I Can Fix Him (no really I can) || Rafe Cameron

16. The Heist

I can feel my heartbeat pounding as we crouch in the shadows, the glow from the Camerons estate casting eerie patterns on the surrounding trees. This wasn't exactly what i had in mind when I followed the Pogues to Nassau, but here we are, planning a heist for the gold that's rightfully ours.

John B leans close, his voice barely a whisper. "Everyone know the plan?"

We all nod, though I feel a tightening in my stomach. it's not like I haven't been around the Camerons enough to know this place is guarded like a fortress. And now we're sneaking in. hoping Ward and his army of security don't catch us mid robbery.

Beside John B is a girl I've never seen before, tough-looking, with a confident smirk and dark, determined eyes. Her names Cleo; John B and Sarah met her in the Bahamas. She seems fearless, like she was born for this.

"All right," Cleo whispers, flashing us a quick grin. "Let's go get ourselves some treasure."

I smirk back, appreciating her fire. If she's willing to walk into the lion's den for a bunch of strangers, I guess she's as much of a Pogue as any of us.

We move in silence, slipping through the gates, sticking close to the shadows. The plan is simple- or as simple as a heist can get. We're splitting up, scouring the estate to find the gold room without getting caught.

I'm with Kiara, who's focused and tense. "Keep your head down," she whispers as we duck behind a row of hedges.

We move closer to the main house, the sounds of distant voices carrying on the night breeze. Security is light outside, and we slip through an unlocked door. Inside, everything is polished marble and cool silence, the weight of Cameron money pressing down like a lead cloak

As we creep down a corridor, a door creaks open, and i freeze, pulling Kiara behind a column. Ward Cameron himself is coming out of a side room, talking to one of his guards. I hold my breath, heart pounding as we watch him pass, just a few feet away.

Once he's gone, Kiara tugs on my arm, her eyes wide. "We gotta move fast," she mutters.

We hurry down another hallway, and that's when we hear it- faint but unmistakable. Footsteps echoing behind us. Turning, I catch a glimpse of Rafe coming down the hall, his gaze scanning the shadows, almost like he senses something's off.

"Get down!" I hiss, pulling Kiara into an alcove.

My heart sinks as Rafe's gaze sweeps across the hallway, his expression tense, like he's on edge. This isn't the Rafe i knew. His eyes sharper, colder. I feel a chill run down my spine as he passes. For a moment, I'm sure he's going to see us, but he keeps moving, disappearing around a corner.

We continue forward, careful now, until we find the others gathered near a large wooden door. It looks like a vault. John B fiddles with the lock, Cleo watching his back while JJ keeps an eye our for any guards.

The lock clicks open, and John B grins, pulling the door wide. Inside is everything we dreamed of- stacks of gold bars, shimmering in the dim light. For a second, we're all frozen, staring at it, like it's too unreal to touch.

But the moment shatters. An alarm blares, a piercing sound that echoes through the halls.

"Move! Move!" JJ yells, grabbing a bar and shoving it into a bag.

We're scrambling, shoving as much as we can into our bags, but footsteps are closing in fast. I see Ward rounding the corner, fury on his face, with Rafe and several guards at his side.

"Stop!" Ward shouts.

Cleo grabs my arm, yanking me back towards the door. We're running now, everyone scattering as Ward's security chases us down the halls. Rafe is at the front, his gaze locking onto me with a look that's pure venom.

I turn, sprinting down another corridor, with Kiara and Cleo right behind me. But Rafe is gaining. He reaches out, catching my arm and yanking me back, his grip bruising.

"Think you can just walk in here and steal from us?" His voice low, dangerous.

I wrench my arm free, meeting his glare with one of my own. "I'm taking back what's ours, Rafe."

A twisted smile crosses his face, his gaze flickering over me with something almost like disappointment. "I don't know who you are anymore."

I bite back the sting of his words, shoving him hard and breaking free. But he's right behind me, lunging forward to grab me again when a sharp voice cuts through the chaos.

"Rafe! Ward! They're getting away!" one of the guards yells.

Rafe glances back, momentarily distracted, and I take the chance to dart past him, sprinting down a side corridor. I hear Kiara's footsteps in front of me, feel her hand grab mine as we burst out a side door into the night air.

Behind us, the others are spilling out into the garden, crashing through the hedges as we race towards the fence. Cleo shouts something in Creole, laughing as she pulls ahead, leading us towards the escape route.

In the distance, Ward and his guards are still chasing us, but we're faster. We duck through a break in the fence, our bags full of gold weighing us down as we stumble onto the beach.

We don't stop until we're far enough from the estate, catching our breath as we reach the edge of the water.

"That was so close," Cleo mutters, her grin wild with exhilaration.

JJ lets out a shaky laugh, clutching his bag to his chest. "But we got it."

The adrenaline is starting to fade, and i glance back toward the Cameron estate, a pang of something sharper than fear settling in my chest. Rafe's words linger in my mind, cutting deeper than I'd like to admit.

I turn back to the others, steeling myself. We did it. We pulled off a heist. And even if Rafe hates me now, even if he thinks I'm someone I'm not, I know one thing for sure- I'll do whatever it takes to protect the people who matter to me.