Only because you asked // Rafe Cameron

Chapter Thirty Two - Times were changing

"Jesus, what happened to you?" Kiara shrieked as she placed a hand on Lana's neck, examining the bright red marks. They resembled hand prints, perfectly outlined in place as if they would retell the story.

"Ward was strangling her," JJ told them, still trying to catch his breath.

"I can't believe it," Sarah cried, sobbing into her hands as she leaned against the van wall, her eyes wide with unwanted realisation. Her hands began to shake as she held them out in front of herself, viewing the trembling as she tried to make it stop. "I can't believe it."

"I can," John B huffed, making a sharp U-turn as they all gripped onto something for support due to the lack of seatbelts and safety precautions. JJ squinted his eyes and nodded his head at him in 'are you stupid?', turning to face Kiara who was trying to talk to Lana, but she wouldn't say a word.

"You alright?" JJ asked her as Kiara looked up at him.

"Of course she's not okay, look at her."

"I was just asking!"

"Use your eyes!"

"Lana, what happened?" Pope asked her, leaning close to provide her with comfort but she didn't say anything, she just sat staring at one place on the ground.

Once it was final that she wasn't going to speak, JJ answered for her. "He confessed," he began, looking around the van. "He confessed about Big John." John B gripped the steering wheel as Sarah looked over to him, not even finding the right words to say to him in that moment. "And he tried to send Lana to heaven."

"But why her?" Kiara pondered, keeping a hand on Lana's shoulder.

"Because he confessed, he probably didn't mean to."

"Or it's just part of his plan, eliminate the competition?" John B snapped, focusing hard on the road.

Sarah wiped her tears, though it had been useless as more tears released themselves, and she shuffled over to Lana as she placed a hand on her cheek. "Say something, please," she begged, her voice just barely above a whisper.

Lana didn't change her expression, though she reluctantly looked up to connect her eyes with Sarah. She stayed monotonous for a few seconds, her face emotionless and numb before her lips began to curl downwards. Her bottom lip started to quiver slightly as her nose turned red, a single tear drop streaming down her soft cheek. "Rafe," she managed to get out, her voice wobbling as everything hit her. "I want Rafe."

"We can't, not right now baby," Kiara calmed her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as she began to let out more tears.

"I want Rafe," she repeated, her voice faint from the sobs as she conjoined her head with her knees.

"You can't. First thing's first," John B began, looking at her through the mirror. "We need to collect the rest of the gold now, incase Ward catches a new lead." The car came to a sudden stop as they arrived outside the Crain House, John B turning around to fully look at her. "He's also going to accuse you of attacking him, which means in a few days, the police will be out looking for you too."

Lana closed her eyes, chanting out loud. "This can't be happening, this can't be happening," she repeated as she was being dragged out of the van. She continued to hyperventilate and panic, repeating those four words to herself before JJ pressed his hand over her mouth and turned her to face him, trying to get her to be quiet before we entered the basement.

"Listen to me," he instructed, placing a hand on each shoulder. "You're going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."

She nodded her head and continued walking into the basement, her heart still aching in fear of what had just happened.