Jack the Ripper (Jalex)

chapter 9

Jack's POV

It had been a few days since there was any sign of the cartel. We were passing through Ohio, and the atmosphere between me and Alex seemed much more relaxed. We weren't thinking about much, and to anyone else's eyes, we were just a couple on a road trip.

"That looks like a nice hotel." Alex said, pointing at a quite large and luxurious-looking hotel that we were coming up on.

"You wanna stop in for the night?" I asked, and he nodded, smiling. "Alright, let's go then." We pulled into the parking lot and got an expensive room for the night. We got up and started talking about nothing in particular. It was nice to be able to relax and just have someone to talk to for once. With the cartel, you weren't friends. You were co-workers, and you never talked about anything but the job. But with Alex, with someone normal, we could have normal conversations. It was almost like being back in his coffee shop when we first met. I felt a pang of guilt. He had loved that coffee shop, that job... He had loved the people there, and I took that all away from him.

"Jack, you okay?" Alex said. I looked up, realizing I had zoned out of listening to his story.

"Sorry, yeah.. I just.. I was just thinking about you." I glanced down, then back up at him. I leaned forward, planting my lips on his. "I just still feel bad for dragging you into this..." I explained.

"Jack, it's fine. I forgive you, I told you before. I forgive you, and I love you." He said, and straddled me, kissing me again. It was just starting to get heated when my phone rang. We pulled away, confused. I had bought a new phone, just in case we needed to reach someone, but no one had our number yet.

I picked it up cautiously, and answered. "Hello?"

"Did you think we wouldn't find you? Did you think that you could just ditch your old phone, and everything would be dandy?" Austin asked. I swallowed hard, looking up at Alex.

"You won't find us. You have no idea where we are or where we're headed."

"You're in Ohio. I don't know where this cross country trip is taking you, but Alan and I are coming after you, and you won't live to your destination. I'll make sure of it!" Before I could reply, Austin hung up.

"Austin and Alan are coming after us.. Personally. They're not even bothering to send someone else." I explained.

"Why don't you turn them in? Just turn in the cartel, give the police their names!" Alex said.

"No! Do you know what that would do? I can't turn them in!"

Alex looked frustrated. "Jack, they're criminals. You need to report them, they would stop causing us trouble and we could get to Baltimore safely! Or do you still care about them? Because for all I fucking care, they can go rot in jail!"

"Well can I go rot in jail, then?! Because if I turn them in, they can easily slip them my name, and I'll be right with them, rotting! Is that what you want, Alex?!" I yelled back. "I can't turn them in because I could go to jail!"

The anger on Alex's face seemed to melt away. "I'm sorry.. I just don't want to be chased like this..."

"I know. I don't either, trust me..."

"What are we gonna do, Jack? Austin and Alan are on our tail."

"We're going to keep running. If they catch up with us, then I will make sure you don't get hurt, okay? We're going to be fine." I said. I stepped forward, embracing Alex in a tight hug. "Come on. Let's get some sleep, we can make it all the way to Baltimore tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. We'll stay at my parents' house the first night, then the next morning we can make it to the other house." Alex explain. I agreed, and we climbed into bed, quickly falling asleep.