❝so it's hard to find
someone with that kind of intensity
you touched my hand, i played it cool
and you reached out your hand to me❞
-sevon wonders, fleetwood mac
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chapter twenty three, AMELIA JADE WHITLOCK
AJ sat in the back of the boat, wanting to give her newfound uncle and cousin the time to reconnect. After a year missing and being presumed dead, finding Big John was practically a miracle.
Big John announced they were there and AJ looked up, helping John B tie off the boat as they docked.
"So what's the plan, pop?" John B asked, moving back over to where his father was. AJ followed after, crouching next to the boys.
"Just like I said, bird, just a little pit stop to get that thing I was telling you about" AJ looked to the building they were by, Bridgetown Antiques. "Then goodbye Bridgetown. Come on, partner. Back me up" Big John let out.
"All right. Let's make this quick" John B said, sharing a glance with AJ.
"I can stay, just in case we need a quick getaway" AJ offered and Big John sent the girl a smile. She watched the father and son head towards the store and she sat down.
She kept her eyes peeled at her surroundings, still very aware of the threat of their location. Especially being out in the open. She sunk lower into her seat, enough that she couldn't be seen but not too much that she couldn't see around her.
She reached for the phone that rested a few feet in front of her. She figured it was a long shot but she hit the contact and let the phone ring. It disconnected before the third ring and AJ let out a sigh.
She knew it was pointless to dial again, yet she found herself doing just that. A dull aching to hear Pope's voice and to know the pogues were okay.
AJ heard some hushed whispers and she turned, ducking down further as she did to find a few men on atv's. Singh's men. She felt a pit rest in her stomach, anxiety rising. If she knew how many times her life would be put in danger for just being a pogue, she would have ignored her mother's request to find John Routledge.
When AJ believed the coast was clear she stood, taking a quick second look around before starting towards the antique shop. She cursed to herself as she got closer, having no idea where they were.
She looked through one of the windows, trying to stay out of sight. She pulled herself back to the wall when she saw Singh." fuck" She got out, keeping her body close to the building as she moved to the other side.
Every window brought her no closer to John B and his dad. Until there was no option left but the alley behind the store. She wasn't the biggest fan of it, but it was the only place left to look.
This window was a bit higher than the others and she needed to stand on her tiptoes to see in. The sight of John B brought a sigh of relief to her lips.
"Melly?" Big John whispered and she nodded, her hands trying to work at the window.
"it's stuck" She got out in a hushed tone, trying to pry the window. She stuck her hands through the holes in the window, pulling and pushing at it.
John B moved from the window before coming back, a letter opener in his hands. AJ kept her hold on the window as he slid it by the latch. AJ could feel the window budge beneath her hands and she smiled.
John B pulled the screen in and AJ took a look down both sides of the alley, nodding to the boys. "coast is clear" She let out, taking a step back so John B could climb out.
"We gotta go," Big John said, following behind his son.
John B's fall was softened by the cardboard boxes beneath AJ and him, and both teenagers helped the older man after. Helping break his fall.
"We gotcha I gotcha" John B assured the man.
"Help me out, help your old man. Come on" As the two helped him up he looked between them.
"Wheres the piece?"
"I thought you had it" John B argued.
"No!"
"Then it's still on the stool" John B sighed and AJ pushed past the boys to get to the window.
"is it close?" She asked as she hoisted herself up. The girl taking a quick look around the room.
"yeah, it should be right by the window" She could feel John B hold onto her legs as she pushed herself further in.
"I can't reach" AJ got out as she tried to stretch further. The cloth-wrapped object just out of reach of her fingertips.
"Okay, okay, how about this" John B had to hold onto her weight as she dangled through the window.
"Okay, I got it" She announced in a whisper. "pull me out"
"Okay"
"pull me out faster, I can hear someone" She got out through whisper yells. John B listened and pulled her back, a bit too harsh though and she hit the wall on the inside of the building.
Her face paled and she pushed herself the rest of the way out. "we gotta go, come on" She got out right before she could hear the ATVs at the other end of the alley.
"shit shit shit, we gotta go" Shots were being fired and AJ passed the clothed object, not knowing what it was or its importance, to her uncle before following after John B, running as fast as she could.
"go, go" AJ got out as she slid under the ropes blocking the marina. Her feet pounding against the wooden dock. John B was the first on the boat and AJ was at his side in seconds, the pair untying the boat as Big John started the boat.
"You got it guys! Let's vamanos" Big John cheered as they pulled away. AJ looked back, the men stopping as the boat got further away. Her heart was racing and she tipped her head back.
Big John was laughing and John B was staring behind the boat as he stayed by AJ's side. The two teenage cousins catching their breaths and trying not to let their minds reel.
"I wonder where the others are now," AJ said as she looked up to the stars, her mind wandering somewhere else. The last six weeks playing on her mind. Pope invading every thought she changed to.
"come on, we've got some things to catch up on" Big John let out from the front of the boat, urging the pair to follow him into the cabin. AJ and John B shared a look before going after him.
Big John was grabbing a bottle from the shelf and three shot glasses. He signalled for the two to sit at the table. AJ looked down as he poured the shots and slid them across the table.
"to life, living, my sister and the pursuit of treasure" He held up the shot glass and AJ sadly smiled at the mention of her mother.
"That's a good one," John B said as he clinked his shot glass against AJ's and his dad's. AJ tapped her glass on the table before downing it. The burning sensation warmed her chest. The face John B made both his dad and cousin laugh lightly.
"Yeah, see, that'll put hair on your chest there"
"So, what's the deal with this whole big kahuna thing? I mean, how did you end up on Barbados?" John B asked.
"Well, same way you did and for the same reason too. The Treasure and Carlos Singh." He began and AJ leaned forward slightly as Big John poured the next shots. "Yeah, I was marooned out on the shoals for what felt like months, living on seaweed and sweat and rainwater, and fixed myself up to be crab food. Thought I was a goner." AJ wondered how long it took her mother to die after the crash.
"Singh must've tracked my boat, then his men showed up. He must have known I was onto something because they found me. At first, I thought I was being rescued. Turns out it was less of a rescue mission, more of a captivity-type deal. I didn't go without a fight." Big John continued, placing the bottle back on the table.
"We left one of his men behind as I'm sure you've heard. The next thing I know, I'm being shipped off to Barbados. They locked me up in some audacious estate surrounded by cane fields and armed guards." John B and AJ shared a look, both wondering if it was where they tried to break into.
"I meet this particular little man, Singh. He wants to cut a deal with me. He wants me to tell him everything I know in exchange for him keeping me alive. But it didn't take long before I caught on to the game. So as soon as I got a chance, I took it. Got a little roughed by Singh's men but I made it out. And not empty-handed. And here I am, back with my boy" Big John finished, raising his shot glass before taking it.
"Enough about me, I want to hear about you. Who are you sweet on these days, huh? I know there must be someone" AJ looked to John B and his dad's question.
"Yeah yeah. There's uh, there's been some developments on that front" John B looked back to AJ before to his dad. Pausing before continuing. "I'm married, Dad"
"you're joking, right?" Big John sputtered out. AJ had to stop herself from letting her uncle know it wasn't really legal and all.
"No" John B shook his head.
"What, is she pregnant?"
"No no god no, no. I haven't really had time for the extracurricular activities." John B laughed. Big John reached for the shot glasses again, pouring yet another shot.
"You're a little young, ain't ya?" Big John raised a brow.
"I mean, you said it best. If it's right, it's right" John B shrugged.
"Do I know her, uh, who is she?"
John B cleared his throat before talking. "Yeah. yeah, you know her um" AJ knew he was trying to think of a way to soften the blow of revealing not only is he married to the daughter of his former partner who tried to kill him but also his sister's murderer. Big John looked between the two teenagers and AJ caught the look he gave them and she almost choked on her spit.
"No, oh my god no. Not us" AJ got out as John B tried to take another shot. The boy coughed when he realized why his dad was looking at him like that.
"It's Sarah." He paused and looked down slightly. "Cameron"
"Wards daughter? The queen of Kildare"
"Yeah" AJ could feel the tension between the father and son.
"You just can't do things the easy way, can you?" Big John shook his head.
"Are you mad?" John B half sunk in his chair like a small child.
"That you went for the big prize? Nah. It's not your cousin, how could I be mad about that?" Big John filled the glasses again.
"Congratulations" They raised their glasses and took another shot, John B still winning at the burn. AJ laughed at him and he shot her a look.
"yeah, besides AJ over here is in love with Pope Heyward" This time she really did choke on her shot. She wiped at her mouth before shoving John B's arm.
"Now this is quite the interesting story" Big John laughed and AJ could feel her cheeks turning crimson red.
"I am not in love with Pope" She argued, her hands fiddling with the empty shot glass in front of her.
"following in your mother's footsteps I see" AJ raised a brow at his comment and both John B and she looked to Big John for more.
"might've been a few years older but she and Bobby Heyward, stuck together like glue. She says it was never more than friendship but, a brother knows"
"yeah, and a cousin knows, and you Amelia Whitlock are in love with Pope Heyward"
"I always forget your mom changed her name, she ever tell you anything about your real one?" Big John turned to his niece and she shook her head.
"well, actually I named you, after our grandma Luella Amélie. Amelia Jade Routledge. Whitlock didn't come around until you were two I think, when you moved to Florida"
"she never said any of that. I didn't even know about you or John B till after she died and even then, I didn't know we were related until we found you" AJ let out.
"yeah, we thought it was for the best, your mom and our parents had a pretty big fight right before you guys moved."
"Brianne died on her way to the island during a hurricane, we figured she was coming to see you" John B said.
"she was coming to see you, actually. I thought she made it. I got in contact with her when I was in Barbados, asked for her to go check on you. I wanted to make sure someone could take care of you and I figured it wouldn't hurt to meet your cousins. It was too dangerous for me to do it myself. I never knew she didn't make it to the island"
"She left me a tape saying to find you" AJ looked to her uncle.
"We made those tapes a month before I went missing. I can't tell you why she didn't make a new one" Big John sadly shrugged, his hand squeezing his nieces.
"I'm getting really tired, I'm gonna try to get some sleep" AJ said before standing.
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(NOTES)
our girl is a routledge baby!!!