𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙬𝙤.

─☼☼☼─

─RAFE─

𝙍𝘼𝙁𝙀 𝙃𝘼𝘿 𝙉𝙊 idea what the fuck he was doing. How he had gotten himself into such a mess.

His hands gripped onto the handles of his bike, the feeling of his father slumped behind him.

Rafe had almost had his own father killed...almost. If he had gotten there a few minutes later, Ward Cameron would have been dead, and Rafe would have been the heir to it all─for real this time.

But he had had a change of heart, had tried his best to stop the hitman he and Barry had hired. It was Charlotte who had changed his mind. Without even knowing what he was planning, she had managed to have him rethinking the entire plan. Charlotte would never trust him again if she found out that he had his own father killed. And he could never live with himself if his selfishness caused him to lose her forever.

So, while Ward was injured, he was alive...at least for now.

But Rafe needed to get him out of here. Ward had been seen by some locals, and soon enough word would spread that the Cameron patriarch had never really been dead at all. His plot would be exposed, and with him he would pull down Rafe and the rest of the family.

Rafe couldn't afford for that to happen. He couldn't have his happily ever after with Charlotte if he was dragged down with his father. So, upon a revelation from Ward, Rafe had been alerted to the fact that the Cameron private jet was taking off from the airstrip before evening. It was headed toward South America with Sarah and the Pogues on board. Disgust settled over Rafe at the thought of the Pogues using his family's jet for their reckless and greedy endeavours. But within the disgust was relief...this was the perfect way to protect Ward and the entire Cameron family.

Dusk had begun to settled as the Outer Banks flew by, Rafe pushing his bike to the limit in an effort to reach the airstrip in time. If they got there after the jet had taken off, it was all over.

The blood from Ward's wounds coated Rafe's hands, his mind flashing back to when it had been Charlotte's blood covering every inch of his hands.

God, he was so fucking stupid.

How many times did he have to put her in danger, did he have to jeopardize their entire future before he decided enough was enough? He was never going to be good enough for her, not in a million lifetimes.

But yet, he could never let her go. Even if it was for her own good. Rafe Cameron was irrevocably in love with Charlotte Carrera, and losing her would be the end of him.

The airstrip came into view, Rafe's heart hammering into his chest. The last time he had been here he had killed someone.

He liked to think he wasn't the same person he was all those months ago...but his actions as of late had him second guessing that.

Ward let out a pained grunt as Rafe took a sharp turn, the Cameron jet coming into view. Four figures surrounded the plane, each of them on alert as his bike came to a fast stop in front of them.

Tearing his helmet from his head, Rafe's eyes darted across the four people, hoping to see Charlotte. He needed her right now. Needed to hear her voice, feel her touch, to bring him back to reality.