I PULLED a white vest on over the top of my bikini top and sighed. I looked into my mirror to see if I looked alright but before my scrutinising eyes could gone in on myself I looked over at JJ through the mirror. He was sound asleep in my bed, my grey sheets resting over half of his stomach but I could still see the dark bruises against his skin. I turned around to face him and leaned against my dresser, watching him quietly — the way his chest rose and fell with every breath, his messy hair covering his forehead and his parted lips.

It took a lot to get him to sleep last night, every time he closed his eyes he flinched awake. I didn't want to go to sleep incase he woke up from a nightmare. I wanted to be there to comfort him and I wouldn't of been able to do that if I was sleeping. I held him to my chest, my arms wrapped around him, softly tracing a pattern on his arm with my fingers and slowly playing with his hair.

He slept with his head against my chest and it had passed four in the morning by the time I'd closed my eyes. It was just after seven now, taking my total hours worth of sleep up to three. I was mentally exhausted but when I tried to go back to sleep my body wouldn't let me, it was already awake meaning I'd have to get up and get on with it.

I walked into my bathroom and untied my converse from the shower rail, my shoes now dry after climbing into the hot tub with them on last night. I slipped into them and I walked back into my room, picking my phone up quietly and reaching for my door handle.

"Where're you going?"

I froze by my door and turned slowly to see JJ. He had one eye peeled open, his arm resting above his head lazily. I left my curtains closed so my room was still somewhat dark but I could still see him.

I left my door and turned fully to face him, giving him a small smile, "Morning."

"Where're you going?" He repeated. His voice was hoarse and raspy from the crying he'd done last night and he was quiet. It was so weird to interact with this side of JJ, he was always bubbly — always the one keeping us happy and in good spirits.

I walked back over to my bed and sat down on the edge of it, looking at him before down to his bruises. I pulled my lip between my teeth as I gently reached out and ran my fingers over the one against his ribs.

He was silent the entire time and when I looked up his eyes were locked on me and his jaw was tight. I took my hand away and placed it on my leg but he reached out and grabbed it, guiding it back to his chest. This time I kept my hand there and he placed his over the top of mine, preventing me from taking it away.

"I'm gonna go and see my mom." I told him quietly.

He nodded softly, "What about?"

I exhaled steadily but loudly. When I couldn't sleep last night I'd pulled together a plan to help JJ. I was going to ask my mom if anyone else could pay his restitution or if he could even pay it himself. Then I was going to ask her about how much money she had saved for me in that secret bank account her and my dad had opened for me when I was born. She thought I didn't know about it but I did, I found the letter about it a year or two back.

"I think you already know what about." I responded softly.

JJ nodded, running his fingers across mine, "I wanna come with you."

My brow arched, "Are you sure?"

"Positive." He told me, "And besides I've never thanked her for helping me."

"Okay." I nodded, "I'll wait for you to get ready. Do you want some breakfast?" I asked him.

"Nah." He shook his head. He pushed himself up and I watched as he winced in pain, slowing his movements to make it more bearable for himself.

I pressed my lips together as I watched, helpless. I just wanted to take his pain away, all of it but I couldn't, "J." I muttered.

"I'm all right." He reassured. He was so close to me when he sat up, our faces were only a few inches apart and I placed my hand on his bare chest, right over one of the bruises.

"Why would he do this to you?"

JJ cupped my cheek and he gently forced me to meet his eyes. When I did he ran his thumb across the underneath of my eye, "Why would he do it to you?" He asked me in response, running just fingers lightly over the patch of skin that was once a purple and red colour.

He didn't have an answer to my question and I didn't have an answer to his.

"You can stay here whenever you want." I mumbled, "I don't want you to ever go back."

"Trust me.. I won't." He told me quietly. I nodded in response and I watched his eyes flicker to my lips.

I closed my eyes and leaned in, meeting his lips and kissing him slowly. It was completely different to all the other times we'd kissed, this time he was slow and it was sweet. It was a different pace but it still took my breath away because this time it felt as twice as intimate. I wrapped my arm around his neck and slowly he pulled away. I rested my forehead against his.

"I'm sorry for yesterday." He murmured to me.

I caught my breath and slowly I opened my eyes, looking at him through my lashes, "What?"

He nodded, "I should've been the one holding you, trying to calm you down but instead I lost my head." He told me quietly, "Just seeing him dragging you out of the van, treating you like that and then watching you get into his car.." JJ shook his head, "It just made me so angry."

"It's all right." I told him honestly, cupping his cheek and running my thumb across his cheekbone, "I think yesterday was a lot for all of us."

He nodded in agreement, "I still should've been there for you."

"Well you're here now." I told him, pulling my lips up into a small smile, "And that's all that matters."

He mirrored me, a ghost of a smile tugging on his lips and he kissed me again gently.

• • •

I put the kick stand of my bike out and leaned into it as JJ climbed off the back of it quickly, eager for his feet to be on the floor, "I swear Mal, I don't even know how you passed your test." He shook his head at me.

My mouth dropped open in offence. He discredited me for my driving but he was the one who taught me to ride a motorcycle in the first place, "You taught me how to drive one of these!" I replied.

He pursed his lips and looked away briefly, "Not my brightest idea."

I pulled the keys out of the ignition and put them into my back pocket while I rolled my eyes. I got off my bike, "Oh shut up." I said lightly in response, "I'm a much better driver than you."

He pulled a face, "Debatable."

I shook my head and leaned in, "I don't think it is." I said to him before I pressed a kiss to his lips quickly and slotted my hand into his, giving him a gentle tug as we walked across the driveway to my moms house.

He looked up apprehensively at the large house before back to me and I gave him a comforting smile, "It's okay, you'll be fine."

"I don't think I've ever had a proper conversation with your mom before." He replied to me somewhat nervously.

"It's not my mom I'm worried about." I mumbled before turning back to him. I just prayed that Topper wasn't around today, the last thing I wanted was JJ losing it and trying to start on him here in Micheal's house. That would go down brilliantly. Instead I smiled at him, "Honestly, J, you get on with my dad so you'll get on with my mom."

"Okay." He nodded with a small nod.

"Oh.. just—" I shook my head at him as I met his eyes, "—Don't steal anything.. please."

"Yeah, all right. I won't." He answered and I walked up the few steps into the entrance hall, JJ was too busy looking around behind me to notice my stepfather but I saw him walking towards us. He'd never seen the inside of my moms house and I think it was just a tad over for him. I didn't blame him, it was one of the biggest properties on the island, the size of it all overwhelmed me sometimes.

"Mally." He greeted me stiffly and as I slowed to a stop JJ walked straight into my back. He was too engrossed in looking around to notice that I'd stopped, "I didn't know you were coming by today."

I smiled stiffly at Michael although I think it came across borderline sarcastic, "Yep, just coming to see my mom."

My stepdad eyed JJ, "Who's this?"

I turned back to him and saw his lips parted. JJ looked caught off guard — almost uncomfortable — and I squeezed his hand gently before turning back to my stepdad, "This is JJ." I told him. No doubt Micheal knew JJ was being held accountable for sinking his sons boat but I didn't care, "Mom in her office? Great." I said quickly, walking away and pulling JJ with me before Micheal even got the chance to respond.

I navigated JJ and I through the ground floor of the very large house and to the closed door of my moms office. I knocked twice on the dark wood before opening it and poking my head through, "Mom?"

She looked up from the papers she was reading behind her desk and smiled at me, "Hey... hey sweet how're you doing?" She asked me.

"Uh, I'm okay." I responded, "Do you have time to talk?"

"Yeah, of course." She nodded, moving the file in front of her aside and resting her elbows on the table.

"Great." I mumbled and I pushed the door fully open, JJ and I walking into my moms office. I could feel how tense he was just by how hard he was gripping to my hand and I looked back to him and gave him a comforting smile.

When I looked back to my mom her eyes were flickering between JJ and I's intertwined hands and me. She really wasn't expecting to see him and I could tell by how taken aback she seemed but she quickly smiled at him, "JJ." She greeted nicely, "How are you?"

"Uh, I'm good Mrs. Thornton." He responded uncertainly and I stopped in the middle of my moms office.

"Please, call me Natalie." My mom told him with a smile.

"I told JJ I was coming to see you and he asked if he could come." I told my mom.

She nodded, "It's fine, honest. I've been meaning to speak to you anyways."

JJ nodded, "I just.. I wanted to thank you for taking my case and helping me out. I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing, JJ." She reassured him, "You're one of Mally's closest friends and she cares about you a lot.. whether she likes to admit it or not." My mom said, looking at me for a second before back to him, "I'll always help her and her friends out."

JJ chuckled nervously and he scratched the back of his neck, "Uh, we're not exactly friends anymore ma'am."

"Oh, I know." My mom replied as she smiled at us. It was a weird feeling, seeing my mom look so thrilled as she glanced between JJ and I. I thought she'd always want me paired off with a Kook who had a lot of money and a good inheritance but she seemed just as happy that I was standing here with JJ, "Why don't you both take a seat."

I nodded and JJ and I sat down in the leather arm chairs opposite her. We let go of each other's hands and he twisted one of the rings on his finger, a tell tale sign of anxiety and leaned my elbows on my knees, "Mom, I wanted to know how much money I have in that savings account you and dad set up for me."

My moms eyes widened a little as she looked at me, "That was—"

"—A secret." I nodded, "I know.. but I found a letter of dads about it a few months back."

My mom leaned back in her seat and exhaled quietly, "It was supposed to be a present for your eighteenth birthday."

"Well.. how about you give it to me as a late sixteenth?" I asked her hopefully, raising a brow.

"You're closer to seventeen than you are sixteen." My mom replied, arching her own brow. I nodded, she was right — I was only four months off seventeen now.

"Well how about an early seventeenth present?" I posed.

"Why?" She asked me simply.

I glanced over at JJ for a while before looking back to my mom, "I wanna use it to pay whatever I can of JJ's restitution."

He sat forwards immediately, "No, Mal—"

"—I don't mind." I told him, looking over at him and placing my hand on his knee, "I'll pay every dime of it if I can and if you're okay with it." I said to him, remembering what we had argued about yesterday.

"I don't want you to waste your money on me." He protested.

I smiled at him, "It's not wasting it if it's going towards someone I care about."

He didn't reply, he only gave me a small smile in response and I looked to my mom. She was watching the both of us with a small, pressed smile and she looked to me, "The last time I checked there was around twenty three thousand in there."

My lips parted in shock, holy shit I had not expected that. From besides me JJ coughed suddenly.

"What?" I asked in disbelief, sitting forwards in my chair, "Twenty three thousand dollars?"

She nodded, "Last time I checked."

I sat back and shook my head in shock. I didn't actually realise just how much money my mom had, or rather how much money I had, "Holy shit."

All we needed was two thousand more dollars and the restitution was paid, surely my mom could borrow us that and then that was half the battle over with. Then when we recovered the rest of the gold and finally sold it off I could pay her back, it was a win win situation.

"It was for just.. general funds, y'know?" My mom told me, "A new car if you wanted it, a deposit on a house. Just a little something to help you later on in life."

That's amazing.

"So can JJ pay the restitution?" I asked my mom, becoming more hopeful as the seconds passed, "Or you, or dad?"

My mom shook her head, "It has to be the person who signed the release papers."

And there was the downfall in my plan.

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and looked over to JJ, he had his lips pressed together and disappointment was set all over his face. He didn't meet my eyes for long before he looked away from me and out of the window of my moms office.

"Is there something wrong?" My mom asked us both in concern, seeing the both of us sink back in disappointment.

I nodded, "Yeah."

JJ sighed and he shook his head, "My dad won't pay the restitution." JJ told my mom, "He didn't even want to bail me out."

I rose my brows in agreement as I mumbled, "That's true."

My mom furrowed her brows and looked at us, "Why?" She asked and then she turned to me, "And how—how do you know his dad wasn't going to bail him out?"

I pressed my lips together and stayed silent.

JJ sat forwards, "Mrs. Thornton—"

"—Natalie." My mom reminded.

He just nodded, "My dad was the one who hit Mal."

My eyes widened and I shot forwards to look at him, "JJ, what are you doing?"

"It's fine." JJ said to me, "I'm not scared of him anymore."

My face fell slack as his eyes softened and he leaned over and grabbed my hand. I didn't even want to look at my mom, I could practically feel the atmosphere in the room shift after JJ told her that. My mother didn't like Luke Maybank, it didn't take a genius to figure out and my dad? Well, he absolutely detested the man. I knew now there would be no stopping my dad from getting into a fight or something with the man, he'd been dying to do so since him and Luke were teenagers.

I reminded quiet and looked JJ and I's intertwined hands as he continued, "She went to my house to try and get my dad to bail me out after I got arrested."

"Is that why you ran away?" My mom asked me, "Went missing? Mally?"

I sighed and shook my head. Yes, I started running out of fear but eventually I was running just to try and let off some steam. I was running to try and get rid of some emotion that had been growing and growing.

"No." I replied, "I don't know where I was going but I just got tired and I found somewhere to sleep."

"Why didn't you tell me?" My mom asked me.

"He's JJ's dad." I said to her as if it were obvious, "I didn't want it to come back on him." JJ squeezed my hand gently and I chewed my lip in thought, "But I'm not the only one he's hit."

"Mally—"

I shook my head, "—Mh-hm." I cut him off while looking at him, "If you're telling the truth than so am I."

"JJ?" My mom pressed gently.

He sighed before he nodded, confirming my mother's suspicions that Luke also beat his son and I turned to my mom, "Look this is why we need someone else who can pay his restitution, mom." I told my mom desperately.

She nodded, dropping her head into her hand while thinking. JJ and I sat in silence and I could only pray he wasn't mad at me for this.

"If it's all right with the both of you I want to speak to Peterkin." My mom eventually said after some thought, "I'll explain the situation, see if she can do anything."

I looked to him and he met my eyes, "It's up to you."

JJ swallowed before he looked to my mom and he nodded in response.

"Okay." My mom replied, "I'd like to press charges for doing what he's done but then if he went to jail it'd leave you without a guardian and..." She paused, sighing. We knew what that was, they'd either track JJ's mom down and force him away to her or he'd be out in the exact same spot as John B — foster care out on the mainland, "But we'll hold off for now, all right? For now we can just focus on trying to change who can pay the restitution."

"Thank you mom." I said with a grateful smile.

"Yeah, thanks ma'am." JJ said after me, "It means a lot you'd do this for me."

My mom nodded with a smile, "Anything for my daughter's boyfriend."

Normally I would've froze had I heard her say that, I'd of blushed sheepishly and looked away but I didn't. I looked at JJ and I smiled at him and he smiled at me.

"Also, I wanted to tell you both I've seen the CCTV footage of Topper's boat going down." My mom brought up.

I arched my brow. I hadn't seen the footage so I didn't know what it would even show, whether she had seen it because she was Topper's step mother or because she was JJ's attorney I wasn't sure.

"I know that it was Pope." She said to us. I looked to JJ but he already had his eyes on me as we tried to come up with a response but my mom beat us to it, "I think it's incredibly noble of you to take the fall for him, JJ." My mom said to him.

JJ nodded, "Didn't want him to lose his merit scholarship." He replied, "He's got too much to lose."

"So do you." My mom reminded him, "But I know Pope wouldn't sink a persons boat for the sake of it."

"Topper and Rafe jumped him." I found myself blurting out before I could hold my tongue. I didn't know if I wanted to drag Topper into this but hey-ho, "I think it was mainly Rafe though but still.. it's the principle of it."

"It is." My mom nodded, "But I want to let you both know Peterkin and I are working hard to make sure you avoid any type of sentence JJ."

"Thank you." He replied honestly, nodding at her with a smile.

"We should get going but I'll stop by soon." I said to my mom after a moment.

She smiled and nodded, "Of course, I'll see you both later."

I stood up, pulling JJ with me and we walked to the door of my moms office, "Bye mom."

"Bye, Mrs. Thornton." JJ said, closing the door behind him. I guided him out of the house quietly, pressing my lips together in thought until we reached outside. We stood by my bike when JJ tugged back on my hand, forcing me to turn to him, "Talk to me." He said, "What are you thinking?"

"Well I'm thinking I hope you're not mad at me." I told him, meeting his eyes.

JJ kissed me gently and I sighed contently feeling his lips against mine. He pulled away shortly after, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, "I'm not mad at you."

I nodded with a small smile, "Okay."

"I'm still getting used to the fact I've got someone who is willing to do anything for me, don't get me wrong." He told my with a small smile and I reciprocated it, "You mean so much to me, Mal."

It wasn't the L word but for now it was our way of saying we didn't just like each other. I honestly didn't mind if JJ didn't love me yet, even if I was almost certain I was in love with him. I was just happy having him and knowing he was mine, that was enough for me.

I smiled at him, rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand while reaching for the keys to my bike and fishing them out, "Do you want to drive?"

He nodded, "Wether you asked me or not I was going to." He said to me and I chuckled under my breath in response. We walked the last few steps over to my bike when I heard the front door to my moms house close behind us, curiously I turned and I saw Topper stood by the door. He was frozen in place, eyes slightly wide as he looked at JJ and I.

JJ tensed, squeezing my hand tightly and he stepped passed me. He was clearly wanting revenge on Topper for pushing John B off the Hawk's Nest those nights ago but I wouldn't allow him. Instead I pulled back on JJ's hand, tugging him into me. I reached up and cupped his cheek, "Don't scoop to that level, JJ." I told him softly, "Start my bike, I'll go talk to him."

JJ's eyes left mine and he glared harshly at Topper behind me, his jaw tight. I was glad not to be the one on the receiving end of his heated glare, JJ could be intimidating when he wanted to be and this was definitely one of those moments.

I didn't think he was going to actually listen to me but he took my keys from my hand and passed me his backpack before he got on to my dirt bike and stuck the keys into the ignition.

I slid the straps of his bag over my shoulders and walked away from him with one last glance before back to where I was walking, back to Topper. He was still frozen by the doorway, very tense and when I walked up the few steps he barely took his eyes off JJ to acknowledge me before he was looking at him again.

"You shouldn't be with him." Was all he said to me, still staring at him.

I scoffed, "And you shouldn't be with those people you call friends."

"At least Rafe doesn't steal from drug dealers." Topper retorted.

"No he just likes to beat up my friends and start on girls instead." I nodded my head as I replied sarcastically.

He sighed, "I didn't know you were coming."

"I didn't think I had to inform you of my every move." I arched a brow at him, crossing my arms over my chest. A week ago, maybe, Topper and I were on our way to bettering our friendship and now we were right back at square one — if not even further behind now.

"I—" He started to stutter, "—I'm trying to talk to my mom about the charges but she isn't listening to me."

I saw fear in his eyes, raw and unmistakable. He didn't want me to go to Peterkin and I didn't particularly want to either, maybe at the time when I was actually threatening him I had every intention of marching up to the woman and telling her everything but now.. not so much.

"Well we've found the restitution money." I informed him, "Because I know, really, that's all she's interested in. She doesn't care wether JJ goes to juvie or not, she just wants her money."

His eyes widened, "I—I didn't—"

"—You didn't think we'd find the money?" I asked him, "Well, thank god for savings accounts huh?"

"Mal!" JJ called to me and I turned to see him sitting on my bike, leaning on the handle bars, "We've gotta bounce."

I nodded. We still had to get the gold tonight and we should really be at John B's right now preparing. He'd of gotten back from his fishing trip with Ward Cameron by now and he and Sarah would be waiting for us at the chateau with Kie and Pope.

I turned back to Topped and nodded once at him before walking away. He didn't respond and I didn't look back. JJ turned my bike on, the engine roaring to life and I swung my leg over the seat and sat on the back, wrapping my arms around JJ's waist. The both of us looked at Topper as JJ pushed the kick stand up and twisted the throttle, revving the engine and driving away.

• • •

I thought JJ and I were late so when we pulled up at the chateau and John B and Sarah weren't here I was confused. The six of us agreed on meeting at the chateau at two so we could go over the plan and stay hidden until dark fell over the island again and we could head out. John B wasn't here, Sarah wasn't here.

"You think they're screwing around?" JJ asked me, nudging my arm.

"At least someone is." I replied, walking round the back of the chateau.

The hot tub and the generator and everything JJ had bought was still here and it was a raw reminder of what had happened last night. Of course none of us moved it, we wouldn't even know where to start in hiring someone to remove it and we didn't even have money to pay for a removal.

"Hey, where've you been?" Kie yelled to JJ and I.

JJ smirked, slinging his arm around my shoulder. He put on a front in front of our two friends, trying not to show how deeply affected he was by last night, "Oh, you know. Just havin' a bit of fun."

"Gross." Pope muttered.

I rolled my eyes, pushing his shoulder off my arm, "We went to see my mom, he's messing with you guys."

"Sounds like something I want to hear about, truly, but maybe later." Kie nodded, "Right now, we gotta focus on getting this gold. Do you know where Sarah and John B are?"

"Well to be honest I thought they'd already be here." JJ replied, retrieving a beer from the cooler and getting into the hot tub. I arched a brow at him in seriousness and he shrugged, sitting on the edge and putting his feet into the water, "We've got it, may as well use it."

"Right." I nodded once.

"Anyways." Pope muttered, looking down to the plan he had drawn out, "We need to focus and if we wanna recover all the gold in one go we need to be on our A game."

"Nothing better than a pep talk from Pope." I smiled, clapping the shoulder of my friend as I read over his shoulder.

"Well we're not gonna get any of it if he doesn't show up." Kie grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I mean.." I sighed, "We could get it without him but I can imagine he'd be seriously pissed about it."

"It's his own fault for not coming, though?" Pope posed, looked to me, "Surely?"

"I dunno." I shrugged, narrowing my eyes a little while I thought, "Maybe—"

Kie looked at me as I caught my own tongue, "—Mally?"

I shook my head, "It's probably nothing." I assured her, "I was thinking maybe something had happened on their fishing trip but that's just me being stupid."

"Yeah." Kie nodded, "They're probably just having a couple drinks or something, y'know?"

I sucked a breath through my teeth as I looked to the pulley system Pope had made using the winch and a thick tree branch, "So, why don't we test this bad boy out?" I suggested, "See if it'll hold weight."

"Sounds good." Pope nodded and we walked over.

"You wanna try it or should I?" Kie asked me.

"Oh feel free." I replied, "I don't wanna fall out of that."

Kie chuckled and climbed in the circular metal bucket John B and JJ would be using to go up and down the well and Pope started to pull on the rope, lifting her off the floor and into the air. He tied the rope down and I turned to JJ as he chilled in the hot tub, "Are you going to contribute to this?"

"Hey I'm the one going down the well." He reminded, taking a sip of the Budweiser.

I shook my head and looked back to Kie, standing besides Pope as he asked, "How's it feeling?"

"Feels good." She nodded.

"All right I'm takin' you down."

"Okay."

"John B pullin' a Houdini." JJ said aloud to us, "Who'd of thought it."

"He'll be here soon." I replied, trying to convince my friends.

"I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning." Pope said, "We gotta get this done."

And just then the main man himself walked out from behind his shed, passing the winch Kie was sat grinning on with a emotionless face. I noticed he wasn't with Sarah and I frowned, narrowing my eyes in confusion.

"Speak of the devil." JJ mused, "Hey! Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything."

"No he did not!" Pope argued, "I did that."

But as they tried to convince John B who did the work I was too busy watching him walk towards the chateau, not even bothering to acknowledge us. The thought — that small thought I had — that something had happened on Ward's boat was starting to become more plausible.

"Hey!" Kie called to him.

"Guys." I shook my head at them.

"Hey, John B?" Pope questioned.

I jogged over to the back door and walked up the steps, following John B, "Okay, that's it?" Kie asked.

"I think somethings wrong." I told my friends, walking into the house, "John B, you all right?"

My friend was hunting through his draws desperately, things clattering about as he pulled them out and not closing them. He didn't look away from his set mission of finding whatever he was looking for as he ignored me.

JJ, Kie and Pope followed me into the chateau, each of us as confused as the other, "You all right man?" Pope asked, "What's up?"

"What are you looking for?" Kie asked him.

John B walked passed us and towards his old shabby futon, pulling the cushions back until he pulled the handgun out.

"Woah." I mumbled, stepping forwards to my friend and pulling his arm gently, "John B, what do you need this for?" I asked him gently.

"Mally get out of my way." He replied to me quietly, not meeting my eyes as I looked into his.

I didn't move so instead he stepped round me and JJ frowned as he walked over, "John B, talk to us."

What I didn't expect was for John B to lash out, grabbing JJ by his shoulders and shoving him on to the futon. They hadn't spoke since their fight yesterday, maybe John B was still mad with him for stealing the money.

"John B, chill!" Kie yelled.

He walked to the door as Pope tried to block his exit, "What are you JJ now?" He asked but John B pushed him into the table.

"JB!" I called to my friend, jogging past Pope as he skidded on the table, Kie holding it to stop it collapsing under the sudden weight. I followed my friend out of his house as he picked up my bike, "Don't you touch my bike, John B!"

He ignored me and I ran faster as he swung his leg over the vehicle and I stood in front of the handle bars, the wheel in between my legs, "Dude I'm serious I just got this back yesterday, it's already been wrecked once."

He finally met my eyes and they were swirling in anger. I'd known John B some time and I'd never once seen him this angry before, "Mally, move."

"You can talk to me, us." I tried to reason with him as he revved my engine. I spotted JJ, Kie and Pope emerging from the chateau over his shoulder and I put my hands on the handle bars, "All right, we'll listen. We just wanna know what's going on."

"John B what the hell!" Kie yelled.

"Ward knows about the gold!" He replied, his eyes never leaving mine. It was like once he'd locked in with me he was too afraid to look away. I watched at his eyes started to shimmer with a glossy edge, the rims burning red, "He killed my dad."

My lips parted in shock, "What?"

He nodded, "He killed my dad, Mally, and now it's time for revenge." He replied, wheeling my bike backwards so I wasn't stood between the front wheel anymore. He took advantage of my shock to push my hands off the handle bars lightly and when he wasn't in front of me he took off.

"John B!" Kie yelled, running after him, "John B, come back!"

Pope and JJ tried to chase him, running passed me but I stayed firmly in my spot. My feet were planted to the ground in shock. Ward Cameron killed Big John Routledge and he knew about the gold. I doubted Sarah would've told him about it so that left me with the question of how. How in the hell did Ward fucking Cameron know about the gold?

I wanted to sit and work it out, I wanted to let my thoughts run wild but my phone started ringing. For a minute I didn't even think it was mine until I felt it vibrating in my pack pocket and slowly I grabbed it, answering the call without even looking at the caller ID.

"Mally?" My mom's voice sounded through my ear, a voice I'd left not even that long ago. When I didn't reply she spoke again, "Mally are you there?!"

I didn't miss the panic-stricken tone in her voice, "Y-yeah." I stuttered, "I'm here."

"Mal?" JJ asked me quietly, coming to stand in front of me. Once he noticed I was on the phone he mouthed quietly, 'Who is it?'

Pope and Kie stood around me as I pulled the phone away from my ear, pressing on the speaker, my moms contact name flashing as the screen illuminated.

"Where are you?" She asked me quickly.

"I'm—" I stuttered, still in shock, "—I'm at John B's.. why?"

"You're not with him though?" She said, "Right? You're not with him... Mally?"

I locked eyes with JJ as he furrowed his brows in confusion, "Wh—why, mom?"

"Ward Cameron just passed me in the station, he burst straight into Peterkin's office.." She stopped for air and I waited eagerly to see what she had to say next. All four of us were on the edge, "He said John B attacked him on his boat, he stabbed him in the arm with a spear. Mally you're not with him are you? He's dangerous."

I swallowed harshly, clenching my jaw and I saw JJ's adam's apple bob as he ran his tongue over his lips. Ward Cameron was clever, I'd give him that, and he'd made it impossible for us now to try and retrieve this gold but that wasn't my issue at the moment.

My issue right now was my vengeful friend who was armed and full of emotions he couldn't control. I was scared that John B was going to do something he would massively regret and we didn't need murder to add to our list of growing felonies between us.

We had to find John B.. before it was too late.

• • •

A/N; I have never procrastinated writing a final chapter as much as I have for this book. I don't want it to end.