"I mean, Aria is kinda like your sister." Kelce nagged at Rafe as the pair sat on the couch together, "At her birthday, she was kinda giving me a drift."

"Aria is not like Sarah." Rafe said back, barely listening to anything he was saying as his sixteen year old boy hormons flooded his brain and body.

"No, I mean, you guys are close like that. You guys are kinda related." Kelce went on. He was always such a rambling kid, ever since Rafe started talking to him a year ago and making him a someone for the first time, "So, is she into me?"

"Okay, one, most definitely not related at all." Rafe shook his head with a minor look of disgust across his face, "And two, I don't know. She just turned fifteen, has her permit now, she's probably just testing the waters a bit."

"I mean, she's never had a boyfriend, right?" Kelce continued on, missing Rafes clear announced when he sat up better, "Man, she's your best friend. Help me out."

Rafe huffed a he stood up, "Let it go, she's not into you."

He left Kelce feeling bummed out, walking through the house and finding Aria in no time. Being a year younger then Rafe, she always felt ridiculously cool getting to hang out with the sophomores while she was still a freshman, "I wanna leave, you coming?"

"Yeah, give me a second." Aria laughed as she continued her conversation with a girl Rafe hadn't known, her back leaned up against a guy who hung around their friend group but he hadn't been close with.

"Aria." Rafe repeated.

"I'm coming." she rolled her eyes, following after him as they walking out of the house. It was raining, not too bad, but enough for them to run back to the Range Rover. Rafe had been sixteen for seven months now and had his permit early on, making him a ridiculously well driver. Aria wasn't too good herself, even with just her permit, "Can I drive?"

"Absolutely not." Rafe shook his head, pulling the pull over over his head to be left in the polo shirt. Aria turned the heater on, looking out the window as the rain fell, "Are you into Kelce?"

Aria looked his way, "Kelce? Your cute friend?"

"He says you sent him a drift at your birthday." the Cameron boy said back as he backed out of the drive way.

"I was just having fun." Aria shrugged.

"You shouldn't lead people on." Rafe rolled his eyes, "It makes you look like a whore."

"Seriously?" Aria asked in disbelief as she shot him a look, "You're so rude."

"I don't think you are but other people might." Rafe said back. He almost mentioned that the way she was dressed didn't help anything but can tell he hurt her feelings and avoided it. Aria, like most fifteen year olds, was obsessed with her push up bras and tiny shorts, "Yo, don't be mad at me. I didn't meant that."

"I'm not mad." Aria mumbled with a role of her eyes, leaning back against the expensive seats.

Rafe reached over to touch her, his hand taking up her whole shoulder. He was a lot sweeter back then, pre drugs and feeling like Aria really understand him, "Kelce isn't a bad guy but I just don't think you guys go well together."

"Why?" Aria asked, turning her head to look his way, "He seemed sweet at the party."

Rafe gave a shrug, "Just isn't."

Aria went to question him before her phone dinged. Looking down, her heart hammered her rib cage, "Oh my god."

"What?" Rafe asked as he looked over at her.

"My dad just got arrested." she said, eyes wide his way.

The cheering from the balcony made Aria look up at the house. Ward and Rafe disappeared into the Bahama House a few minutes ago while Gage cleared out the back, "Dad?"

"What?" he asked her, whipping the bead of sweat off his head.

"Didn't we come here once?" Aria spoke out loud, looking up at the all too familiar house, "Were you there?"

"Nope, that was a trip you took with your mother." he huffed. Aria remember then that she did come here with Jade when she was six, "When she stole a whole bunch of stuff and then took off."

Aria truly wondered how Ward trusted Gage so much. First, Jade stole from him, then Gage did the same, and somehow he still managed to involve him in every thing. Aria knew if she was in Wards situation, she'd never trust him in her life. Even Aria, his daughter, trusted strangers more then she trusted her father.

"You guys ready?" Ward called. Gage hit Aria in the arm, indicated her to follow in, "Okay, Aria, if you could just get the other side with-"

He stopped when she got the hint, grabbing the other side of the container and helping Rafe lift it, "Dude, are you lifting?"

"Yes, i'm lifting. More then you." he argued as the four managed, making it out of the house and loading it into the back.

The did that a few more times before they had it all, the sun going down and mosquitoes coming out. Aria jumped into the back with a huff, leaning back.

"Let's go Rafe!" Ward called out as Rafe got in with Aria again, looking at her a second before they drove off, "Buckle up, buddy."

"I thought we had a few bodies to take care of again." Gage spoke up. Aria gave a snort at the blunt words, earning a look.

"So I thought." Ward nodded. Aria gave a odd look, she knew there had been no chance Ward Cameron brought the two or them out here just to load up a few things, "Cameras caught some people on the property a few nights ago. I figured they'd still be there."

Rafe suddenly nudged Aria, making her look his way. He gave a whisper while the pair talked in the front, "You know what was in those?"

Aria glanced back at the trunks, remembering how heavy they were. It hit her suddenly as her eyes lit up, "The gold?"

Rafe grinned in content as he nodded his head. After a good moment with his dad and feeling like he saved him and their family, he didn't even have time to be annoyed with Aria being here.

"Ward?" Aria asked from the back, her head laying on the window as she looked out at the blue water.

"Yes, sweetie?" he called sweetly from the front. Aria didn't think Ward was a good dad, nor did she think he was a good person. But the sweet words made her wish her own father had been that way to her, made her long for the feeling.

"Why do you have a Bahama house?" she questioned, jealously for them being able to come here whenever they want.

"Aria, stop." Gage spoke from the front, thinking she'd been rude.

"Well, we spent a lot of time down here when we can. Things back at home can get a little tense at time." Ward spoke to her, ignoring Gage's side glare. He was jealous of his daughter bonding with another father figure but never managed to be a better one for her.

"What type of food do they have here? Is it better?" Aria rambled on, soaking up any form of communication. After dropping out of high school after her dad was arrested, Aria didn't have many friends. She lost Rafe, lost all her Kooks friends, never cared to speak to any pogues. It was just her dad after that.

Before Ward had the time to answer her, a whole bunch of little kids swarmed their car, yelling and beating on the windows.

"What is this? What is this?" Ward asked in disbelief. Aria bared her teeth and have a growl at one of the kids in her window, making him scream and run off.

"Just some kids." Rafe spoke as he looked out the window.

"No, no. Guys, get away from the car!" Ward called out the window sternly.

"Just run them over." Gage encouraged.

"Dad." Aria said in disbelief, barking at the kids suddenly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rafe asked.

"It's working, isn't it?" Aria rolled her eyes, seeing the younger kids run off when she did so, "I believe a thank you is in order."

"Oh, thank you for barking and growling at random kids." Rafe rolled his eyes in disbelief as Ward laid on the horn.

"You're welcome." Aria called back, giving a mean face to one of the kids.

Aria felt hands grab her waist suddenly, yanking her around. Rafe turned her so she was closer to his window, "Do it."

Aria barked at the kids, "You better get outta here before I bite your heads off!"

Three by the window ran off screaming at her words.

"Mike, let's go!" Ward called to the truck before him.

Suddenly, the man jumped out and looked down at his tires, "Its a trap!"

"No shit!" Rafe yelled back.

"Move the car!" Ward yelled.

Gage took his seat belt off, getting out of the car.

"Dad, where are you going?" Aria asked him in disbelief, leaning over the front seat to look at him.

"I'm gonna get a ride with Mike, y'all go!" he called, shutting the door. Aria gasped when he slapped one of the kids across the face, their tiny body stumbling. She sat back down and looked away.

"He's got us trapped. I can't go forward." Ward shook his head as he looked for any led on how to get out.

"Dad." Rafe called as he looked behind them. Aria followed his gaze and found four people with weapons staring at them.

"Maybe if we attack all at once we can take one down." Aria suggested, turning back in her seat.

"Yeah? And what about the other three?" Rafe asked her with a crazy look.

Ward turned the truck, barley making it past the one before him as he speed down the road. He hit his breaks suddenly when a few men and a large thing of fruit rolled before them, "Move!"

Aria stuck half here body out the window, "Get out of the road!"

Ward took a harsh turn, swerving past the fruit guys and heading down a clear road.

"What the hell was that?" Rafe asked in disbelief.

"Where we going? Find where we are!" Ward yelled at him.

"All right, all right." Rafe waved him off as he looked around, "This road goes down the same place. We're good."

"Why was everyone attacking us? Do they know you killed the sheriff?" she asked over toward Rafe.

"Are you kidding me right now?" he asked with a offended look across his face, "We're carrying half a billion of gold, Aria!"

"How do they know that?" she yelled back with a insane look across her face.

"See anybody in the mirror?" Ward asked, driving down the abandoned road.

"No, we're good." Rafe said back as he looked behind them.

"Are we going the right way?" Ward asked again.

"Yeah, yeah." Rafe nodded, "Stay on this road. It's gonna take us directly to the airport."

"You gotta house in, like, the United Kingdom when things get stressful at the go to vacation house?" Aria questioned Ward with wide eyes from the back, "Cause I think we're due for a visit if so!"

"Are you kidding me?" Ward asked as they came up to a pair of road men, "What do we do? Nowhere to turn."

"I don't know." Rafe spoke, looking at Aria as she pulled a similar expression.

"Get the gun." Ward spoke up, "Get the gun, Rafe. Just hide it."

"Here, right here." Aria reached over, pulling the bottom of Rafes shirt up, taking the gun, and hiding it in the waist band of his shorts, "Robbed my dealer with that technique. Didn't have to pay for my molly for over three months and he had zero clue it was me."

•

kylie speaks

next chapter is softie