[A/N: Hello my lovelies! I apologize for this super late chapter, I had no idea it would take me hours to complete it. There are a few more chapters to be posted before this book is finally completed! Thank you all for staying! I love you all and hope you enjoy! -K 🖤]
[🌿This chapter is extremely long, contains swearing, violent and dangerous situations, and saddening angst.🌿]
***
I swallowed dryly as the sun shone heavily down on us as we remained in our same positions from the night previous. Santi had continuously woken me up through the night, afraid that my breaths were becoming more shallow as time passed.
"Here, Angel..." Fish knelt before me, offering me his water canister, but I was too weak to reach for it. I sadly frowned and looked away from him. "That's okay, let me help." He nodded with a smile, guiding the spout to my lips as I attempted to drink it.
Santi's footsteps tufted as he approached from around the bags and back towards me. "Everything okay?" He questioned, watching as Fish removed the water from me once I ceased to be able to control what I was able to actually drink. Santi quickly wiped the rogue drips from my chin as my head weakly laid to the side.
"A few hours. At most. We need to get to that fucking boat, now." Fish's tone was suddenly intense and hostile towards Santi who worriedly glanced towards me.
My eyes drifted to Benny as his figure came into focus before me. With a weak smile, I studied his gait as he walked closer to our group. I was grateful that he had returned unharmed, yet fearful because of how long it took him to reach the boat.
I didn't have that long.
Will groaned as he stood to greet his brother. "You all right?" He painfully inquired, holding his side and observing his brother approach.
"God, what the hell happened to you?" Ben shuffled towards his brother, noticing the newly busted lip, broken nose, and two black eyes.
"Pope. Pope happened to me." Will's bruised eyes flicked over to Santi and myself, nervous and terrified of Santi's fulfilled promise of beating the shit out of him.
Ben scoffed and chuckled. "Good. It was either him or me. The boat's there. I gave him half the money." He continued, swing his rifle from his arm and setting it onto the rocks. He then shrugged and shuffled towards me. "I hope he waits. I didn't go into town, but it looks like whoever's in charge there...has a kindergarten army that's looking for us." Ben stated, kneeling before me and smiling widely. "Hey, sweetheart. You didn't give them too much trouble, did you?"
Will crossed his arms and gasped at the agony of his recently broken ribs. "How many of them?" He asked, causing Ben to turn his head over his shoulder.
"Two or three pros, 20 heavily-arms teenagers." Ben returned, noticing my lack of a response. I had found it was easier to listen and didn't take as much energy and it wasn't as unbearable as talking was. He gently took my limp hands into his, his eyebrows knitting as he glanced back up to my face. "Your hands are freezing."
Fish was the next to stand impatiently. "What about the next town over?" His hands were on his hips as he pondered the view before him and the options they might have.
Santi shook his head and sighed. "It's over 100 miles to the south." He muttered, pressing his hand against my cheek gently. His jaw tightened, apparently not receiving the answer he was hoping for.
"I'm sure they've got every town covered anyway." Will assumed and scratched at his facial hair. "Must be what's left of Lorea's guys." He sniffed and allowed his head to drop.
Santi's thumb softly traced my noticeably paler cheeks. "So we go through 'em." He plainly uttered, causing silence to befall the group. I searched his face, curious as to what he intended and why he deemed it to be the only solution.
"Through them?" Will angled his body towards Santi, bewildered that he had heard the prompt come from Santi of all people.
I, too, was surprised. I had never heard Santi propose such horrendous plan as this.
Fish stuttered in disbelief as he stared at Santi. "Wait. W-What, do you mean we just mow them all down?" He faced Santi with an incredulous expression, not knowing where this sudden carelessness came from.
"What's the alternative here?" Santi abruptly replied with irritation weighing in his voice. He dropped his hand from my face, leaving me without the warmth that was contain my abandoning me. He stood and crossed his arms in defense.
Will ran a hand through his hand hair and sighed in exhaustion. "I'm not prepared to wipe out every teenager in that town just to get through with this cargo."
As much as I disliked him, I had to agree with Will. I had just murdered a teenager, and if I happened to commit the same transgression again, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
"This cargo?" Santi suddenly pointed to the money bags that surrounded us. "What about that cargo?" His gesturing was directed at Tom's body bag that remained in the same place from yesterday. Tears pricked my eyes as I gazed towards my deceased brother. "Will you do it for him?! Tom died for this money and we're not leaving this country without it!"
Benny interjected swiftly, "He didn't die for that money, he died because of it!" I released a heartbroken sob, inciting sadness and silence to immediately befall on the group as their eyes were forced on me.
Santi sniffed and began to walk away and behind the bags, leaving the rest of the guys to converse amongst themselves.
"They're just kids, man." Ben mentioned to Will, yet never removing his eyes from me. "Can't we carry it out through the dark?" He asked, swiftly looking at his brother before settling his eyes on me again.
Will sighed and allowed his hands to fall in seat at his sides before he attached them to his hips. "There's over a hundred bags. There's no way. Let me talk to him." He mumbled, following Santi, and possibly regretting the choice to be alone with him again.
"I'm sorry, (Y/N)." Ben apologized, sitting next to me and rubbing my hand in comfort. "I didn't mean to sound inconsiderate." He chewed at his lip nervously. "Is it okay if I check your bandages, see what we're working with?"
I struggled to swallow as I hardly nodded in consent, watching how he nodded in return. His hands gently unzipped my orange jacket and slowly raised my shirt onto above my abdomen.
"Oh, shit." He breathlessly uttered as his breathing increased radically. "Frankie." He beckoned for Fish's presence and advice. I nervously watched Fish approach and his expression becoming unreadable as he eyed my wounds.
Benny and Fish locked eyes before returning towards my gauze. "Sweetheart..." Fish breathed stressfully, "How are you feeling?" He asked, his tone drowning in concern. I slowly blinked, realizing that I...didn't really feel anything.
"Okay." Ben decided, replacing my shirt and quickly zipping my jacket up once more. "You're gonna love the beach. It's quite beautiful, especially when the sun hits the waves." He struggled to smile as his lip quivered uncontrollably.
Santi's voice echoed over the mountainside as he returned back to the group. "We can't just...go through 'em. I don't know what I was saying." His head shook in negation as his boots crunched over the gravel and jutting rocks.
Fish looked up to Santi and removed his hat at his sincerity. "It's all right. We need to start moving. Immediately, Pope." He nudged his head towards me and Santi could read every unspoken word that Fish was internally screaming.
Will scuffled towards to meet us all. "We just gotta get (Y/N) to a hospital and we gotta take Tom home. That's all that matters." He decided, earning small affirmations from the guys in return.
"How are we gonna do that?" Ben questioned in confusion as he glanced at the bags behind us that now seemed like a daunting task to undertake.
Santi knelt beside me, scrutinizing my obviously deteriorating condition from head to toe. He lovingly palmed my cheek and I weakly released my head into his palm which he readily secured. "We keep carrying them down. We fill our day packs with whatever we can... Whatever we can carry, and that's it." He determined, pulling my hood over my head and tucking my hair into the fabric, preparing me for a long journey ahead.
"What do we do with the rest of it?" Ben asked, his curiosity overtaking his ability to act until his questions were answered. A quiet consideration from us all was the only response he received as everyone stared at the bags that reminded us of the unspeakable transgressions that brought us here.
***
Consciousness was difficult to obtain as the hours passed and Santi was becoming less successful in waking me each times I closed my eyes. After throwing most of the money bags into a colossal ravine of the mountain, I had become so relieved from my sins, that I didn't fear death as I had been previously.
Santi had mentioned that snow would soon cover the bags, hiding it from the world, and they would never to be seen again. Some sins remained buried after they've been forgiven, but others prefer to return to exhume the entombed transgressions after they've been all but forgotten.
My eyes slowly opened to observe my immediate environment. The jungle was completely dark, as night had successfully conquered the day again. The sounds of nocturnal animals echoed all around us as the foliage vibrantly came to life beneath the moon. The walking stride of the person carrying me close was comforting and I tightened my hold around his neck as the leaves and twigs continued to break beneath us.
"You alright, baby?" Santi questioned, noticing my conscious state and my writhing in his arms. "Am I holding you too tight?" My eyes drifted to Will and Benny behind us who were working together to carry Tom's body bag.
I buried my face into Santi's shoulder, hoping that my silence would suffice as an adequate answer.
"Let's put him down for a second." Will muttered as we neared a riverbank. Santi secured me further into his chest and I whimpered in agony. "We're running behind. Benny, you should go, the sun's coming up soon."
The sun was coming up soon?
How much time had I lost?
How much did I have left?
"We'll meet you down at the cove in 30." Santi directed towards Benny who walked towards us. He eyed me carefully as he passed, heading towards the water silently, needing to find the boat before the captain left in the morning, which was apparently very soon.
"Be careful." Will muttered, crouching down behind the bushes to observe Benny enter the water stealthily.
Ben chuckled and slowly walked into the river. "Always." He muttered as the water climbed to his chin and he began to swim away from our concealed position.
"We have to keep moving." Fish directed, acting as the leader and defender of our group while he brandished his assault rifle. Will nodded and struggled to pick up Tom, having to submit to the technique of carrying him over his shoulder.
Santi cradled me gently as I struggled to breathe, my inhales only short, raspy gasps as my lung began to be overwhelmed because it was working on behalf of two. "Almost there, baby." I closed my mouth and tried to breathe through my nose, hoping that I'd have more control over my breaths. "Atta girl, good job... Calm, deep breaths." He whispered against my hair.
Our traversing through the jungle was somewhat peaceful as we quietly centered through the greenery unseen. Fish swiveled his head and his rifle, always aware of our surroundings and if any enemy dare attempt to infringe on our crusade.
Minutes passed as Santi carried me, not out of breath or struggling in any manner. From this position, I could fully admire his side profile and features, falling more in love with him as the seconds passed and with every footstep he took.
"Wait, wait, woah." Fish mumbled, catching the attention of Will and Santi, who immediately stopped at what Fish was observing with heavy scrutiny.
A truck had been left abandoned in the middle of the jungle.
"Is there anyone out there?" Santi lowly questioned Fish who was examining the space in front of the vehicle. The hairs on my arms began to raise, and an uncomfortable and tense atmosphere suddenly fell on us as we considered the reasonings for why the truck was there in the first place.
Will shrugged and walked forward with Tom secured to his shoulder. "It looks abandoned." He mentioned, wanting next to Santi and I And behind Fish who was still unsure of the safety of the situation.
Fish sniffed and whispered over his shoulder, "Cover me." He directed to Will who gently replaced Tom onto the jungle floor and and reached for his holstered pistol on his hip.
The lights on the vehicle suddenly illuminated, blinding us where we stood.
My senses were bombarded as yells of Spanish drifted across from us and Santi responded back frantically. My eyes were forced closed from the overtly luminous headlights of the vehicle.
"Put your hands up!" A teenager yelled at us, pointing a gun at our group that been been discovered. I turned away from the young man, clutching Santi tightly as the memory of being targeted by another teenager continued to haunt me.
Santi continued to yell back in Spanish, but it was too quick for me to attempt to translate. The boy gripped the rifle and shook it at Santi, commanding that he release me onto the ground.
"I speak English!" The teenager shouted. "Put her on the ground and raise your hands, now!" Santi's eyes squeezed closed in regret as he knelt to the ground and positioned me there. I groaned and painfully huffed, not being able to breathe flat on my back. I reached for him, my hand hardly lifting from the ground. "What's in the bag? What is that?"
"She's been hurt very badly. She needs help." Santi explained, lifting his hands in surrender as he glanced down to me. I strained to breathe, turning my head to side to gain leverage.
Will gritted as he motioned to the large bag at his feet. "It's our friend. He's dead." My eyes fell on the bag beside me and I shuddered, knowing my brother was just feet away from me.
"I call boss." The teenager hurried to grab the walkie-talkie on his belt as Santi began to shout in panicked Spanish again. "Stop! Stop right there!" The boy screamed, raising his rifle towards Santi's chest.
Santi rapidly started to negotiate in Spanish, his first language that he was more familiar and intimate with. He then glanced to Will and Fish beside him to assist him in agreement. "Right, guys? We don't have a problem with him, right?"
Fish mumbled, not once removing his rifle from his shoulder or his eye from the scope. "I'm taking a shot." My breathe caught as I heard Fish admit he was preparing to kill a child.
"No! No. Don't do that." Santi suggested, waving his palm towards Fish. I worriedly glanced between the guys and the boy who was trembling in fear. This was probably the first time he had ever been in a position like this with enemies just feet away from him.
The tensions between us all were extremely thick and tangible as Santi began to approach the kid. In a split second, the teenager managed to yell frantically into the receiver, creating an opportunity for Will qnd Santi both take him down simultaneously.
Mumbling was abruptly heard over the radio as a man responded, conversing in Spanish, and wondering what the teenager operative had meant exactly.
"Fuck!" Fish screamed, realizing how compromising our position was and how the teenager had alerted the entire force we were hiding from, and giving them our exact location. More muttering in Spanish followed soon by the teenager, by Fish, and by Santi all in panicked tandem.
"Hey, hey, kid. Just relax, all right?" Will directed as him and Santi secured him with rope they had discovered after looking in the bed of the truck.
Radio crackle and mumbled voices filled the silence while Fish rushed to hotwire the truck and while Will and Santo finished their restraining of the young man, moving him from the dangers of being in the middle of the jungle road itself.
The vehicle grumbled to life as Will clapped in celebration. "Yes! Fuck yes!" Santi shouted eagerly, pounding the hood with his fist. "Let's move! Let's get it outta here. Grab his radio."
Will nodded and retrieved the kid's radio from his belt, sprinting to the front passenger seat. "Got it!" He yelled, slamming the door closed after him.
Santi dashed to me. "One second, darling. We're almost done." He unzipped the bag he had once shouldered as he carried me at the same time. He grabbed a wad of cash, tossing money to the kid in exchange for his silence, while giving him advice in his native language.
"Come on, let's move!" Will shouted, pounding against the roof of the interior of the vehicle.
"Vamos, Pope!" Fish growled, inspiring Santi to nod at the teenager and bolt back towards me. He shouldered my rifle which I hadn't noticed before, followed by his backpack he had filled with cash, then scooped me up quickly. He ran towards the truck, opening the gait and hurriedly climbing in.
"Deep breath, baby." He whispered before situating me into the bed, sitting me up against the open partition where Will and Fish were sitting in the front portion. He then tossed the bag down and then my rifle. I groaned and held my side, feeling a surge of warm stickiness spread over my abdomen.
Fish began to drive recklessly, hardly allowing Santi any time to position himself in the bed. "Did you just give that fucking kid money?!" Fish groaned and pounded the steering wheel with his fist. "We should have killed that kid as soon as he saw our faces."
Santi grumbled, turning to face the open partition. "We are not killing any more people." He stated defensively, forcing himself against the back of the glass in order to not be flung from the car.
"I'll tell you right now, if we get to that beach and Ben isn't there, I'm fucking killing people!" Fish yelled, gripping the wheel and speeding through the now cleared path of the jungle.
"...Santi..." I mumbled, looking down at my jacket that I had unzipped while they mindlessly argued. He immediately faced me, also examining my exposed shirt that was growing more damp as blood freshly poured from the soaked gauze.
He shuffled closer and shook his head in denial. "No, no, we're almost there. Look at me." He angled my face upwards and placed his forehead against mine, sniffing sadly as I couldn't hold his face in return. "Don't give up now, my Angel. Not when we're so close." His lips pressed into my temple and I wanted to cry at his tender touch.
"All right, he'll be there." Will ended the argument, but then loudly screamed in shock. "Fuck!"
Another car slammed into the side of vehicle, forcing me to slide painfully and for Santi to tumble in a rush of uncontrollable motions. Screeching tires and breaking glass sounded on impact as the collision occurred, momentarily stunning us. "Shit!" Santi yelled, observing me as I forced pressure onto my seeping abdomen.
Fish shouted as the truck sputtered to a stop, "Fuck!" A group of teenagers were packed into the other stopped car that was staring directly at Santi and I. He suddenly raised his rifle and began to shoot through the opposing car's hood to damage the engine irreparably. The kids screamed in terror as bullets flew into the vehicle's front.
"Come on! Come on!" Fish pleaded and begged for the truck to start as he matched the wires beneath the wheel.
"Can we go?" Santi asked in panic, banging on the roof of the truck as it then growled to life once more. Fish began to drive maniacally again, speeding down the dirt path towards the ocean. I winced, looking at my hand that was now absolutely saturated in my own scarlet stain.
By this time, the early morning hours had arrived. Light blues and soft oranges filled the obsidian sky as the sun began to rise in the east, signaling the start of another day.
"What the hell is this?!" Will shouted, noticing another car approaching head on that quickly passed us. My breathing became more labored as I continued to stress. Several voices then overlapped on the radio. "What are they saying?" Will inquired to either Fish or Santi who didn't have time to interpret.
The other vehicle that was behind us suddenly turned around, and was soon followed by another speeding car as it added itself into the chase that was preparing to break out in the midst of the jungle.
"More are coming!" Fish shouted, glancing into the rear view mirrors after hearing the rapid conversations over the confiscated radio.
Santi turned his head towards the partition, "There's two vehicles!" He tightened the grip onto his rifle and breathed heavily as the vehicles behind us rapidly closed the distance between our cars.
Will cleared his throat and gestured through the windshield towards the front of the truck. "All right, this should open up to the beach any minute!" He declared, making our plight appear to be a little less hopeless than it already was.
"Pope, shoot!" Fish shrieked, rapidly turning around to watch the situation unfold. I studied Santi as he struggled to decide what to do next, after he had claimed that he was not killing anyone else.
"Fuck..." Santi whispered, eyeing me affectionately and then glancing to the nearing and vicious shouts of the drivers catching up to us. I gripped onto the side of the truck, being constantly jostled around with Fish driving irrationally and wickedly.
Fish screeched with a slight growl in his strained voice. "Shoot the driver! What is wrong with you?!" He interrogated, confused as to why Santi was struggling with the apparent simple task. With a sigh, Santi started firing at the trucks, the gunshots ringing out mercilessly.
"Left!" Will screamed, causing Fish to hurriedly turn at his direction, forcing Santi and I in the opposite direction. I tightly held the side of the truck bed, crying out as my chest felt as if it was collapsing.
The vehicles neared while the menacing and aggressive voices conversed through the radio again. Our vehicle had now changed our location of scenery as we were now driving through an open field. Large trees passed us, as well as bullets that erupted from the cars behind us.
"They're right on us!" Santi yelled as he continued shooting as the swerving cars that attempted to miss his aim. My eyes fell to my sniper rifle that rested idly on the bed beside me.
Fish tried to keep our course straight through the tall grass of a field he was now taking us through. "Where are they?!" He darted around trees and other objects that prevented us from reaching our destination.
"Left, left!" Will warned, pointing out of the window. His cautionary scream arrived too late as the vehicle slammed into the side of our truck. We all groaned at the impact, shocked that the car had managed to strike us perfectly in the blinding grass. "I said left!" Will complained at Fish who grumbled and pressed the gas pedal against the floor of the truck.
A massive puncture shattered through the windshield of the vehicle that had just rammed into us. The bullet left a crater in the chest of the man who was driving as he lost control and flipped the car after side-swiping a huge boulder.
I gasped in agony as I lowered my rifle from my shoulder, the smokey residue still bellowing from the muzzle. Santi hurriedly removed my rifle from my hands as I frantically scratched at my chest. "S-Santi..." I gurgled, not being able to breathe at all.
The impact of my rifle slamming into my shoulder after I pulled the trigger had only increased the rate of which my lung was failing me.
And now it had completely collapsed.
"Goddam!" Will guffawed, blinking at the toppled vehicle behind us. "Here's the beach!" He exclaimed as Fish drove through the clearing, now delivering us to the promised land.
Santi pressed his hands against my side and beneath my back as I loosely held his shoulders. "Where is he?! Do you see him?! Faster Fish, it fucking happened!" Will and Fish looked back in a frantic hurry as Santi began to release a strained mumble. "She can't breathe!"
"No, but the cove where we're supposed to meet him's about a mile up this beach!" Will returned, observing as deep crimson unstoppably seeped between Santi's fingers. "Fish, fucking go, go, go!"
I peered over the side of the speeding truck, quietly admiring the sight and sounds of the waves as they peacefully rolled and hugged the sand generously. I weakly smiled, hardly hearing Santi crying out my name and begging for me to focus on him.
Tom would've loved the beach.
More gunshots echoed as two more cars suddenly broke out from the grassy field we had just abandoned. Santi removed his hands from me, firing rapidly towards the approaching vehicles that kicked up sand wildly.
"Pope, kill them!" Fish screamed, directing the car over the sandy dunes and hills and affected our otherwise smooth drive along the beach. "Just kill them!"
Santi aimed for a tire of the nearest vehicle, shooting it perfectly, and causing the car to roll into the grassy sand out of our line of sight.
"There it is!" Will screamed, pointing towards a small motorboat that was matching the speed of the truck as he barreled down the coastline. Benny was rapidly waving and directing us further down the sand.
"Do I wave him in?!" Santi beckoned, seeing Ben's rapid movements as he screamed for us to continue driving. I gasped, staring up at the sky, and begging for a few more moments.
Will chuckled and yelled back towards Santi. "Hell yeah!" He raised his fist and then looked further in front of us. "It looks like this is the end of the road!" He prompted, pointing and breathing harshly.
Fish nodded and gripped the steering wheel. "I see it, I see it!" He yelled in return, focusing on the dune was that appending toward us vengefully. I harshly coughed and searched for Santi who was already hovering over me.
"You can do this, (Y/N)! Benny's right there!" Santi smiled widely. "We did it! We did it, baby!" He pressed his lips against my cheek as he rushed to zip up my jacket, hoping that it would act as a barrier for the blood that my body was rejecting.
"We gotta cross over the dune, cross over the dune!" Will screamed, causing Santi to brace himself over me as Fish drove over the inclined dune.
The truck suddenly impacted into the ocean, jolting us all and causing us to all feel rejuvenated with hope. The sun was now shining down us, bestowing us with favor and grace as everyone began to climb out. I struggled to sit up as Santi shouldered our bags hurriedly.
The second car was only seconds behind us. Will was prepared with his rifle, shooting at the tires of the vehicle, and flipping it over the dune that we had just crossed.
"Let's go!" Fish screamed, swimming towards the truck bed. Santi tried to cradle me, but I shook my head in denial. His face contorted in confusion and desperation.
"M-My brother...first." I gasped, motioning to Tom's body bag that Fish was struggling to raise by himself. Santi nodded in understanding and kissed my forehead, causing my eyes to flutter close.
"I'll be right back, baby." He muttered, hauling Tom's bag with Fish's help and swimming for the boat that Ben was directing toward us. Will continued to fire as several men exited the rolled over vehicle. They were shooting towards us, and their bullets were nicking the metal of the truck bed.
I stared at my rifle, preparing to grab it.
It had been with me for years as a constant friend, but also a constant reminder of my transgressions. While I had always considered it to be a blessing, it was a curse, an oppression that shadowed me no matter where I was, haunting me with countless souls that I had delivered death unto. My heart pounded in my ears as the truck bed began to fill with water and my rifle was about to be submerged.
And then, a revelation hit me.
I didn't want to re-enlist, and I certainly didn't desire to return to years of training and constant judgement, or the possibility of being betrayed and tortured again.
I didn't want to painfully grip onto the past as it slowly mangled my soul and destroyed my humanity. I wanted to be free from it all.
I wanted Santiago Garcia.
With a rogue tear falling down my cheek, I allowed my rifle to be submerged beneath the approaching water, forcefully burying Hades in a watery grave that would never be resurrected again.
I had borrowed the name temporarily, but I would forever be who I truly knew myself to be, Angel. Santi had healed me, repairing my wings and giving me the opportunity to fly once more.
A groan escaped me as I forced myself to crawl towards the edge, hauling myself over the side and splashing into the water unceremoniously. My face broke free from the waves as I fought against the current that pushed against me.
I could see Ben assisting Tom's body into the boat, followed by Fish and Will who were directing their bullets towards the men on the beach. Santi turned around from his position into the water and grinned widely. "Come on, baby!" He cheered, pulling himself into the boat and reaching out for me.
Although it was struggling to breathe, I smiled happily as I neared the boat, gasping for air as the waves passed my lips. I reached my hand out for Santi, who gripped it strongly in return. He began to pull me up over the side of the boat and I beamed with unbridled joy.
A metallic ding echoed off the side of Ben's boat, causing the guys to cease their shooting and gaze around curiously. Will had returned several rounds, finally ending the stream of bullets being fired from on the beach.
"Baby, come on..." Santi groaned, now having to heave with more effort than before. His eyes fell to my face as my grip around his palm loosened immediately. "(Y/N)?"
My smile had faltered as I glanced down at my jacket.
An ever-increasing crimson stain was prominently growing against the bright orange, perfectly surrounding the exit wound of a second bullet hole through the center of my chest.
Four pairs of eyes stared at me in horror as the water surrounding me began to rapidly dye with blood.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Santi screamed, gripping my hand and struggling to pull my dead weight from the water. Benny roughly grabbed onto my other arm and assisted Santi in dragging me into the boat. "Fucking go! Go, now!" He resumed his pained screeching, ripping the jacket from my chest as I laid motionless and staring at my brother's bag beside me.
Finally able to achieve the rest I had long awaited for, I ignored the screaming pleads of the several men that were pressing onto my chest vigorously as I closed my eyes peacefully.
We did it, Tommy. We're going home. Together.
***
"Minus the expenses, and our administrative fee, that leaves...$6,400, 944, cut six ways. Which gives you all shares of $1,066,824. Oh, and I need all of your signatures on the sixth contract here. It'll deposit the deceased share into the Redfly Family Trust. Here you are." The business women started, glancing around the table as the five of us quietly peered at the other.
She slid the paper to me across the mahogany table in expectancy. I timidly reached for it with a trembling hand, recalling the final moments of that fateful day nearly four weeks prior.
The last thing I remembered was closing my eyes until I woke up in a recovery room after what was later mentioned to me as a twelve hour operation. I shouldn't be alive, but because of the guys surrounding me at the table, I was sitting with only pained breaths and moments of uncomfortable muscle spasms.
I glanced over the paper entailing the details of the money being entered into a personal account for myself. I sighed, ripping it down the middle. "I'd like you to please...include my share into the family trust." I muttered, signing the paperwork for my brother and deciding that I wanted Molly and Tessa to never have to want for anything.
I sniffed and stood after I signed, wiping my cheeks, and offering the paper to Ben who sat beside me. I swiftly exited the room, not wanting to the money on the table, nor be asked any questions in return.
After a few moments of standing in a busy street of Mexico City, Ben, Will, Fish, and Santi had all joined me outside of the bank and trust establishment. I brushed my hair from my sweating face and smiled as Santi neared me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
"So, what are you guys gonna do now?" Will questioned, looking around to who was prepared to sneer first.
Fish sighed and chuckled. "I gotta get home." He nodded with a smile, thinking of his wife and baby that he was eager to return to.
"Not without these." Santi suggested, passing out the passports that would make our entry back into the United States easier. We each took our assigned passport and shoved it safely into our pockets.
"That'll help." Ben laughed as he cringed at his passport photo. Fish and Will hugged silently before Fish slapped Santi's nose with the passport.
"Nos vemos." He whispered, embracing each other in the middle of the street.
"Cuídate." Santi replied, patting Fish on the back and releasing him so he could say his farewells to Ben. Fish hugged Ben tightly, then smiled at me.
I grinned in return and accepted his outstretched arms. "My walking miracle. Our Angel." He giggled, picking me up briefly and returning me to my feet. "When you get home, please stop by. I want you to meet my wife and my baby. And... I want you to be my daughter's godmother." He declared, causing tears to form in my eyes.
"Really?" I whispered, covering my mouth and nodding ecstatically. "Yes-Yes, I'd love to, Fish!" I gripped his neck tightly as I hugged him again. "Thank you for everything."
"Sounds like a plan." He grinned, releasing me and nodding to us as I quietly clapped in celebration to myself. He waved before turning around and disappearing into the unaffected crowd.
Fish wanted me to be his daughter's godmother?
It was the highest of honors to accept.
"See you, buddy." Ben hugged Santi, clapping him on the back several times.
"Love you, man." Santi chuckled and patted Ben's shoulder in return.
Ben sighed and rolled his eyes. "Love you, too." He groaned, feeling like an embarrassed teenager that had to declare to his mother publicly that he loved her.
Santi released Ben, pushing him towards me. "See you in a little while." I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips into his cheek. "Don't give up on that Ferrari, Benny." I chuckled, rubbing his back as he pulled away.
Ben returned his lips onto my temple. "Never. I'm gettin' that damn Ferrari." He laughed, holding me tightly. "He loves you. Don't be afraid to let him in, okay?" He whispered, causing me to nod in understanding. "Okay then. Love you, (Y/N)."
"Love you, Benny." I returned, allowing our hands to fall from one another.
Ben then looked at Will, expecting him to follow. "I'll see you in a bit, all right?" Will said, causing Ben to roll his eyes for a second time.
"See you." He mumbled, fixing his hat and waving towards us. Benny then grinned widely and walked away into the busying crowds of Mexico.
Will walked forward between Santi and myself. "So, what are you gonna do now?" He asked, crossing his arms and observing Santi's expression.
"I don't know." Santi shrugged. "For now, I've got a home to get back to and a library to fill." He wiggled his eyebrows at me, causing me to chuckle quietly at his antics. I bit my lip to prevent the exited grin growing on my face.
"Yeah...you better get on that. Lot of books to go in there." Will laughed and nodded his head. They hugged, overcoming obstacles, yet still having some difficulties to sort out later.
Santi clapped Will on the back, letting him know that although he disproved of his actions, there was always room for forgiveness.
Will sniffed. "You take care of yourself, all right? You take care of her. Be the man I wasn't." He confessed, releasing Santi. Will cleared his throat and adjusted his hair as he refrained from tearing up.
"You take care of yourself too." Santi returned, patting Will on the shoulder and hooking an arm around my waist.
Will nodded silently and then looked at me. "Goodbye, Will." I smiled kindly, leaning my head onto Santi's shoulder.
"Goodbye, (Y/N)." He admitted, mostly to himself, before finally walking off to catch up with his brother.
"Well, well, well..." Santi directed me to stand flush against his chest, causing my cheeks to blush and my stomach to erupt with butterflies. "Whatever shall we do next...Mrs. Garcia?" He whispered against my neck, causing me to shudder with pleasured shivers.
I hummed and nipped at his earlobe. "Marry me first, and then you can call me that whenever you want, Mr. Garcia." I whispered in return, causing him to grip my waist tightly as he considered the idea.
"Done." He chuckled, leaning his head towards mine. Before he could capture my lips, I pressed a piece of folded paper between our lips, causing him to pause his crusade. "What's this?" He asked, taking the paper from my hands and unfolding it carefully.
I watched his expression change as he read over the coordinates on the page. His eyes met mine in a dangerous revelation, having an inclination that the numbers led to a specific ravine in the Andes.
"Is this..." He murmured, noticing that I was taking slow steps away from him, preparing to run away and incite a chase through the city.
I nodded and grinned mischievously, raising an eyebrow in a playful challenge. He rolled up his sleeves in preparation. I batted my eyelashes innocently before bolting down the street, immediately knowing he was only feet behind me, laughing at his footsteps neared.
You can always remove an angel from hell, but you can never remove the hell from the angel.