𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 110: Drifting

"JJ!"

The voice cut through the thick concrete walls and into the dingy tomb that Grace and JJ had been locked in for the past age.

JJ clenched his jaw before standing quickly. His eyes drifted over his mother's painting once more before he headed for the door, Grace on his tail.

"Won't lie. Started doubting you," JJ grumbled while marching out of the crypt and shoving past his dad. "Didn't think you were ever coming back."

Before JJ could make it by him, Groff grabbed his arm, holding him in place. "Hey. You don't ever have to doubt me. Ever again." Though JJ still looked slightly unconvinced, Groff held up the Twinkie key to him. "There's one more mission."

JJ nabbed the keys from his hand before heading out the door, assuming Grace was right behind him.

She wasn't. Grace hung back, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Groff, unimpressed. "Where were you for the last half hour?"

Groff smiled in his usual posh way, though there was a slight undercurrent of annoyance written into his brow. "The cop gave me a hard time. He wanted to be thorough, but I sent him off."

Grace narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you."

He laughed almost good-naturedly however; it was clear he was becoming increasingly irritated with the girl. "I know you care about JJ-"

She cut him off before he could go on another one of his monologues. "I do. Which is why I'm not going to let you pull some shit over on him."

Grace shoved past him before he could reply, purposely bumping shoulders before she followed JJ towards the van.

___________

The tension in the van was palpable as it sped towards Figure Eight. It was mostly silent, save for the occasional directions Groff gave to JJ.

Grace was sitting in the back once again. She was glaring daggers into the side of Groff's head that JJ was oblivious to, but based on the slight frown on his lips, Groff was very much aware of.

"You can pull in there," directed Groff while pointing towards a parking spot.

"Wait, right here?" JJ asked, brows furrowing at where they'd been led to. It was a very prestigious yacht marina in the depths of Figure Eight. What did this have to do with their hunt?

The moment the engine shut off, Groff was unbuckling his seatbelt and tugging open the door. "I'm just gonna pick something up. Hang tight."

"Pick something up?" JJ echoed, disbelief in his tone. "What are we doing here?"

Groff didn't provide an answer. Instead, he asked, "Can I borrow your phone? Mine's as dead as Julius Caesar."

Just wanting to get a move on, JJ dug through his pocket and passed it over. "Can we, like, please hurry up? Seeing as I'm sort of a fugitive."

"Yeah, just lay low," Groff replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Meanwhile, Grace was watching Groff with skepticism. He hadn't even bothered to tell them why they were here, and now he wanted to nab JJ's one source of contact to the outside world? She already didn't trust him, but it was only getting worse.

Before he wandered off, Groff leaned on the open window. "Just sit tight, I'll be right back. We make a great team."

With that, Groff took off for one of the bougie apartments.

"This is weird, right?"

Grace clambered over the centre console and plopped down in the passenger seat before answering, "Yeah, sort of."