𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 / 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 | 𝟎𝟒

"𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲. 𝐒𝐨, 𝐮𝐦... we didn't see anything," Pope gasps out, running into the screened in area where the rest of us are, bored out of our minds. "We don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia," he continues as he sits down on the couch next the Kiara.

"Actually, Pope's right," JJ comments, "for once. See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny, deny, deny," he chants, getting up from the arm chair and jostling me a bit, as I'm sitting on the arm of the chair.

"Guys, we can't keep that money," Kie tells us.

"Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara," JJ sighs.

"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs."

"I agree with Kie. It's bad karma if we don't," I add in.

"Bad karma to be implicated in a felony, too," Kie continues, glancing over at me with a look of worry.

"We gotta go dark," Pope explains.

"If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree," JJ cuts in, looking over at me and winking. I just roll my eyes at him and sit back further into the side of the chair.

"I don't agree," John B finially speaks up, patting JJ on his shoulder before turning and walking to the railing.

"What? Why?" JJ asks, turning in his direction with a look of confusion on his face.

"Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about. Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole."

"I saw him begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas one time," I add.

"Exactly. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket, and all of a sudden, he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'," he points out before raising his hands up in defense.

"So what you're saying is there's no way in hell that it's his money?" I ask.

"Yes. Unless he won the lottery or someone in his family died, then there's no way it's his," John B confirms.

"Okay, so we should take it to the police then, right? If it's not his then it can't be Ms. Grubbs' either," I point out.

"Maybe," JJ begins, walking over to me and sitting back down in the chair, "we shouldn't," he finishes as he wraps his arm around my waist to pull me down off the arm and onto his lap. His arm wrapped tight around my waist and his cheek pressed to my shoulder, I can't help the content smile that forms on my lips. "What?" he asks me quietly, confused by my small smile, no doubt.

"Nothing," I sigh out, placing my arms over his.

"Alright, princess. Whatever you say," he teases, but I can tell there's a genuine smile behind his teasing smirk.

"Can we just stop talking about this and go fish or something? Think about this later?" Kie asks. I can tell she's getting nervous about the whole situation, so I decide to back her up.

"Yeah," I say. "It's kind of scaring me a little bit. We don't even know who's money that is and I don't want to think about them finding us to get their money back."

"It's okay, Y/n. I'll protect you," JJ assures me in a low voice, a slight frown on his face.

"Aw, thanks bubba." I smile at him, lightly tapping his cheek with the palm of my hand. I can feel him lean into my touch as he smiles back at me.

"What, you like that?" I ask, referring to the nickname.

"I'd rather you call me daddy, but I guess it'll have to do." He winks at me before tightening his grip on my waist.