Chapter Text
JJ had grown up in this house. Everyone on the Cut could trace all the Maybanks back to this very place, 14 Rogers Point Road, Outer Banks, North Carolina. The house wasn’t anything fancy and if its walls held more memories than they should and they weren’t the kind you’d want to remember.
When Nicole, JJ’s mother left, the house suddenly felt too big. It was just JJ and his dad now, living in a two-story house with too many rooms they didn’t use. Despite all the extra space, JJ always found his father sleeping on the couch.
But that house wasn’t just for JJ and his dad. For as long as JJ could remember, strangers had drifted in and out, drug dealers, criminals and addicts had wandered in and out like they owned the place, and JJ was just expected to accept it.
So when Pope suggested they buy the land back, JJ felt uneasy. Too much had happened in that house. Too many nights he wanted to forget. But at the same time, Pope had a point, it could be something new, something theirs. Poguelandia 2.0.
The process of buying it was uncomfortable to say the least. Standing at the auction, bidding on his own house, a house he never planned to stay in past the necessary 18 years felt like a sick joke. He hated Pope’s plan to go up one dollar at a time, it dragged out the whole thing longer than necessary. JJ just wanted it to be over, no matter the cost.
But in the end, they got it. And somehow, they made it work. They turned it into something real, a home, a business, a place to finally make money (legally, for once). At first, stepping inside felt wrong, like the house was stuck in the past but with every Pogue filling up an empty room, every laugh echoing off the walls, and John B’s steady hand on his shoulder, the past started to fade. For the first time, JJ had more than just a house, he had a home and a family to share it with.
But now, as Terrance’s lifeless body lay in the living room of that very house, the Pogues stood around him, frozen in shock.
"We have to call the cops," Pope says, running a hand over his face. His voice is shaking, but his logic is firm.
"No way, man," JJ snaps, shaking his head. His hands are restless, moving from his hips to his hair, tugging at the blond strands in frustration. "You think they're gonna believe a bunch of Pogues just happened to stumble upon a dead body? C’mon, Pope. Shoupe already thinks I'm a walking crime scene."
"But we didn't do anything wrong," Kie chimes in. Her arms are crossed tightly over her chest, her face pale. "But if we hide the body that'll be a crime"
John B shifts uncomfortably. "Yeah, but we would be in more trouble if someone see this dead body in our house”
Sarah, who’s been quiet until now, suddenly exhales sharply. "This is insane. If we hide the body and get caught, it’s game over. We’ll all go down for it."
The room falls into uneasy silence.
Then, footsteps outside. The unmistakable sound of boots on the wooden porch.
A shadow shifts behind the curtains. Someone’s outside.
JJ instinctively reaches for a broom to have something to defend them with, his heartbeat spiking.
And then
The door swings open.
The room goes still.
Luke Maybank stands in the doorway, his broad frame casting a shadow over the threshold. His face is harder than JJ remembers, deep lines carved into his skin, a layer of sweat glistening on his forehead. His clothes are worn, dirt-streaked, like he hasn’t had a steady place to stay for a long time.
His sharp eyes scan the room, flicking from the Pogues… to the body on the floor.
For a beat, no one moves.
Then Luke lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "What the hell is this?"
JJ feels his stomach drop. He puts down the broom and just stares in disbelief
He hasn’t seen Luke in almost two years. The last time they met his father was on the run and dragged JJ into his mess, demanding he help. And now, just like that, he’s back.
"Huh?" Luke steps further inside, his boots thudding against the wooden floor. "Someone wanna explain why there’s a goddamn corpse in my living room?"
The Pogues exchange uneasy glances. None of them spoke.
Luke scoffs before raising his voice. "What, cat got your tongues? Why the FUCK is there a dead man in my house?"
"Look, we didn't kill him” Pope says, carefully measured.
Luke’s expression doesn’t change. "Yeah? Cops gonna see it a different way"
JJ swallows hard, stepping forward slightly. "What are you doing here?" His voice is steady, but there’s a hesitation in it. He already knows this won’t end well.
Luke raises an eyebrow. "Is that how you greet your father boy” He lets out a low, humorless laugh. "This is my house. Least, it was before I left. Imagine my surprise, finding a bunch of you shacked up in it like it’s a damn summer rental."
JJ doesn’t correct him. He doesn’t say they bought it back. Doesn’t say it was foreclosed because Luke didn’t pay a single cent. Because none of that matters right now.
What matters is that Luke is here, and there’s a dead body in the middle of the room.
Luke’s gaze flicks back to Terrance, then back to JJ. His lips press into a thin line. "This ain’t gonna come back on me, is it?"
"That’s what you’re worried about?" Kiara says, unable to hide her disgust. "Seriously?"
Luke ignores her, his focus locked on JJ. "You better start talkin’ boy. What the hell did you get yourself into this time?"
JJ tenses. "I didn’t, we didn’t do this, alright? We walked in, and he was already dead."
Luke’s expression is unreadable for a moment. Then he exhales sharply, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Alright," he mutters. "Alright. I ain’t gettin’ caught up in this. Y’all can do whatever the hell you want, but this body? It disappears. Now."
The Pogues stiffen.
"We..." Sarah starts, but she’s cut off by three sharp knocks at the door.
Everyone freezes.
JJ’s blood runs cold.
"JJ Maybank!" Shoupe’s voice booms from the other side of the door. "Open up!"
JJ’s pulse pounds in his ears. He can feel everyone’s eyes on him, waiting to see what he’ll do.
Luke’s gaze flicks toward the door, then back to JJ. His voice drops low. Dangerous. "What the hell did you do now?"
JJ barely has time to answer before Luke grabs his arm, squeezing hard. JJ thought time had erased it. Two years without Luke had dulled the fear, made the nightmares less vivid. But the second his father’s fingers dig into his arm, it’s like no time has passed at all. His skin remembers before his mind does, and suddenly, he’s a kid again, small, powerless, waiting for the next blow. His body locks up, muscles stiff and useless.
"Listen to me," Luke hisses. "You’re gonna go out there, and you’re gonna stall. You hear me? You make sure he doesn’t come in here."
JJ swallows, nodding stiffly. His gut twists. He doesn’t want to do this. But he also knows what happens if he doesn’t.
Luke’s grip tightens for just a second longer, then he lets go. His next words are almost casual. "Now, JJ."
JJ forces himself to move, forcing his face into something neutral as he steps toward the door.
His hand trembles slightly as he reaches for the handle.
He can still feel Luke’s presence behind him, looming.
Instead of going through the front, JJ slipped out the back door, making sure it latched quietly behind him. He took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders to shake out the tension before cutting around the side of the house.
Shoupe was still standing at the front door, arms crossed, swatting at mosquitos.
JJ jogged up casually from the side, acting like he’d been outside the whole time. "Damn, Sheriff, what’s with the aggressive door knocking? You trying to bust in or something?"
Shoupe turned, unimpressed. "You gonna let me in, or are we having this conversation out here while I get eaten alive?"
JJ grinned. "Out here works. I’m a man of the outdoors."
Shoupe eyed him, unimpressed. "Yeah, well, I’m a man who likes air conditioning. Let’s take this inside."
"What makes you think I have air conditioning?" JJ quipped playfully, only to receive a death stare from Shoupe, who silently pointed at the door, gesturing for them to go inside.
JJ stretched, stepping in front of him like he wasn’t even thinking about it. "Eh, I dunno. You got a warrant?"
Shoupe’s jaw tightened. "Do I need one?"
JJ spread his arms. "I mean, I don’t think so, but you know how it is. You let a cop in once, suddenly they think they own the place." He laughed, easygoing. "Next thing you know, you’re taking off your shoes at the door and helping me make dinner."
Shoupe wasn’t amused.
JJ could feel his pulse hammering.
The longer he kept Shoupe out here, the better.
He turned, acting like he was about to open the door, then froze, slapping his forehead.
"Shit, hold on, I forgot something out back." He spun on his heel, already heading toward the backyard. "You mind walking with me real quick? It’ll take two seconds."
Shoupe let out a frustrated sigh.
JJ kept walking.
Grumbling under his breath, Shoupe followed. "If this is another one of your little games..."
"Relax," JJ said, keeping his pace slow. "Just need to grab something”
"JJ..."
"Hold up, let me check the shed real quick," JJ said, pushing open the old wooden door. He peeked inside, pretending to search for something, buying a few extra seconds.
Shoupe groaned. "Jesus Christ, Maybank. If you don’t..."
JJ straightened. "Nah, never mind. I got what I needed." He turned back toward the house. "Okay, now we can head inside."
Shoupe shot him a you’ve gotta be kidding me- look but finally moved toward the front door.
JJ followed, forcing himself to stay relaxed.
Hopefully, it had been enough time.
Inside, the Pogues were scrambling.
Luke stood in the center of the room, hands on his hips, surveying the mess with an expression of pure disgust. "Jesus Christ, you kids are fucking useless."
John B gritted his teeth. "You got a better idea, then?"
Luke’s glare was sharp. "Yeah. Do what I say."
He pointed at the body. "Get him behind the damn couch. Now."
Pope hesitated, eyes darting to the others. "That’s not gonna..."
"Did I ask what you think?" Luke snapped.
Pope swallowed hard, then, with a look of pure regret, grabbed the body by the arms. John B took the legs. Together, they maneuvered Terrance’s dead weight behind the couch, struggling with the awkwardness of it. The guy wasn’t light.
Kiara swallowed. "Don't drag him its gonna leave a trace"
Luke turned sharply. "Then you get on your hands and knees and scrub this blood up before it stains my goddamn floor."
She bristled. "Don’t talk to me like that"
Luke took a step toward her, voice low, dark. "You wanna waste time arguing, or you wanna be thrown in the clink?"
Kiara’s throat tightened, but she bit back her retort.
Instead, she grabbed the bleach from under the sink, her hands trembling slightly as she poured it over the bloodstain.
The smell hit hard.
John B yanked an old towel from the counter and dropped to his knees, scrubbing fast.
Luke pointed at Pope. "Make sure nothing got on the furniture. If it did, get rid of it."
Pope hesitated. "How?"
Luke shot him a look, and Pope clamped his mouth shut.
"Check the floors, the walls, everything," Luke ordered. "If you see a drop of blood, you clean it. If you can’t clean it, you cover it. I don’t give a shit how you do it."
The Pogues scrambled to work, their hearts racing.
Kiara scrubbed furiously, her arms burning from the effort. Pope double-checked the floor, using a wet rag to wipe up anything the bleach hadn’t reached. John B flipped a rug over the worst of the stain, pressing it down firmly.
Luke stepped back, nodding slightly. "Better."
The knocking on the door made them all jump.
"Shit," John B muttered.
When JJ opened the door, the living room was calm.
The Pogues were either sprawled out lazily playing cards or curled up pretending to be asleep. Pope was slouched in a chair, flipping through a magazine like nothing was wrong. Kiara was curled up on the couch, "asleep" though JJ could tell from her breathing that she was wide awake. Sarah and John B were leaned up against the wall, half-heartedly tossing a deck of cards back and forth.
No sign of the body.
No sign of Luke.
JJ exhaled slowly.
"Alright, you happy?" he muttered to Shoupe, stepping inside.
Shoupe gave the room a quick once-over, then turned to the Pogues. "You all mind giving me a minute with JJ?"
John B’s jaw tensed, but he didn’t argue. One by one, the Pogues got up and disappeared into the other room.
JJ barely had time to exhale before Shoupe turned back to him, arms crossed.
"Alright, Maybank," Shoupe said. "Let’s talk."
JJ swallowed hard. "Talk about what?"
Shoupe pulled out his phone.
He tapped the screen, and suddenly, JJ’s own voice crackled out.
"If you come near her or anyone of us ever again, I'll kill every single one of you"
JJ forced himself to stay still.
Shoupe raised an eyebrow. "Ringin’ any bells?"
JJ shrugged. "A.I have come a long way"
Shoupe sighed. "A.I huh? You know how many parents are calling me because they're worried youre gonna hurt their kids"
JJ scoffed. "Oh, come on, Shoupe. They dish out worse than that to us every goddamn day. One of ‘em tried to run me over last week. Didn’t see you knocking on their door."
Shoupe rubbed his temple. "Just listen JJ. I don’t want to charge you for that. Or for the hyperbaric chamber you broke at the hospital."
JJ tensed. “Well, that was a big misunderstanding...”
“Save it” Shoupe cut in "Point is, I’m willing to let that go but you gotta do something for me in return."
JJ swallowed. "Yeah? And what’s that?"
Shoupe’s expression darkened. "Tell me exactly where you were when Wes Genrette was killed."
JJ felt the words like a punch to the gut.
His mouth went dry.
"You think I had something to do with that?" JJ asked.
Shoupe tilted his head. "I think you always seem to be at the center of shitstorms, and I need a solid alibi from you before I have to start digging."
JJ forced himself to breathe.
"Fine, we were here all of us," he said. "We made up a fire and sang some tunes."
Shoupe watched him for a long moment.
JJ didn’t blink.
Finally, the Sheriff sighed. "Fine. But if I find out you’re lying to me Maybank, I will make sure you regret it."
JJ didn’t respond.
Shoupe shook his head, then finally turned and headed for the door.
The second the car drove away, the Pogues reappeared from the hallway.
And so did Luke.
He stepped out from the shadows, eyes sharp, mouth pressed in a thin line.
JJ felt his stomach drop.
Luke crossed his arms. "Well, that was really fuckin’ cute."
The Pogues stiffened.
Luke’s gaze swept over them, then back to JJ. "Alright, kids. Time for you to get the hell out of my house."
Silence.
Kiara’s brows furrowed. "Excuse me?"
Luke looked at her like she was something stuck to his boot. "You deaf, princess? Get off my property."
Kiara looked at JJ, but he was already shaking his head, his stomach twisting.
"Guys, just… go," JJ muttered.
Pope opened his mouth to argue, but John B put a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.
One by one, they got up, reluctantly heading for the door.
Sarah hesitated the longest, looking back at JJ with concern.
"You good?" she murmured.
JJ didn’t answer.
Luke slammed the door behind them.
The house was quiet now. Just JJ and Luke.
JJ crossed his arms, trying not to look as tense as he felt. ""What do you want, Dad? You left nearly two years ago. Why come back now?"
Luke walked around the room, surveying it like he was looking for something. Then, his eyes flicked back to JJ.
"I left because you took my damn boat. No reason to keep a kid around after they turn eighteen if all they do is steal from you and disrespect the man who made them” Luke snarled, then continued, “You weren’t worth the trouble. But now, a little birdie told me you might be useful again. Said you bought my house, paid close to 800 grand. Got me thinking… where the hell did my derelict son find that kind of money? Sure as hell isn’t from those crappy jobs you’ve been working. So, if you had enough to buy and build houses, I’m guessing there’s a stash hidden somewhere. So… where is it?" Luke said with a smirk
JJ’s jaw tightened as he shook his head, his gaze dropping to the floor.
The smirk on his father's face vanished in an instant. Luke surged forward, grabbing JJ by the front of his shirt and yanking him so close that JJ could smell the whiskey on his breath.
"Where the fuck did you get that kind of money?" he growled.
JJ ripped himself free, shoving Luke’s hands off him. "It’s gone. Doesn’t matter where it came from."
Luke’s stare burned into him, dark and calculating. "Gone?" He scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "You better not be lying to me, boy."
JJ held his ground, jaw tight.
Luke exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Nah. You wouldn’t be dumb enough to lie to me. Would you?"
The room felt smaller by the second.
Luke took another step forward, crowding JJ’s space. "So either you were stupid enough to gamble it all away, or your little Kook friends thought they could keep living their fancy lives, tossing money on the street."
"So, which one is it?" Luke's voice was sharp, demanding an answer.
JJ clenched his fists. "We bought the house, Dad. There’s nothing left now."
Luke tilted his head slightly, considering him. Then, with a slow smirk, he muttered, "Then I’ll take the house instead."
JJ’s stomach clenched. "Like hell you will."
Before JJ could move, a sharp shove sent him slamming back into the wall. The impact rattled his ribs, knocking the breath from his lungs.
"You think you get to tell me what’s mine?" Luke sneered, voice dripping with condescension. "I let you slide before, but I sure as hell ain’t running a damn shelter for you and your little gang of strays."
JJ pushed back, his hands trembling with anger. "This is our house! We won it fair and square!"
He barely got the words out before Luke grabbed him by the hair and yanked him forward. JJ barely had time to brace before a fist collided with his gut. Pain spread through his ribs as he doubled over, gasping.
Then came the kick.
It landed square in his stomach, sending him sprawling to the floor. The wooden boards were cold under his hands as he coughed, struggling to suck in air.
Luke spat beside him. "I don’t give a shit what some papers say. This is my house. My territory. You wanna keep it? You fight for it." He scoffed. "But right now? You’re just a pathetic little punk curled up at my feet."
The kicks kept coming. JJ couldn’t breathe. His ribs screamed, his vision blurred, but he didn’t fight back. It didn’t matter how much older he got, Luke always made him feel like that same scared kid, just waiting for it to end.
And in some twisted way, JJ was almost grateful his father wasn’t aiming for his face. Bruises on his ribs were easier to hide. But the thought was quickly interrupted with Lukes angry voice reaching his ears.
"You know what, boy?" Luke grunted between kicks, his breath ragged with exertion. "Dale Zeasey came to me… said I could get amnesty if I proved a promissory note."
JJ barely registered the words through the sharp, burning pain spreading through his ribs. He coughed, tasting blood, but he didn’t ask what it meant. Didn’t dare. Asking questions only gave Luke an excuse to keep going.
Another boot drove into his side, knocking what little air he had left from his lungs. JJ curled in on himself, arms wrapped tight around his ribs as he fought to breathe.
Luke finally stopped, exhaling sharply. He grabbed JJ by the arm and yanked him up, forcing him onto unsteady feet. His ribs screamed in protest, and his vision blurred for a second before clearing just enough to make out the sick smile stretching across Luke’s face.
"Means that if this place ain’t mine," Luke said, voice almost amused, "it sure as hell ain’t yours either."
JJ swayed, his body barely holding itself together. Every breath was a battle.
Luke clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Look, kid, I was thinking you should come live with me at Barracuda’s since this place ain’t yours anymore. You could actually be useful for once."
Something inside JJ snapped.
Without thinking, he spit directly in Luke’s face.
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Then, Luke wiped his face with the back of his hand, slow and deliberate. But instead of lashing out, he just smiled.
"I missed you too, kid," Luke said sarcastically, the grin never leaving his face before continuing.
"You sure lost a lot of respect over the years," he mused. "Time to get some of it back."
"Say goodbye to your little friends. We’re going to Barracuda’s. You’re gonna make me some money."
With one last shove toward the door, Luke let him go.
JJ found the Pogues at the outhouse, all looking worried, but he knew they hadn’t seen or heard what had just gone down.
As soon as he approached, they all jumped to their feet.
"How'd it go?" John B asked.
"Did he hurt you?" Kiara followed up immediately.
"What did he say about the house?" Pope chimed in.
JJ forced a neutral face, slipping into his usual mask. "I’m fine. Just tired of this shit. He says we need to leave."
Pope frowned. "What do you mean, we need to leave? We have evidence that the house belongs to us."
JJ let out a tired sigh. "That’s not really how it works here. And even if it did, he's got some promissory note he signed. If he validates it, he can sell the house to the Kooks and get amnesty, since he's the original owner or some shit."
"Wait, he can do that? That’s insane," Kiara said in disbelief.
"Technically, yeah. If the Kooks are involved, they can do pretty much whatever they want. They can bend the laws and make our bid invalid if Luke’s claim holds up," Pope explained.
"So… what do we do now?" Sarah asked.
"You guys find somewhere else to stay. I have to go with my dad," JJ admitted.
"You what?" Kiara half-shouted.
"Look, Luke told me to. I can’t just do whatever I want with him around," JJ said, trying to sound nonchalant. "But I’ll try to sneak off when I can and make some money on the runs. Maybe we can build a new house."
"Runs?" John B narrowed his eyes. "As in working for Barracuda Mike?"
JJ exhaled sharply, not answering.
"It’s not my decision, alright? But it’s good money. Maybe we can fix up the Chateau," he added, hoping to shift the focus.
"The Chateau? They’ll take that too! They won’t stop until they push us off the island completely!" John B snapped, stepping into JJ’s space like this was somehow his fault.
JJ forced himself to stand tall despite the pain in his ribs. All he wanted to do was curl up somewhere and pretend none of this was happening.
"What do you want me to do then, John B?" JJ’s voice rose in frustration. "My dad’s back, and he can sell the house right out from under us. I can’t exactly control that shit!"
"Oh, your dad, huh? That’s all you ever blame!" John B shot back. "When we were kids, I begged you not to go back to him, but you always did. And now? You’re probably even glad he came back, aren’t you? It’s the same old story, he pulls the strings, and you’re right there following."
That one hit deep.
JJ’s chest tightened, anger flaring through him like wildfire. John B wasn’t just talking about Luke he was making it sound like it was JJ’s fault.
And JJ wasn’t about to let that slide.
"Oh, is that what you think?" JJ seethed. "You wanna make this about dads, John B? Fine. Let’s talk about yours. The one you act like was the greatest guy ever, but you never mention the neglect. How he left for months at a time. How he faked his own death and didn’t even tell you! You think he was some kind of hero? At least my dad stuck around for eighteen years more than I can say for yours!"
John B’s jaw clenched, his body tensing like he was ready to throw a punch.
Before he could respond, Pope shoved himself between them, forcefully dragging them apart.
"Enough! Both of you!" Pope snapped. "This isn’t helping!"
Before either of them could say another word, a loud voice rang out from the main house.
"Have you kicked your little friends out yet? I don’t have all day, JJ!" Luke's voice carried all the way to the shop, sharp and commanding.
John B let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, if it isn’t Father of the Year," he muttered. Then, without looking at JJ, he added, "You might wanna do what he says before he beats your ass."
JJ’s hands curled into fists at his sides, his jaw locking as he shot John B a death glare. But he didn’t say anything back.
Kiara stepped in instead, her voice softer. "Okay, enough. Let’s just go to the Chateau for now. The outhouse is still standing, so we can crash there while we figure out a plan."
She turned to JJ, concern in her eyes. "Are you gonna be okay?"
JJ forced a nod. "Yeah. Just get out of here before he comes over."
Without another word, the Pogues took off, speeding toward the Chateau in the boat.
JJ took a deep breath, then turned back toward the house.
As JJ stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him, the sharp sound echoing through the small space. Luke was already making himself at home, kicking off his boots, stretching out like he owned the place. Like he belonged here.
JJ’s fists clenched at his sides.
Luke barely spared him a glance. “You took care of it?” His voice was flat, emotionless, like he was asking about the weather.
JJ swallowed hard, his throat dry. He could still feel the weight of what he’d done, the lingering adrenaline coiled tight in his chest. But he forced himself to nod. “Yeah. They’re gone.”
Luke chuckled, shaking his head like he was amused. “Atta boy. Knew you had some sense in you.”
JJ clenched his jaw. Sense? He didn’t feel like he had any. He didn’t feel like anything at all.
Luke leaned back, reaching for a half-warm beer on the table. He took a long sip before speaking again. “Called Barracuda. He’ll help get rid of the body.”
JJ’s head snapped up. “Barracuda?”
Luke finally met his gaze, his expression unreadable. “Yeah, you got a problem with that?”
JJ felt something cold settle in his stomach. Barracuda didn’t do anything out of the kindness of his heart. If he was helping, it meant Luke had bigger plans. It meant strings were attached, heavy, unbreakable ones.
JJ exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. Desperate to change the subject he forced his voice to stay casual, though his pulse hammered in his ears. “So… how was Yucatán?”
A slow smirk curled at Luke’s lips, but there was no humor behind it. “I didn’t see your mother, if that’s what you’re asking.”
JJ’s stomach twisted, but he pushed forward. “No, that’s not what I meant...”
Luke cut him off, his voice edged with irritation. “Don’t play dumb. I know damn well you’d run into her arms if you could.” His eyes darkened, voice dropping lower. “But guess what, boy? She doesn’t care about you. She’s been gone for twelve years. She ain’t coming back now.”
JJ flinched like he’d been struck. He wanted to argue, to tell Luke he was wrong, but the words stuck in his throat. Was he wrong, though?
She left. She never came back.
Luke watched him for a beat, reading the turmoil on his face, then let out a low chuckle. “You know what? Let’s find that bitch. Pay her a little visit.”
JJ’s breath caught. “What?”
“We’re going to Yucatán anyway on a drug run.” Luke shrugged like it was no big deal. “Might as well get my money back from her while we’re there.”
JJ’s pulse pounded in his ears. This isn’t happening.
“You can’t be serious,” he muttered, voice unsteady.
Luke’s gaze hardened, ice-cold and unwavering. “She’s still alive, ain’t she?” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to something dark, something dangerous. “And I’m tired of this shit, JJ. She owes me. She left me high and dry, and I’m not gonna let that slide. You’re gonna help me track her down, and you’re gonna get what’s mine.”
JJ’s jaw clenched so hard it ached. His whole body felt tight, coiled like a spring ready to snap. He wanted to fight back. Wanted to tell Luke to go to hell. But deep down, he knew the truth.
There was no getting out of this.
Luke smirked, like he could already see the resignation settling into JJ’s bones.
“Pack your shit. We leave tomorrow.”