{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{45}

JJ tried his hardest to hold up his facade of anger, but it wasnt easy in the slightest. As soon as he saw her, he wanted to grab her and kiss her. He wanted to beg her to never leave him again and tell her that he loved her. But he wouldnt let himself. She left. The least she deserved was some silent treatment.

His instant reaction was to be angry and, naturally, light up a spliff. Kiara had long since given up asking him not to smoke in her car. He supposed she was done caring. He almost offered it to Brie too, knowing that she probably needed it, but he stopped himself.

"You sure you're okay?" Pope asked Brie again. JJ pursed his lips together, stopping himself from getting involved.

"I'm fine, Pope," she said; even the sound of her voice made JJ's heart wrench, "Not even a scratch. See?"

"Can't say the same for your feet," Pope noted. JJ turned around and looked down, seeing that she still had no shoes on. Had she been barefoot ever since the hospital?

"Yeah," she chuckled, wiggling her dust covered toes, "The least the cops could have done was give me some shoes."

"Wait," JJ said, "Cops? What do you mean the cops? You went to the station?"

"I got arrested, actually," she said, nervously. JJ's eyes flicked over her, watching as she rubbed the thin red marks on her wrists. "Been in custody all night."

"You got arrested?" Kiara shouted, spinning around in her seat for a second before focusing back on the road, "Jesus Christ, Brie. How did you get out? Surely they didnt let you out on bail."

"I saw the news and how the police thought John B had killed the Sheriff, so I went down to the closest police station and told them that it was Rafe," she explained.

"I'm guessing they didnt take it so well," Pope said, "Considering that they freaking arrested you."

"Yeah," she said, "Ward told them that I helped John B. Now the FBI are here too. I managed to get away when all the cops went searching for John B and you guys."

JJ shook his head. Of course Brie would manage to escape both the police and the FBI. She never ceased to amaze him.

"That's because they put a freaking bounty on his head," Pope said. Brie's mouth opened slightly in shock. "Posters are everywhere. The whole island is after him."

"Ward told them you helped John B shoot Peterkin?" JJ asked, frowning at her. She looked at him sadly, but he quickly adverted his gaze, "But you-"

"The cops claimed John B shot me accidentally when Ward tried to get the gun from him," Brie answered before he could even finish the question. She avoided looking at his face again, messing with her fingers in her lap.

"So now Ward is the hero in all this?" JJ said, angrily, "Fuck, man! I hate Kooks."

"Me too," Brie mumbled, leaning her head against Pope's shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing deeply. Pope patted her hand awkwardly. She probably hadn't slept since the hospital, so they all decided to let her sleep whilst they drove back to the garage and pulled up round back.

They stayed silent for a while, waiting until Brie was asleep before finally talking again. JJ was smoking yet another blunt, enjoying the numb feeling that hazed his brain again. Now that Brie was asleep, he felt that he could finally look at her face. She looked exhausted, dirty streaks ran down her face from her tears. She still had the faint scars and scratches on her face and the dark line in her thigh from when that drunk driver had hit her. Her injured shoulder was still wrapped in a sling against her chest and JJ stared at it sadly.

"The FBI," JJ muttered, "The fucking FBI is after us."

"They're more after John B more than us specifically," Pope corrected. JJ rolled his eyes at him."And also after Brie as well. This is turning into a freaking nightmare."