𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

ninety eight.

"No." Rafe interjected. "I'm not leaving you ever again."

That was the answer Charlotte had been waiting to hear. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, "Okay," she breathed, "Then let's go."

If Charlotte had said the word, Rafe would have been hauling ass to get out of that jungle. But instead he was following after some of the people he detested most in this world. It was crazy what he was willing to do for love. 

─☼☼☼─

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙊𝙏𝙏𝙀

By the time Rafe and Charlotte caught up to the others, they were crouched beneath a slight ridge, each of them with uneasy looks on their faces. Charlotte followed their line of sight and she was forced to hold in the audible gasp that wanted to tumble from her lips at the sight of Ward Cameron pointed a gun at Big John and John B. Sarah stood in between the three of them, as if blocking John B from danger. 

"What is your dad doing here?" Charlotte demanded, voice low as she looked to Rafe for an explanation. 

He simply shook his head, his eyes dark as he watched on. 

"All right, what are we gonna do?" Pope questioned the other Pogues. 

JJ gave a slight tilt of his head, "Is this ride or die?"

It was Cleo who spoke first, unsheathing her blade. "P4L"

Pope followed. "P4L"

Then Kiara. "P4L"

And then JJ. "P4L, baby."

They all stood with their blades on the ready. None of them looked back at her, but it was as if they were all waiting. 

Silently, Charlotte turned her head slightly, meeting the hardened gaze of her boyfriend. She'd never been so obviously caught in the middle of the two of them like this. 

Giving Rafe a sad smile, Charlotte nodded. "P4L" She said softly, and she could have sworn she saw her sister and JJ's shoulders relax at her words. 

What she expected was for Rafe to be angry. What she didn't expect was for him to give her a small nod, as if he understood. "Stay close to me," he whispered, pulling her next to him as they watched the Pogues rush on Ward. "Do not leave my side."

Charlotte didn't need to be told twice. Leaving Rafe's side was literally the last thing she wanted to do in that moment...or in any moment in the future. If she could just move Rafe, her sister, and friends to a little island where they all got along and never had to leave, she would have in a heartbeat. 

The Pogues yells ripped through the jungle as they jumped out at Ward, startling everyone as they appeared. Ward spun on them, gun raised as he surveyed who was standing in front of him. When his eyes met Charlotte and Rafe's, he gave his head a small shake. Rafe couldn't hold his gaze for long, dropping his eyes to Charlotte instead. She gave his hand a squeeze, a tight smile on her lips. She knew how hard this was for him. 

"Stop!" Ward snapped at them, trying to decide who to settle his gun on. "Stay there!"

The Pogues held their machetes out in front of them, and Charlotte hoped they knew they were no match for the bullets in Ward's gun. But he couldn't kill all of them. Charlotte really hoped he wouldn't kill anyone.