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 "Deny, deny, deny."

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WE WERE CLUSTERED together on the rack, gazing down at the chaos unfolding below as a lifeless body was carried away. The usual buzz of the Outer Banks was quiet for once.

"Who's that?" I asked, squinting to get a better look.

"It's Scooter Grubbs. He was out during the storm," some girl nearby answered, holding out her phone with a photo she had snapped of the scene.

"Dead body," she said, almost like it was just another item on her daily checklist.

"What kind of boat did he have?" JJ's interest piqued, as usual, as he leaned forward, an arm braced on the roof above him.

"Somehow, that dirtbag copped a brand-new Grady-White," the girl went on. "Everyone's out looking for it."

I shot JJ a pointed look that just screamed ''Didn't I say so?''

He rolled his eyes but didn't argue, shaking his head. I knew he thought I sounded like a concerned mother half the time, hovering over him, always cautioning him about something. But if he minded, he never said anything; he just accepted it, like he actually appreciated it in his own way.

Later, as we sat around outside the chateau, JJ played absently with his lighter, flicking it open and closed. Suddenly, Pope came running up, his expression deadly serious, practically out of breath.

"Okay. So, um... we didn't see anything. We don't know anything," he declared, scanning our faces as if to make sure we understood the gravity of it. "We need to have total and complete amnesia."

JJ smirked, holding up a finger. "Actually—Pope's right, for once." He shrugged, casting me a look that said he'd never let Pope hear the end of it. "See, I agree with you sometimes," he teased, standing up. "Deny, deny, deny."

Kiara frowned, glancing up at the rest of us. "Guys, we can't keep that money," she pointed out.

"Okay, not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara," JJ quipped, leaning against the railing.

"She's right, though," I added, crossing my arms and giving JJ a warning look. "We did steal it from a damn crime scene, JJ."

Pope nodded emphatically, glancing around. "We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs. It's not ours."

Kiara's expression softened, nodding in agreement. "Otherwise, it's bad karma."

"Bad karma to be implicated in a felony, too," Pope added, shifting uncomfortably. "We gotta go dark, lay low for a while."

"If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree," JJ announced, pacing back and forth across the chateau's porch.

John B, who had been quiet, rested a hand on JJ's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "I don't agree."

JJ's face twisted in disbelief. "What, why?"

John B leaned back, crossing his arms as he explained, "Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about, right? Same guy who's out buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. One time I saw him begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas."

He paused, letting it sink in. "We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than forty bucks in his pocket, and suddenly he's got a Grady-White? Just... saying."

John B went into the chateau to grab a drink, leaving the rest of us to consider what he'd just said.

Pope sat cross-legged on the bed, his gaze shifting between us as he held the money we'd found, like it might somehow give us answers. I stood next to Kie, absently twisting the split ends of my hair. That coconut oil mask I'd tried hadn't done much good, and now all I had were frizzy strands to show for it.

"For the record, if this is a smuggling ship with illegal contraband inside... it probably belongs to someone else," Pope remarked, his voice low.

"Minor details," Kie interrupted.

Pope turned the bills in his hands. "They could come looking for it. Taking it would be catastrophically stupid."

"Right," JJ muttered, sliding the money from Pope's grip and waving it in front of his face with that reckless grin of his. "Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time."

He tossed the cash between his hands and lifted his chin. "All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Just act normal."

I snorted at that last part. Normal? Since when did anything about the Pogues qualify as normal?

"Hm." John B looked over at JJ, giving him a dubious look. That calculating expression of his always showed when he was about to agree to something that went against his better judgment, like he'd convinced himself it was somehow his idea in the first place.

"Right, and how exactly do we do that?" Pope asked, his tone dry.

"Kegger?" Kie suggested, her face lighting up. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

LATER THAT EVENING, we made our way down to the beach. The waves crashed in the background, beneath the low, rolling beats of music that drifted from a Bluetooth speaker one of the locals had set up.

JJ, of course, couldn't resist stirring things up, even just among us. Grinning, he splashed beer straight into John B's face, laughing as John B spluttered, wiping his eyes.

John B shrugged, grabbing a beer and holding it out to Pope. "Come on, just one," he teased.

Pope crossed his arms, shaking his head firmly. "No. Hell, no."

"I'll take it," JJ chimed in, snatching the beer from John B's hand and raising it triumphantly. 

As the night wore on, more people showed up, the beach crowd growing denser. I spotted Ashley among the crowd, her arm wrapped around her boyfriend as they laughed and leaned close, like they were the only two people on the beach. I didn't let myself dwell on her reaction to the post I'd made—it was her move if she wanted to make things right. My friends had my back, and that was more than enough for me.

I drifted closer to Pope, trying to blend into the crowd. There were too many people here I didn't want to deal with—people who either believed Rafe's rumor that I was some thief or didn't bother to hide their disdain for Pogues like us. Rafe himself was nowhere in sight, but I still kept my guard up. Ashley and him are up to no good. I can't believe I even let him inside my house during a hurricane!

The night had settled around us now, the stars casting a faint glow over the sand. I stayed most of my night pretending to be drinking beer and standing near either Pope or Kie.

"Yo, John B, I got this one for you!" JJ called, holding out a fresh cup. 

"For me? Yeah, I'll take a sip." John B grabbed the cup.

But JJ's attention suddenly shifted. "Oh wait. Hey, hey. Hey, Sarah!" He called after her, his voice rising as she and Topper made their way past. I instinctively shifted closer to Pope, out of sight, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention from Topper, especially with all the tension tonight.

"Sarah, can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?" JJ lifted the cup toward her, grinning.

Sarah glanced over, her expression unreadable as she clung to Topper's arm. "No, thanks," she replied.

JJ didn't back down. "Come on, is it not fancy enough for you?" he prodded.

"We were just leaving," Sarah murmured, though Topper didn't seem inclined to follow suit. He stepped forward instead, his hand outstretched. "Hey, you know what? I'll take it. Thank you, man. I appreciate it."

JJ arched an eyebrow. "That's a nice suggestion, Topper, but I didn't ask you."

I ducked slightly, peeking out from behind Pope, hoping Topper hadn't spotted me. He'd always had a problem with me, especially back when Ashley and I were close, and I was often in his sight. Tonight, though, I had no patience for his attitude.

"Oh, pretty please? Pretty please?" Topper's voice dripped with sarcasm, but JJ remained unfazed.

JJ held the cup up toward Sarah again, taunting Topper. "Yeah, Sarah? You can have it."

Topper didn't wait for her response. With a swift motion, he slapped the cup out of JJ's hand, splashing the beer all over him.. 

"Freaking son of a—" JJ's voice cracked, his face darkening as he lunged forward, grabbing Topper by his shirt. Instinctively, I reached out to stop him.

"No, no, no, no, no!" John B called, his hands outstretched, grabbing JJ just in time to pull him back.

"JJ, stop," I pleaded, keeping my voice steady even though I could see the anger in his eyes. Using his full name would only set him off further, and I knew we couldn't afford that tonight. The last thing we needed was a scene.

''You're so funny, man!'' he called out, his voice dripping with mockery.

Topper's face twisted into a sneer, but before he could respond, John B stepped up next to JJ, looking ready to throw down too. ''Dirty Pogues,'' Topper spat, loud enough for everyone to hear. My stomach twisted. In an instant, John B lunged, shoving Topper backward, his hands gripping his shirt.

''John B! We're supposed to be incognito, remember?'' Pope's voice cut through the noise, but John B barely registered it. 

''Babe, babe, babe!'' Sarah called as she tried to hold Topper back, her hand gripping his shoulder. But Topper's fist flew out, landing hard across John B's face, and he stumbled back, momentarily dazed, before charging forward again.

The crowd roared, people chanting, ''Fight! Fight! Fight!'' like this was some kind of spectacle. Topper's leg kicked out, shoving John B into the surf. He stumbled into the water, waves lapping around him as he fought to regain his footing.

Topper leaned in. ''Hey, John B, don't make me drown you like your old man, all right?'' Fury burned in my chest, my fists clenched so tightly it hurt. How could he go there?

I stepped forward, determined to pull them apart, but Pope gripped my arm, pulling me back. ''John B, let it go!'' he called out.

''Stop, you guys!'' Kie's voice broke through. But John B and Topper were locked in, both of them breathing heavily with their fists flying.

JJ, watching with that wild, almost excited look, called out, ''That's what I'm talking about, John B!'' as John B managed to land a punch square on Topper's jaw.

''Come on!'' John B growled, his face inches from Topper's.

Without warning, Topper slapped John B across the face again, the sound echoing over the water.

Then I saw JJ's hand slipping to his waistband, fingers wrapping around something metal, the glint catching the moonlight. My heart dropped. ''JJ!'' I tried to shout, stepping forward to grab his arm, but it was too late.

JJ was already in the water, arm outstretched, the gun pointed directly at Topper's head. ''Yeah, you know what that is,'' he muttered. ''Your move, broski.''

The crowd fell silent. People backed away slowly, their faces morphing from excitement to shock and terror.

''JJ!'' Sarah's voice was high-pitched. ''Stop! Put the gun down!''

JJ's gaze flicked toward her, eyes narrowing slightly. ''Did you say something, princess?''

Topper, his hands raised in surrender, shouted, "We're good. We're good." His voice was desperate, trying to defuse the situation, but I wasn't sure anyone was buying it.

Sarah turned to Kie. ''Kie! Can you check your psycho friend, please?''

JJ held the gun in the air as he addressed the crowd. ''Okay, everyone, listen up!'' His voice rang out as he fired two shots into the air. ''Get the hell off our side of the island!''

People screamed, flinching as the shots cracked through the night. The beach cleared in seconds, people scrambling away from the scene. JJ lowered the gun, breathing heavily.

Pope stormed up to him. ''Are you crazy? You idiot!'' He grabbed JJ by the shoulder, shoving him back. ''Stupid! You're gonna jeopardize everything!''

Kie stepped forward, her face pale as she pushed JJ. ''Why would you do that?''

JJ scowled, shrugging her off. ''I was saving his life, okay?!'' He tried to laugh it off.

Pope wouldn't let it go. ''You're gonna get us all caught!'' he continued.

As we stormed off, my gaze lingered on the retreating crowd, then locked onto Rafe's figure on the patio, watching. Our eyes locked for a brief moment, and an icy shiver ran down my spine. There was something about him—something that made my skin crawl. I quickly looked away, my legs moving faster. I quickened my pace, falling in line with my friends, my heart still hammering loudlly in my chest.

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