WILD RIDE (Rafe Cameron x OC) *COMPLETE*

Chapter Thirty-Four (Alana)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Alana

Charleston, NC

"Is that a fucking lion door knocker?" I say as Pope walks up to the door of the house in Charleston.

He shared with me that he got a letter from a C. Limbrey inviting him here to meet about getting hard proof and evidence that will help prove that my brother is innocent. Obviously all of us want to be part of this so after getting Denmark Tanny's diary, I asked Rose if I could take a trip to Charleston. I told her I wanted to do more research on that property and the museum was the perfect place to do it.

I felt really bad lying to her because she's been nothing but kind to me but she said yes and even told me to take the keys to the truck then sent me money to my bank account that she opened for me so that I could pay for the ferry and a hotel room for the night.

JJ uses the knocker again and some random guy opens the door. He looks like he's on something the way he sniffs around and eyes each and every one of us but then looks right into Pope's eyes.

I take a step back and stand with Kie who's holding back a snort of laughter.

"Are you Mr. Limbrey?" Pope asks nervously.

"Ms. Limbrey was expecting you yesterday." He sneers. "She was real upset when you didn't show up. So..."

"Well the truck broke down," I say. "And when I say broke down I mean.. I didn't know how to pump gas and then we had to push it to a gas station and-"

"Just stop talking." JJ hisses at me then looks at the guy at the door. "We're really sorry. We tried to call but there's no number on this fancy invite that's like impossible to read."

"It's cursive." The man blinks at him then looks back at Pope. "You were meant to come alone."

"They helped with finding the Royal Merchant too so I-"

"They can stay outside." He cuts Pope off.

"We're a package deal." JJ adds and Pope shakes his head at him. "Fine. We'll stay outside." JJ steps back off the steps and stands back where Kie and I are.

All three of us watch as Pope goes into this house. But the way Kie looks at Pope and he looks at her, I fear I may have missed a few chapters in this friendship. Something going on between those two which raises a few flags in my mind.

We wait in the truck for a little while. It's quiet and my stomach starts to feel fuzzy again. JJ sat in the passenger seat, meaning I had to reach over him to the glove box and grab a bag of my chips. He looks at me funny as I start popping them aggressively into my mouth to get them down quick.

This anxiety has been killing me. I feel the panic start setting in my chest first then it goes right to my stomach and slowly fills my entire body. It's been inescapable and there's nothing I can do but try to soothe the nausea that comes with the panic attack and focus on deep breathing and happy thoughts.

"So.." JJ says softly. "Your hair is shiny."

I nod and look in the rearview to the back seat where Kie is looking out the window at the front door the whole time. Not even paying a lick of attention to JJ and myself. Which means Kie isn't my escape right now. I pop more chips into my mouth and just nod.

"New conditioner. Rose picked it out." I grumble through a full mouth.

JJ scoffs. "Rose Cameron? She does everything for you now, huh?"

I swallow and reach for my bottle of water, taking a sip and leaning back in the seat. My body starting to relax for the most part. Until it hits me how hard it is suddenly to talk to JJ, it's like he's a stranger now. The boy I fell for years ago but now he's... He's nothing to me.

"She doesn't tuck me in or kiss me goodnight." I say with a snort and slight curve of my lips.

"No.. Cause Rafe does that, huh?"

My tongue presses against the inside of my cheek for a beat. I nod and then look down. "I don't want to fight with you, JJ. We're here for Pope. No other reason."

He nods. "Just be honest with me, Alana... That's all I ask."

"Guys." Kie says and points to where a blonde woman on crutches is walking around toward the back of the house while the guy is nearly dragging Pope outside. "That doesn't look like he's going willingly."

"We stay put." I tell her. "Pope will make his way to us, I promise."

JJ hops out of the truck and Kie follows him. "Damn it." I grunt as I follow them. They hop over a stone wall when there's an open gate right next to it. We find Pope fighting and struggling with the shrimp asshole that we met at the front door.

JJ kicks the asshole's gun and Kie picks it up.

I reach into my back pocket where I had some pepper spray and I spray the asshole in the eyes so Pope can make a clear getaway. I go back the way I came in and yet my friends and JJ insist on hopping the wall yet again.

We start racing off and in no time at all that jackass is racing behind us trying to catch up. I let JJ drive the truck because I was shaking so badly and my stomach was back in knots again. I take an antiseptic wipe from my go-bag and start cleaning up Pope's face.

"Is that a fucking pharmacy in there?" Kie says as she's looking out the back window watching the creep that's driving behind us.

"It's her go-bag." Pope winces as I dab on one of his cuts. "She has everything anyone could ever need in there."

JJ scoffs while making a sharp turn down a street to try to lose shrimpy. "Oh yeah? Got condoms in there for you and Rafe?"

I stay silent. "I... No. Not that it's any of your business what Rafe and I do."

"Eh," JJ turns again and nearly flips the truck. "It kind of is. Because I'm going to win you back and I don't want to have to co-parent with Rafe Cameron so do me a favor and wrap it up until we're back together."

"JJ." Kie hisses. "Shut the fuck up."

"And if I don't?" JJ turns again. "Is he still behind us?"

I look in the side mirror. "I think we lost him-" Suddenly there's an odor in the truck and I know that smell all too well. "JJ... Did you blow a tire?"

"N-No..." He looks in his side mirror and then the dashboard starts flashing with flat tire alerts. "Okay.. Maybe I nicked it but it's not that bad."

He pulls down into an alley. Getting out of the truck I realize I'm so fucking dead now. I punch JJ in the arm. "You asshole! This is Ward's truck! I promised him I'd bring it him in one peace! How am I going to explain this?!" The tire is completely shredded and the wheel itself is dented and will certainly need to be replaced.

We end up on foot and running, thankfully I have my go-bag so I'm already prepared if anything happens. We run and nearly tank someone on a tourist bike and that's when my knees go completely weak.

"No. Fucking. Way." I almost puke from the running and seeing a literal ghost in front of me. Two ghosts, actually.

"No time for reunions now, we all have to run." JJ says blinking away tears.

"Hop in." My brother... My big brother, John B, says while he's peddling on the bike. Kie and I sit in the back with Sarah and we both hug onto her from each side. JJ and Pope start pushing the bike and running along with it until they can hop onto the back.

Shrimpy tries to grab onto Pope and I give him another spray of the pepper spray and this time he collapses down into the street. "Holy fuck- when did my sister become a bad ass?!" John B says with the biggest grin as he peddles. God, I missed my brother's voice...