ALWAYS || RAFE CAMERON

41

Rose's black Audi was nowhere to be seen when we got back to Tanny Hill.

"where are Wheezie and Rose?" Rafe asked the Housekeeper as soon as we got in.

"Mrs Cameron took Miss Wheezie to the mainland with talk of meeting Mr Cameron's lawyers." she said through her thick Spanish accent.

"for fucks sake!" Rafe slammed the door so hard that one of the glass panes shattered.

Bingo and Jinx came yapping down the stairs.

i sighed and re-opened the door, going in search of him, the dogs trotting beside me.

i finally tracked him down, he was round the side of the house, throwing a tennis ball against the wall and catching it, while Renfield watched.

"what are you doing?" i sat down heavily on one of the garden sofas.

"no, what's Rose doing?" he didn't turn around.

"meeting with lawyers on the main land." i stated.

"yeah, so she can be in charge of Dad's money. i should be the one to look after it."

i was going to point out that he'd spend it on drugs, alcohol and golf, but decided that now wasn't the time to tell him.

i turned round at the sound of a car approaching.

Bingo and Jinx ran towards it, and i followed, trying to grab their collars.

i read the numberplate; THORNTON 2

"Topper!" i laughed.

he got out and hugged me tight, lifting me off the ground.

i wrapped my arms round his neck, and my legs around his waist, and buried my face on his shoulder.

"what are you doing here?" i asked when he put me down.

"i'm here to pick Sarah up." he grinned.

"she's not here." Rafe said from behind me.

"what? where is she then?" Top frowned.

we were silent for a second.

"she's with the Pogues." i stated.

"the Pogues?" Rafe shook his head.

"i'll track her location." Top took his phone out.

"why the fuck do you have her location?" Rafe snatched his phone, looking at the screen.

"i got her a new phone when she lost hers." he snatched it back.  "it says she's at the Swamp... why would she be there?"

my head snapped up and Rafe and i stared wide eyed at each other.

"fuck!"

Renfield, Rafe and i took Renfields truck down to the swamp.

Rafe and i scanned the scenery for traces of the Pogues and Sarah.

there were tyre marks going off the edge of the track.

"do you think they went in?" i asked Rafe.

"hope so."

we drove slowly on.

i held Topper's phone in my hand, Sarah's location was a flashing blue dot on the screen.

"that way," i pointed left and Renfield turned the wheel.

i zoomed in on Sarah's dot.

apparently she was in a church.

we were less than 100 meters away.

Renfield turned the engine off and we walked towards the church.

i put my ear against the door and heard Pogues' muffled voices.

i nodded at Rafe and Renfield who'd hidden themselves behind trees.

i joined Rafe behind his tree and watched curiously as Renfield took a large looking bow out of a case, and also some arrows.

i looked up at Rafe, frowning.

he shrugged in response, touching my lips gently.

i stretched onto my tiptoes and kissed his softly.

his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me even closer.

i slipped my hand up his shirt, running my hands up and down his hard stomach.

one of his hands cupped my -

an arrow embedded itself in the tree, centimetres from Rafe's head.

our eyes flew to Renfield who wore a judgemental look as he lowered his bow.

"what the fuck?!" Rafe whispered.

"you need to be alert. you can't do that while you feel your girlfriend up." he stated.

i flipped him off and crept over to the thick wooden door of the church.

i could hear the Pogues yells clearly coming from inside.

"get back!" i hissed.

i jumped over the wall of the church, wincing as brambles scraped my legs, and ducked low, praying that Rafe and Renfield heard me.

the doors burst open and i peeped over the wall.

John B and JJ half carried half dragged Pope Heyward out of the place.

his eyes were swollen shut, and his face was covered in angry red spots.

he was gasping for air and was writhing about on pain.

Sarah ran ahead and opened the door of their van, and Kie caught up from behind them, pulling the doors shut.

the van sped away, and i leaped back over the wall, wrenching the doors open.

i heard Rafe and Renfield behind me, and walked in.

the sound of buzzing caught my attention.

i looked up to see a swarm of wasps flying around a broken rafter.

i looked down.

badly hidden under a pile of kneeling cushions was a huge, golden, jewel encrusted cross.

"there it is." i kicked the cushions away.

"well done, babe." Rafe grinned.

"i didn't do anything." i ran my fingers along the gems.

"and yet you'll still be rewarded." he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.