Her Majesty's Bad Boy

21: WORLD PEACE BULLOCKS

There's nothing worse than waking up from a dream and entering a nightmare.

I slowly blink, images of my mother fading behind my heavy lids as the reality of where I am dawns on me and I'm suddenly wide awake. The inside of Jack's car contrasting drastically with the pale pink of my room. The blurring trees and dirt a sharp contrast from the garden below my window. The garden that leads to the gazebo. The gazebo where I had my first kiss.

"Are you okay?" I turn to Jack, his eyes are still fixated on the road and he's gripping the steering wheel like he's about to rip it right off.

"I'm f-" my breath catches in my throat when my memories flood back fully, Jack's car. Chloroform. Cold concrete walls. Dark emotional eyes. Choking. The sound of the gun going off. Sticky warm blood splattered on my face. Cold, dead eyes.

"Where are we going?" I force out instead.

"I'm taking you home"

I blink in stunned silence, "What?"

"I'm taking you home" he repeats in the same tone, "Then I'm going to find my sister"

"Are you insane?"

He finally looks at me, albeit a short glance before turning to glare back at the road.

"If you take me back, you'll never leave again" I explain. "I'm sure by now they've figured out that you're gone too and they know you took me. You'll be arrested"

"I'll figure it out" he grits out.

I scoff, "What are you going to do? Kill them?"

Jack grits his teeth so hard I'm afraid his jaw will break, "What was I supposed to do?" his voice is one octave short of yelling at me, "Sam was-"

"A bad person" I finish for him, "That doesn't mean he should've died, no one deserves to die"

"Not Sam!" I jump slightly as he slams his hand down on the wheel, "Not Sam" he says again, much quietly, "He hurt people, Ana. He hurt me, he hurt Jamie, he hurt you, he was going to-"

"Rape me" I cut him off quietly.

He exhales deeply and all the fight in him deflates, "I wasn't just going to let him hurt you"

"I know you think I'm stupid and naive and don't understand anything but violence solves nothing Jack, killing him solves nothing"

"Well I'm sorry princess, but not everyone believes in your world peace bullocks. For some of us, it's the only way we can survive" He spits back.

I glare at him hard, "I'm not going home" I declare.

He let's out a bitter chuckle, "That's funny, I could have sworn you just said you weren't going home"

I cross my arms, "I'm not"

"I'm taking you home Ana, that's final"

"No it isn't, I'm going with you to find Jamie then we can go back and I'll clear your name"

Jack shakes his head, "You really are stupid and naive. You think this is some sort of adventure? The kind you've been desperately looking for? What? You'd go with me, fighting bad guys and saving the damsel in distress then ride off into the bloody sunset?"

I steel myself against the sting of his words, "I'm going with you" I repeat.

"No you are not" Jack says, "You don't know what is in play here Ana, it's way bigger than you can imagine and I'll be damned if I put you into any more danger than I already have"

I don't know what's wrong with me. I should be happy that I'm going home, that all this is over but the thought of him going off on his own, facing danger all by himself makes me sick to my stomach. I can't let him.