Perfect Storm | JJ Maybank [3]

fourteen

ONE PIECE GLUED back together, the rest of the puzzle broken. That was how it felt to Jo. She finally got JJ back, but only at the expense of John B getting arrested. And yet, somehow she was less worried than before. She could figure it out as long as she had JJ by her side, and now he was.

"Okay, maybe we can break him out," Jo suggested. They had ditched the weight moving job and retreated back to the chateau yet again, trying to find a way to get John B out of jail. "If he's in another country, they can't prosecute him."

JJ chuckled and eyed the girl. "Well, well, well. Look who wants to break the boy out of jail now."

Rolling her eyes, Jo nestled herself closer to JJ and peered up at him bashfully. "This time there really is no other way. We can't afford to wait and I can't just leave him here."

JJ sighed. He put his arm around the brunette's shoulders and hugged her tight to him. "God, I wish we had more time. I just wanna be with you right now."

His words made Jo blush. She ducked her head and shrugged out of his hold, as much as it pained her to do so. "Do not start with me," she groaned. "We can't think about that now."

JJ pouted at the girl and fiddled with the shark tooth around his neck. A strange shyness fell over him as they sat in silence. This was the first time they'd ever had a significant fight and not talked to each other for more than a day and now they were trying to find their new normal being back together. Between that and their other five hundred problems, it was a lot to process.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

Jo and JJ turned their heads at Kie's voice and the girl shifted awkwardly in her seat. She hadn't seen or talked to Kie since their encounter at her parents' party and she was still angry about it.

Kie, Pope, and Cleo rounded the house into the backyard where JJ and Jo were sat on the screened in porch. They looked rather confused as they turned their heads, seeming to be searching for something.

"Sarah told us to meet here," Cleo stated. She sauntered up to the porch and leaned against the railing. "You know anything about that?"

"No." Jo furrowed her brows and glanced at JJ, who shrugged at her and shook his head.

"Well, this is great. We can have a little powwow while John B rots in jail," the blonde huffed.

"John B got arrested?" Pope cried.

"Yup," Jo nodded grimly. "He beat the shit out of Topper and he's pressing charges."

"What an idiot!" Pope shook his head. "We found the key to translating El Dorado. How could john B be so careless when his dad could be on the verge of death?"

"When have you ever found John B to be intelligent?" Jo quipped.

"Wait, you found a key to translate the gnomon?" JJ spoke up with wide eyes.