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Annabelle's gaze lingered over Scooter Grubb's lifeless body as it was being pulled up off the dock. She wanted to look away from the horrifying sight of the blue-skinned, almost zombie-looking man but instead, she watched the whole thing. She watched as his wife rushed up to the stretcher, sobbing over the sight of her beloved, dead. She watched as people crowded around him eagerly chatting and whispering. She watched as his body was slowly lowered into a body bag before they drove off leaving the dock in chaos.

Tears burned behind her eyes and she had to bite the inside of her lip as they threatened to spill. The sight and the situation looked horrifyingly familiar. She remembered watching her mother's death play out just like this. Her father rushing home, falling to his knees sobbing at the sight of his wife's dead body and with the people that gathered outside at the sight of police cars and ambulances along with the sight of her mother's corpse being closed away in a body bag.

Annabelle was brought back to reality as she felt Kiara subtly wrap her hand around hers, making sure the others didn't notice knowing that she didn't want to make a scene. Annabelle flashed her a thankful smile as she blinked the tears out of her eyes, feeling stupid over crying. This is not about you.

"Who's that?" John B asked a blonde unfamiliar girl who sat next to the group.

"It's Scooter Gubbs. He was out during the storm." She explained and Annabelle glanced over at Kiara.

"What kind of boat did he have?" JJ asked from where he stood behind Annabelle.

"Somehow, that dirtbag copped a brand new Brady White. Everyone's out looking for it." The girl's words made Annabelle snatch her gaze off the corpse, staring at Kiara in shock who looked back at her with wide eyes.

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The group left the scene soon after that to hurry back to the Chateau where they had called a pouge meeting. Annabelle sat on the floor, her back leaning against the armchair that JJ sat in with her gaze plastered on the floor. The flickering of JJ's lighter was the only this that could be heard on the porch where the group sat in silent shock and guilt.

"Okay, so...uhm we didn't see anything." Pope panicked as he paced back inside breaking the silence. "We don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia."

"Alright, Pope's right for once," JJ spoke up.

"When is he not?" Annabelle frowned to herself.

"Deny, deny, deny." JJ continued as he stood up from the chair, making his way over to John B who stood leaning against the door.

"Guys, we can't keep that money," Kiara said looking over at Annabelle hoping to get her agreement. As intriguing as it sounded to take that money it didn't feel right. Plus she knew that she wouldn't enjoy buying anything with the cash anyway, knowing that they had taken it from a now dead man.

"Okay. Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara." JJ said making Annabelle roll her eyes sending him a hard glare from across the room. "What?" He said, noticing her expression.

"I want that money as much as you do," Annabelle answered, knowing that the two lived in the same poor conditions. "But no matter how much we need it, it's not ours. It belongs to Lana Grubbs."

"Exactly," Kiara nodded, gazing over at her best friend with an appreciative smile. "We have to give it back to her otherwise it's bad karma."

"Bad karma to be implicated in a felony too," Pope chimed in. "We gotta go dark." 

"If that means we get to keep the money then I agree," JJ said as he walked around the room.

"I don't agree." John B spoke up making the blonde boy instantly furrowed his brows.

"What- why?"

"Just think about it." John B began as he marched over to the armchair that Annabelle leaned against, placing his hands on it to lean forward while he spoke. "This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about. Same dude that is buying individual cigarettes at the porthole."

"Was," Annabelle corrected him under her breath making Kiara kick her leg, throwing her a scolding look at her insensitivity.

"Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in a Save a Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket and all of a sudden he's got a Grady White."

Annabelle raised her gaze from the floor as she slowly realized where John B was getting with all his ranting. Pope shook his head, standing to his feet before pacing around the room.

"Oh come on, Pope. How does a marina rat get a Grady white?" John B asked the boy.

He inhaled sharply, pondering on what to say. "Prostitution."

Annabelle smirked at his comment, watching him glance over at her with a grin.

"Square groupers, bro. Flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance." John B began to count on his fingers. "They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean?"

"Smuggling." JJ and Annabelle answered in unison.

"Smuggling!" John B shot his arms away from the armchair, proudly smiling as he finally got to his point. "And I gueernty there's a serious amount of contraband, in that wreck." He finished, making JJ nod frantically.

Pope sighed deeply tearing his gaze from the floor. "If that's a smuggling ship with illegal contraband inside of it, it probably belongs to someone else."

"Minor details," Kiara said.

"They could come looking for it." Pope pointed his finger around the room at his four friends. "Taking it would be catastrophically stupid."

"Right, well." JJ moved from his place by the window to where the boy was sitting on the couch, leaning forward, massaging Popes shoulders as he spoke. "Stupid things have..."

"Good outcomes all the time." Annabelle finished the sentence he had quoted a billion times before, earning a grin from JJ.

"Ding, ding! Ten points for Bells." He smiled making the girl roll her eyes playfully. "All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of the wreck. Until then, stay low. Just act normal."

"Right. And how exactly do we do that?" Pope sighed.

Annabelle raised her brows as an idea appeared in her head. "Kegger?" She suggested, looking up at her friends.

"Speaking my language." JJ almost jumped in joy at her idea. "Annabelle James, have I ever told you how much of a genius you are."

"Never actually." She snickered. "You should, though."

JJ smiled at her as he pulled her to her feet, draping his arm over her. "Oh, I will."

𝟏𝟏𝟒𝟓 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
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𝐀/𝐍
thank u sm for all the reads so far
llyyy mwah
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