul said with a nod. “He says he’s never getting on the water again, but he’s good. He got himself a job in a restaurant. He says he makes pretty good money as a chef even though it’s just a small place. Good food – Italian. You would like it.”

“Where is it?”

“Key West,” John Paul told me. “One of the touristy places.”

I nodded, stared at nothing across the street, and smoked for a minute.

“What now?” he asked.

“Whatever she wants, I guess.” I turned and faced him. “After everything that’s happened, I think she’d probably agree with Alejandro. I kind of doubt she’ll be interested in sea-life.”

“Can’t blame her,” John Paul said. “It was the first time she had ever been in anything other than a fishing boat on a lake with her dad.”

I felt like a shit for not even knowing that.

“Bastian?” Raine’s voice came from behind us.