Anchor // JJ Maybank

4.

"He's a diabetic dog. Do you not understand that?" the middle-aged lady squealed at the man behind the counter. Cassidy sent JJ an amused look at the scene the woman was making and her heart panged for all the workers who are forced to deal with Karens like this on a daily basis. 

"Hey, excuse me, sir. We found a boat," JJ tried to interrupt and get the attention of the man working behind the counter. 

"Isn't it clear I'm a bit busy right now," snapped back the man before taking a double-take at the brunette. "Although, I could make an exception for a pretty girl like yourself. How about you give me your number and I'll call you later to hear all about this boat of yours," sending a sinister smirk that made Cassidy's insides bubble with anger. Before she could tell the gross old man off JJ stepped in front of her and placed a protective hand on her shoulder. 

"Yeah, sorry to break it to you, pervert, but she's not interested," JJ replied cooly but deep inside resisting the urge to beat the shit at the man behind the counter. "We're leaving," he told John B and Cassidy sternly before grabbing onto the girl's hand and leading her out of the crowded building. 

"Well, that went well," John B chuckled and sent an amused look to JJ before returning to Kie and Pope. 

Cassidy and JJ stayed back from the group for a moment before she asked him quietly, "You know I can take care of myself right?"

"I've known that since the moment I laid eyes on you. Doesn't mean I can't help you out once in a  while," he chuckled at the small girl standing before him. He rested his arm on the top of her head, using her as an armrest, causing her to angrily shrug him off and send him a glare. He knew how much she hated it when people make fun of her size or doubted her strength because of it. Standing at just 5'0, pretty much everyone had to look down to talk to her, but JJ knew better than to underestimate the power that rested in her tiny body. 

"I think I know where we're gonna find the man who owns the boat," John B finished as JJ and Cassidy walked up to the group. 

"No. We don't know who's room that is. It could be anyone's," Pope said frantically, trying to reason with the group.

"I'm in," JJ added.

"Yeah, count me in too. I could always go for some breaking and entering," Cassidy replied jokingly looking to Kiara for her answer.

"Come on, let's go. I'll be the lookout," Kiara finally gave in shrugging at Pope.

"And hey, at least you'll only be an accomplice," John B shrugged at Pope trying to reassure him, which obviously didn't work.

Cassidy laid a reassuring hand on Pope's shoulder. "Come on, you know I'll keep them out of trouble." 

"Come on bubba," JJ called out to Pope and swung his arms around the boy and Cassidy, leading them to the HMS Pogue.

........

"Whew, I thought the chateau looked bad," muttered JJ, getting a glance of the motel.

"This place is a shitshow," commented John B, earning a nod from Cassidy. 

"Motel or meth lab?" Kiara questioned jokingly.

"It's multipurpose," Cassidy grinned up at JJ who was currently running his hands through her long hair and giving her a light scalp massage. 

"Doesn't look like the type of place a guy with a Grady-White stays," John B commented suspiciously as they pulled up to the rundown motel. 

"No, it looks like a place someone with a Grady-White would get killed," Pope muttered. While the motel had been a complete dump before the hurricane, it had managed to be 100x worse now. Trees were strewn throughout the yard and debris was everywhere. It looked like a portion of the roof was missing, and dirty mattresses lined the floors.