Licensed to Swoon—Chapter Thirty Two

licensed to swoon—chapter thirty two

JACK

The rain whips across my face as I stand on the cliffs of Dover. Raven loved it here. Said it felt like we were in one of those old spy movies she adored.

Last night, after years of wanting, we finally gave in. My only regret is that we should’ve done it years ago. Last night was more than I ever imagined it could be. Raven told me everything - her real past, why she joined the agency. We’d made a decision. We were going to the director, and together, we’d tell him. Consequences be damned. I’d thought we’d have so much time to explore this new us.

I was such a fool.

This morning, an urgent message flashed on her phone. Before I could even sit up, she was gone. Just a rushed kiss, a worried look, and a promise to be back in twenty minutes.

That was sixteen hours ago.

When I call her number it goes straight to voicemail. Her tracker says location not found. I’ve called every contact, pulled every string. The trail ended at the abandoned Royal Marine Barracks where a person witnessed her being dragged behind the old ammunition store and then there were gunshots fired. Now I'm staring at the choppy English Channel, soaked to the bone with no will to leave, my heart feeling as gray as the sky.

People hurry by, ducking against the wind. They have no idea that my world just ended. That the woman I love vanished without a trace. I replay our last moments over and over. The way she looked at me like I was her constant amid the chaos. Her last smile, the last kiss, the back of her disappearing through the door.

My fist clenches around her badge. She left it behind - something she'd never do unless she wasn’t planning on returning. Lightning flashes across the water and for a moment, I think she’s a ghost, walking along the waves. But it’s only an illusion.

The waves crash against the cliffs below, violent and unforgiving. I want to scream, to rage against the unfairness of it all. To jump in head first.

Instead, I stand here, rain mixing with the tears I can't hold back anymore.

Raven's gone. Not undercover. Gone. And I have to be honest with myself…probably dead. The woman who could make me laugh during the worst stakeouts, who had my back in firefights, who knew me better than anyone. And she’s never coming home.

I should head back and file my report. But I can't move. Moving means accepting this new reality. A world without Raven in it. I'll stand here until I'm numb, until I can face what comes next.

Because right now, standing at the edge of a cliff, I don't know how I'll ever move forward without her.