𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒; outer banks

CHAPTER TEN

"Oh shit," Renna murmured as the boat trailed behind them.

"Mother fuckers," Atticus mumbled as he glared at the glistening vehicle.

"They're following us!" Kiara shouted, causing everyone who wasn't already looking to turn around.

"Dude, you gotta go faster!" JJ urged as his hand found John B's shoulder.

"I'm going!" He retorted.

"Gun it!" JJ called. 

Meanwhile, Atticus was starting to pull Renna up from her seat. "Get to the front of the boat," he directed. However, when he was about to push her forward, a bullet was fired between them. It zoomed in-between their faces, Atticus and Renna locking eyes in the middle as the bullet glided past their sights. He immediately pushed her down.

"Get down!" He shouted loudly as he manoeuvred his body to shield Renna from the oncoming bullets.

"Holy shit!" Kiara screamed as everyone but John B fell to the bottom of the boat. 

"John B, get down!" JJ demanded worriedly. Renna squeezed her eyes shut as Atticus' hand snaked around her waist, holding her closer to his tense body. He flicked his head back, his wet hair flying away from his forehead, before sneaking a peak over the back of the boat, watching the two men gain on them.

Subconsciously, his eyes latched onto a net resting against the white wall of their small boat. He quickly moved towards it, leaving Renna shivering on the ground of the boat from the loss of contact. As soon as his skin left hers, she whipped around worriedly.

"Atticus!" She shouted as he crept to the front of the boat and reached for the net, the shots still firing around them. "Atticus! Get down!" At the sound, John B caught sight of the crouching boy with the net in his hands, carefully stepping back towards the end of the boat. He tugged on his arm as he tried to move past, attempting to pull him down, but Atticus just ripped himself out of his grasp.

"Let go, dude!" He shouted before moving towards the other boat, throwing the net over the engine. He kept standing, watching as the net got caught in the other boat's motor, which stopped them from moving any further. Atticus helped Renna up and she instantly threw her arms around his shoulders as everyone else cheered.

"That was insane!" Kiara yelled as Renna pulled out of the hug with a smile. She turned towards Kiara and threw her arms around her too, the two girls laughing as they gripped onto one another. It wasn't long before JJ joined in on the embrace as well.

"Pogue life, baby!" JJ whooped whilst the others laughed.

',~☼︎~,'

"What do you guys think it is?" Kiara asked. 

After they had laughed and cheered and exerted most of their energy, they arrived back at the Château with the black duffel bag in hand. They were beyond ecstatic, even Atticus - who had chosen to push his anger towards John B behind him - as they climbed up onto the wooden dock behind John B's home as he dropped the bag in-between them all.

"Gotta be money or something, right?" John B suggested hopefully.

"That or a couple of keys with street value to the low- to mid-mils," JJ grinned feverishly.

"Can we please just open the bag?" Pope interrupted with annoyance, causing everyone to flick their eyes towards him wildly. They could practically feel the anger pulsating off of him.

"Woah, where did Pope go?" Atticus whistled as he patted said boy on the shoulder, earning an irritated glare in response. The boy immediately widened his eyes and retracted his hand at the mere sight of it.