Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

xxxv. surrender

With her arms crossed over her chest, Ashtyn stared out the window of her mother's Porsche in hopes of spotting someone she knew. At this point, she was desperate enough to take anyone, even Topper or Kelce if it meant a quick escape from Claudia's clutches.

The blonde devil drugged her daughter a second time that morning, leading her to the rental car without much of a fight. Her forehead fell against the cool glass of the passenger window, still groggy from the sleep aid, as her mother drove down an uninhabited road.

Everything about their drive reminded Ashtyn of her last day of junior year and Claudia's threat in the parking lot. She could still feel her mother's grip on her forearm and while the bruising faded with time, the memory never would. It was how she knew there was more to come...

She already had a swollen eye and busted lip, was anything else really necessary?

"You better keep your trap shut or so help me god... I'll put you down like I did your father." Claudia grumbled while making a sharp right turn, almost missing the road for the Cameron family's private airstrip. The mention of her deceased father caused Ashtyn to gulp, recalling her short return to the mainland with John B and their conversation with her grandmother at the cemetery. "You're getting on this plane and going to the Bahamas. You hear me?"

The brunette heard Ward bicker over a walkie talkie earlier about making a run for the Bahamas, which only meant one thing, he found the gold. All of their hard work and risky behavior had been for nothing and the Pogues were right back where they started.

John B was still fatherless and would either be sent to juvenile detention for Ward's assault accusation, or foster care on the mainland where he'd stay until his eighteenth birthday. Either way, the young couple would be split up, and that thought alone brought tears to Ashtyn's eyes.

The Pogues were her family now and she was being dragged away...

"I asked you a question Ashtyn Elizabeth." Claudia's harsh words cut through Ashtyn's sad thoughts, making the teen realize the vehicle came to a stop. "Do you need another lesson? Have you been away from home too long?"

Clearing her throat, the Hughes child nods. "I understand."

"Good, now get out."

It took Sarah Cameron all of five seconds to embrace her bruised and broken best friend in a tight hug, ignoring the nasty glare shot her way by Claudia. She wanted to ask the important questions, like where she'd been and whether or not she heard about John B attacking Ward, but it wasn't the time or the place. The mere sight of Claudia was enough context for the middle Cameron child, especially after their armed encounter on The Cut.

"Are you okay?" Ashtyn did her best to hold back tears, tucking her face into Sarah's neck to muffle her cries. The blondes' voice gave her hope; she wasn't going through this alone. "What's going on?"