THE POGUES WALKED into the Wreck, a familiar sense of comfort settling over them. They found a table tucked in the back of the restaurant, just far enough from the crowd to have a quiet moment to themselves. Pope leaned against the window as he took in the atmosphere, not quite joining the group just yet.
"Look, he'll come around, alright? It's..he's doing a JJ thing," John B said, breaking the silence.
"You think he'll go home?" Amelia asked, her tone soft but edged with worry.
"There's about a zero per cent chance that JJ goes home," Pope said, staring out the window.
"I don't know, he might," Amelia muttered.
John B's gaze shifted between Pope and Amelia before settling on Sarah. "You okay?"
Sarah's lips curved into a small smile, and she nodded "Yeah. Are you?"
"I mean, I'm in one piece, so..." John B said, a small smile on his lips.
Pope finally turned from the window, sighing as he stepped closer to the group. "Okay. It's too dangerous to pawn this thing off piecemeal. Our best bet is to go down there, get the rest of it, and bring it all up at once. Put it somewhere safe—a vault or something—until we can find someone who won't rip us off." His eyes flicked between them, his tone resolute. "I can figure it out tonight. We'll get it done and be out there as early as tomorrow morning. Sound good?"
"Yeah, let's do it," John B said, nodding.
"Easy," Pope replied.
"Let's go," John B added with more determination.
"What about that thing with my dad?" Sarah suddenly asked, her voice cutting through the conversation.
"Shit," John B cursed under his breath.
"What thing with dad?" Amelia asked, glancing between Sarah and John B.
"I have to go fishing with him," John B admitted, his shoulders sagging slightly.
"You can't get 400 million because you're gonna go kill fish?" Kiara asked, her tone dripping with disbelief.
"Look, I have to go," John B said firmly.
"Blow it off," Pope countered. "It's 400 million in gold!"
"Make something up!" Kiara said
"Look, I--I have to, okay?" John B said, "He—he saved me, all right? And if it weren't for Ward, I'd be in foster care. So—I have to go. Plus, it'll be better to do it at night. He looked around the table, silently pleading for their understanding. "Right?"
Pope sighed and dropped his head. "Fine. Go fishing."
"And, hey, at least JJ will probably have washed up by then," Amelia said, trying for levity, though her concern still lingered in her eyes.
"SO WELCOME TO the pogue life", John B greeted as he drove, glancing at her.
"Is it everything you ever dreamed of?" Amelia asked
"And more," Sarah said, momentarily glancing at her sister.
"Ooh.Ooh!" John B said
"Yeah," Sarah said
The sound of a horn blaring filled everyone's ears. Amelia looked over her shoulder.
"Oh, shit. That's Rafe," Amelia said
Rafe pulled up alongside the Twinkie "Hey, pull that piece of shit over!"
*Twinkie's tyre screechs, causing Rafe to drive in front of it.*
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TROUBLE | JJ Maybank
FanfictionAmelia Cameron was born into the privileged world of the Kooks, raised amidst wealth and the kind of luxury most could only dream of. But despite her family's fortune, Amelia never fully embraced the life that was expected of her. Living on the isl...
