TWO

DARK PAST

Ellie jumped back as the woman’s foot flew out, kicking at her knee and just missing her by a few inches.

Quickly deciding that shooting a gun while they were in the air was a bad idea, she slammed the handle of the weapon down into the woman’s temple instead with as much force as she could muster.

See, I still got it.

But she knew that it was just muscle memory. She missed the feeling of cold control that she used to have. Judging by her reactions, her muscles remembered what to do, but her ability to remain calm in dangerous situations wasn’t as good as it used to be, she realized as her heart pounded in her chest.

It’s harder to be fearless when you have something to lose.

Her hands trembled around the gun as she watched the stewardess slump in her seat, her head falling back as her eyes closed before she passed out with her mouth hanging open.

Pulling herself together as much as she could in an insane situation, Ellie put the safety on the gun and then slipped it down the waistband of her blue jeans. Then she peered down the aisle to ensure there were no other hijackers nearby. A million questions ran through her mind.

How many of them are there? Why are they on this plane? What do they want from us…?

As she leaned over the woman, she nearly choked on the scent of cloying, cheap perfume. Swallowing back the horrible smell, which she could unfortunately taste, she focused on finding the cable ties, painfully aware that the stewardess could wake up at any moment. With her own pulse still racing, she briefly checked the other woman’s pulse to make sure she hadn’t killed her.

I don’t want to kill again.

Familiar guilt flooded through her, the shadow from her dark past that haunted her happy new life. She knew she’d never forget the feel of the knife sliding into his heart, the weight of his body slumping onto her. She knew she’d never shake the guilt of that moment. It was part of her. It was the part of her that she secretly feared embracing again. There was a ghost in her past, and he wasn’t done with her yet.

Joseph Meyer.

Closing her eyes for a moment, only to see his wide eyes as the light left them, she gasped. Then she quickly opened her eyes, shaking off the flash of memory and galvanized into action by the need to focus on anything else. Anything was better than that memory.

She gave the stewardess her full attention. Relieved to find a strong pulse beating in the hijacker’s neck, she then rummaged through her pockets for more cable ties. She breathed a sigh when she found the white plastic ties and quickly used them to bind the other woman’s wrists behind her back.

After laying the hijacker on her side on the couch, Ellie bound her ankles too. Then she straightened up and scanned the cabin for a gag. She didn’t want the woman to alert the other crew members of her escape. The element of surprise was all she had going for her right now.

After a quick glance around the opulent surroundings, she shook her head. Rather than search the plane, she hurried to the overhead compartment near her seat, quickly pulling down Jacob’s tan travel bag and rummaging through it for something she could use.

I see his packing skills haven’t improved since the last time I looked in his bag. Where are his usual firestarters, ropes and knives?

She smiled for a moment, remembering the last time she’d rummaged through Jacob’s bag, on an island in Central America while they were searching for a lost diamond. The memory caused an ache in her chest.

Why does it feel as if I knew him better then than I do now? Why don’t I have the enthusiasm I used to have for adventure? This kind of crap used to be fun for me. I guess I lost more of myself on that island than I thought I had.

It was a daunting realization that for all the things she’d gained; love, a relationship and stability, she’d lost a part of herself too. It wasn’t Jacob’s fault. He didn’t knife a man to death.

A bad man. She corrected her guilt. It had been self-defense. Not that it made a difference to the way she felt about it.

Jesus, get a grip. Now is not the time to get lost in the past!

She muttered a swear word under her breath when a book fell out of the side pocket.

It’s just time. It’ll get easie—

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she stared down at the notebook. She recognized it. It was her father’s, another piece of her colorful past.

Frowning, she bent down to pick the book up. Her old lock-pick kit slipped out of it. She scooped up the old black leather case and tightened her hand over it as the memories of it getting her out of many dangerous situations filled her thoughts. Like an old friend, it comforted her to have it back. She slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans, feeling safer for having it.

Then she stared at the old journal.

What the hell is Jacob doing with my father’s journal?

She felt a moment of sadness as she gripped the book in her hands and stood up. Her father had been the infamous Stewart Phillips, the best grifter in the business. He’d also been the rock in her life, and her life had never felt the same since he’d died. Even though it had been years ago, the painful memories were still fresh in her mind: Seeing the explosion, knowing he was inside the building when it blew up, that moment of hope that he’d walk out of it unscathed, and the terrifying moment when she realized he wasn’t going to…

She tightly gripped the journal in her hand.

I’ve seen too many men die.

Why does Jacob have this?

No matter which angle she considered, she couldn’t think of any good reason for him to bring some of her most painful memories on a romantic mini-break with him. She couldn’t think of a reason why he’d have this book in the first place, and she didn’t like secrets between them. However, just holding her dad’s journal in her hand gave her a renewed sense of herself. Her inner badass emerged just from the memories of him and the memories of all the heists she’d done by his side.

Never doubt yourself, Kiddo. That’s when you lose control.

His voice had been missing from her thoughts for so long, and hearing it again brought her a sense of calm, which was just the strength she needed to get through this.

Narrowing her eyes as she shoved the book into her empty back pocket, she hurried down the aisle toward the cockpit, leaving the past behind and choosing to fight for her future.

I’ll talk to Jacob about the journal once this nightmare is over. Right now, I need to get control of the plane back.

Ignoring the stewardess, who was still out cold on the couch, she decided it was better to save Jacob now rather than waste more time looking for a gag.

They’ll know I’ve escaped soon enough anyway.

As she passed the small door of the bathroom, she scanned the corridor for signs of hijackers while a bubble of panic swelled in the back of her throat. She breathed a sigh when she discovered that the area was empty. The door to the cockpit ahead was ajar, and she could hear voices coming from inside.

Hitching her breath, she paused outside the door and listened while trying to figure out a plan for getting her and Jacob safely out of this mess. She pulled the gun out of her waistband and quietly turned off the safety. Then she gripped the gun, preparing to aim it at their attackers.

What are you gonna do, aim for their knees?

She clenched her jaw at the mocking voice in her head, ignoring it and choosing to listen to the conversation inside the cockpit instead.

“It’s very simple, Mr. Hawkins. If you want us to let you go, you need to stop investigating Phillips and Meyer.”

Her blood ran cold, and her hand tightened around the gun when she heard the captain’s words.

Does he mean me? Does he mean Joseph Meyer?

Part of the reason she’d given up the life was due to her interactions with Joseph Meyer. She’d been fighting with her guilt over killing the British mob boss, but no one else knew, only her and Jacob. The identity of his killer had died with him, or at least she thought it had.

She frowned.

What does he mean Jacob has been investigating it? Why would Jacob stir up that hornet’s nest?

A million questions filled her mind, followed by a sinking feeling of betrayal. Jacob knew she’d be a target if anyone found out she’d killed Meyer. Sure, it had been self-defense, but that wouldn’t matter. The Meyer crime family didn’t really see the distinction between murder and survival.

Why would Jacob investigate it when he was there? Why is he carrying around my father’s journal?

The more she thought about it, the more questions she had. Jacob had been distant lately. He was constantly disappearing at all hours for odd reasons, and their engagement seemed to be turning stagnant.

She stared down at the sparkling diamond ring on her finger. She’d been wearing it for two years with no plans to get married. They never discussed marriage or the future, and it was beginning to dawn on her that maybe it was because they didn’t have one.

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. Had she been so comfortable in her relationship that she hadn’t noticed that she didn’t have a real one?

If you propose to someone, you plan to marry them, don’t you? Instead, Jacob decided to sell me out to these goons.

She shook her head, trying to find any justification for what she’d just heard, but old suspicions arose to point out the flaws in every excuse she could give to Jacob.

No, he wouldn’t do that, would he?

She tried to think of any good reason why Jacob would unknowingly reveal her darkest secret, but she couldn’t come up with one.

Forcing herself to breathe, she closed her eyes for a moment as her world spiraled out of control.

Get a grip. You still need to save him. Then you can beat the truth out of him afterwards.

She clenched her free hand into a fist as she gripped the gun in the other.

Yeah, alright. Let’s do this.

She peered through the crack in the door. There were three men in the cabin, the captain, the co-pilot and Jacob. She paused as her eyes flicked over Jacob’s broad shoulders. She couldn’t feel anything beyond yearning for him, which made her angry.

Did he hustle me all this time?

She noted that only the captain had a gun, which was resting idly in his hand.

Without waiting for her emotions cool down, she pushed open the door and pointed the gun at the captain. “Drop the gun.” Her voice was cold and calculating, but then so were her thoughts now.

I guess I’m back in the game after all.