The Deep End » Outer Banks [JJ Maybank] BOOK ONE

XVI: Citadel

citadel
noun. a fortified safe room on a vessel to take shelter in the event of a pirate attack.

⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓

Twirling a tangled lock of honey blonde hair around her finger, Lee blinked furiously as Kiara suddenly shouted, glancing at Pope and JJ in confusion. The Pogues had gotten back from Crain's house just an hour earlier, and Lee was trying to figure out how to tell her friends that Barry knew they had gone to the motel. Oh, and also that she had gone to the motel on her own. JJ and Pope grimaced as Kiara continued shouting and Lee turned to see Sarah Cameron entering John B's porch, going to sit on the couch a few feet away. Lee clenched her jaw, preparing herself for a fight. Probably not a good time to mention the motel.

"No effing way!" Kiara yelled, angrily staring at Sarah.

Lee had to give Sarah some credit—she didn't shrink away from Kiara.

"You brought her here? So what, she's in on this now?" Kiara continued furiously.

John B looked to his other friends for assistance. Lee shrugged helplessly, yawning as she tried to clear her brain of sleep.

"Look," JJ said, "all I care about is her cut comes out of your share."

Lee had to agree on that account. Dividing $400 million by six people instead of five would mean each of them losing a significant amount of money. While she was certainly open to Sarah's help, she was not a fan of that aspect.

Kiara scoffed, turning back to John B. "You know, I don't remember taking a vote," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "This is our thing. A Pogue thing."

Frowning, Lee opened her mouth with a salty retort about Kiara's debatable status as a Pogue, but Pope spoke up before she could say anything.

"I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this."

"Thank you!" Kiara shouted.

John B sent Pope a look of betrayal as he said, "When are you not uncomfortable?"

Pope frowned, throwing his hands up defensively. "I dunno. I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably."

"It's true," JJ said, nodding. "Most relaxed I've ever seen him."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe," she said skeptically, given her own experiences on the back of JJ's bike.

JJ sent her an annoyed look. "It's like being in Mission Impossible every time you drive, don't act like I'm the scary one."

"I'm sorry, did you die because of my driving?" Lee argued, crossing her arms defensively.

John B coughed irritably. "That's cute, guys. Really cute."

Kiara crossed her arms, sending John B another pointed look. "You know, we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her," she said venomously.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Sarah exclaimed.

Lee was taken aback by the outburst, her eyes wide as she watched Sarah. She supposed that it's what she would've done had she been in Sarah's shoes, so she was proud of her for speaking up.

Kiara, on the other hand, was not. "Then leave," she said, her voice cutting.

Sarah scoffed, turning to John B. "I told you."

Lee bit her lip nervously. A part of her thought that Sarah was egging Kiara on—although she hoped that part of her was wrong. Egging Kiara on never went well.