The Pogue Life || JJ Maybank

Fight or flight... again

JJ directs me to the boat shed where his Dad's boat is and we open it up, ready to get it out.

He rattles off the title/make of the boat proudly as he pulls a sheet off the front of it, scattering dust throughout the room and making me sneeze. Lovely.

"This was the first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under 16 hours," JJ explains, not interesting Kie or I at all, "Forty years old! Forty. And still the fastest thing that Kildare's ever seen."

"It's kind of a junker," Kie points out, making me snort.

"Really? She's right there, Kie. She can hear you. Let's just put it this way. You would not be smokin' weed right now if she never existed."

"I just hope it runs," I comment.

"Oh no, she'll run all right. She's faster than any of the cutters any of the boys in blue got," JJ says, getting the trailer set up for us to hook up to my car. Good thing I have a tow ball.

We hear a motorbike pulling up and Kie immediately heads outside to greet Pope. Probably to scold him, too, if we're real. Poor boy is about to get his ass kicked for having feelings. I let her go and greet him alone, hoping they might sort it out in a civil manner. Unlikely, though.

"Hey there, what's goin' on?" Someone asks, and I look up to see Rafe goddamn Cameron waltzing in here like he owns the place.

My heart rate immediately spikes. I can't stop the anxiety that courses through my veins at the sight of him. I never expected him to have such an impact on me. It pisses me off that he has so much power over me honestly.

"How you guys doin'?" Rafe asks, as Kie immediately rejoins us.

Just as I'm thinking it's unlike Rafe to be alone, I hear a whistle coming from behind us. I turn around and there's Barry. With a gun. For the second fucking time. I'm starting to hate this town a little bit. All our exits are blocked, and there's now a gun aimed directly at my fiance's chest. There's a ringing in my ears, muffling the sounds a little bit but I take a solid breath, crack my knuckles and try to ground myself. I can panic later. As of right now, we outnumber them. Pope should be here soon, which he might have the element of surprise on his side. I'm doing everything in my power to turn that anxiety into adrenaline. Activate the fight mode.

Fight mode kicks in when Barry attacks JJ, managing to put him on the ground, where he kicks him in the stomach. Hell fucking no. Suddenly, I've launched myself onto Barry's back like a goddamn drop bear, and I'm clawing at him, trying to get the bitch to drop the gun. JJ is on his feet in an instant, throwing punches where he can without knocking any of my flailing limbs. We manage to get the gun out of his hands, but it slides under the phantom, useless to us as well. I drop off Barry's back and let JJ pummel him until he's on the floor, then to turn to find Pope absolutely obliterating Rafe on the other side of the room. Blood pours down Rafe's face, out of his mouth and nose. Kie is begging Pope to stop, and I know I should too, but after everything he's done, I kind of wish I could punch him too.

Then Pope grabs something off the ground and starts choking Rafe, and I'm also begging him to stop. Less so because I give a flying fuck about whether Rafe lives or dies, but because Pope doesn't need to become a murderer. JJ is grabbing Pope from behind, trying to pull him back but he doesn't stop until Kie screams for him to look at her. When the realisation of what he's done sinks in, I can see the terror in his eyes when he realises what he's truly capable of.

Kie is desperate to bail, and JJ is quick to follow her, but Pope and I both linger above Rafe, rolling around on the floor like a fucking bitch.

Pope leans down and in the most terrifying voice I've ever heard from him tells Rafe to, "stay off the cut."