But Daddy I Love Him ✸ JJ Maybank

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

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"Wait, so John B is alive?"

Kiara nodded. "Yeah. A unknown number texted us, and it turned out to be him. Sarah is alive too."

"So, tell me why we're here..." Natalie slowly said as she watched JJ and Pope pick up garbage, her face scrunching up in disgust.

"We witnessed Ward Cameron murder someone last night." Pope informed her, and Natalie's eyes widened. "Literally shot the guy in cold blood. He lost the gun and we think it's here."

Kiara sighed as she ran a hand over her head. "Oh my God. People who use plastic should be shot."

"Personally, I love plastic. Use it everyday. Love the stuff." JJ spoke, and Natalie had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling.

"Hopefully, you recycle it and don't flush it into the ocean." Kiara snapped.

"I thought you'd say something like that so..." Pope trailed off, pulling out two trash bags. "Trash bags."

Kiara smiled, tilting her head. "Did you just proactively protect the environment?"

Pope shrugged. "Maybe."

"You want us to leave you two alone or what's going on?" JJ questioned after a moment of Kiara and Pope staring at each other.

Pope roughly tossed him a trash bag before he crouched to search in the filthy water. Natalie couldn't help but nudge Kiara teasingly, the other girl smiling as she rolled her eyes.

Twenty minutes passed and they hadn't found the gun Ward Cameron supposedly used. Letting out a sigh, Natalie straightened up and ran a hand through her hair, trying not to turn around and leave. They needed her help, and she wanted to help them.

"Well, that was fun." JJ muttered in sarcasm.

"If it's not in the trash, then it's gotta be in the storm drain." Pope said, his hands on his hips.

Kiara tossed her hands up in frustration. "Of course it is."

"Good thing I brought the crow." JJ said, pulling it out of his bag.

"So, are we gonna do, like, rock, paper, scissors?" Kiara asked.

"No."

"Or alphabetically?"

Neither of the boys responded as they worked together to open up the gate to the storm drain. Finally, it was opened, the two stepping back.

"In the sewer, there's this worm that you get when you're down there." JJ said, Natalie tilting her head as she listened to him. "It gets into your blood, and then it has to come out your pecker. So that would be a hard pass for me."

Pope nodded in agreement. "That's gonna be a no for me."

"JJ really freaked me out with what he said so count me out." Kiara said, shaking her head.

"So... that just leaves me." Natalie murmured, tossing her head back in annoyance.

"You don't have to do it." Kiara said.