𝐧𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞- 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

21.

Rafe kept eye contact with me as he strides through the door, his jacket flung over his shoulder. His face was still blank besides the obvious stress and anxiety eating him away, but by the way he stared at me I could tell that the drugs were still affecting him after hours spent in a prison cell.

My arms were folded over my chest, my own jacket hanging from my arm. I said nothing to the cops as they released the boy who was sitting in prison. Rafe walked right past me, trampling down the steps, earning a breath of fresh air.

"You shouldn't be here." Rafe mumbled, sitting in the passengers side of the car. "It's too risky."

I gulped, wondering how much the cops have told him. The fire was still fresh in my mind, the sight and sound of Sarah crumbling to the ground. The way the cops were shouting at Ward to get back to the dock.

"Well, right now, I think we're fine." I mumbled, repeating Ward's last words he recorded for his family in my brain. It wasn't my place, but I overheard everything while Sarah watched it.

Now I found myself on Sarah Cameron's bedroom floor, holding the sobbing girl in my arms. I wasn't sure where it all went wrong or what happened because one moment I was focused on Trevor's death and the next I was caught up in Peterkin's death.

Rafe was downstairs listening to the video Ward Cameron had left behind before he ultimately decided to take his own life instead of rotting in prison. He confessed to the murder of Big John, Peterkin, Gavin, and even Trevor. I was shocked at first, but quickly realized that it was only because Rafe was involved.

It all led to another and suddenly Sarah was crying in my arms, screaming at herself for letting this all happen. She didn't regret turning him in, but she didn't want him to die either. After all, he was still her father. The same man who took care of her and let us run around the kitchen island during the summer because we were young with tons of adrenaline rushing through our bodies.

Barry had turned Rafe in, claiming it was because Ward had beat his ass weeks ago. I was pissed at the boy, but not shocked. I had sensed that the moment I stepped onto his lawn. I was thankful he never let it slip that we bought a gun from him, but Rafe had spent the night in prison too stressed to comprehend why the cops were after his father.

It was my turn to comfort them all, Wheezie included. She had been crying to Sarah all night without fully understanding what happened. Sarah was there when Ward blew himself up, but luckily made it in time to rush Wheezie back into the house where she hid away in her room before hearing the loud explosion.

Sarah's head rested in my lap, calming down for a few minutes. She couldn't stop crying, too upset with John B to go to him for comfort. John B did know Ward killed his father, but Sarah was still expecting some sort of reaction out of him other than pure excitement. Now, it was up to Topper and I to comfort her.

I felt bad that Ward had taken Trevor's name with him. He had hurt me, trapped me in a cellar, and abused Rafe for his whole life, yet he still took the blame for it. It was another name that Sarah had to deal with though it was a lie.

The news had blown up by now. Trevor had gotten his "justice" through a murderer who wasn't actually his murderer. I didn't argue because the danger was now off my back along with my families and Rafe's. But it was still weighing on me seeing the way Sarah sobbed for her father. After everything, she still cared for him and loved him.

I gently rubbed the blondes hair, watching her shut her eyes and sniff away her pain. Her body was curled up, too surprised to stand up and sleep on her bed. Her arms were wrapped around her small body, sick from seeing her father die in front of her. He left behind a video, that was it. He never meant for Sarah to see that, only the cops. However, she made it in time along with dragging the Pogues with her.