ALEXA RHODES
Rafe was quiet in the car. I know why. He was calm... because he thought he won. But he didn't. I did. JJ was alive, that's all that matters. He could kill me if he wanted to. It won't matter.
"Where are we going?" I asked quietly. He looked at me quickly. "The Bahamas. My family has a house there we are going to stay at." he said plainly. I just nodded. "Are you happy?" he asked. I forced a smile. "I did miss you, Rafe. I'm sorry I left, it was stupid mistake. It'll never happen again, I promise." I said. He nodded. "I believe you. I believe you because now you know what happens if you do. Right?" he asked. "Yes." I said. He smiled. "Good, and you love me." he said. "Yes, I do. I love you. For the rest of our lives," I said. Then he held my hand. "That's my girl," he said. Then he pulled into the parking lot of the port. "My boat is at the last dock, grab your things," he said. I grabbed my bag and stood there while he grabbed his. As he was standing there, I noticed it. The gun. It was right there, in his waistband. If I could grab it- no. No, he'll know. I exhaled a quiet shaky breath and we began to walk, hand in hand towards the boat. We got to the end of the dock and he tossed our bags inside. Then I heard the screams.
"Lex! No!" I whipped around and JJ, John B, Kiara, and Pope were running towards us. Rafe looked at me sharply and my breath caught in my throat. He grabbed me and pulled my body against his and I felt the gun pressed against my head. I grabbed his arm that was wrapped around my middle and tried to pull it away. "Alexa!" they screamed. They finally got a few feet away and stopped. "Don't come any closer. I'll put a hole in her head!" Rafe yelled. My eyes filled with tears and I looked at JJ. "Come on, Rafe. Don't do this." Kiara said. "You don't need her. You want me, you want to kill me. Kill me!" JJ said. "No! No, Rafe. You said if I went with you, you wouldn't hurt him. You promised!" I said. He squeezed tighter. "You lying bitch! I knew it! I knew you were lying. You love him, you don't love me!" he spat. "Don't hurt him, please!" I begged. "If you kill her, I'll kill you," JJ said. I looked at JJ. "Please JJ, please. I love you. I love you so much," I said. He smiled. "I know, everything will be ok," he said. I forced a smile. "I love you," I said again. Then we heard sirens. I could feel Rafes body tense up. The police officers surrounded us. He was trapped and he knew it. There was no way out. "Let the girl go, Rafe. You don't want to hurt her. I know you don't." Sheriff Peterkin said. "She lied, she doesn't love me." he yelled. "Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. I guarantee pointing a gun at her head isn't helping things." Deputy Shoup said. "She wants to leave me! For a pogue!" Rafe yelled. "Rafe, you're scaring her. You're scaring everyone. Just put the gun down and we can talk," Sheriff Peterkin said. "No, no, no! If I do, you'll take her from me! I know you will." he said. "Nobody wants to take Alexa from you, we just want everyone to be safe. Including you. So put the gun down." Sheriff Peterkin said. "Please Rafe, I don't want them to hurt you," I pleaded. "Yes, you do. That's all you want. You want me in pain!" he spat. "That's not true," I said. "Yes, it is. You left me, for JJ! For a pogue!" he snapped. "I'm sorry," I said as tears fell to my cheeks. "You will be," he muttered. "Come on, Rafe. Don't do anything stupid. We don't want to hurt you but if you don't put that gun down we will," Sheriff Peterkin said. I saw so many guns. So many guns pointed at us, at him. And I felt the cold metal pressed against my temple. "Let her go, nobody needs to get hurt!" Shoup said. "Somebody already has! Look at the bruises on her! He did that!" JJ yelled. "Calm down, JJ," John B said. "No! Do something, before he hurts her even more than he already has!" JJ said as he looked at the cops with pleading eyes. "Alexa told me she would love me for the rest of our lives. So if I go down, she comes with me!" Rafe yelled.
JJ MAYBANK
"Alexa told me she would love me for the rest of our lives. So if I go down, she comes with me!" Rafe yelled. It was in slow motion, everything happened so fast but so slow. I watched as he tried to escape by dragging her towards the boat. Then I heard a gunshot. Rafe cried out as it hit his leg. He fell to the ground and his finger squeezed the trigger as he did. A storm of bullets went everywhere. Then the police charged forward. They kicked his gun away and handcuffed him. Someone applied pressure to the blood pouring from his wound and they were all focused on Rafe. I didn't care. I ran forward towards her. "Lex!" I yelled. She was standing there, over Rafe, looking down. She looked frozen. I ran faster and finally I pushed past everyone and got to her. "Lex, I'm here. You're ok. It's over." I said. She was just standing there. I pulled her and she turned around and looked at me. There was a thin layer of sweat on her face and she was pale. I held her face and she had a small smile. "He can't hurt you anymore. It's over. You're safe now, with us." I said. Then she looked down at her hands. They were holding her stomach and when she pulled them away, I saw it. The blood. Dark red seeping through her white shirt. "No," I said. She looked back up at me and nodded. She stumbled a little before falling back. I caught her and lowered her to the ground. "Help! Please! Somebody help us!" I screamed. John B and Pope dropped to their knees and Kiara was screaming for help. I held her in my arms and pressed my hands to the bullet wound. "Come on, Lex. Stay with me." I said. She looked ill. But what scared me the most is she didn't look scared at all.
"Lex, come on. Fight. You're a fighter. You have to fight." I said. "I'm tired, JJ," she said weakly. "I know, love. I know but you have to fight. Just a little longer. Please. Don't leave me, not like this." I begged. "It doesn't hurt," she said. Tears filled my eyes and fell to my cheeks. "What?" I asked. "I'm dying. It doesn't hurt." she said. "You aren't dying. Don't say that, you are not going to die. I won't let you." I said. "It's ok, I'm ok. You know why?" she said. She reached out and her cold shaky hands held my cheek. "Why's that, love?" I asked, as my voice cracked. "Because I'm free. I'm at peace now." she said. "Wha- what about me?" I asked. "You'll be ok, I'll always be with you." she said. "I love you" I pleaded. She nodded. "Please, let me go." she asked. I shook my head. "No, I can't." I said. She kissed me and nodded. "I love you, JJ," she said. "No! Where the hell is the medic!" I screamed. She looked at me and her head fell limp. "Lex!" I said. I pressed my head to her chest and heard nothing. Her eyes were open but she was gone. "Lex!" I cried. "JJ, she's gone." John B said. I just screamed.
JOHN B
He realized she was gone and the sound he made will stay with me for the rest of my life.
