JJ sets the gun in front of Shoupe. The weapon clatters as it hits the solid desk in front of the sheriff. The room fills with an awkward silence as we all stare at the officer, waiting for him to say something.
"So y'all are telling me this is the firearm Rafe Cameron used to kill Sheriff Peterkin?"
"That's exactly what we're telling you." JJ confirms.
"And the exact same firearm that Ward just used to kill Gavin." Pope adds.
"I— And where's that corpse again?" Shoupe challenges.
"Did you not look?" I snap. "That's your job, not ours."
"Simmer down, Routledge. I checked the hospital. I went by his house. He was out."
"Yeah, 'cause he was fucking dead!"
"Are you kidding me? Listen to yourself." JJ speaks up. "It makes perfect sense."
"Just because he's not in his damn home does not mean he was a victim of homicide." Shoupe responds calmly.
"What are you talking about?" Kie exasperates. "Are you at least gonna send it in for ballistics and shit, or are you just gonna sit on your ass?"
"He'll sit there and wax that mustache. Is that even real?" JJ yells.
"I'll wax this—"
"Shut up, JJ." Pope demands.
"It's not fair!" Kie cries out.
"Oh I'm sorry, did I hurt his feelings?" JJ retorts.
"Shut up!"
Shoupe gets up from his desk and walks towards the door to his office. He stops, looking at the four of us. "Get out! I got work to do!"
"Are you serious?" JJ seethes, frustrated. He pulls his hat off, looking at the ground.
"Y'all are smelling up my damn office."
Kiara gets up from her seat, walking over to the sheriff. "Did Ward Bribe you? This doesn't make any sense." She walks towards the exit.
JJ follows. "You ain't gonna do shit."
"Out!" Shoupe barks.
Pope and I stay in the room for a couple seconds after the other two had left. I follow the boy over to the sheriff.
"We brought you the murder weapon. There's no logical reason for you to not send it in."
"Go with your friends." Shoupe tells Pope.
"Really?" I finally speak up again as Pope leaves. I look the sheriff directly in the eye with no hesitation. "What does he have against you? Did he threaten to kill you too? Someone you love? Because that's what he does. He killed my father. He's the reason my brother is dead. He's taken everything from me and I know you know that. So what's it gonna take Shoupe? More murders? More losses? Because that's all there's gonna be with him roaming around out there while you sit here on your ass twiddling your thumbs."
"Look, I know your angry. I'm sorry you lost your brother. But it's time for you to go." Shoupe responds.
I shake my head at him. "You're a coward." I tell him. "I hope you know that."
I follow after the rest of the Pogues. I climb into the drivers seat of my car and start it without saying a word. The air was filled with frustration and sadness, it was practically tangible. I pull out of the parking lot and head towards Heyward's.
"You okay?" JJ asks quietly, putting a hand on my thigh. I nod, staring straight ahead.
All I wanted was a drink and to go to bed. I was done for the day. Any energy, positivity and motivation had been completely sucked dry.
The rest of the car ride is silent. I stop the car in front of the seafood place for Kie and Pope. They both get out, saying their goodbyes as they head into the building.
"Kat.. Talk to me, please." JJ worries aloud.
"I just want to go home, okay?" I tell him. I pull away from the seafood place and begin the short drive back to the chateau.
"Will you at least tell me if you're okay?"
"Look, J, I'm not going back to the way I was. You don't have to worry about that, okay? I won't do that to you again, I promise."
"Okay." The boy sighs next to me.
"Hey," I say looking over at him. "I love you."
"I love you too, baby." He tells me.
I pull into the gravel driveway outside my house. Together we make our way inside. JJ sits on the pull out while I grab beers out of the fridge. I hand one to him before sitting down next to him. He pulls me into his lap, wrapping an arm around me. He grabs his keys out of his pocket, using the bottle opener on them to open each of our drinks.
I take a long drink from mine, relishing in the cold liquid that runs down my throat.
"Can I ask you something?" JJ speaks up.
"Always."
"What did you say to Shoupe? You were in there longer than the rest of us."
"I called him a coward."
JJ let's out a light laugh. "You always did have a way with your words."
"Of course. How else would I have gotten you?" I tease.
"Gee, I don't know. It's not like you're my favorite person or whatever." JJ shrugs. I laugh at him, pressing a kiss to his lips.
JJ puts his beer down on the floor before doing the same with mine. He pulls me across his lap, grabbing my hips. I lean down to kiss him again, this time slower, wrapping my arms around his neck. He moans into the kiss lightly, but enough that I could hear it.
He pulls away, giving himself space to press light kisses to my neck and jawline. I feel his grip on my hips tighten. I grind my hips into his just slightly, causing him to buck his hips into mine.
"Fuck, Kat."
A small smirk makes it's way across my face. I pull away, peeling off my shirt, revealing the light pink bra I had in underneath. I reach down to the hem of his shirt, pulling it off his own body.
Once his shirt his removed, JJ begins leaving kisses down my front. He flips us over so that he was now on top.
He pauses a moment, looking at me. His eyes search my face. I watch as they dart from side to side.
"What?" I ask him.
"Just taking it all in." He responds.
"Taking what in, J?"
"This, us. You."
"Why?"
"In case I ever lose you." He says honestly. He sits down in front of me, pulling me up to look at him.
"Is that something you worry about?" I ask, scooting closer. I place a hand on the back of his neck, the other grabbing one of his hands.
"Sometimes, yeah. Our lives aren't exactly mellow."
"Anywhere you go, I go. All right?" The boy nods, clinging onto my hand tighter. "J, that's a promise. Okay?"
"Okay." I could see his mood left ever so slightly. "I love you, you know?"
A smile crosses my face. "I know, baby." He presses a lingering kiss to my lips. "We should probably go to bed."
"Yeah." I agree. JJ lays down, pulling me with him. He grabs the blanket that had been crumpled to the side, and pulls it over us. After just a few minutes, I feel him drifting asleep beneath me. It had been a long day for us.
However, I could no longer just fall asleep like that. As soon as I knew he was out, I grabbed the beers from the floor and downed them both.
I couldn't fall asleep sober anymore. It was too much for me. There were to many thoughts and images running through my head.
When Shoupe told us my brother was dead. Watching JJ break down at the dining table because I had let him down. The thoughts that I had no family left. I lived in the house I grew up in with my dad, my mom and my brother all by myself.
By the time I had fallen asleep, I had drank 3 and a half beers. I put two out on the floor, opening them, so that JJ wouldn't figure it out. I emptied out the half bottle I drank into the sink and hid the 4 bottles under my bed.
Then I climbed back in bed next to JJ and let myself fall asleep.