𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

IV. Condolences.

FROM WHERE the trio stood, the three all looked around, trying to spot Groff anywhere in the crowd. "See him?" John B asked suddenly. "Nothing." Kie replied then looked at Jake who was staring at nothing in particular. "Jay?" She said and he just snapped out of it, shaking his head. "Don't see him." He replied, not even turning his head to look at her.

"He should be here by now." John B said, leaning against the rail as a group of Croatians started dancing to music and all Jake could do was focus on them. "I'll be right back." John B pats Kie who turns to him right away. "Hm?" She hums. "Stay right here. Okay? I might've seen something." The Routledge said. "What?" The Carrera says, as John B went rushing to the edge of the railing where he squeezed through. "Just trust me on this one." He leaves them and Kie immediately turned to look at Jake.

"Jay?" She touched his arm and he instantly turned to her, then looked around. "I'm okay." He said then he stills, spotting the man walking by. "Kie." He said quietly, slowly walking over to the stairs and the Carrera looks behind her. "Shit. John B." She whispers but Jake was already heading down the stairs, following after the man. Kie was not far behind him, watching as Jake didn't stop, not even for a second, staring at the back of the man's head.

"I got you." He whispers, his eyes fixated on the man as he kept walking not far behind him, all the way to the gondola. "Jay." Kie whispered, rushing up the stairs behind him and he turns, reaching out with his hand. She reached out to grab his hand, interlocking their fingers together as they rushed over to board the same cart as the man. Kie and Jake squeeze to the back of the cart, by the window, looking outside before the gondola began to take off.

Jake leaned closer, "where's the gun?" He whispered to her ear and Kie turned her face to look at him with her brows furrowed. She glanced behind him, towards Groff, as she pulled her long trench coat to the side. He looked down, reaching for it, when a kid's laughter caught his attention. He looked over at the little girl right away getting scolded by her father.

Evie came to mind as he watched the two, as Kie pulls her coat back to cover the gun. Jake turned around right away, staring out the window, and then they got to the top. The door opened and everyone started exiting. Kie stood there, glancing behind her, but Jake wasted no time in following after the rest of the group.

When he got to the top of the staircase, "gun. Give me the gun right now." Jake told Kie quietly and the girl glanced all around. "I don't know if that's a good idea--" "just give it." He said and she did, handing it to him. She followed after him the whole time as he quickly rushed, following after Groff down the staircase. When he got closer, he grabbed Groff's shoulder, "look at me!" He demanded, raising the gun at the man, only to realize it wasn't Groff.

The random man pleads with him in Croatian, most likely begging for him not to shoot and then he reached over, looking into his bag. No crown. "Sorry." He apologized, lowering the gun, "what the hell?" Kie said as she reached out, grabbing his arm. "We have to go." She said as the police sirens got louder and louder.

"Jake. Jake. Please," she pleads and he turned around, rushing up the stairs with her. "Shit. Shit." He murmured as he ran in front of her, only to bump into a police officer. He raised the gun, aiming it at the man who spoke to him in Croatian as he backs away into Kie who had her hands on his shoulders. "This way." She whispered before running off and he follows her, running back around towards the gondola where they got in, and then a man got on.

Jake stepped closer to Kie who was all the way in the corner of the cart, her eyes focused on the man with a look of concern on her face. She glanced at Jake, and he just nods down to the gun he had hidden under his jacket, as a way to say I got you. They rode in silence for the most part, Kie just glancing back down at the bottom where the gondola was as Jake just stared at nothing, deep in thought.