riptide- outer banks

122 | this is your thank you?

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Kori eyed John B.

After what he'd just said, he should've been grateful that he was still on the ship. He should've been thanking her for not throwing his ass overboard. Because what he'd just said wasn't something she was going to forget in twenty minutes. He was blaming JJ. She couldn't even fathom it, but here his best friend was, telling him that it was his fault. That they had been forced out of the country, maybe forever, and that it was because of JJ.

She swallowed the disgust in her throat before she said something she'd regret.

"Why don't you just park your ass right there and just sit this one out." John B insisted, barely giving the bottle in the blonde's hand a second glance. "Sarah and Logan have had enough family bonding time."

Kori closed her eyes, eradicating the image of her brother drinking himself into oblivion from her mind. She slowly took a breath in, let it out, and then followed after her friends. Despite the fact that she wanted to stay out here with her brother, she didn't trust Rafe. And Logan was in there with him. She needed to be there in case things went sideways.

"Hey, I just wanna talk." John B announced, stepping through the doorway.

As she followed behind him, Kori locked onto Logan's gaze. He was standing in the corner, face flickering with something she didn't quite recognize. Turning to her left, she realized Sarah had that same look on her face. And she had no idea what that meant.

"All right, let's talk." Rafe remarked, keeping his focus on the space in front of him.

John B came up on his left, hands resting on his hips. "Okay, we're on a long trek. So let's just–"

"All right, just so you know..." Rafe interjected, lifting his shirt up to reveal the firearm he had on him. He grabbed the gun, holding it up in the air. "See this? It's a peacemaker, all right?"

"Holy shit." Logan murmured, head beginning to shake.

Rafe turned so that his gaze could wander over the group. "You guys be cool, I'll be cool."

Pope blinked. "So now you want peace?"

His face contorted. "I just saved all your asses. How about a 'thank you'? You know, no good deed goes unpunished."

"How about a 'what the hell?'" Kori countered, folding her arms across her chest. "You have a gun, Rafe."

"Yeah, and last time I checked, that's never stopped you or anyone else here from turning on me." He shot back, tearing his gaze away from her to look at Kiara. "It'll be just like in Barbados. Right, Kie? You remember?"

She shrugged. "Could've sworn we had a truce."

"Okay, here's the situation, all right?" Rafe began, turning back to John B. "I don't want any part of your little fairy tale treasure hunt bullshit. All right? I'm just looking for Groff. I get you to North Africa, you get me to Groff. Deal?"

"We want the same thing." John B pointed out.

Kori let out a breath just as JJ stepped through the doorway and right past her. "Hey, Rafe."

Then he swung his bottle of alcohol hard.

Logan flinched as Rafe's head was knocked to the side, body subsequently crumpling to the floor at his feet. "The frick?" He exclaimed, hands rising in confusion.

"That felt good! Whoo!"

"Yeah, I'm out." Kie said, exiting the helm.

Kori was right behind her.