Hustle

by Claire Chilton

‘You want to eat, don’t you?’ He shrugged and carried on.

  ‘Not at this moment in time, no.’ Her stomach pinched at the sight of dead fish eyes when she glanced back at him.

  His shoulders tensed, and there was an icy moment of silence in the room. She could feel his anger rising. ‘Fine. Then don’t.’ He dropped the knife on the table and stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

  She sighed. The problem wasn’t the dead fish. It was the skeleton in the cave. We’re not going to get through this if we can’t work together.

  She stared at the closed door. Even though it was against her better judgement, she knew she had to talk to him. He was just going to get angrier if they didn’t come to some kind of resolution.

  This is going to suck. She swung open the door and followed him.

  He was sitting on the edge of the well under the cool glow of the moon while staring at his feet. She tentatively walked over to him, wary of starting another fight.

  ‘Thanks for all the fish,’ she said with a smile. He didn’t reply or crack a smile at the comedy reference. She sighed. ‘I didn’t mean to be ungrateful for the food.’

  ‘Forget it,’ he muttered, refusing to look at her.

  ‘We need to talk.’ She sat beside him on the ledge, glancing in his direction.

  ‘There’s nothing to talk about.’ He turned away from her.

  ‘There is. Your father, my father…I know as little as you do about it all. I want to talk about it.’

  He spun around to face her with angry eyes. ‘Isn’t that your talent, talking people around? You’re insane if you think it’s going to work on me.’

  She ground her teeth for a moment, and then exhaled slowly before speaking. ‘Fine, then you do the talking. I’ll listen.’

  He glanced up at her, his big brown eyes studying her in silence for a moment. ‘No, I want you to talk. Tell me what you know about my father’s death.’ He narrowed his eyes.

  She shrugged. ‘As much as you do. I didn’t know he was in that cave.’

  ‘So why go in the cave? Why come here at all?’

  ‘Well, you shot me and threw me on a boat—’

  ‘I didn’t fucking shoot you!’

  ‘Someone shot me, and you were the only person there.’

  ‘One of Meyer’s mercenaries shot you!’ His voice rose in anger.

  She frowned. He seemed genuine. But if Jacob hadn’t shot her then…She widened her eyes. He really was a nice guy. He really had helped her, and she had pushed him off a boat for it!

  She realised he was staring at her, and she coughed with embarrassment. ‘Ahem, I’m sorry I pushed you off the boat,’ she muttered. ‘I thought you were going to shoot me again.’

  He frowned. ‘I don’t care that I got a bit wet. That’s not why I hate you.’

  ‘Why do you hate me, then?’ She was certain she hadn’t done anything that bad to him. She considered it as she noted the faint trace of the letters D, I, C and K on his forehead.…

  ‘Because you’re a liar and a thief, because I’m going to lose my company without the tablet you broke and because your father killed my father! Isn’t that reason enough?’

  ‘I didn’t mean to break the tablet. It kinda fell apart in my hands, and you can’t blame me for what my father did. I didn’t even know he’d been to Costa Rica! There’s no way I could have known he was a killer.’

  ‘Then how did you find the body in the cave? Bullshit your way out of that if you think you can.’

  Ellie jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips. ‘I saw a photograph in my dad’s journal before I came here. In the picture, he was outside the cave with your dad. I recognised the cave. That’s why I went inside. I wanted to find out why he was here and why he never told me he’d been here!’ she shouted at Jacob, leaning closer to him until she was face to face with him. Her plan to resolve the situation rapidly disintegrated as he managed, yet again, to make her so infuriated that she wanted to kill him.

  ‘You expect me to believe that?’ He glared up at her, fire sparking in his eyes.

  ‘I don’t give a shit what you believe. It’s the truth, you fucking idiot!’

  ‘I’m the idiot? You’re the one who comes here without any idea what you’re doing. You can’t even start a fire!’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise I was in the presence of an elitist caveman! Tell me, when you see fire do you think: Ooh shiny thing?’

  ‘You know that throwing a lot of insults doesn’t make you less of an idiot, right?’

  ‘You’re the idiot. Why did you even come here? Were you that desperate for a date?’

  ‘I came here to save you!’ he roared. The air became heated with electricity. Before she could reply, he cupped her head and pulled her towards him, stunning her with a hard and punishing kiss. She reacted instantly, kissing back with urgent need. He stood up, lifting her with him as he rose, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him.

  His hand fisted her hair as she writhed against him. The world around her disappeared, so only she and Jacob remained. She could feel his heart pounding as she crushed herself against him. Her anger fuelled her passion, which was intent on connecting with him on a primal level.

  She moaned as his tongue thrust into her mouth, leaning over him and nipping at his devilish lips while his large hand pressed against her back, crushing her against his hard muscled body. She ran her fingers through his short dark hair and down his neck, then across his broad shoulders.

  As he strode towards the cabin with her captured in his arms, she gripped his shoulders with her hands and tightened her thighs around his waist, clinging to him with an animalistic urge to feel his naked skin against hers.

  The assault on her senses caused her to writhe in his arms. His free hand tugged up her vest before roaming up her naked back. She clawed at the collar of his shirt, ripping it open with wanton desire while kissing him, only breaking apart for gasps of air. He kicked open the cabin door and carried her inside with his lips crushed against hers.

  This is insane. But the words faded from her mind as she became lost in desire.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Ellie moaned softly and snuggled into the warm pillow. She was in the place between asleep and awake. The world around her was a dream with reality hovering on the sidelines. She relaxed amid the soothing rhythm of the waves crashing against the shores of a white sandy beach that could only be a dream. She stretched on the hot white sands in an attempt to wake up.

  Come on, sleepy head. Time to get up, there’s a lot to do. She couldn’t remember exactly what she needed to do today, but she always had something she had to do. There was rarely a time when she woke up with a lazy day ahead of her. ‘Never stop trying, kiddo, no matter how impossible is all seems. The minute you quit, you’re bound to fail.’ Whose voice was that? She frowned. It had interrupted her dreams. She knew the voice though. She just couldn’t remember. Dad? It was something Dad used to say when I was about to give up.

  She shook her head. Silly Ellie, wake up.

  Her fingers trailed over warm supple skin, and the dreams faded as stark reality hit her like a brick in the face. She shot awake and peered down at the tawny flesh she was fondling. Her pillow appeared to be a muscled chest, which was rhythmically rising up and down beneath her fingertips. The sound of the ocean was Jacob Hawkins’s deep snores. Oh, God, what did I do?

  The warm tingles all over her body told her exactly what she’d done, but she peered under the blanket all the same. Her body was naked and sprawled across Jacob’s equally naked form. She dropped the blanket and closed her eyes, but the image of his muscled thighs remained in her vision. The image of her thighs wrapped around his waist last night swiftly followed.

  She frowned and looked up to his face. He lay on his back with his chin resting on his shoulder. His dark lashes fluttered on his cheek as his eyes moved beneath the lids, but he remained fast asleep. She stared at his jaw and parted lips
, the sudden urge to kiss him causing her skin to heat up.

  Oh, this is not good. There were so many reasons why it was a bad idea, even if it had felt amazing. She fought the urges of her body and carefully rolled off the bed, trying not to wake him.

  Once standing, she glanced back to ensure that he was still sleeping. Her pulse sped up as she pulled on her clothes, quickly fastening her shorts and shrugging into her vest. I need to make sure Jimmy is okay before I deal with this. She glanced around the small cabin, pausing when she saw the open holdall on the floor at the end of the bed. Barefoot, she tiptoed over to the bag, trying not to wake Jacob.

  She snatched the mobile phone out of the bag, and then picked up her boots by the laces, planning on sneaking out to make a quick call. One of the laces unwound, and a boot hit the cracked wooden floorboards with a loud thud.

  Her heart jumped into her mouth as she spun around to see if Jacob had been woken by the sound. He mumbled something before rolling onto his side and hugging his pillow.

  She waited a beat for him to resume snoring, which he did with even louder snores. She exhaled, feeling relieved that he was a deep sleeper. She snatched the offending boot off the floor before hurrying out of the cabin.

  Once outside, she sat on the weathered steps and pulled on her boots. She stared across the village as the sun topped the surrounding jungle, beginning its rise into the sky. The morning air was crisp and fresh with a gentle breeze. She smiled out at the wilderness, enjoying the warmth on her skin and the memories of the night before.

  Okay, get a grip. You need to find Jimmy, then we can process the mess you’ve got yourself into this time.

  She picked up the mobile phone and walked into the jungle, out of earshot of the cabin while dialling Jimmy’s number.

  * * *

  Ellie sighed as she tried calling Jimmy’s number for the seventh time. It rang and rang with no response. Come on, where are you? Worry bubbled in her stomach. Had Meyer got him? Was he still alive?

  She jumped when the call finally answered. ‘Jimmy?’

  ‘Who the fu—’ Crackling noises followed as the call cut out, then came back. ‘Hello—?’

  ‘Jimmy, can you hear me? Are you okay?’ She tried to make sense of his words.

  ‘Ellie! Don—’ The call cut out again.

  ‘I can’t hear you. Let me know if you’re okay.’

  ‘I—jus—the boat—watch out. Bill—’ His words came out in between bursts of static.

  ‘Meyer is here. You need to get away from the island,’ she said, but the call cut off. Shit.

  She tried to call back, but the phone screen turned black as it shut down. Oh, come on, not now! She tried to turn the phone back on. It flashed a start-up screen, showing a dead battery before turning black again.

  She sighed and leaned against the tree she stood beside. Well, at least he’s alive. He’d said something about a boat and Bill. Wasn’t Bill the name of Jacob’s security guard? She frowned. I need to get off this island and find out what’s going on.

  She walked up a rocky incline and took a seat at the top, the mobile phone resting in her hands. I need to decide what I’m going to do next.

  Her emotions were whirling through her head in no particular order. Jimmy was alive, but she didn’t know if he was safe. Although, hearing his voice had been a relief, she was still worried about him. She’d managed to write off any confusion over what kind of person he was. He was Jimmy. There wasn’t an ounce of bad in him.

  Then there was Jacob, her latest complication. Last night she’d become lost in a dream world with him. The sex had been amazing. Just the thought of Jacob made her pulse speed up, and there was a longing ache in her heart.

  The idea of seeing him when he woke up caused a smile to play on her lips. He makes me happy. She frowned when she tried to imagine a future with him. Her family had murdered his. They were both trying to steal the Heart of Fortune from each other, and—since she’d met him—she’d been shot at and chased through the jungle like a fugitive. There were so many reasons why a relationship with him was bound to fail, so many reasons why falling for him was the stupidest thing she’d ever done.

  But she was falling for him. The strongest emotion she felt right now was love for Jacob. I think he loves me, too.

  She brushed back her hair with her fingers, which became caught in a wild tangled mess. She paused for moment, feeling her crazy locks. I guess wild sex gives you immense bedhead the next day. The memories of the night before made her smile again.

  Oh, great, he’s going to love waking up to see a dopey faced, frizzy head looking down on him. She tried to comb out some of the tangles with her fingers. Yes, because that’s the most important thing right now, brushing your fucking hair!

  She dropped her hand and stared up at the sky. It was cloudless and blue. The problem was the Heart. There was only one more place to check out on the map. If they worked together, they could grab it on their way off the island. We might as well. It’s on the way to the shore anyway. Then we can try to find Jimmy. But can I trust Jacob enough to work with him?

  You trusted him enough to sleep with him, a voice in her head reminded her.

  She’d never found it easy to trust anyone, especially not in her line of work. It would be a massive leap of faith to ignore her instincts. But I love him. That has to mean something, right?

  You loved your father. Could you trust him?

  She sighed. It was the worst time for her to take a chance on someone, but the powerful emotions of love were clouding her vision.

  I need him. He acted like he loved me last night. That has to mean something.

  Greed is what ruined both of our fathers. They were friends once. Perhaps we can mend what was broken by joining together. She smiled up at the sun-touched treetops. Screw it. I’m going to take a chance. She made her choice, and it was Jacob. I’m going to tell him everything and that I love him, too. I want to share everything with him. I’ll risk it all for him.

  * * *

  Ellie hurried back towards the village with a strong urge to tell Jacob how she felt about him burning through her. I need to tell him. He doesn’t know. What if he thinks I just slept with him to try to con him? I need to show him how I feel. Actions speak louder than words, right?

  She heard gunshots in the distance and gasped. They’d come from behind her. They’re nearby! I need to get to Jacob. He might be in trouble.

  She ran through the jungle, knocking leaves and branches out of her way, hurrying towards the village. Please, let him be okay. Please, let him be okay.…

  She came to a halt behind the trees that bordered the village. It seemed deserted, but she waited a moment for any sign of movement. Nothing.

  So far, so good. She hurried over to the cabin, scanning the area as she made a mad dash for it.

  She rushed through the door expecting to find Jacob still in bed, but the blood drained out of her face when she saw that it was empty.

  Where is he? Her heart hammered and her pulse sped up. Did they find him here? Did they take him somewhere else and shoot him?

  Pain spiked in her chest. No, no, no. I can’t lose him now. I only just found him.

  She heard more gunshots in the distance and jumped as each one cracked through the air.

  Maybe he went for water. She tried to see the bright side, but the constant gunfire told a different story.

  She lowered her head, staring at the bag on the floor. She didn’t know what to do. If he’d gone for water and she went after the mercenaries, she’d be putting them both in danger. But if the mercenaries had him, every second she waited was one in which he could die.

  What should I do? Think, think.…

  She frowned as she stared at the open bag on the floor. If the mercenaries got him, why didn’t they take our supplies?

  It was a glint of hope. It was a stupid piece of evidence to use, but surely they’d have at least searched the bag for the Heart, or taken the gun unless they were tot
ally brainless.

  She crouched beside the bag and peered inside it. There was her hairbrush, her lighter, a bottle of water…She paused when she noticed the gun. There was a piece of paper from her notebook wrapped around the barrel.

  She plucked the gun out of the bag and studied it. The piece of paper rolled off it and fluttered to the floor. After examining the gun, which was still loaded with the safety turned on, she dropped it back into the bag.

  There was a coldness gripping her heart as she picked up the piece of paper from the cracked floorboards. She unfolded it and peered at the words written on it:

  Ellie,

  When I woke up and you were gone, I realised that it was only a matter of time before you went after the Heart. It’s not safe for you. Stay here. It’s not worth dying over.

  Jacob

  Coldness froze her heart as she flipped the page over. That was all it said. No declarations of love, no promises to come back for her, just a short note telling her to stay here.

  Son of a bitch! She grabbed the bag and tipped it out onto the floor. He’d left her half the supplies, but taken the map and compass with him. She closed her eyes for a moment as uncontrollable rage flowed through her body. She clenched her jaw, gritting her teeth to stop herself from screaming. He played me!

  She clenched her hands into fists, anger burning through her veins. She couldn’t decide who she hated the most, him for playing her or her for falling for it.

  I can’t believe I was coming here to tell him I loved him! Why didn’t I see it? I should know better. Confidence men have been playing this game for centuries! He’s just a whore. I just paid for the most expensive sex in history!

  Good job you enjoyed it then, a sarcastic voice in her mind spoke up.

  She rolled her eyes. Fuck you, and fuck love and…

  Fuck Jacob Hawkins? Oh, you already did that.

  Ellie scowled and began throwing items back into the bag. She wasn’t just angry with herself, she was arguing with herself. I’m going to make him pay for this.

  She pulled the gun out of the bag, zipped up the holdall and swung it over her shoulder before rising to her feet.