𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 | 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌

[14] A Night in The Wreck | The Forbidden Zone II | Tease

John B parked the van in the parking lot of where JJ worked, the breaks emitting a loud screeching noise as we stopped. "Alright, keep an eye out. We're behind enemy lines," JJ joked, putting a round into the handgun.

"You cannot be serious," I said, my voice oozing disbelief as I stared at the firearm in his hand. He looked at me and shrugged, "You can never be too careful, sweetheart."

My heart soared at the nickname, but I kept a cold face. "Put the gun away," I demanded.

Pope came over, taking a more suggestive, friendly approach to JJ. "I predict that brining a weapon into a four-star hotel will likely cause more problems than solve."

"Thank you, Pope!" I cried, waving my hands. Kiara jumped between the passenger and driver seat. "I swear to God, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean, JJ," Kie growled in warning. "Put it back."

John B snatched the gun from JJ's hand, tossing it into the glove department. "You can't grab a gun like that," JJ whined. "Can't forget my badge!"

JJ got out of the vehicle, the door closing with a slam as he sang, "Professional busboy."

I never knew this was JJ's job. I didn't even know he could hold a job, but I guess he needs to pay for his weed somehow. I knew Pope did grocery deliveries with his father, Kiara waited tables at The Wreck, and John B worked for Ward Cameron, but JJ? It was always a mystery until now.

I never had much need for a job because I was pretty well-off. Between my aunt's wealth a phone call away and my parents life insurance sitting in my bank account, I was fine. But, jobs do teach teenagers important skills. Maybe I'd benefit from having one.

We walked towards the entrance, chatting as we went. "What are we doing now?" Pope asked.

"We're getting on the internet because only rich people have electricity," JJ replied cheerfully, walking between cars as we strolled through the parking lot. I looked at the property, my breath being taken away by the sheer beauty of the place. I'd love to spend the night here, sipping champagne while sitting in a bubble bath. God, that'd be wonderful.

We went in the back, JJ leading us through the kitchen. He joked and teased people as he went along, his confidence radiating off his body in waves as he sauntered through. We exited the kitchen, entering a gorgeous main lobby.

"See, they got the backup generators going? Kooks don't miss a beat, isn't that right, Winslow?" JJ muttered, flashing the hostess his badge as we lead us away from the lobby and into a hallway. I chose not to answer him. I didn't feel like embarrassing myself by getting into a petty quarrel in the middle of a fancy hotel.

We crept into the computer room of the hotel, all of us forming a circle around Pope as he tapped away on the electronic device. John B pulled out the map, reading the coordinates off to Pope. I turned away from what they were doing, instead looking at the shelves of books lining the walls, grazing my finger over the lightly dusted covers.

"Break something Winslow, and I'll break you," JJ warned, his blue eyes piercing my own as I smirked, pretending to drop a book. He cursed at me as I snickered, putting the book back where I found it. Idiot, you can't break books by dropping them. It's paper bonded together.

"–Shit, it's on the high side. It's only nine hundred feet." John B said, surprised.

JJ nodded, "That's not that deep."

"I'm sorry, but nine hundred seems like a large number to me. Is that like, doable?" I questioned, moving back to where my friends were. "Yeah, totally doable, like you," JJ replied, sending me a teasing wink.