TIDES OF FATE - JJ Maybank

VI. Your move, Broski!

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Lillian's POV

"SO, UHM, WE didn't see anything, we don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia." Pope demands as he runs into the screen room of John B's house, taking a seat next to Kie and I.

I gave him a side glance and patted his shoulder. „Take a breath, buddy."

JJ, who was sitting on a chair a little ways away, stood up. He twirled the vape he was holding in his hands a few times as he stepped up to the railing that lined the porch with a thoughtful expression. "Actually, Pope is right for once." He concluded, turning to the group before focusing his gaze on Pope.  "See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny, deny, deny."

"Guys, we can't keep the money." Kiara speaks up. I nod in agreement. We were never meant to end up with it anyway.

"Okay. Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans Kiara." JJ replies, walking over to John B.

I raised a brow and opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Kie.

"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs, otherwise it's bad Karma." The curly-haired curl urged.

"Bad Karma to be implicated in a felony too. We gotta go dark." Pope adds.

„Okay," I scratch the top of my head, „say we give her the money. What do we tell her when she asks us where we got it? Or how we got his motel key? Or why we didnt report the sunken boat? We'd look suspicious as fuck and if Scooter was murdered, we'd all look like suspects."

„Then we give it to her anonymously," Kie suggests.

JJ shakes his head. „No," He states. „handing it of anonymously isn't going to balance this karma you're so worried about. If we're returning the cash, I want some sort of recognition."

„Real kind of you," Kie said rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. „ And besides, Scooter wasnt murdered he died in the storm."

I raised a brow. „He had a gun and stacks of money locked in a dodgy motel safe on top of copping a new Grady-white," i deadpanned. „It's shady and i've listened to enough true crime podcasts and seen enough Netflix documentaries to know murder when i see it."

Pope nods in support. „We gotta go dark."

"If that means we get to keep the money, then I aggre." JJ says, looking out at the marsh.

John B places a hand on his shoulder and raises his eyebrows. "I don't agree." He shakes his head. "Just think about it," John B starts. "This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about, alright? Same dude, that's been buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. Shit, one time I saw the dude begging for change in the Save-A-lot parking lot because he needed gas."

"We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than forty bucks in his pocket and all the sudden he's got a Grady-White?" I add.

John B points a finger in my direction and nods. "Lily knows what I'm talking about. Just sayin'."

„So you think he was tied up in something bigger?" Pope asks, searching for clarification.

„Think about it. How does a marina rat get a Grady-White?"

Pope inhaled sharply. „Prostitution."

"Square groupers, bro. Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane." John B leaned forward and pointed at JJ. „What does that mean, JJ?"