MERCEDES, jj maybank

35.

THE CAT'S ASS

She was driving back to the Cut and she was driving fast. She had only pulled her shorts back on and left Rafe's jacket over her shoulders. She looked down at her bikini top and quickly felt it to see if it was still damp, which it was a little.

After finally pulling in at the Chateau she saw Pope and Kie round the back of a white trunk. She jogged over to them and greeted them both.

"Nice jacket," Kiara says, with a gentle smile.

"Thanks, what are you doing out here?" She asks.

Pope keep moving around tools in the back, "We're talking about the plan, I got a winch," He says with a smile.

"That's great, Po,"

"That tin can hold over, like, two-hundred - three-hundred pounds!"

"Thanks," Says Kie,

"What for?" Pope questions.

"For stranding us, making me and Sarah make up."

He lets out a small laugh, "What makes you think that was me?"

But Kiara couldn't answer his question. They all heard a whirring sound coming from the Chateau and all tensed up.

"What was that?" Trinity asks, heading around the truck and into the backyard.

Pope and Kiara follow her, "What the hell?" Lights and decorations have been put up everywhere and right in front of Trinity was a brand-new hot tub with JJ sitting right in the centre. He pops open a champagne bottle and pours it into a tall glass.

"What is all of this, JJ?" Kiara asks.

"I got a jet going straight in my butt right now," He laughs, pulling his sunglasses down the end of his nose so he could look at his friends. "Y'all should get in immediately, you hear me? Salud!" He shouts holding up his glass.

"How much did this cost?" Pope asks.

"Uh..." JJ really tried hard to think, it wasn't hard to tell he was slightly under the influence, "Well, with the generator, the petrol, and - oh! Hey, express delivery...pretty much all of it, yeah,"

The three who were stood all dropped their jaws, "All of it?"

"Yeah, all of it," JJ clarifies,

"You spent all of the money in one day?" Trinity asks him.

"Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket. But, I mean, like, come on, guys, like, look at this! Finest in jet-based massage therapy, that's what they told me...Kie what? Can't a man have a little luxury in life? Come on,"

JJ takes his sunglasses off and puts them to the side along with his own champagne glass while he pours another one and continues to speak, "All this scrimpin' and scrapin'. I mean, like...guys, we - you only live once, right? Enough of this emotional shit. Get in the Cat's Ass. Come on, Tee, this glass is for you as an apology,"

"The what?" Trinity says.

"The Cat's Ass," He grins at her, holding the glass up. "It's what I named her - oh, yo! I almost forgot." He reaches over for a switch and above him, lowered a bright disco ball and the hot tub had sprinkler like jets coming out the sides, "Huh? Yeah, that's right, I know, disco mode! That's right, baby!"

Pope shakes his head, "Are you kidding me? You could have paid for restitution!"

"Or like, given it to any charity!" Kiara adds.

"Or better yet, you could have helped us buy supplies to get the rest of gold out the well!"

Trinity watches JJ with a sad look as he rubbed his face out of frustration from his friends yelling at him.

"Okay, well, you know what? I didn't do that!" He snaps at them. He stands up revealing deep bruises on his chest, abs, and sides. Trinity's hands fly to her mouth as she watches him in shock. "I got a hot tub! For my friends. I got a hot tub for my friends. You know what? No, screw friends, I got a hot tub for my family! Guys, look what I did for you?"

"JJ, what the hell?"

"No, Kie, you stop being emotional it's fine, okay?" He says while being on the verge of tears himself. "I mean it's sweet, right?" He points back to all the lights in the trees.

Trinity sees JJ is right on the edge so she drops Rafe's jacket on the floor and quickly goes over to stand next to JJ, she pulls him towards herself and his arms snake around her waist as he begins to cry on her shoulder.

"I just couldn't do it," He mumbles to her. She holds his head and strokes the back of his head as he continues to cry, "I can't take him anymore!"

"I know," She whispers in his ear,

"I was gonna kill him,"

Pope and Kiara look at each other before both going over to group hug Trinity and JJ. "We love you, man," Pope says.

"I just wanna do the right thing."

"We know,"

"We know, J',"