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''It's not a coincidence that your daughter's sitting with us,''

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''JOHN BOOKER ROUTLEDGE, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty."

 The words ''first-degree murder'' echoed in my head like a bad dream I couldn't wake up from.

''Your honor, he's 17!'' JJ shouted, jumping up from his seat.

''Quiet!'' the judge snapped, her voice cutting through the noise.

Kie and Pope were already up, trying to pull JJ back. ''Stop,'' Kie urged.

JJ wasn't having it. ''No, he's 17! Are you kidding me?!'' His hands balled into fists, trembling at his sides.

I reached over and grabbed JJ's hand, gripping it tightly. ''JJ, sit down,'' I whispered firmly. He glanced at me, the anger in his blue eyes flickering for just a moment before he grudgingly lowered himself back into his seat. I didn't let go until I was sure he wouldn't jump up again.

The chaos continued as Sarah called out, ''John B! John B!'' Her voice cracked as she tried to reach him.

''Sarah, Sarah,'' Kie hurried to her side, blocking her from pushing forward. A cop grabbed Sarah by the arm, and she jerked away violently. ''Stop! Don't touch her!'' Kie snapped, shielding Sarah as best as she could. ''Let's go, Sarah. Let's get out of here.''

Pope and I tugged JJ towards the exit. ''Not until you're out first, Mave,'' he muttered stubbornly. Reluctantly, I stepped ahead, and only then did he follow, shoving past the onlookers who were already whispering and murmuring their warped judgments.

Outside, the courthouse steps were swarming with people. ''Justice is served,'' someone sneered nearby, their voice loud enough for all of us to hear.

 Every word—justice, guilty, murderer—stung like a needle pricking skin. John B wasn't just my best friend. He was family. And now, they were threatening to take him away forever for something he didn't do.

''Is this a joke? Like, are we in Hell or...?'' Kie muttered, her eyes darting over the crowd as we descended the steps.

''I should've never come home,'' Sarah whispered.

JJ's voice cut through the din. ''They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it.''

Ahead, Ward Cameron's smug face came into view as he stepped out of the courthouse with Rose by his side. A man stopped to shake his hand. ''So sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank God the system works.''

I bit down on my anger, but the words spilled out anyway. ''Fucking asshole,'' I muttered under my breath.

Kie's head snapped in his direction. ''Can you please shut up?'' she hissed, loud enough to get the attention of Ward and his entourage. She didn't wait for them to react before continuing, her voice rising. ''Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you!''

Ward paused, turning slightly to address us. ''He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide.''

''A corrupted jury, you might want to add,'' I interjected, crossing my arms and glaring at him.

Kie stepped forward. ''He shouldn't even be in court! You should, because you're a murderer.'' Her finger jabbed toward Ward, and for a moment, it seemed like the crowd collectively held its breath. ''You have a lot of nerve showing up here.''

''I know you're upset,'' Ward replied smoothly, holding up his hands as if to placate her. ''I understand—''

''Upset?'' Kie barked, cutting him off as the sheriff and his deputies approached.

''Okay, let's not escalate this,'' Shoupe interjected, his hands up as if herding cattle.

''He's got you all fooled,'' Wrd said, looking around at us like we were unruly children.

Kie snapped. ''I'm not just upset!'' She surged forward, and it took all of us—Pope, JJ, and me—to hold her back. ''You're a liar and a murderer, Ward!'' she shouted as Shoupe and Thomas stepped in to intervene.

''Show some respect!'' Ward bellowed.

JJ was already pointing a finger at Thomas. ''Muzzle your goddamned dog!'' he growled as the Deputy tried to pull Kiara towards him.

Pope stayed firmly between Kie and the cops. ''Get off her!'' he snapped at Thomas, making sure Kie was shielded from their grasp.

''Why don't you take the kooks down for a change, Shoupe?'' JJ spat.

''This is bullshit,'' Kie muttered, pulling away from us slightly as Sarah tugged at her arm.

''Come on,'' Sarah urged gently. ''It's not worth it.''

Behind us, Ward continued to walk away. ''Look, I'm sorry Mr. Cameron. You shouldn't be going through this,'' a bystander said sympathetically.

I couldn't hold back anymore. ''He shouldn't be going through this?! Have you ever thought about what John B is feeling, being tried for a murder he didn't commit?'' My voice carried, and for a moment, the crowd went silent.

''Hey, watch it,'' Thomas warned, his hand hovering near his holster.

Kie's voice rang out again. ''It's not a coincidence that your daughter's sitting with us,'' she called after Ward.

Following the cops' orders, we finally moved away from the courthouse, cramming into Kie's parents' car. The silence inside was heavy, everyone too drained to say much as we drove to the Chateau. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

WE WERE ALL gathered on the porch of the chateau—John B's closest friends, trying to make sense of a plan while the storm seemed to echo around us.

"I'm gonna testify. Under oath. I was there," Sarah declared firmly. "I just need to get ahold of my sister."

"Sister?" JJ repeated under his breath, almost like the word itself confused him.

I crossed my arms and tilted my head, catching his eye. ''Did you seriously forget I tutored her little sister?'' I asked.

He shrugged. ''Well... that's a possibility,'' he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Sarah ignored us, turning to Kiara. "Kie, do you have your phone?" she asked hurriedly.

Kie didn't hesitate, handing over her phone. "Wheezie is the only other person who knows Rafe wasn't home that day," Sarah explained as she started dialing. "I don't know what else to do. I got us into this mess. I'm gonna do my best to get us out," she added before disappearing into the house.

JJ scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wheezie? Yeah, that will work."

I turned to him, arching a brow. ''Got a better idea?''

He raised his hands defensively. "Well, she's right about one thing. We gotta do something. Our boy is PO-dub right now, okay? He's held captive by the enemy, maybe even scheduled for execution. Are we just gonna sit here?" 

"Okay, so then what's the plan? We start by kidnapping Shoupe?" Kie asked dryly.

"Maybe. Like, that's not the worst idea, actually," JJ replied, completely serious.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. ''You always love the idea of kidnapping people; it's making me concerned.''

"JJ, no!" Kie shot back, ignoring my comment.

"That is actually the worst idea I've ever heard," Pope chimed in.

"That idea will literally get us all sent to prison," Sarah's voice called from inside the house.

JJ spun around to the window. "You know?" he shot back before turning to us again. "Please, just stay out of this."

He shifted his focus to Pope. "Okay, Pope, look, we've been doing everything your way, and how has that been working out?"

Pope's jaw tightened, and he stood up. "Okay, okay, so what's your plan? You gonna storm a jail, guns blazing?"

JJ stood as well, meeting Pope's gaze head-on. "Look, Pope, all I'm trying to get you to understand is they got our boy. Are we just gonna sit here and do nothing? No! We're gonna go get his ass. We're gonna do something about it!"

"JJ, we're not storming a jail," Pope said firmly, standing his ground. "It's not happening."

"Fine, man," JJ snapped, shoving his hat backward. "Sit in your comfy chair. Do nothing. I'm gonna see what I can do. Make something happen, even if I have to do it by myself." He stormed out of the porch.

''JJ, please,'' I called after him, but he didn't even pause.

"Should we be worried?" Pope asked.

"Yes, for sure," Kie answered, nodding solemnly.

"I'm gonna hit my parents," she added, "see if I can get the money for a lawyer."

Pope looked at her incredulously. "John B has a public defender. He really doesn't need that right now."

Kie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, are you crazy? Justice costs money."

''Yeah, I don't think a public defender is gonna do a good job defending him considering the circumstances,'' I agreed.

Pope sighed, his expression softening as he explained, "You're right. So I'm gonna dig in hard into anything I can find out about this key, because that tape Limbrey has—that's exculpatory evidence. That can exonerate John B."

"Yeah, we gotta try," Kie said.

Pope placed a hand on her waist as if to reassure her, but she quickly pushed it away. "We'll talk about it later, okay?" she muttered before leaving the porch.

I glanced at Pope, arching a brow. ''That was awkward as fuck.''

He let out a small laugh, shaking his head. ''You're not gonna ask me about it?''

''You don't seem like you want me to ask you about it,'' I replied simply. He smiled, appreciating the understanding.

''Hey, while you work on the smart stuff, I'm gonna check on Sarah. Unless you need the therapist friend right now?'' I offered.

''No, no, I'm good. Thank you, though,'' he said, waving me off.

I left the porch and found Sarah pacing in the living room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. ''Wheezie texted back. I'm gonna meet her tonight,'' she announced, her nerves evident.

''You sure she won't snitch?'' I asked, crossing my arms as I leaned against the doorway.

''I'm anxious, yeah, but not that she will snitch. You tutored her; you should know a thing or two about her,'' Sarah replied.

I chuckled softly. ''Well, I know she hates math and loves to eat grilled cheese.'' I gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.

She hesitated before asking, ''Can... can you come with me? I mean, if you're not helping the others. I just don't know—it would feel nice to have backup.''

I smiled, nodding. ''Of course, sister-in-law.''

Deach's Point - 10 PM

SARAH AND I crept quietly along the wooden planks. Moonlight cast a pale glow over the rows of boats tethered in place.

''Wheezie?'' Sarah called out. Her gaze darted from boat to boat, searching for any sign of her sister. ''Come on, Wheeze,'' she muttered under her breath when no response came.

I kept close to her side, scanning the area. ''You sure she'll be here?'' I asked softly.

''Yes, yes, absolutely,'' she replied. ''She needs to be.''

We pressed forward. A faint rustling noise reached our ears, and we both froze. Sarah's head snapped toward the source of the sound. ''Is that you? Wheezie?'' she called again.

Following the noise, we weaved our way around equipment and abandoned items scattered on the boat, but the sense of relief we'd hoped for vanished the moment we saw him.

Rafe.

''Nah, not Wheezie,'' he said smoothly, stepping out of the shadows like he'd been waiting for us.

I immediately took a step back, my heart sinking. My instincts flared, and my hand shot out to grasp Sarah's wrist, pulling her just slightly behind me.

''Where the hell is Wheezie?'' Sarah demanded.

Rafe tilted his head, his lips twitching into that unnerving smirk he wore so well. ''Don't worry about it,'' he replied casually. ''Listen—whoa.'' He stepped closer, his movements slow and calculated. ''It's all good. I just... I needed to talk to you, like, a little bit. I mean, is that okay?''

I tightened my grip on Sarah's hand and pulled her further away. ''Don't come near us,'' she ordered firmly, her free hand raised in a stop motion.

Rafe paused, his smirk faltering for a brief moment before his expression shifted into something darker. ''Cause... cause what you do, Sarah, affects me, okay? You don't... you don't think of that, do you?''

Sarah's jaw tightened. ''You shot me, Rafe,'' she stated bluntly.

Rafe scoffed, rolling his eyes as if her words were an inconvenience. ''That's it, right? It's always my fault, huh?'' His voice grew louder. ''Like I'm the bad guy for trying to hold on to what's mine?''

I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. ''It's not yours,'' I interjected.

His head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing. ''Like I'm wrong to protect what's mine, huh?'' he retorted.

"Listen to me, okay?" He started. "the cops are going to talk to you, and... and I need to make sure the story's straight because—"

Sarah stepped forward slightly. ''You killed Peterkin. My story's straight,'' she told him.

"Listen to me, this would go so much better for you if you would just—" Sarah tries to reason with her brother.

"Who are you trying to protect here? Huh?" He asked, his eyes flickering to mine for a split second.

"I'm trying to do the right thing." Sarah replied.

"You're trying to do the right thing?" He scoffed. ''I get it... I also once tried to do something nice for once. 'The right thing.''' He said and his eyes found mine again. I wanted to pull Sarah even more behind me, but I knew it would set him off even more. "But, you're not listening to me. You doing the right thing is the reason that you got shot. Because you were following John B."

My chest tightened. ''John B might get the death penalty because of you!'' I snapped.

Rafe's expression twisted with frustration, his hand raking through his hair. 

''That! That right there,'' he pointed at me, his voice raising in intensity. ''That's exactly what I'm talking about, Sarah.''

"Your shitty little friends have always been against me. They turned you this way. They turned you against your own family." he adds, trying to convince her on his side.

"No they didn't." Sarah shakes her head.

"Don't shake your head." Rafe commands. "You're not just against me. You're... you're against us. We're your family, and you're against us. You know, dad always takes your side, right? Cause you're gonna cry in front of him like you cried in front of me. But you listen to me. I'm a proactive type of person, Sarah. And we have a problem, and I gotta solve that problem tonight. Do you understand?"

We didn't dare to say a word.

"Do you understand?" His voice rised even more.

When he yelled at Sarah, I recognized the mania in his voice. Without hesitation, I grabbed her hand. ''Run,'' I whispered sharply, and we bolted.

Our footsteps pounded against the wooden dock as we raced toward safety. Behind us, Rafe's voice rang out, his shouts growing louder as he gave chase.

He caught up too quickly, his hand latching onto Sarah's arm and ripping her away from me. ''No, Rafe, stop!'' she gasped as he threw her against a large bucket of water.

The scene unfolded in slow motion. Without thinking, I launched myself at him, my fists swinging. ''Let her go!'' I yelled, but he shoved me into the water with a force that knocked the wind out of me.

As I surfaced, gasping for air, I saw him holding Sarah underwater. Panic surged through me, and I scrambled to the shore.

''You brought this on yourself, Sarah!'' Rafe screamed as I charged at him, delivering a swift blow to his neck that made him stumble.

Sarah coughed and gasped for air as I pulled her out of the bucket.

''Didn't lie about those karate skills, huh?'' she rasped, managing a faint smile.

Before I could respond, Rafe was back on his feet, his fist connecting with my jaw and sending me crumpling to the ground. The world spun, and darkness threatened to consume me, but I stayed conscious just long enough to hear Sarah's terrified screams.

The sound of a boat engine roared in the distance. ''Sarah!'' Topper's voice cut through the chaos.

Moments later, he was pulling her out of the water while Rafe was restrained.

''Are you okay?'' Sarah asked, her hand trembling as she touched my face.

I nodded, wincing as I rubbed my jaw. ''Yeah. You?''

She nodded back, tears glistening in her eyes.

Topper helped us onto his boat, his face surprisingly void of hostility. For once, the lines between Kooks and Pogues blurred, if only for the night.

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