Outer Banks (JJ Maybank x Female Reader) Book 3

The Trap

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rafe says lazily, looking at Singh. I shake my head. "This is ridiculous. I don't know anything about a diary," I shrug. "But how else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?" He asks. I inhale deeply, still shaking my head. "Look, I want to help you, but I can't," I sigh. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that, you know," He purses his lips. "Because unfortunately I don't believe you," He whispers, shaking his head. 

"You and your friend here couldn't have found the cross without it," He says. "He's not my friend," I sigh, shaking my head again. "Well we can't all be friends, you know," He says, turning to Rafe, who's pinching the bridge of his nose again. Rafe groans, snapping his head up. "Alright, look, this is ridiculous. Okay? I'm out," He shakes his head in annoyed manner as he stands up to leave. "I don't know anything about a diary, okay? So-," He stops dead in his tracks as a guard with a large gun stands up to stop him. 

Rafe stands still, placing his hands in his pockets and shaking his head. "Do I look like a fool to you, Mr. Cameron?" Singh asks, standing up and walking towards him. "Do I look like a fool to you?" He asks again, louder. Rafe turns and walks back to him, shrugging and shaking his head, his lips pursed. "You have the cross," He whispers. "She and she friends had the cross at one point," He says. "So one of you has the diary," He concludes with a shrug. I keep my eyes on Singh, watching carefully. 

Rafe looks at me, catching my eye. "And if you really don't know, then I suggest you get your friend to tell me," He says, pointing to me as I drop my gaze to the floor. I look up again, meeting Rafe's glare. "Once I have the diary... you'll be free to leave," He smiles. 

~~~~~~

"Enjoy the grounds during your stay," Singh says as he re-enters the room I was held in before dinner. "I must warn you, though. I'm not a man of infinite patience," He hisses. "You have one day," He says, holding up his finger. "Go to the window for a little demonstration," He nods. "I think you'll enjoy it, you know," He grins, patting Rafe's shoulder. He leaves the room and a guard shuts the door. "Hey. Hey!" Rafe calls, running after him. "You're just done talking!" He yells as the lock clicks. He rattles the doorknob. "Hey!" He yells again. 

"It's locked," I mutter, rolling my eyes as he keeps rattling it. I cross the room to the window, pulling the curtains aside. "Get off me, man! I didn't do nothing, man!" A familiar voice calls from below. "Who the hell is that guy?" Rafe asks, joining me at the window as they lead the man onto the porch. "I know him. It's Jimmy Portis," I mutter, watching the guards drag him across the porch. "He was trying to help me," I whisper, shaking my head. 

Singh walks across the porch, stopping and turning to face our window. He carefully pulls a gun from his pocket. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rafe mutters. We both watch wide-eyed and open-mouthed and Singh disappears around the corner. Not a second later, a gun cocks and shot goes off. Rafe swallows. "This diary," He says, his voice raspy. "Hey, no bullshit," He hisses, turning to me. "Don't bullshit me, okay? Do you have it?" He hisses. I keep my eyes on the ground, refusing to look at him. "Y/n?" He hisses.

Finally, I lift my eyes to look at him. I shake my head slightly. "No," I whisper. 

~~~~~~

I sit awake on the bed, bouncing my knee nervously and fiddling with the hem of the silk pajamas Singh left for me. I lean over the edge of the bed, making sure Rafe is still asleep on the floor. I stand up quietly, walking to the far window. I knock over and over again, getting the attention of the guard on the upper porch. "Hey, hey," I hiss, still tapping. "I need to talk to Mr. Singh," I mouth at him. "Hey, go get Mr. Singh!" I annunciate, pointing to the inside of the house. 

"What are you doing?" Rafe's tired voice asks from behind me. "Hey you! I need to talk to Mr. Singh!" I continue in a hiss, ignoring rafe. "Hey! Hey, shut up! Shut up!" Rafe hisses, leaping up from the ground. "Hey, what the hell are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?" He hisses. "Like I owe you an explanation," I sneer. "Think for a second! Y/n, what- what are you doing?" He hisses as I cross the room to the door. I bang against it. "Hello?" I call. "Hey!" Rafe groans. "Hey!" I call. "What are you doing?" Rafe shouts angrily. "Don't talk to me!" I snap, holding up my hand to keep him from coming any closer. 

I continue banging on the door, sighing in annoyance. Rafe walks up to me, leaning against the wall. "You're lying about this diary thing," He whispers. "You know where it is," He says. "No, I don't," I snap, brushing past him and walking towards the window. "You don't? Okay, okay," He rolls his eyes. "You wish," I hiss. "Listen, I wouldn't tell me either," He says as I bang on the window again. "Hey!" I shout. "But he's never gonna believe that we don't know something, alright?" Rafe continues arguing.

"Listen, y/n, he killed-," Rafe starts, grabbing my arm. "Hey!" I snap, spinning to face him. He jumps back. I pant angrily through my nose, staring at him with wide eyes. "Look around, y/n," He spits. He shakes his head. "I'm the only friend you got," He says. I shake my head as the door finally unlocks. It creaks open, a guard appearing in the doorway. "Hey-," Rafe groans as I run towards him. "I need to talk to Mr. Singh," I tell him. "I have something to tell him. It's urgent," I nod, confident. I glance over my shoulder at Rafe.

"Yes," The guard nods, letting me past him into the hallway.

~~~~~~

He leads me down the stairs, pushing me towards the same room from last night. "There," He says, nodding towards the open door. I walk in, my silk pajamas still clinging to my skin. "I lied," I say, watching Singh as he sits calmly in the dining room chair. "I know about the diary," I nod. He takes a deep breath. "I don't have the original," I tell him. "But I can get you a copy," I nod. "I'm relieved to hear you say that you know," He smiles, reaching forward to grab a piece of fruit from the table.

He pops the grape into his mouth. "May I offer you something to eat?" He asks. "No, I'm not hungry," I shake my head quickly. "Relax, nothing's gonna happen to you now," He says. "You're cooperating, and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, you know," He says. "I just wanna get you what you want, and then I wanna leave," I hiss. He looks at the table.

"Look, I know where it is. But I have to go by myself," I say carefully. "Alone," I nod. He chuckles. "But how would I know that you'd come back? You know, I need some collateral," He says. "Rafe's here," I shrug. He scoffs. "Keep him," I say, keeping my face expressionless. "Rafe," Singh mutters. He laughs, standing up and walking towards me. "How did someone so young get into so much trouble?" He asks, folding his hands into his pockets. 

"Look, I know where the diary is, and if you let me go, I promise you, I can get it to you," I say confidently. "You know, I built this fortune myself, you know, from nothing. From absolutely nothing," He says, pacing. "Do you know how that happened, Miss Routledge?" He asks, pointing a finger at me. "Hmm?"

"I can assure you, it was not by being a fool," He hisses. "Don't waste my time," He whispers angrily. "The diary holds the key to the ultimate conquest, and that, my young friend, Miss Routledge, is my destiny," He says, patting his own chest. I swallow, keeping my face focused. "So you need to tell me where it is- or I'm gonna -," He's cut off my the loud ringing of his cellphone. He takes a deep breath, running his hands down his face before turning to pick up his phone. 

He laughs suddenly, reading the message. "Amazing," He says, turning back to look at me. "A text from our friend Jimmy Portis. From beyond the grave, apparently," He grins, waving his hands in a grand gesture as he walks to me. "It seems Mr. Portis has captured your friends," He says, holding the phone up to my face. On the phone screen is a picture of John B and Sarah, both looking at the ground. "I got these two" is texted below. I stagger back, my heartbeat stuttering. "Ryan!" Singh calls, leaving the room.

I stare after him, too terrified to move. I clutch the ring around my neck and it takes the sound of Singh's voice again to break me from my trance. "Get the big trucks and meet me in the back in three minutes," He orders from the hallway. "Copy," Ryan says. "Fenton," He says as I follow him to the hallway. "Mr. Singh-," I plead. "Get Ms. Routledge," He says, pointing to me while keeping his eyes on the phone. "Mr. Singh- Mr. Singh, please-!" Plead as Fenton grabs me. "Please don't hurt my friends! Please!" I scream wildly as Fenton drags me up the stairs. 

"Please! Please! Please don't hurt them!" I shout as loud as possible as Fenton practically drags me across the upstairs hallway. "That depends, Ms. Routledge!" He calls. "Mr. Singh-," I plead. "We'll continue our chat later-," I don't listen to him, still shouting. "Do not hurt my friends!" I scream. "I look forward to it, you know," He says. "Please don't hurt them!" I scream as he disappears through the front door.