CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

I DID SOMETHING BAD — TAYLOR SWIFT
If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing
I don't regret it one bit 'cause he had it coming

STELLA PRIDED HERSELF on her ability to lie. It was a skill she perfected at a young age and it took a great deal of attention to recognize when she was telling one. The key to telling a good lie was to treat it like a fact, and the closer it was to the truth, the more convinced the other person would be. Her ability to lie got her and her friends out of some tricky situations and they always said she'd be a great actress. Rafe had to agree because when she shouted, 'You're fucking insane!' at him, he actually felt offended.

Their plan was simple. If Stella was collateral, then Singh had to make sure nothing bad happened to her, otherwise, Kie wouldn't bring him the diary. By making the guards believe that Rafe was hurting her—killing her, really—then they could lure them away from their posts, incapacitate them, and escape.

Rafe shoved the bedside table, sending the small trinkets on top of it to the ground. "I'm sick of this shit, Stella!" He stepped closer to her and reached for her arm. "I'm gonna kill you!"

Stella's knocked over the glass lamp sitting by the door, trying to make as much noise as she could. "Let go of me!" she screamed. "Help!"

Rafe rushed her into the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain back so she could climb into the tub. He held his hand out to steady her, but she didn't take it.

"I'm gonna kill you," she whispered with a scoff. "Could you be anymore obvious?"

He rolled his eyes and his outstretched hand fell to his side. "Shut up and get in the tub."

When Stella was situated, Rafe hid behind the door. Minutes felt like hours as they waited in silence, hoping that the guard outside their door would fall for their trap.

Stella could hear everything. She could hear the chatter of people outside, the static of a radio, her heart beating in her chest. She could also hear the game the guard was playing on his phone and how it stopped when he realized she and Rafe weren't yelling at each other anymore.

"Hey, you two!" The guard shouted. "What'd you do?"

The door creaked open and the shattered lamp crunched beneath his boots.

"What is this?" Stella heard him mutter.

His footsteps got louder as he approached the bathroom and the door squeaked on its hinges. There was a beat of silence before the sound of grunts and groans filled the air, signalling to Stella that Rafe had tackled the man.

Pulling the shower curtain back, Stella stood and stepped out to join them in the other room. When she crossed the threshold, she saw that the guard was on his stomach with his hands held behind his back. Rafe was on top of him, holding a gun and warning him not fight back.

"Stay down!" He ordered, shoving the guard's head into the floorboards. "Stay down, you understand?"

Stella grabbed a loose piece of fabric from the canopy over the bed and crouched by the guard's feet, tying them together before grabbing another piece to give to Rafe. "Here, tie him up."

Rafe looked up and they switched the objects in their hands. He got the fabric and Stella got the gun. While he tied the man's hands together, Stella searched his pockets. When she found his phone, she gestured for Rafe to hold his head up and after the Face ID recognized him, she turned his passcode off. Hopefully he had Bailey's number or else getting in touch with Kie would be a lot harder than she anticipated.

When the guard was all tied up, Rafe gave him another warning. "Don't make a sound, alright?"

The guard nodded and Stella furrowed her brows. "You're just gonna trust that he's going to stay quiet?" Rafe looked at her, unsure of what to do. With an agitated sigh, Stella walked into the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel from the counter. "You suck at this. Gag him."

Rolling his eyes, Rafe took the towel from her forced it into the guard's mouth. "Is that good enough for you, Star?"

She nodded with a sarcastic smile, then headed towards the door. Sticking her head out into the hall, she looked around. Thankfully, it was empty. "This way," she urged Rafe to follow, recalling the layout of the house. "Come on, hurry up."

Rafe caught up to her quickly and by the time he joined her, he was slightly out of breath. Before they turned the corner, he raised his arm to stopped her and gave her an expectant look.

"What?" She questioned.

Rafe put his hand out. "Give me the gun."

Immediately, Stella shook her head. "I want the gun."

"You want the gun?" He scoffed. "Do you even know how to shoot a gun?"

"Did you forget the time I pointed one at your head? Because I can do it again."

Exasperation crossed his face and he looked like he was about to strangle her. "We don't have time for this, Stel. Give me the gun."

"Find your own." Her tone made her sound like a petulant child, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to leave her safety in the hands of Rafe.

He reached for it and when she held it farther away from him, he glared. "Stella, I swear to—"

"You know what? Fine." She handed it over begrudgingly but before she let go, she said, "But I want it when you're done."

Grabbing it from her, he shook his head. "You're such a brat," he muttered. Turning his head around the corner, he saw that it was empty and urged her along. When they got to the top of the stairs, he gave her a reassuring nod and turned the safety of the gun off. "You ready?"

Stella nodded and they descended the stairs, careful not to make a sound. They succeeded without forcing any of the floorboards to creak, but at the end of the hall were two guards chatting amongst themselves.

Rafe pushed her back and Stella almost tripped over the rug. "The other way," he whispered. "Go, go, go."

The door beside them was heavy, but Stella managed to open it without making any noise. The front foyer of the house was on the other side, with the front door directly in front of them, the dining room to the left, and the side door to the right.

"This way," Stella nodded. She rushed towards the side door and closed it gently once Rafe had passed through. There was a short corridor they had to walk through and after that, they were outside.

Looking around, the pair quickly realized that escaping the house was the easy part. There guards lining the perimeter of the estate and workers doing their jobs in the yard. There were too many people that could see them and too little places to hide.

"What's the plan?" Rafe asked, looking down at Stella as she peered around the wall.

Stella hesitated. They couldn't sneak past the gates because there was a ten foot tall stone wall bordering the house and guard dogs walking with their handlers in the distance. They couldn't persuade any of the workers to help them either, considering the fear and loyalty they probably had for Singh. Their options were limited.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a truck pull up to the barn twenty feet away from them. Workers filled the back with hay and chatted with each other while they did so.

"Star, what are we doing?" Rafe asked again. He watched as Stella's gaze moved from the barn to the long driveway. He could see the gears turning in her mind.

Finally, she replied, "I have an idea but you have to move fast."

His eyes widened as she took off running. "Wait, Stel— Shit!" He started after her, making sure to keep an eye out for any guard that might see them. When he caught up to her, he didn't bother asking what the plan was anymore. The thoughts in her mind moved too fast and by the time she explained them, they would've missed their window of opportunity.

The truck full of hay sped down the road beside them, slowing down to turn. When Stella was close enough, she jumped and held onto edge of the truck bed. She had trouble finding her footing for a moment. Rafe jumped shortly after her and soon, they were helping each other into the back of the truck.

There was a brief moment of relief as they fell back into the dry straw, but it quickly vanished when they lifted their heads to see a man sitting in the back staring at them.

"Oh, shit."

Stella pressed herself into the corner as Rafe stood. The older man was the first to throw a punch, causing the Kook to stumble back into her.

Stella tapped his shoulders in panic as her eyes met their assailant. "Rafe," she fret, pushing him back onto his feet.

Shaking his head, Rafe prepared himself for another go. This time, he wasn't caught off guard. His fist met the face of the older man repeatedly until he was hunched over. He used the opportunity to knee the man in the gut and moved to toss him overboard.

Stella glanced at the road below them, her eyes widening when she realized how fast they were going. "Uh, maybe you don't need to throw him—" She stopped when she realized Rafe had already done it.

Rafe panted as he lifted the tarp beneath them. "Come on, we gotta hide."

She said nothing as she buried herself under the mountain of hay.

It was a compromising position and they both knew it. Stella tried to maintain as much distance between them as possible, but it was harder than she thought because the bed of the truck was sloped towards the middle and every bump in the road caused her to slide down. By the time the truck stopped at the gate, her shoulder was pressed up against Rafe's and his stare was burning into her.

"All clear," they could hear another guard say. "Let them through!"

The truck started moving again, but they waited almost ten minutes before removing the tarp over themselves.

The adrenaline left their bodies with every pant of their tired breaths and they rested their backs against the truck cab.

"I told you we just had to work together," Rafe boasted, sending Stella a smug look.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. It was bad enough that she had to tolerate him for her plan to work, but to listen to him gloat was simply horrible. "Please keep your 'I told you so' to yourself. I'd rather not hear it."

"You know, I like it when you beg."

"And I like it when you don't speak," she retorted, barely missing a beat as she looked away.

A scoff fell from his mouth, but she could have confused it for an amused huff. "Too bad." He reached behind him and pulled out the gun. Handing it to her, he shrugged. "A deal's a deal."

Stella checked the safety before tucking it into the back of her own waistband. "Thanks," she said begrudgingly.

"Just don't shoot me with it."

"Then don't tempt me."

A few moments of silence passed before Rafe spoke again. "Listen," he began, "I'm headed out to my boat. I can give you a ride out, drop you wherever, somewhere safe. One thing though. Look at me."

Stella turned her head and gave him an expectant raise of her brow.

"I know your friends and my sister are on the island, and I know you're gonna ask so I'm telling you now. I'm not helping them, alright? I can't trust them. I already did you a favour by letting you go on that cargo ship. I'm not helping those Pogues."

Stella furrowed her brows. With all his talk about not trusting Pogues, he seemed to have no problem trusting her. "I'm a Pogue," she pointed out.

He scoffed. This time, there was no confusion around its meaning. "You're not a Pogue, Star. Your mom makes, like, nearly half a million a year, you live in a big ass house on Figure Eight, and you have a country club membership. Like it or not, you're a Kook." He paused. "I always thought you were."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You think about me a lot, Cameron?"

She was being snarky but he answered honestly.

"Probably more than I should."

She met his stare again to see that it was unwavering and searched it for any indication of a lie. When she couldn't find one, she realized that his feeling for her hadn't faded. "Rafe, I'm with JJ."

A sardonic chuckle landed itself between them. "You can't be serious."

Stella pulled out the chain around her neck and dangled JJ's ring in front of his face. "I'm serious."

Rafe refused to believe what he was hearing. Stella was smart, but sometimes she could be so stupid. She could have anyone she wanted. Go anywhere. Be anyone. Yet, she chose a life full of trouble with a bunch of delinquents and spent her time chasing treasure and illegally hopping between islands.

Shaking his head, he could feel his frustration build. When was she going to realize that she was throwing away a good thing? And what did that street rat JJ Maybank have that he didn't?

"You're better than him, Stella."

He said it like it was a fact and if JJ heard it, he would probably agree.

"I know it, he knows it," Rafe continued. "I mean, really, what are you doing with a guy like that? What kind of future are you looking at? Are you gonna get married? Become Queen of the Cut or something? Unlike ninety-nine percent of Kildare, you're actually going to make something of yourself. You think he doesn't look at you and see a pay-check? He's playing the long game."

Stella almost informed him that she had already done both of the things he mentioned. She married JJ in the Chateau's backyard, legal or not, and she had been hailed Queen of the Cut since the moment she stepped foot onto the island. He was wrong about that, and he was wrong about JJ.

Never once, in all her years of knowing him, did Stella question JJ's intentions with her. How could she? He never gave her any indication that he had ulterior motives. He wore his heart on his sleeve and his character was strong, even when they were younger. She knew him inside and out, and knew exactly the kind of person he was.

JJ was the type of person who listened to long-winded rants he could barely keep up with just because his best friends were passionate about it. He was the type of person who moved into his best friend's house after his dad went missing so he wouldn't be lonely. He carried cases of water bottles to animal rights protests so his friends could hand them out to strangers. He gave Stella's mother flowers on Mother's Day and never forgot a birthday card. He got arrested for a crime he didn't commit just so his friend wouldn't ruin his perfect record.

JJ Maybank was a quick-tempered, feisty son of a bitch. He was a liability at times, that much was for sure, but he was loyal. He put those he loved above himself every chance he got. Laughter and adventure were two things he would always be down for, and he was bravest person she had ever met. He cared so much. He wasn't the type of person to be swayed by money when it came to matters of the heart.

The words were on the tip of her tongue. She was armed and ready to defend her homeland. JJ was the only person in her life that expected nothing from her. Figure Eight and the Cut waited for her success, her friends relied on her brain, and her mother hoped for her future. In all aspects of life, people expected more from her. But JJ never asked for anything. He accepted her for who she was and loved her regardless of her faults. All he ever wanted from her was nothing at all.

Rafe didn't know what he was talking about. He was baiting her. He dropped JJ's name in a sad attempt of manipulating her, hoping that he could twist her view against the Pogues.

He knew she was smart, but he underestimated her. That was his mistake.

Dropping the chain around her neck, Stella tilted her head. "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" She deflected. "You only started talking to me when you realized Ward and everyone else thought I was some Kook princess. Not because you actually liked me."

Rafe held her gaze. "At first."

Admittedly, he didn't like Stella when they first met. She was just another one of Sarah's annoying friends from school. But then she was invited to stay for dinner one evening and he witnessed everyone around her become enamoured. Suddenly, she was no longer a random Pogue-turned-Kook, but a golden girl with sunshine in her smile. She was exactly the type of girl his parents would want him to date.

He figured he could learn to like her, but falling for Stella was easy. She was better than him in every way and while that would usually make him insecure, he found himself inspired. She was caring, funny, and kind. She cared more than anyone else in his life and she was genuine too. He wanted to be in her life, and he was for a while until Sarah told her his feelings were fake and ruined everything.

"Come with me," he requested. "I don't have to go back to Guadeloupe. We can go back to Kildare, or take a few weeks off in Saint Lucia. We can fly to Italy, France, Spain. I'll take you anywhere you want, but I'm not helping those Pogues."

Power was in Stella's hands. She could feel the flames flickering across her skin. The thing about people like Rafe was that they were never satisfied. They could have everything and still want more. That was Rafe's downfall. He was too blinded by what he wanted to see. He didn't realize that Stella had desires of her own—her top priority being the boy he hated deeply.

Holding his stare and never wavering, Stella replied, "I just want to go home."

When she said that, she wasn't thinking about Kildare. She was thinking about JJ.

Rafe nodded and a small smile pulled at his lips. "That's smart."

"I'm smart." Stella shrugged. "Among other things."

"Trust me, Star. I know."

KIE HAD JUST gotten to town when the guards escorting her were called in for back up somewhere else. She didn't know what the reason was, but the number of people around her dwindled and she used the opportunity to slip away from their watchful eyes.

To say she wasn't scared would be a lie. She was all alone in a foreign country with no way of finding her friends. Her only hope was that the locals knew something.

Collecting her courage, she began to ask around. The tourist shops by the beach were no help and the fruit stand vendors had no clue who she was talking about. Eventually, she became so dejected that she resorted to walking around in hopes that she'd run into her friends. She didn't actually believe that she would succeed this way but when she saw a group of five teenagers running through an open horse stable, she was proved wrong.

"What the hell...?"

Meanwhile, the Pogues were freaking out inside the stables. They had just abandoned the hotel after their plan to trade hostages failed, and in their wake, they left the majority of Singh's men in an angry mess.

"They coming?" Cleo asked, looking at John B.

He looked through the wire mesh and shook his head. "I don't see anything." But as the words left his mouth, movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. "Wait. Oh shit, shit, shit!"

The group braced themselves for the worst, grabbing anything nearby that could be used as a weapon. They were in a tough spot, backed into a tiny confined area with only one exit, but they were ready to fight.

The sound of quick footsteps neared their hiding place and they lifted the objects higher in their hands. They got ready to swing, but when a familiar figure appeared in the doorway, they froze.

"Kie?"

Sarah was the first one to move, instantly wrapping her arms around the girl and holding her tight. "Oh my god, we were so worried," she said breathlessly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good," Kie nodded, "I'm good."

Everyone took turns hugging her and checking her for any injuries, and when it was deemed that she was fine, JJ asked, "Where's Stella?"

Kie's stilled and her face paled. The conversation they were about to have wasn't going to be easy.

At her hesitation, JJ began to panic. A thousand different scenarios flashed in his mind within a single second. Stella tied up. Stella locked in a room. Stella hurt. Stella dead. "Kie, where is Stella?"

"JJ," she started slowly, "I need you to promise you won't freak out—"

He was quick to anger. "Where is she, Kie?" His voice was low and the others shared a look.

Her jaw clenched at his snappy tone. She knew telling him that Stella stayed behind was going to bring out his attitude, but she didn't expect it so soon. "I didn't want to leave her but you know how stubborn she is—"

His vision turned red. "You left her?"

Sarah furrowed her brows at his outburst. "JJ, let her explain."

"No!" He turned on his heel and took a step closer to Kie. "What happened to no Pogue left behind? She's your best friend! What the hell, Kiara?"

"I didn't want to leave her!"

This time, it was Pope who spoke. "Kie, what happened?"

Nodding, she remembered the whole reason Stella was adamant about her leaving in the first place. "Okay, well, first of all, Ward didn't take us. It was some guy named Singh."

"We know that already," JJ dismissed, waving his hand in the air. "Start from the beginning. Did they hurt you guys? Is Stella okay?"

"What did Singh want?" Pope added.

Kie focused on the last question as it seemed to be more urgent. "He wanted Denmark Tanny's diary."

JJ didn't care about the diary. Quite frankly, he didn't care about anything other than Stella and he couldn't wait any longer without knowing the answer to his question. "Kiara," he snapped. "Answer me. Is Stella okay?"

Turning to him, Kie replied, "Yes, she's fine." JJ sighed in relief. "But Rafe was there too and she's with him."

His eyes widened so quickly that his friends were surprised they didn't fall out of his head. "Did you just say Rafe? As in Sarah's brother, Rafe?" He watched Kie grimace but felt no guilt over his harsh tone. "You left her with Rafe Cameron?"

Kie's brows furrowed. She had quickly grown tired of JJ's frantic attitude, even if it was justified. "Look, Stella's not an idiot," she defended. "She can handle him."

Her insinuation was offensive. He wasn't upset because he thought Stella couldn't stand her ground against Rafe. He was perfectly aware that his girl could run circles around him. No, he was upset because she was left alone in a house full of armed men with no one else but a psychopath who was obsessed with her and nearly killed her. "I know she's not an idiot! Don't put words in my mouth!"

Across the small stable, Sarah sighed. "Guys."

"Then stop acting like she's helpless!" Kie shouted back.

"I'm not! I just don't trust him with her!"

"Then trust her!"

"I do, but he's crazy!"

"Kind of like you right now!"

"Guys!" Sarah called in a scolding tone. When they silenced, glares firmly on their faces, she looked at Kie. "Continue with what you were saying, Kie."

With minimal interruption from JJ (he was too angry to say anything and instead, turned his back on the group to calm down), Kie continued. She told them everything that happened from the moment they were taken to the moment she left. Her friends filled her in on what they knew, and when everyone was caught up with both sides of the story, Kie held up Bailey's cellphone.

"She pinched this off one of the guards."

JJ looked up and huffed, the corners of his mouth turning up while the weight of Portis' phone weighed his pocket down. Of course Stella managed to steal someone's phone.

"She said she'd text when she stole another one."

Pushing off the wall, JJ began to pace. "So what's the plan now?" He questioned. "We just kicked the hornet's nest. We gotta think of something quick."

Pope sighed. "JJ, calm down."

The blond didn't like his request because he turned with his eyes narrowed in his direction. "Calm down, Pope?" Kie had just told them the lengths Singh was willing to go to in order to get the diary. The diary that was locked in the Twinkie all the way back in North Carolina. He had a right to panic. "We do something to their guys, they're gonna do something to Stella."

"That was your idea!" Sarah shouted, her concern for Stella manifesting as frustration.

JJ nodded. "Yeah, I know that was my idea, okay? My bad! That one's on me!" Turning to Pope, who was trying to shush him, he got an idea. "I got something. What if I offer myself up as a hostage?" The others groaned but he insisted. "No. Hear me out, hear me out. What if I got inside the walls, did the Trojan horse type thing?"

"No," Pope deadpanned.

"That's how wars are won!"

"That's not how a Trojan horse even works!"

John B looked up, clearly annoyed by their back and forth. He didn't know what to do. His sister was in trouble and he just wanted her safe.

Across from him, Cleo shook her head. "Guys, this is Stella we're talking about. She doesn't do anything without thinking it over, right?" The others nodded. "The girl's got a plan."

Kie nodded. "She does."

Turning his head, JJ gave her a incredulous look. "Why didn't you lead with that?"

"It was kind of hard when you started yelling at me." Giving him a side glance, she continued, "She didn't go into detail, but it has something to do with Rafe."

"Oh shit," Pope cursed. "Is she seducing him?"

JJ's eyebrows raised and he shot the boy a look of disbelief. "What?"

When he turned to her for confirmation, Kie shook her head. "She's not," she stated firmly. "I mean, I don't think so."

"You don't think so?" He repeated, looking at Sarah, Cleo, and John B to see if they heard the same thing.

"She didn't have the time to go into the details!" Kie defended, her voice raising an octave. "She's getting us a way out of here, we just need to wait for her signal."

"Okay." John B nodded. "So we'll wait."

The decision made JJ scoff. "That's it? We just wait?" The silence among them was suffocating as he stared at him in betrayal. He couldn't understand why John B was so accepting of doing nothing. First at the hotel and now here. Stella had been their best friend since the fourth grade and he knew John B loved her, so he didn't get how he could be okay with sitting here and waiting. "We need to go get her, John B!"

Almost as if he knew what JJ was thinking, John B sighed in exasperation. "You think I don't want her back too?" He questioned. His tone was firm and the worry he had for Stella was all over his face. If she had a plan, he didn't want to do anything that would screw it up for her. "We gotta trust her on this, man."

"Why does everyone keep acting like I don't trust her?" JJ questioned, his voice loud and clear. "I trust her. I trust her with my life. But I don't trust them—Singh, Rafe. We don't know what they're doing to her. We need to go get her!"

"JJ," John B began, "we're not saying you don't trust her, we're saying that we need to let Stella do her thing."

Kie nodded. "And she told me to make sure you don't do anything stupid, so..."

JJ pursed his lips and looked away. If it was up to him, he would storm Vaux Hall and fight every guard that stood in his way. A part of him thought about sneaking off to go and rescue her himself, but as much as he hated to admit it, John B was right. With their track record, any plan to rescue Stella would probably end up hurting her instead of helping her. He needed to trust his clever girl. All he could do was be ready for when she called.

STELLA AND RAFE snuck out of the truck the first chance they got and were now walking through town. The area was busy with fishermen and the nearby market had a bunch of people roaming about, both tourists and locals. Seagulls flew above them and the chatter of friendly conversations danced in the air.

"So," Stella began, falling in step with the boy next to her, "your boat. Is it one of those fancy ones with a push to start button or do you still have keys?

Rafe huffed in amusement. Stupidly, Singh took his phone but decided to let him keep his keys. "I've got keys."

"Oh, at least he's humble," Stella mused.

They passed a row of jewelry venders in the market and she slowed to look at the bracelets. Rafe kept walking, but when he noticed that his side was empty, he stopped and looked back at her. He watched as she smiled at the older woman behind the booth and caught up to him. What he didn't know was that it was an elaborate way for her to fall behind and gather enough distance to see if he had anything in his pockets. His back pocket was full, probably his wallet, and his front pocket was raised. If Stella had to guess, it was the keys to his boat.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Rafe said once she joined his side again.

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good," she joked.

A small smile tugged at his mouth. "What happened after the Coastal Venture? I know Singh's guy rescued you, but from where?"

Stella's hand brushed the opening of his pocket as she looped her arm through his. "We washed up on some deserted island," she revealed. "Kind of like Cast Away or Lord of the Flies but less extreme. We'd go fishing for dinner every night, and Kie and Pope know a lot about plants and poisonous berries and stuff. J, John B, and I used to have this obsession with The Hunger Games when we were younger so those survival skills helped a lot too." A sad expression settled itself onto her features. Even though she wanted to return to Kildare, she would miss Poguelandia. "It was nice for a while."

Rafe scoffed. Being stranded on a deserted island sounded like hell. "Sounds nice until you remember you have no electricity or running water."

Rolling her eyes, Stella tugged on his arm. "Okay, what about you? What happened after you decided not to shoot us out of the water?"

He shrugged and looked off to the side. "Went to Guadeloupe, nursed my dad back to health."

"So your dad's..."

"Alive," he confirmed. "No thanks to your Pogue buddies."

It took a lot of willpower for her to ignore his dig at her friends. "And Wheezie?" She questioned, hoping to change the subject. She knew Sarah would appreciate her asking. "Is she okay?"

Rafe gave her a look of confusion, wondering why the hell she would care about his little sister. Stella noticed and furrowed her brows. "Don't look at me like that," she said. "Wheezie was always my favourite Cameron sibling."

Shaking his head at her, he answered, "She's good. A little confused about everything, but she's good." They approached the marina where he left his boat and he nodded at the largest one in the bay. "Come on. My boats down there."

Stella followed him and rolled her eyes when he told her to take her shoes off before entering. She never understood why some people had that rule. It didn't matter if people took their shoes off. The open parts of the boat were bound to get dirty eventually.

Rafe moved around the boat and untied the ropes keeping it attached to the dock. "Okay, we should have enough juice to get us to Saint Lucia no problem." He moved to untie the bowline and glanced up at Stella as she moved to where the controls were. It seemed that things were looking up for him. He had the gold, the cross, and the girl.

Stella met his stare and smiled. He had no idea what was coming. "Pass me the keys," she requested. "I'll get it started while you get the rest of the lines."

Rafe nodded and reached for his pocket. To his surprise, he found it empty. Panic set in as he searched his other pockets. The keys were nowhere to be found.

Seeing the anxiety on his face, Stella's smile dropped. "Did you lose the keys?"

He shook his head, his forehead creased, and his brows snapped together. "No, I didn't lose the keys."

"Then where are they?" He ignored her as he continued to search his pockets. "Rafe, they're obviously not there anymore. How are we gonna get out of here?"

"Will you relax?" He snapped, looking around. "I'll find them."

Stella raised her hands in defence at his harsh tone then rested them on the railing. Looking down at him, she offered a suggestion. "Maybe they fell out of your pocket when we were in the truck."

He shook his head. "No, I had them after that."

"Okay, so maybe you dropped it when we were walking here. Go look."

"Stella—"

"Rafe, you said you'd find them, so find them," she stressed. A line had buried itself between her brows and she scanned the area for any scary men with guns strapped to their chests. "We can't stay here all day, Singh's men will find us."

Sensing the nervousness radiating off of her, he complied with her demands. "Okay, okay."

Stella watched as he got off the boat and retraced his steps. A part of her felt bad for leading him on, but it had to be done. It's not like Rafe didn't have it coming. Besides, she didn't owe him a damn thing. Especially not after the way he spoke about JJ.

When he was far enough from the boat, Stella pulled out the keys and started the engine.

She was pulling away from the dock by the time Rafe realized what was happening. He sprinted back towards her, but he was too far to jump on board and he couldn't swim out to her. He was stranded on the dock.

"Stella!" He shouted. "Stella, where are you going?"

She struggled to steer the boat, but managed just fine. Yelling back, she said, "I have to help my friends!"

He got smaller in the distance, but the look of betrayal was clear on his face. "Stella, come back! You don't know what you're doing!" He could do nothing but watch her leave. "Stella, you're gonna regret this shit!"

The corners of her mouth lifted. He shouldn't have underestimated her. If she could do it again, she would.

"Once a Pogue, always a Pogue, Rafe!" She blew him a kiss and waved goodbye. "You should've known better!"

And when she was far enough, she pulled out the phone she stole and found Bailey's and Jimmy Portis' contacts.

RAE SPEAKS!
stella's better than me, i would've folded

stella after stealing rafe's boat: