Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 99

{Fire}

JJ and I trudged back to the Chateau, heads spinning with the weight of everything that had just gone down. John B in jail, Barracuda Mike breathing down our necks—it felt like everything was unravelling. The familiar sight of the rundown house brought a small comfort, but it wasn't enough to settle the storm in my mind.

Inside, the quiet only made the tension worse. JJ paced restlessly across the floor while I collapsed onto the worn couch, rubbing my growing bump absentmindedly. "We need to get him out, JJ. We can't just sit here."

JJ stopped pacing, his jaw tight. "I know. But what can we do? We've got no money, no connections. Shoupe's not gonna let him out easy, especially with Topper pressing charges."

I closed my eyes, trying to think. I had never felt more helpless. Just as the silence stretched on too long, we both heard something—voices outside.

It was dark now, and the noise instantly put us on edge. JJ grabbed a nearby bat, and I followed him cautiously out the door. To their surprise, standing in the faint glow of the porch light were Cleo, Pope, and Kiara, all looking just as surprised to see them.

Cleo was the first to break the tension. "Sarah told us to meet here," she said, walking over with a grin. Her eyes dropped to my stomach, and she chuckled. "Your bump's getting bigger, girl."

I felt overwhelmed and burst into laughter. I hadn't expected to laugh tonight, but the unexpected warmth from Cleo was a relief.

Pope, standing a bit to the side, looked around cautiously. "You know anything about why Sarah asked us to meet here?" he asked.

JJ and I both shook our heads, equally in the dark. Kiara, quieter than usual, glanced around, her gaze landing on me.

"Where's John B?" Kiara finally asked, her voice tinged with concern.

I swallowed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me again. "He's in jail... for beating up Topper." The group went silent, shocked. "What?!" Kiara exclaimed, her eyes wide in disbelief.

Pope looked down, processing this new complication, but quickly shifted the conversation. "Listen, there's something else. I think I might've found something important. A key."

"A key to what?" JJ asked, intrigued.

Pope took a deep breath, pulling out an old, weathered envelope from his pocket. "Cleo and I were going through my family's heirlooms. We found this—it's a key to translate the gnomon. It matches the pictures Kiara took in Singh's house."

I gasped, my mind racing. "You're serious?" JJ's eyes widened. "Holy shit, Pope! I don't know what this means, but it's gotta be big."

Before I could respond, the sound of the door creaking open caught everyone's attention. We turned to see Sarah, stepping out of the house, looking awkward and unsure. "Hi," she said softly, her eyes darting to me, tension hanging between us.

I hadn't fully forgiven Sarah for what she'd done to John B, but in this moment, seeing her again, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that we were all together. Well, almost all of us.

Suddenly, the door opened again, and this time, John B stepped out.

My breath caught in my throat. "John B!" I gasped, rushing toward him. I jumped into his arms, holding him tightly, tears threatening to spill. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you." John B hugged me back, grinning despite everything. "I'm here."

"Dude," JJ called out, walking over and giving John B a rough slap on the back, pulling him into a quick embrace. There was a shared look of relief on everyone's faces as we slowly moved off the porch and onto the grass, standing in a loose circle under the night sky.