As night fell, the butterflies in Lana's stomach grew. She kept reciting in her head: Drop the goods, leave, go home. Over and over again. She could tell Jack was on edge too as he paced around their giant guest room and tried to keep busy with organizing his things in his suitcase.

They went over the plan together and the route they needed to take with the car Antonio provided. All they needed to do was get to the docks by 11 PM sharp and stand by as the receivers unloaded the boxes that were in the back of the truck.

At about 10:30 PM and after being served a quick chicken tagine dinner, Jack and Lana headed out. Lana kept fidgeting with the radio but couldn't find any stations that had music she recognized or liked. She turned off the radio, and the two sat in silence as Jack drove.

"What do you think is in those boxes in the back?" Lana asked as she gazed out of her window at the passing city lights.

"Probably drugs."

"DRUGS?" Lana's eyes grew wide.

Jack smirked. "Yeah, I think most likely. I mean, we're delivering boxes, late at night, to a sketchy dock area."

Lana gasped. "Oh my gosh. I'm officially a drug dealer. What if we get addicted?"

"Addicted to what? Drug dealing?"

"Yeah, I mean, like, don't people love doing that stuff?"

Jack laughed. Oh, how Lana missed hearing his laugh. That's definitely something I could get addicted to.

"I have a hard time seeing how we'd get addicted to this. I'll probably shit my pants as soon as we get there."

Lana laughed, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Jack turn to her for a moment.

She was about to say something back when she noticed a random roadside police checkpoint up ahead. Her stomach dropped, and her palms began to sweat. "Umm, wait. Are we going to hit that checkpoint?"

Jack squinted, and his white knuckles gripped the steering wheel. "Shit, shit, shit, shit! Yes, I think we are."

"Oh my gosh. Okay, just act natural. What should we say?"

"I have no clue. Um, we look so sketchy right now driving this big truck in the middle of the night."

"Quick! Hold my hand!" Lana reached out and grabbed Jack's hand.

"What? Why?"

"Just be cool. Make it look like we're backpacking through Morocco in our truck."

"And going to a boat?"

"I don't know! I haven't thought that far ahead!"

They both quieted as soon as Jack pulled up to the checkpoint and brought his window down. The officer, who was holding a long gun across his chest, eyed both of them. Lana could feel the moisture swimming in between her and Jack's interlaced grip. Neither dared let go for fear of breaking their 'well-thought-out' cover.

"What you have in truck?" the officer asked in his thick accent as leaned closer into the car opening.

Drugs. We have drugs.

"Just some of our things. We're on our honeymoon and going to see the boats at night." Jack smiled. Lana couldn't believe how coolly Jack responded, and even she believed him for a moment.

"Open back please." The officer stepped back and waited for Jack to get out of the car and open the trunk.

Lana tried to keep her cool but felt like her chest was about to explode. Her heart rate was going so fast that she thought she might pass out. Jack let go of her hand and gave her a look she couldn't read before stepping out of the truck. He walked to the back, and Lana could hear him fidgeting with the lock. She needed to do something. Quick.

"Here, honey, let me help you. That lock needs a tender touch," she said as she opened the passenger door of the truck. Lana quickly found herself tumbling forward and felt a sharp pain in her arm as soon as she landed.

"Ow!" Lana sat up and saw blood running down her arm.

"Oh my God, Lana! Are you okay?" Jack swiftly ran up beside her.

"No! I think I'm really hurt!"

The police officer came by and immediately stood back as he saw the streak of blood on Lana's arm.

"Lana, I think we need to get you to see a doctor. You might need stitches!" Jack said as he examined Lana's arm.

The police officer looked at them with concern splashed across his face. "Okay, please go quickly."

Jack looked back and thanked the officer, who waved at the other officers to let them pass through. He led Lana back to her seat as she was continuing to whine "Ow, it hurts so much" while clutching her arm.

Jack got in the driver's seat and sped forward with his brows wrinkled. He grabbed his phone and began looking up directions to the nearest hospital.

As soon as Lana realized what he was doing, she gasped. "Jack! What are you doing? We need to go to the docks!"

Jack looked back at her, wide-eyed. "Lana, what are you saying? We need to get you to the hospital!"

Lana let out a pfft sound. "Oh, puh-lease, this is nothing! Just a small scratch."

Jack slowed the car and looked at Lana who was using some napkins she found in the glove compartment to wipe up the blood. "Wait, what?"

"Oh yeah, when you guys weren't looking, I sort of slid the blood across to make it look worse than it is. It hurt for like a second, and now it's just like a small sting. I can take care of it afterward."

Jack looked at Lana and began laughing. "Oh my God, Lana. I was so worried." Lana smiled, pleased with her Oscar-worthy performance. "That was so impressive. You had me fooled!"

"I needed to do something to get us out of there!"

"No, no, that was amazing! Good thinking on your feet! You really did save us from going to jail. Thank you!" Jack was beaming. Lana couldn't help but beam in return. She liked the feeling of impressing Jack. She never really felt like an all-around impressive person before.

The duo got to the docks and saw a boat with a Spanish flag on it docking. Lana glanced at the time, and it was exactly eleven o'clock.

Here goes nothing.

Jack parked the car near the incoming boat. "Lana, stay in the car. I'll go out and handle everything."

Lana rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car. "Yeah right, and just stare out the window? No thanks!"

"Lana! You should get back in. It's safer in the car."

"I'll be fine, Jack. Don't worry."

Jack let out a loud sigh and continued to the back of the truck. Lana followed, and they both shimmied the door up, revealing the mountain of boxes inside.

Five men came off the boat, all carrying guns on them. Her heart rate picked up, and she glanced at Jack, who was busy grabbing boxes and placing them on the side of the truck.

Lana began helping as a couple of the men came to grab boxes as well. They simply eyed Jack and Lana up and down and then gave each other a nod. The men spoke in Spanish to each other. Lana knew a little bit and could make out that some were going to help with boxes while some men were going to keep watch.

After about twenty minutes, all of the boxes were unloaded from the truck, and the men began loading them onto the boat. Lana went to the front to grab a drink of water before continuing to help with the loading.

As soon as she reached in for the bottle she heard Jack's voice. "Hey, watch where you're looking, man!"

She quickly made her way back to Jack, who had a scowl plastered across his face. "Jack, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Lana. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. Hopefully, we're not here too much longer." Lana turned around again but then stopped when Jack called out.

"Hey buddy, was I not clear enough? Watch where you're looking!"

Lana turned back toward Jack and saw him looking at one of the men on watch duty. The man was smiling at a very, very angry Jack. Lana quickly ran toward Jack, who was now in some sort of staring contest with the guy. "Um, Jack, what's going on?"

"This guy, I just—don't like the way he's looking at you."

Lana glanced at the guy who was eyeing both of them from about ten feet away. The look in his eyes made Lana's stomach turn in disgust. Her creep-o-meter was on high alert. She looked back at Jack. "Jack, it's okay. He's not going to do anything." She didn't believe the words as soon as she said them. Mainly because the man started walking toward them.

"Lana, he was undressing you with his eyes, and he better not touch you...  or else I will literally gouge his eyes out." She touched Jack's arm and felt his muscles taut as a wire.

The man came up and touched a strand of Lana's hair. She quickly jerked her head away, and the man looked Jack straight in the eyes. "How much?"

"If you ever fucking touch her again, I'll knock you straight to hell." He stared at the man with a ready-to-kill look in his eyes.

"Jack, please, cool it. It's okay," Lana begged and tried to pull Jack away from the staring contest. He wouldn't budge. She could see that the other men were finishing up with their loading and were beginning to stare at the unfolding drama.

"She very pretty. I think I need her." The man smacked Lana's ass and then grabbed onto her arm. In that instant, Lana didn't fear for her life, but for what was about to go down. Jack lunged forward and tackled the man to the ground.

He threw a punch to the man's face, the man pushed Jack, and they both rolled over. Lana screamed and tried to stop the continual punches and kicks from both sides.

The other men came in, also trying to break up the fight. The man spit on Jack's face, and Lana screamed again. She couldn't believe the audacity of this creep. She went in between them and threw a punch at the man that was being held back by another two men. A surge of pain zipped through her knuckles, but she continued throwing punches.

Jack freed himself from the other two men and pulled Lana back since the other man had freed himself too, to defend himself. He threw a punch to Lana but it landed on Jack, who was shielding her.

Jack fell to the ground, and Lana shrieked. Blood streamed down his face and swollen patches began to form. She flinched as the man brought out his gun and pointed it directly at her.

She could hear the men around him yelling at their friend, likely telling him to calm down. Lana was frozen, and Jack was facing the opposite direction on the floor.

The man began walking toward her slowly. Her heart beat wildly, and she didn't care so much about the gun as the fact that Jack was on the floor.

Yet, in an instant, everyone dropped down as soon as sirens began wailing in the distance.

All of the men began cursing in Spanish and retreated to their boat, including the man with the gun. They left Lana and Jack on the floor as they untied from the dock and pushed off from the harbor.

Lana looked at Jack, whose chest was rising and falling quickly. He was on his back now, and she instantly leaned over him, cradling his head in her arms. He looked at her and cracked a smile. "What do you say we head home?"

Lana laughed and hugged him on the ground. She began kissing his head and any parts of his face that weren't swollen. "Jack, I am so, so sorry. I am so sorry for everything!" She couldn't stop kissing him but retreated when he whimpered.

"Oh no! Was I too rough?"

He relaxed in her arms and smiled up at her as the sirens got louder. "No, that's alright. I'm just a little tender right now." He paused and was about to say something else but then stopped himself.

"What is it, Jack? Are you okay?"

"Lana, I'm such an idiot. I know I promised not to pursue anything romantic with you. But this is the first time in my life where I absolutely need to break a promise or else I'd regret it for the rest of my life. I am in love with you, and I think I always will be."

Lana beamed and nuzzled her face into Jack's neck. "I love you too, Jack."

She continued to plant kisses on his face and cuddled him as they lay on the ground near the water.

***

Ahhh what a ride! Thanks for reading, commenting, and voting!! Can't believe we're nearing the end! ♥️