THE PRINCE'S QUEEN | J.MAYBANK

[17]

The next morning I somehow escaped the Chateau and JJ's clingy clutches and began walking along the road to Lana's. I needed to talk to her again. We hadn't finished our conversation, and I intended to tell her everything. I went what I thought was the same way I came from, and it wasn't until I saw an opening from the thick trees that I saw the familiar little house. I stood in the doorway, seeing Lana sipping a cup of coffee. I knew she had watched me walk inside from the window she was looking out of. 

"You don't have to ask to come in, Mi Sobrina," she stated, and I sent her a half-smile as I walked in. She poured me a cup of coffee, and I sat in a chair around the dining table. We made pointless small talk about the beginning of our days. Mostly it was me discussing my Pogue drama and toxic relationship with JJ.

We then heard heavy breathing in the doorframe and turned to see John B standing there. His hair and clothes soaked and dirty, his cast moldy, and his face was bruised and dull. I furrowed my eyebrows, but Lana didn't look surprised. "I need to know," the Routledge boy pleaded, and my face fell. Lana sighed and sat John B down across from me. She gave him one of Scooter's old shirts to cover up his half-naked chest and went back to looking at the window.

John B kept his eyes locked on the patterned tablecloth as Lana began the ratchet story. "The night your father disappeared, I came home early from work and picked up Eleanor on my way back. We found Scooter talking to Ward..."

~:*:~

"So he stole my father's map, then he tossed his body into the sea?" John B's voice crack, and me and Lana nodded sadly.

"He sunk your father's boat where no one would ever find it," I added, and John B stood up abruptly, walking to the window.

"And they began to look for the gold every day for nine months," Lana said from the chair she was now sitting in next to me. "When Agatha built up, there was only one place they hadn't looked. So Ward sent my husband out into that storm. I begged him not to go, but he said that Ward was worried the storm would wash everything away."

"But Scooter did find somethin' out there. Not what he expected," my voice grew quieter as John B began trembling. 

"He wasn't dead when Ward dumped him. He made it to shore. And the last thing he ever did . . . . was for you," Lana finished, and we both stood up. Lana kept her distance, but I rested my hand on John B's arm.

"I am so sorry, John B. I should have told you a long time ago," I whispered. John B sighed and turned around, rushing for the door.

"But you can't say anything. He's dangerous. He's capable of anything. Don't --" Lana warned as we ran after him.

"I don't care!" The boy yelled back and slammed the door behind him. Without another thought, I raced after him.

~:*:~

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," I argued as we rushed into the backyard of the Chateau.

"Speak of the devil. Hey!" JJ exclaimed once the other Pogues saw us. "Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull the gold and everything."

"No, he did not. I did that," Pope cut in.

"Like I've said before, I don't give a shit," John B barked at me and picked up his pace.

"John B!" I finally snapped and held onto his arm so tight it whipped him around.

"You don't understand! He's willing to kill for gold. What do you think he'll do to you once he learns you found out all his dark secrets? If you spill them, he's ruined, and everyone knows how important reputation is to him," he turned serious for a moment, but his eyes soon flickered back to rage. He ripped his arm out of my grip and stormed inside.

"Hey," Kie called to him as I ran in after him.

"Okay, that's it?" JJ grumbled.

When I entered through the door, I saw John B scurrying around to find something. "John B, nothing good will come of this! Stop!" I screamed as he trashed through his belongings to find something I could probably guess what it was. Pope, Kie, and JJ then came in, all extremely worried.

"You all right, man? What -- what's up?" Pope asked.

"What are you looking for?" Kiara questioned.

"Bro, what's going on?" JJ added to the interrogation. John B went to the pull-out couch and yanked out JJ's gun from under his pillow.

"John B, what do you need the gun for?" JJ rushed forward.

"Just -- no!" 

"Talk to us!" John B threw JJ onto the bed.

"John B, chill!" Kiara cried.

"What are you doing?" Pope tried to stop him, but John B shoved him aside.

"What, are you JJ now?" 

John B raced outside, and I went after him. He jumped on JJ's motorcycle and started revving the engine. I attached my hands to the side of his neck and yanked him down to look at me. "Look, I know you want revenge; I sympathize with you, I do. But killing Ward is not the answer. You'll be sent to jail for murder. If you kill Ward, then you're just as bad as he is. Big John wouldn't want you to do this. Please, John B, I'm begging you," I hissed at him. He stopped revving the engine, tears forming in his eyes.

"John B, what the hell?" Kiara shouted as the trio ran outside. I kept my hold on John B, who was on the edge of a breakdown. 

"Don't do this, John B. Think about Sarah, okay? This will destroy her. If you care about her at all, you'll stop this," I said, and a tear fell from John B's eyes. Everyone watched me in amazement as to how I could get to John B so easily. JJ's jaw dropped.

"I'm sorry, Elle. Nothing matters to me anymore besides getting even," John B sniffed and revved the engine one last time before taking off. My vision clouded with tears as I watched the gravel lift underneath the motorcycle.

"Ward knows about the gold," I announced and slowly turned around to face them. "He killed Big John."

All their mouths fell open, and their eyes widened.