Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 94

{South America}

The sky grew darker, the unease settled deeper into my chest. JJ and I had scoured Tannyhill for any sign of Pope, but the place was deserted. JJ, always trying to stay optimistic, sighed and glanced at me as we climbed back onto his dirt bike.

"Hopefully, Cleo found him by now," he muttered, but I could hear the worry in his voice, the same as mine.

I nodded, but my thoughts were still racing. What if Cleo hadn't found him? What if Pope was still out there, hurt or worse? I bit my lip, pushing the thoughts away as we drove back to the Chateau. It was getting late, and as much as I hated leaving Pope out there, JJ was right. He could already be back by now.

When we pulled up to the Chateau, the porch lights flickered warmly, casting long shadows across the yard. But the place was quiet. No sign of Pope, Cleo, or anyone else.

"I'll start on dinner," JJ said his tone light, trying to ease the tension. I could tell he was trying to distract me, to keep my mind from spiralling any further.

I followed him inside, my heart heavy but grateful for the distraction. We moved around the kitchen in silence at first, chopping vegetables and preparing something simple. The sound of sizzling from the stovetop filled the air, and slowly, I started to relax a little.

While JJ stirred a pot, I caught him glancing at me. I raised an eyebrow, and he looked away, almost shy, something I wasn't used to seeing in him.

"So..." he started, his voice a bit quieter. "About the ultrasound the other day... I'm sorry I wasn't there."

His words hung in the air, and I felt a lump rise in my throat. I placed the knife down and turned to face him fully.

"I know you were dealing with a lot," I said softly. "But... I missed you being there."

JJ stopped stirring, leaning against the counter, looking genuinely remorseful. "I wanted to be there, Jackie. I really did. But with everything going on, it just got..."

"Crazy," I finished for him. We both knew it had been non-stop chaos, but that didn't make it any easier.

He looked down at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't want to miss anything else, though. I want to be there for everything. For you, for the baby."

Hearing him say that made my heart ache but in a good way. I walked over to him, placing a hand on his arm. "You will be. You already are. We're in this together, JJ."

He smiled at me, a small, soft smile that made my chest tighten. His eyes, usually filled with mischief and recklessness, were warm and filled with something deeper now—something like hope.

"What'd the doctor say, anyway?" he asked, his voice softer now as he placed a hand gently on my stomach, his thumb brushing over the spot where our child was growing. "Everything good with the little one?"

I nodded, feeling that familiar warmth spread through me. "Yeah. Everything's good. Strong heartbeat." JJ's smile widened, relief washing over his face. "Strong heartbeat, huh? That's my kid." He grinned, but there was something tender in the way he said it like he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was going to be a father.

I reached up, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face. "You're going to be a great dad, JJ." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I hope so. I want to be... better than what I had."

"You will be," I whispered, my hand still resting on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingers. "I know you will." He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my lips, and for a moment, the world outside—the chaos, the fear for Pope—faded away. It was just us, here in the warmth of the kitchen, in the quiet, thinking about the future we were building together.

Then suddenly, we heard the familiar sound of the Twinkie pulling up outside, JJ and I exchanged a glance. I could tell from his expression that he was as anxious as I was. We hadn't seen or heard from John B in hours, and with everything going on, it was impossible not to worry.

We rushed outside just in time to see John B hop out of the van by himself. The second I saw him, my stomach twisted. He looked drained, like he'd been through hell, and my heart immediately ached for him.

"Well, look who it is?" JJ said, sarcasm dripping from his voice, trying to mask his concern. "Nice of you to show up."

An awkward silence hung in the air as John B stood there, clearly struggling with whatever was weighing him down. JJ crossed his arms, his annoyance growing by the second.

"You gonna spill the beans?" JJ pressed, his voice sharper now. "You gonna tell us the truth about what's going on?"

I stepped closer, feeling my frustration bubbling up. "Look, I know I've been a little shady—" John B started, but I cut him off.

"Yeah, that's called lying, John B," I snapped. "We don't lie to each other." I gestured between JJ, John B, and myself. "We don't keep secrets, remember?"

John B sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah, I know," he muttered, clearly uncomfortable.

"John B, what's going on?" JJ's voice softened a bit, the concern showing through. He was worried, just like I was, and we needed answers.

John B hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "Our dad killed two guys."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. JJ and I exchanged a shocked glance, neither of us expecting that. The air around us suddenly felt tense, heavy with disbelief.

"No, no, no, hold on," JJ said, stepping forward. "You serious?"

"Yes," John B replied, his voice steady, but there was an edge of panic creeping in. "It was the guys from the Coastal Venture. They came here looking for Denmark's diary."

"Your dad capped them for that?" JJ muttered in disbelief, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to process what he was hearing.

"Yes," John B continued, the words tumbling out faster now. "And then Singh showed up. They took our dad, Jackie. They tried to kill me. They took him to South America."

"Whoa, South America?" I repeated, feeling like this was spiralling into something even bigger than any of us were ready for.

John B started pacing, his panic rising. "They're on their way, Jackie! And then what? Off him? I don't—"

"Wait, hold on," JJ interrupted, his voice cutting through John B's spiralling thoughts. "John B, stop." He stepped forward and grabbed John B by the shoulder. "Just breathe for a second, okay?"

I walked over, placing a reassuring hand on JJ's shoulder, trying to ground both of them. John B looked like he was barely holding it together, and JJ was trying to stay calm, though I knew his mind was racing too.

JJ rubbed his hands through his hair, clearly overwhelmed. "I need to think," he muttered, his voice quieter now, as if trying to find some sense in all of this.

He sat down on the steps of the porch, tapping the space next to him for John B to join him. I followed, standing beside them, my hand still resting on JJ's shoulder, offering as much comfort as I could. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the distant chirping of crickets and the rustle of the trees in the wind.

"I don't know what to do, guys," John B finally admitted his voice small, defeated. "How the hell do we get to South America?"

JJ exhaled, shaking his head, clearly just as lost as John B. "No clue, man," he admitted honestly, looking down at the ground. But then, he glanced up at me, his blue eyes softening as he reached for my hand, interlocking our fingers. He turned to John B, putting his other arm around his shoulder. "But we're gonna figure it out. We always do."

I smiled softly, feeling that familiar warmth of hope return. "We're Pogues," I said, my voice firm but gentle. "We always do."

To Be Continued...