𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

one hundred twenty one.

─☼☼☼─

CHARLOTTE CARRERA HATED secrets. If she had learned anything over the past two years, it was that secrets tore people apart. Bit by bit, they destroyed relationships, friendships, lives.

So sitting in the boat with John B who was blissfully unaware that his whole life was about to change was complete and utter torture. Sarah and Kiara seemed to feel the same way because the three girls had shared so many pointed looks that Charlotte was afraid it was about to become obvious.

But John B was none the wiser, he was too focused on finding his best friend. As he should be.

Speaking of, unlike her older sister, Kiara apparently had no qualms with blabbing about others' secrets, because she had already spilled to John B about JJ's theory surrounding his lineage. Charlotte wasn't pleased with Kiara, despite the fact that said secret might be what was leading them to JJ.

For the third time that summer, the H.M.S. Pogue propelled toward Goat Island, uneasiness hanging in the air just as it always did. There would never not be an ominous feeling surrounding the island, and Charlotte wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that Rafe potentially wanted the two of them to live there in the future.

But then again, she'd live anywhere with him...and she knew there was no denying that.

"Wait, what is that?" Kiara questioned, her eyes squinting at something in the distance. "Kill the engine."

Charlotte pulled her focus from Rafe, following the eye line of her sister. Sure enough, there in the distance was some sort of boat. One that definitely didn't belong.

John B killed the engine, steering the boat behind a cluster of reeds. The four of them crouched, peering over the shore. Charlotte scanned the boat. It was full of a least a dozen people, all of them milling about on the deck. But there was a group of them on one of the upper levels, and a familiar head of blonde hair caught her eye. "Oh my God," she whispered, heart dropping to her stomach. "It's JJ."

John B let out a quiet curse. "Groff too."

The two of them weren't there by choice, that was certain. Each of them were being detained by large men, a woman in between the two of them. If Charlotte had to guess, whoever she was, she was the leader.

"Those are the guys from Charleston who took the scroll," Sarah declared, causing Charlotte's chest to tighten even more.

Kiara surveyed the occupants of the boat. "Scuba guy," she nodded toward one of the burly men.

"What do they want with JJ?" John B questioned.

Charlotte shook her head, narrowing in one the woman who appeared to be faced toward Groff. "I don't think it's JJ they're after," she answered. "I think he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Well what do we do?" Kiara demanded. She paused for a minute, chewing on her bottom lip. "We could, like...ram them! Like just drive right into them."

"Ram them?" John B echoed. "Ram that thing? We'd barely even make a dent."

Kiara threw her arms up. "I don't know, John B. I'm just trying to help JJ. I don't see you coming up with any ideas."