"Why?" He frowns, tilting his head
She takes her eyes off the horizon and looks back at the blonde "My dad always tells me that if you make a promise while the sun sets, you can't break it"
"Well, I'm going to be cursed or something like this?" JJ...
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The tension in the Chateau room was palpable as JJ tried to recall the details of the earlier incident. He wasn't at his best, fidgeting with his hands while narrating the story, his mind still stuck in the moment of danger.
–We were outside like this –He leans against the wall –And all we hear is just, 'BAM BAM BAM' knocking paint off the wall, from the inside! –JJ recounted with nervous excitement, looking at Pope and Kiara, who had just arrived
His arms flailed a little, overdramatic as always, but the anxiety behind his actions was hard to miss.
Pope, ever the practical one, leaned forward on the couch, his face calm but focused, though his fingers tapped absentmindedly against his knee –And you guys saw them?
JJ, never missing a chance to make a scene, stopped in the middle of the room, shook his head dramatically to loosen his hair, and ran his fingers through it wildly –Yeah but wait, first off, look at this shit
–That's dandruff –Kiara said with a disgusted look, recoiling slightly –Gross
–Yeah, thanks for that, man –He wiped his hands on his pants as if JJ had actually transferred something onto him
–Look at all that, that's paint! At that point I was just....like I'm waiting for death
Pope, not letting the joke linger, pressed on –Okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?
JJ's demeanor shifted slightly, his usual bravado slipping as he glanced over at Maeve, who had been sitting quietly beside Pope. She hadn't said much, her hands loosely clasped in her lap, her gaze distant, almost like she wasn't fully present in the room. Her fingers played absently with a loose thread on her jeans, the only sign that she was even listening.
–Yeah we saw them, right, Eve? –JJ nodded toward her, trying to draw her into the conversation, though there was a subtle undercurrent of concern in his voice
He knew something was off with her, but now wasn't the time to pry.
Maeve blinked, as if JJ's words had pulled her out of her thoughts, but she didn't meet his eyes –Uh-huh
–Did you get a good description of them? –Pope pressed on, his brow furrowing –Anything we can bring to a police report?
–Anything helps –Kiara chimed in, her voice more serious now
JJ hesitated for a second, then blurted out –Burly
–Burly? –Pope repeated with skepticism, he leaned back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest –That's not very helpful
–Okay, well, like the type of guy at my dad's garage –JJ explained, glancing at Maeve, who hadn't heard JJ talk about his father in a long time –I mean, you guys know he made cargo hides for drug smugglers
–Yeah, we know –Kiara nodded, her eyes softening slightly
–But these boys, these killers....–JJ exhaled a cloud of vape smoke, shaking his head –They're square groupers
