「 ✦ THE GUN ✦ 」

────

"IF THIS GUY'S  flying planes for Ward, he's gotta be tight-lipped," Pope said, his eyes scanning the road as they made their way toward Gavin's house.

"Then direct approach gets my vote," MJ chimed in, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of her lips as she glanced over at JJ. "No need for any fancy tricks. Straight to the point."

JJ, ever the reckless one, cocked his gun with a sharp click, the sound echoing in the car.

"JJ, no!" Pope snapped, his voice sharp. "Put the gun down, man. We're not here to make a scene."

MJ rolled her eyes, clearly unamused. "Really? Do you think we're going to scare him with that thing? Come on, Pope, you're smarter than that."

JJ shrugged, ignoring the lecture. "We just gotta keep this simple. We don't get John B off if we don't do it right."

"I hate to admit it," MJ said, crossing her arms and leaning back in the seat, "but maybe JJ's right. We don't have time to overcomplicate it."

Everyone turned to look at her, surprised by her agreement. MJ just shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get too excited. We don't have time for a five-step plan when we need answers fast."

"Or we could just, I dunno, tickle the wire," Pope suggested, holding up Kie's AirPods as though it were the most casual thing in the world.

"What?" Kie scrunched up her face, confused.

"We tickle the wire. I plant my phone in his car, we listen in on the AirPods." Pope grinned, dropping the AirPods into his ears as he held the phone up to Kie. "Say something."

Kie glanced at him, bewildered. "Something?"

"Perfect. We've got audio," Pope confirmed, giving her a thumbs-up.

The drive to Gavin's house was filled with the quiet hum of the car, the tension hanging thick in the air. JJ kept trying to inch closer to MJ, but she wasn't having it. Her gaze fixed out the window as she ignored him. Her brother had been extra annoying lately. 

Pope climbed out of the car, leaving MJ, Kie, and JJ behind in the silence. MJ fiddled with the rings on her fingers, a nervous habit she hadn't grown out of. JJ noticed, but he wasn't dumb enough to comment on it. 

"How's it been you two" JJ asked, breaking the silence, his voice casual as he glanced at Kie. "You two good?"

MJ scoffed. "Yeah, we're good. Why? You missed my sarcasm?"

"Could say that," JJ said with a grin.

Kie's voice broke the silence. "So, MJ, how's everything with Rafe? You guys still...?" She trailed off, her gaze shifting from MJ to the road.

MJ's expression hardened instantly. "Why? You suddenly care about my love life?" she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "You and Pope are the ones playing house, not me."

Kie raised her hands in mock surrender. "No, no. I was just curious."

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one who's curious," MJ muttered. "I don't know why you're asking, Kie. Do you really think I've got some secret thing with Rafe again? We've talked about this so much already."

Kie was about to respond when she noticed the tense look on MJ's face. "I didn't mean to—"

"Whatever," MJ cut her off. "You think I'm just some pawn in his game, don't you?" She shot Kie a sharp look, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Not everything is about him, Kie. I can handle myself just fine."

"Alright, alright," Kie said, holding up her hands in apology. "I didn't mean to piss you off. Just wanted to know if you were alright."

MJ glanced away, her frustration giving way to a flicker of unease. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. But, hey, Kiara, carry on treating Pope like shit and me and you will have an issue."

"Is John B better?" JJ questioned hoping to change the conversation.

"What?" Kie turned and faced her completely ignoring what JJ had said.

"You heard me." Mj snapped as Pope jumped back into the car,

"Okay. Phase one is complete." Pope announced as he looked around at everyone.

Kie's gaze lingered on MJ for a moment before she turned back to look out the window. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, and neither was quite sure how to break the tension.

As they pulled up to Gavin's house, MJ's thoughts were already racing ahead. Whatever they were about to do next, she knew it wasn't going to be easy, but at least she wasn't alone in it.

────

"Why does she get to do it?" JJ grumbled as everyone decided Kie was probably the best person to call Gavin.

"Because she's the best, duh." MJ shot him a look, clearly unimpressed. "Sorry, did you want to do it, or are you just jealous?"

JJ grunted. "Maybe I should do it. I could use my charm to convince him."

MJ raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Your charm? Dude, the last time you used 'charm' was to convince a guy to not punch you. Not the best track record."

"Hey, that was one time," JJ protested, but MJ just smirked, clearly not buying his defence.

"Should I do an accent?" Kie asked, turning around to look at everyone for confirmation, trying to lighten the mood.

"Please," MJ said, grinning. "I want to hear what kind of disaster you come up with."

JJ snickered. "Yeah, make it good. We need a solid cover story for this mess."

Kie furrowed her brow, pondering. "Should I do it British, or...?"

"British? Are you sure?" MJ leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. "What are you, a tourist?"

"Why not? Give it a shot," JJ shrugged, a grin playing on his lips. "Let's see how bad it gets."

Kie took a deep breath and suddenly put on an exaggerated British accent. "Like, should I speak like this? How's that for you?"

Everyone went quiet for a moment. JJ blinked. "Wait. That's... surprisingly good."

MJ's mouth dropped open dramatically. "No way. Is that what you sound like?" She turned to JJ with a mocking expression. "You think you could pull that off, blondie?"

JJ rolled his eyes. "Please. I'd nail it."

"Not like that," MJ said flatly, though she was holding back a laugh.

"What's wrong with it?" JJ leaned in, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Where to start?" MJ shot back, rolling her eyes. "It's like you're trying to be a pirate, but without the swashbuckling part."

"Alright, alright," Pope cut in, eager to move things along. "Let's focus here. Kie, maybe try something a little more... subtle?"

"Like Batman?" Pope suggested suddenly, his voice low and gruff.

"Spot on," JJ said with a smirk, leaning back in his seat. "Let's do it. I'm all for that."

"Batman?" MJ repeated with a snort. "Well, if we're going for ridiculous, then sure. Why not?"

Kie raised her eyebrows but shrugged. "Fine. Batman it is." She pulled the phone up to her ear. "Hello," she said, her voice now deep and gravelly.

Everyone waited in anticipation. Kie glanced at MJ and JJ, clearly starting to doubt her decision.

"This is going to go terribly," MJ muttered, leaning back into her seat.

"You're gonna pull that off?" she asked dryly, arching a brow.

"Don't worry about it," JJ said, grinning. "Just making sure you're comfortable while you laugh at my skills."

"That's your excuse?" MJ shot back, shaking her head. "You should probably be worried more about the mess you've made lately."

JJ froze at that, momentarily caught off guard. He could feel the weight of her words, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily.

Before they could banter more, Kie's voice interrupted, a little uncertain. "Hello?"

Gavin's voice came through, impatient. "Hello? Who is this?"

Kie froze. "I... I can't," she said, panic in her voice.

"Hello?" Gavin's voice got sharper, sounding more impatient now.

Seeing Kie struggle, MJ sighed and grabbed the phone out of her hands. "Let me do it," she muttered. She cleared her throat, deepened her voice, and went full deadpan. "Is Gavin there?"

Everyone went silent as they waited for the response.

Everyone turned to look at MJ, unsure if she was going to do it. The thing was, no one else had the guts to push Gavin for answers like MJ would. JJ could be reckless, but MJ? She had a way of getting people to talk without even breaking a sweat.

"This is Gavin. Who's this?" Gavin's voice came through, clearly annoyed.

MJ didn't waste any time. "I know what happened on the tarmac," she said, her voice cool and steady as she leaned back in her seat, giving JJ a half-smirk as she heard his confused huff beside her.

"What are you talking about?" Gavin's voice was sharp now, starting to panic.

"Who the hell is this?" Gavin snapped, obviously on edge now.

MJ rolled her eyes, glancing over at JJ. "Seriously, who does he think he's fooling? We've got him right where we want him."

JJ leaned forward a little, his eyes narrowing in on the phone as if he could somehow intimidate Gavin through sheer force of will. "He's totally losing it," JJ muttered, inching closer to MJ. He casually threw an arm around her shoulder, leaning in to hear better.

MJ didn't even flinch at his closeness. "You're right. He's panicking."

She kept her eyes fixed on the phone, ignoring the way JJ had shifted to get even closer. "You could've saved her, Gavin, and you didn't. You let it happen, and now you're going to pay for it."

Gavin's voice cracked, his panic rising. "Listen to me! There were two people! Who is this?" He was sweating now.

Before anyone could respond, MJ cut the call off, throwing the phone into her lap with a triumphant look on her face. JJ, who had been too focused on the conversation, ended up headbutting Kie's seat in the process.

"Ouch, dude!" JJ groaned, rubbing his forehead.

MJ smirked and glanced at him with a raised brow. "That was cold, huh?"

"Cold? That was evil," JJ grumbled, leaning in a little too close to MJ's ear with a mischievous grin. "You're a lot scarier than I give you credit for, you know that?"

MJ shot him a sideways glance, rolling her eyes. "I know," she said flatly. "You've never seen me when I'm really pissed off."

"All right, so... that was perfect, right?" JJ asked, his voice laced with curiosity, though he still couldn't resist leaning on the back of her seat.

MJ smirked, tossing her hair back. "Yeah, it was perfect. Totally threw him off. Let's see how he handles it when we come for him next."

JJ nodded in approval. "Nice. You really know how to handle the pressure."

"You really think I was shaking or something?" MJ shot back, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Please. I've had worse phone calls with mom."

Pope's voice suddenly interrupted. "All right. We tickled the wire. Phase two is complete. Now we just wait and listen."

MJ and JJ exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. "This is going to be good," JJ muttered.

"Don't get too excited, we've still got a lot to do," MJ reminded him, her eyes narrowing with focused intensity.

"Yeah, yeah," JJ said, rolling his eyes. "Just make sure Gavin's next panic attack is on us, alright?"

MJ grinned. "Don't worry. I've got this."

Pope furrowed his brow, clearly confused. "Wait, hold up. Two people?" He leaned forward, trying to make sense of Gavin's panic. "Gavin just said he heard another voice... What does that mean? Rafe didn't do it alone?"

Kie's eyes widened, her face scrunching in confusion. "Does that mean Rafe had someone else with him? Someone else who helped with... whatever happened to the sheriff?"

The weight of Kie's question hit MJ harder than she expected. Her stomach twisted in knots as she looked out the window, trying to ignore the creeping unease that was settling over her. She had been with Rafe, and even though she knew he was capable of dark things, the idea of him really going through with something like that...

Her hands gripped the armrest, and she tried to steady her breathing, but her mind kept spinning. She had been with him that night, and she knew Rafe wasn't exactly squeaky clean—he'd made plenty of threats, and had that unpredictable edge—but the sheriff?

No one knew exactly what had gone down. She hadn't asked. But she could hear his voice in her head now, the way he'd talked about the sheriff like it was nothing. He probably just got in the way, MJ, he'd said, that smug grin on his face like it was just another obstacle to clear.

"MJ?" JJ's voice broke through her thoughts. His eyes were sharp, watching her closely. "You okay?"

She snapped her gaze back to him, trying to shake the nervousness that had taken root in her chest. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice was a little too tight, but she played it off with a shrug. "I mean, what difference does it make? Gavin's a liar. He probably doesn't know what he's talking about."

Pope still wasn't convinced, his brows knit together. "But what if he's right? What if Rafe had help?" He glanced at Kie, then back at MJ. "What if that's the second person?"

Kie's voice was quiet but pointed. "That would mean Rafe didn't do it alone, and we'd have to figure out who the second person is. Could be anyone."

MJ's pulse quickened. They were circling something, and it was too close for comfort. She shot a look at JJ, hoping he'd drop it, but of course, he wasn't. JJ never dropped anything.

"Rafe didn't seem like the type to leave anyone else around when things get messy," JJ said slowly, the gears turning in his head. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You sure you didn't hear anything that night, MJ? Like, anything weird?"

MJ's stomach dropped as his question hung in the air. It was a dangerous line of thinking, one she didn't want to cross, not now. Not when the possibility that she had been too close to the whole mess—and too close to Rafe himself—was making her feel like she might choke on her own breath.

Her mind raced. She couldn't let anyone know that she had been with Rafe. She didn't even know the full story. All she knew was what Rafe had told her, and she had no reason to trust him fully. But something in her gut told her that he hadn't been telling the whole truth.

She forced a smile, pushing her nerves down, making sure her voice was steady as she spoke. "You think I would've missed that? If Rafe had some partner in crime? Please." She shook her head, trying to act unaffected, but her eyes darted away from their gazes. "He's too... Rafe to let anyone else in on the action."

But her words felt hollow, even to her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was lying—lying to herself, more than anyone else.

Pope, sensing her discomfort, didn't press it any further, but his look lingered on her longer than he probably realized. Kie, still thinking it through, nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess. But... what if he wasn't alone?"

MJ gritted her teeth, wishing she could just tune out the conversation. They were getting too close to things she didn't want to confront. "We'll deal with it when we get more info," she snapped, a little more forcefully than intended. "Let's just keep our eyes on Gavin. He's the one we need to focus on, not Rafe's imaginary friends."

JJ gave her a strange look, sensing that something was off, but he didn't push it. He knew better than to dig when MJ shut down.

For now, the conversation turned to other things, but the knot in MJ's stomach stayed tight. She had a feeling things were about to get a lot more complicated. And the last thing she wanted was to get dragged deeper into whatever mess Rafe was tangled up in—especially if he wasn't the only one responsible for the sheriff's death.

────

"Hey, here he comes. Stay down," Pope muttered as they slowly drove past Gavin's house.

JJ immediately nudged MJ, who was sitting in the passenger seat, leaning in close to her. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you trying to make us look like we're on a secret mission, or are you just trying to get comfortable?"

"Shut up, MJ," JJ replied, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he gestured to the back seat, where Pope was crouched low. "We need to stay low. Gavin's gonna see us."

"Oh, right," MJ said sarcastically, sinking down in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. "Because Gavin's got the best eagle eyes, doesn't he?"

JJ rolled his eyes but didn't argue. The two had their way of bickering, and it always ended in the same place—MJ being right, but JJ pretending not to care.

Pope's voice came from the back seat, a little too loud for their liking. "Wait, wait, he almost saw us. Go!"

MJ leaned over, peeking between the front seats to get a better look. "That was close," she muttered. "Maybe next time we can add a little stealth mode to the car? You know, like the Batmobile or something."

JJ smirked but didn't say anything. He knew his twin's sarcasm was just her way of coping with the tension, even if it was a little over the top.

Pope, clearly panicked, started fumbling with his seatbelt. "Shit, shit! The beeping's gonna give us away!"

"Seriously? Now you're worried about the seatbelt?" MJ scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Great timing, Pope."

JJ chuckled at his twin's annoyance, glancing over at her. "Oh, come on, MJ, cut him some slack. The guy's probably about to jump out of his skin."

"Yeah, well, he's giving me a headache," MJ grumbled, but she leaned over to grab the seatbelt and fastened it with little effort. "There. Happy now?"

"Thank you," Pope mumbled, but his voice was still a little shaky. His fingers brushed against hers for a split second. "Really."

MJ shot him a pointed look. "Don't get all emotional on me, Pope. You're scaring me."

JJ snickered, but MJ shot him a glare. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, his grin barely hidden. "Just thinking about how you're gonna win the award for 'Most Sarcastic Comment of the Year'."

Pope turned back to focus on the situation at hand, adjusting the AirPods in his ears. "He's talking to Ward," he announced, sounding oddly calm for someone who was usually freaking out.

Kie's voice came through the radio, a bit shaky. "Wait, what? Is he talking to Ward? For real?"

MJ rolled her eyes again. "Well, of course, he is. It's not like Ward's busy running a secret empire or something. What do you think they're talking about?"

"Negotiating something," Pope muttered, leaning forward. "I think he's trying to get leverage. Some kind of deal."

MJ's eyes narrowed. "Leverage? What kind of leverage are we talking about here?" Her tone was sharp, but she kept her voice low.

Then, Pope's voice cracked the tension in the car. "Gavin's got the gun that Rafe used to kill Peterkin."

The words hung in the air, a heavyweight. MJ immediately shot a glance at JJ, her stomach twisting. "Are you kidding me?" she muttered under her breath.

"Wait, wait—he's pulling over," Kie said, her voice high with panic.

MJ started to fiddle with the rings on her fingers, her usual nervous tick. JJ noticed and reached over to tap her knee, a silent reassurance.

"You're okay," JJ muttered under his breath.

"Thanks for the pep talk, JJ," MJ said dryly, trying to shake off the sudden unease that flooded her.

Kie slammed on the gas, weaving through the streets to stay close to Gavin's car. "What do we do now?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Go around the block," MJ said quickly, her eyes scanning the area. "We can't let him get too far ahead."

Pope, still listening intently, groaned. "Shit, I'm losing the signal. I can't hear him anymore. What do we do?"

"I think we're gonna lose him anyway," MJ muttered. She could feel the tension building, but the truth was, they were running out of time. They needed evidence, and if Gavin got away, they'd be back to square one.

Pope looked over at her, his face tight. "We need to know where they're meeting. We can't just let this go."

"Then let's move," MJ snapped, getting out of the car. "Leave the damn car behind. We need to catch up."

Kie hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her dad's car in the middle of the street. "Are you sure about this?"

MJ didn't give her a second thought. "Leave it. We don't have time to debate. Let's go."

They all piled out, and MJ grabbed JJ's arm, pulling him along. They couldn't afford to waste any more time. If they didn't get the proof now, they were as good as lost.

"Go. Now," she snapped at Kie. "We've got work to do."

JJ didn't argue, but he shot her a glance. "You're sure about this?"

Kie didn't even slow down. "You wanna catch Rafe or not?"

"Nice camera. What is that, a museum piece?" MJ raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with sarcasm as she watched JJ eye Pope's old-school telephoto lens.

"Shut up," Pope muttered, trying to ignore his twin's teasing as he adjusted the camera. "It's a telephoto, gives me a better view without getting too close."

"Yeah, real vintage," MJ mocked, rolling her eyes. "Next thing, you're gonna tell me you're using film."

JJ snorted, giving Pope a side-eye. "Does that thing even have Wi-Fi? Or are you manually sending the photos via pigeon?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," MJ added, crossing her arms. "It's like you've got a thing for antiques."

Pope huffed, not really responding to their digs, but clearly trying to focus on the task at hand. "I'm getting the shot. Just give me a minute."

"God, I can't even with you two," MJ muttered, smirking as she nudged JJ with her elbow. "If you keep egging him on, Pope's gonna have a full-on breakdown."

JJ laughed and nudged her back. "You say that like you're not enjoying it."

"Maybe I am," MJ shot back with a wink, "but I'm still not getting a good shot of whatever garbage you're trying to film."

"Look, I'm not the one here with the old-school tech," JJ jabbed, tossing a teasing glance at her. "This isn't 1999, MJ."

"Yeah, but it still works better than your ridiculous, overpriced phone," she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

JJ just raised an eyebrow, clearly not taking her bait. "Whatever. We need to focus. You're over here playing with your useless sarcasm while Pope's got the camera."

"I'm not the one about to get us caught," MJ shot back, giving him a pointed look as she slid down behind a barrel to stay out of sight.

"Right," JJ muttered, throwing her a half-smile as he crouched beside her, "we're so stealthy, it's like we're invisible."

Pope's voice cut through the banter, a little panicked. "They're moving. Come on, you guys, get down."

"See? This is what happens when we don't listen to me," MJ grumbled, pulling her jacket sleeves over her hands, a nervous habit she'd picked up from too many close calls. "Every time."

JJ flicked her ear. "Shut up and focus. You're gonna give us away with all that complaining."

"Just keep your voice down, genius," MJ muttered, crossing her arms. "I'm not the one being loud."

As the group moved to follow Gavin and Ward, MJ couldn't help but shoot a sideways glance at JJ, her twin's easy grin making her groan internally. They'd never be stealthy with him around.

The rooftop gave them a better vantage point, but it also gave them an even higher chance of getting spotted. MJ laid flat between JJ and Pope, but of course, JJ had to make it uncomfortable.

"Perfect spot for you to keep an eye on everything, huh?" MJ whispered to JJ, her tone dry. "Let me guess, you're using that awkward arm to stop me from rolling off the roof?"

"I was trying to stop you from kicking Pope in the face," JJ replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, you failed," she muttered under her breath, watching the interaction below them. The last thing she needed was JJ's hands everywhere while she tried to focus.

"What is Ward handing Gavin?" Pope asked, the camera zooming in.

"Are we sure that's not just a bag full of secrets and regret?" MJ quipped, her snark cutting through the tension.

"Shut up, MJ," JJ groaned, his voice low as he leaned in closer to the scene. "You're gonna jinx it."

"Like I care," she whispered back. "You think Gavin's going to leave with that money without something exploding? Pfft. Classic."

"Here it comes," Pope muttered, his camera lens zooming in. "This is it."

MJ rolled her eyes. "Just get the shot, Pope. Don't make us wait forever."

Suddenly, the chaos below erupted, and MJ's playful attitude shifted.

"They're fighting," Pope said, voice tight. "Gavin and Ward are—"

"I bet Ward punches harder than you," JJ laughed, elbowing MJ. "I mean, who wouldn't want a piece of Gavin's smug face?"

MJ snorted. "Don't get too cocky, I'm not the one getting distracted while they're about to shoot someone."

"Yeah, yeah," JJ mumbled, trying to concentrate. "Look, they're really going at it."

MJ turned her head just in time to see the confrontation go from bad to worse. "This is bad," she muttered, eyes locked on Gavin and Ward. "Gavin's really not getting up from this one."

"Shit, he's got a gun," Pope muttered, his voice shaking a little. "That's the murder weapon, isn't it?"

"Nice catch, Pope," MJ said, her voice low as she shifted closer to JJ. "Too bad the drama's not over yet."

Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang out, and MJ flinched, but JJ quickly pulled her to his side. "Hey, stay down," he murmured, holding her tight as they waited for the chaos to settle.

"Are you recording?" she snapped at Pope, voice laced with urgency.

"Yeah," he gritted out. "I've got it."

"Good," she muttered, her heart racing. "Let's get out of here before it all falls apart."

"Right behind you, MJ," JJ whispered, grabbing her hand as they slipped back down the roof. "Let's go."

With the tension mounting, they scrambled down the ladder, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Once back at the car, MJ threw herself into the seat, her sharp gaze cutting through the silence. "Well, that was fun," she said dryly, "but next time, someone reminds me to leave my sarcasm at home."

JJ shot her a grin. "You wouldn't be you without it."

"Could someone fill me in on what the hell just happened?" JJ asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead, still reeling from the mess they'd just witnessed.

MJ rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, I don't know, JJ, maybe we just watched a murder go down. But sure, let's act surprised."

JJ shot her a look, his frustration mounting. "I'm not surprised, okay? I'm just trying to figure out what the hell we do now."

MJ didn't reply immediately, her gaze shifting to the rearview mirror, checking their surroundings like a hawk. There was a tightness in her chest, one she didn't like. She'd managed to bury it under all the snark and sarcasm, but now? Now, it was creeping up on her. The cops might know she was the second person who shot the sheriff—hell, she hadn't even realized she'd done it until it was too late. And now she was just waiting for someone to connect the dots.

"Well, here's a fun thought," MJ finally said, keeping her tone cool but her fingers tapping nervously on her knee. "We're all standing here like we just saw a bad movie, and the cops are probably on their way. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be the next headline."

Pope frowned. "What do you mean?"

MJ glanced at him, her jaw tightening. "The cops are gonna figure out we were there. Someone always talks. And me? I'm not exactly the 'good samaritan' in this group if you catch my drift."

JJ, oblivious to the depth of her worry, raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

She bit her lip, trying to keep the panic under control. "I mean, I've got a history with the sheriff's office, and it's not one you wanna be caught in. So, yeah. We don't need the cops sniffing around us, especially with that incident hanging over me."

"Wait," JJ said, suddenly more alert. "What incident?"

MJ's gaze flickered to him, then away. "Doesn't matter. But if they find out, I'm toast."

Pope was still frowning, but now he seemed concerned. "MJ, what are you talking about?"

She forced a smile, trying to play it off. "Forget it. Just focus on getting out of here. We've got bigger fish to fry than my personal problems."

JJ narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing, sensing there was more to the story. "Fine. But we can't just leave this behind. If we don't do something now, we're gonna be screwed."

MJ shifted in her seat, her heart racing. "We need to keep our distance. Lay low. If anyone finds out what we saw, we're all in trouble."

Kie finally started the car, and they began to drive off, but MJ felt like she couldn't breathe. Every minute that passed felt like another second the cops could be closing in on her, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up the act. She wasn't about to let anyone know she'd been the one to shoot the sheriff.

As the car sped away, JJ leaned back, rubbing his temples. "So, we just pretend like nothing happened, huh?"

MJ forced herself to laugh. "Yeah, because pretending this shit didn't go down is definitely gonna work out great."

The silence in the car was thick, and though no one said it, they all felt the weight of the situation. MJ was stuck in this mess, and the only way out was to keep her head down. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized there was no way she could outrun her own mistakes—not if the cops started poking around.

And the worst part? No one had any idea what she was hiding.

The quiet tension in the car was broken by the sharp buzz of MJ's phone. She pulled it out of her pocket, glancing at the screen. Her stomach churned as she saw the reminder: NA meeting in 30 minutes.

"Shit," MJ muttered under her breath, putting the phone back in her pocket. She sat up straighter, her mind racing again, trying to focus on anything else but the clock ticking away.

"What's up?" JJ asked, noticing her sudden shift in mood.

"I gotta go," she said, her voice a little quieter now. "I really can't miss it."

There was an awkward pause in the car. Kie, who'd been quiet for most of the drive, let out a frustrated huff, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel.

"Seriously?" Kie snapped, her voice tense. "You're gonna go to a meeting right now? After all this? MJ, this is insane."

MJ looked over at her, eyebrows raised. "What's the big deal? You know I've got shit to sort out. I can't just ignore it."

Kie shook her head, clearly pissed. "We just witnessed a goddamn murder, MJ. And you wanna leave now to go to a meeting? You're not exactly in the right state of mind to go play 'good little NA member' right now."

"She's right, MJ," Pope chimed in, glancing at her with a frown. "This is huge. I mean, how can you even think about something like that?"

MJ gritted her teeth, trying to keep calm. She had no intention of letting anyone talk her out of it. "I'm not going to play anything," she shot back, her voice sharp. "I need to go. It's important. You don't get it."

The tension in the car was palpable, everyone looking at her like she was some kind of freak. But then JJ, who'd been quiet for a while, finally spoke up. His voice was firm but not unkind.

"Let her go," he said, surprising everyone in the car. "She's right. If she says she needs to go, she needs to go. No point in arguing about it."

Kie turned to JJ, clearly not happy with his decision. "JJ, are you serious? She's just going to leave after everything that just happened?"

"I get it, okay?" JJ shot back, his voice rising. "But she's gotta take care of herself, and if this is what she needs, then she goes. We can't make her stay." His eyes softened as he turned back to MJ, his tone a little gentler. "Just be safe, alright?"

MJ looked at JJ for a moment, the weight of everything still sitting heavy on her chest. She wanted to argue, to tell him that maybe he didn't fully understand—but she also knew he did. He got it more than anyone.

"I will," she muttered, her hand gripping the door handle. "I'll be quick. Don't worry."

Kie didn't say anything else but shot MJ a look that screamed disbelief. MJ just shrugged it off, unbuckling her seatbelt and pushing the door open.

"See you guys later," she called over her shoulder, already stepping out of the car.

As she walked away, her thoughts were still spinning. There was a part of her that knew this was the right thing to do, even if the others didn't get it. NA wasn't just some meeting—it was a lifeline. And she couldn't afford to let it slip through her fingers. Not when everything else was falling apart.

And as much as she hated to admit it, it felt like the only thing that might help her hold it all together.

────

authors note:

updating for my birthday <3

- also check out some of my 

other obx books!