A Thief's Shadow (Rafe Adler x OC)

Chapter Twenty-Six: All Too Well

All Too Well ~ Taylor Swift

Tasha sighed deeply as she opened her phone after it buzzed softly in her shorts pocket. She hasn't had service since they had left Italy, and as such she couldn't even contact Nate and Sam to see if they were alright. She had a feeling they had made it to Scotland, only because Rafe had become more bitchy towards everyone, and she would often hear him tell Nadine that his men should shoot them on sight.

'Tasha! Are you alright?! Get back to me ASAP.' ~ Nathan

Tasha glanced around her before stepping into an empty room of the old church and when she was sure she was alone she typed a quick reply back.

'I'm alive. Are you guys safe?'

A moment after her text was sent, she received another from the worried brother.

'we've been worried!'

'Sorry, no service, plus I haven't exactly been left to my own affairs.'

'So Rafe got you huh?'

Before she could type a reply her phone buzzed.

Incoming call.

"Nate, you shouldn't be calling me—"

"We just needed to be sure you're okay. There's a lot of shoreline men—"

"Please don't tell me you're here?" She frowned.

"Depends where here is." Sam replied, now the one holding the phone. "We found a hidden annex—"

"Don't tell me you idiot!" Tasha hisses into the phone. "I shouldn't even be talking to you!"

"Please don't tell me you're actually working with Rafe."

Tasha was silent for a moment as she tried to explain the situation. "Sam—"

"For fuck sakes, Tash! He broke your heart—"

"You weren't there! He... I don't need to explain myself to you!" She sighed. "Look, I'm glad you guys are ok, but I can't just leave—"

"Tash, c'mon. Rafe isn't going to change. He's a fucking psycho!"

"Well, fuck, Sam! What do you want me to do?! I love him and —"

"We just don't want you to get hurt." Nathan spoke from the other end.

"I'll be fine." Tasha sighed, turning to find Rafe leaning against the wall opposite her. He didn't seem mad, which she supposed was a good sign. "Just — you two be careful."

When Tasha hung up her phone she sighed. "Did you know they were here?"

"I suspected so." Rafe answered with a shrug. "I take it they aren't thrilled that we're partners?"

"I shouldn't be helping you..." Tasha laughed. "I mean, how many terrible things have you done to get this close to the treasure?"

"Hey, I tried being civil! I didn't even want to steal the cross."

"I know, I know! But — dammit, Rafe, why is finding this treasure so important that you'd risk everything?"

"I lost everything looking for it. When I find it, maybe it'll be worth it." He shrugged.

"Do you honestly think that?" Tasha asked with eyebrows raised. "You think that finding the treasure will make up for the horrible things youve done?"

"No, but it's a start. Don't you get it? Once we find it, things can finally go back to normal—"

"Normal?! There was never a normal for us, Rafe. All you wanted was to find the treasure. You didn't give a damn what you lost in the process." Tasha pulled her jacket on before tying her hair back. "Nathan mentioned a hidden annex, and I think I have an idea where it might be."