Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom

by Magda Alexander

  She’s crazy. Don’t let her cruel words seep in. It’s just a ploy.

  Black spots formed in her line of vision. Becca felt like the world was tipping upside down over and over.

  “Cat got your tongue? Should have figured you weren’t gonna be able to talk. Yeah, I knew about that. I’ve learned so much about you and Hunter over the past twenty years. I told you I’d make you remember.”

  Becca clenched her fist, grasping blindly around her. She held back another sob, trying to stay strong.

  “Did you know Rusty Lange had a family before you? Your dad used to be my dad. Well, not officially. He married my mom, but that dumb bitch pushed everyone away. She drove your dad away and then married some crap ass moron afterward. The guy used to beat me, especially when he couldn’t get my mom to pay attention. Daddy used to talk to me, until his new family came along. Ahh, Anne and Ellie. Then came you, the biggest surprise of all!

  “I’d convinced him to come and get me, take me home with him here. Boy, what truths I uncovered taking the flight that night. I learned about the real you. Perfect for me, I could make my escape. What the-I thought you knew how to fly this thing?” she screeched. “Idiot!”

  She wasn’t making sense.

  The real Becca? What was she saying? What did she know?

  Another loud, ringing sound filled the air. Becca didn’t know what. Pain exploded in her head, and she couldn’t think or see straight. She heard yelling between the woman and the pilot, and there was a lot of shaking.

  It’s just like that night. It was happening again.

  A second time.

  Pop! Pop! Pop!

  “What the hell are you doing?” the pilot screamed. He sounded terrified. “You fucking shot me! I’m bleeding! You’re going to leave me here to die? I’ve been on your side this entire time!”

  “Might as well. You’re too stupid to fly this damn thing. I’m jumping ship, or should I say plane,” the eerie voice said from somewhere near Becca.

  Pain continued to throb in her head as she blinked, hoping her vision would clear enough to see what was going on.

  “You’re crazy!”

  She squeezed her eyes shut once more before finally opening them. Her body felt like she’d been tossed under a bus. She blinked. The blurriness cleared. The woman stood by the plane’s door with something on her back. Her hand was on the door.

  She scrambled to get up, but her legs didn’t want to work with her.

  “Don’t call me crazy, you bastard.” The woman’s eyes blazed with an intense fury. “I’m not crazy. Hope you both rot in hell!” She opened the door, pushing with all her weight. What felt like a huge gust of wind blew into the plane, enhancing the instability of it even more. To Becca’s horror, she jumped.

  Even though she couldn’t make a sound, her mouth formed an O.

  “Fuck!” the man yelled. He leaped over Becca and staggered toward the door. “She had this damn thing planned.” He looked down. He was about to reach out and grab the handle when the plane shuddered. “We ain’t gonna be able to get this thing closed. We’re at such a low altitude … she’s got a parachute. What a bitch!”

  He should be flying the plane!

  Becca’s headache worsened. Her ears popped to the point they hurt. She covered her ears and winced. Frantically, she gestured toward the front of the plane, hoping he’d get the message and get back there!

  “I need your help.” The man stood before her now, blood splattered all over his shirt. It continued to spread, like a crimson plague. “We’ve got to land this thing as best we can before we both die!”

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  “Mayday, mayday, mayday!”

  Becca sat in the co-pilot seat next to the bleeding man. She helped him into his seat as the plane descended. He fiddled with buttons, swearing every other word. Finally, he called for help on the little radio.

  She heard a few voices, but Becca couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying. It wasn’t until she heard Hunter’s voice that she focused.

  “What the hell is going on up there? Where’s Becca? Who the hell are you?”

  Becca finally opened her eyes and stared at the pilot.

  “She’s here. Look, I don’t fully know what I’m doing here. The door is open and that bitch jumped out,” the man coughed and sputtered, spitting blood. She feared he would pass out or worse, die. Then what next? “She shot me. I’m bleeding.”

  “How the hell did you get the plane in the air if you don’t know what you’re doing?” Hunter yelled. “You know what, never mind. That doesn’t matter.”

  Oh Hunter, I wish I could talk to you right now.

  She fought to stay calm. Every muscle in her body clenched and spasmed. Just the sound of Hunter’s voice began to soothe her. She sucked in a breath, waiting for what would happen next. Her head hurt so bad, every so often she saw spots. At least she was alive. That had to count for something right now and she’d hold onto that as long as she could.

  They just had to make it out of this.

  “We’re descending” Cough cough cough. “Really fast.” He was now coughing up blood. Becca had a bad feeling about his fate.

  “Look for the altitude indicator,” Hunter instructed. “You want the wings to be level with the horizon. Pull the yoke toward you and level out.”

  Becca watched as the man did exactly what Hunter said. They weren’t descending like crazy anymore. She breathed a sigh of relief. First step done. They were a long way from being safe, but it was a start.

  “What’s your altitude?” Hunter asked.

  “Seventy five hundred-” Cough cough “Feet.”

  He kept coughing up blood. The man’s dark blue eyes fixed on her for a moment. Regret shimmered there. He mouthed a ‘sorry’ at her.

  Sorry? He wanted to say sorry now? He’d helped some crazy woman try to kill her, and now that she bailed on him, he wanted to apologize? Becca hissed. Before he turned back to the controls, his eyes rolled up. All she could see was the whites. Then, he slumped over.

  Panic seized Becca. Oh God, she would have to figure out how to do this. Hunter was on the other end of that radio, but she couldn’t talk to him.

  She reached over the man and grabbed the headset. She could hear Hunter somewhat before, but she wanted to hear everything better now. She had to.

  “Hello? Hello? Hey! What happened?” Hunter shouted. Static crackled along with his voice. “Damn it! Bec? Can you hear me? If you’re right there, I need you to let me know. I know you aren’t able to talk, so cough twice if you are there and can hear me. To respond to me, you have to press the button, but when you’re done you need to release it so I can talk to you.”

  Good thinking. Becca forced out two coughs. Her throat was parched and it hurt.

  “Good girl. Okay, two coughs are yes from now on, one for no. I’m going to ask yes or no questions when I need to know something. The man who’s been flying the plane-did he just pass out?”

  Cough cough.

  Hopefully only passed out and not dead. She wasn’t about to check for a pulse. As much as she hated the idea of him dying, even considering what he’d done, her priority was to figure out how to get out of this alive.

  “Damn, not good. Bec, make sure you take a deep breath. I’m going to talk you through landing the plane. Are you hurt?”

  Cough cough.

  Land this plane? Was he crazy?

  But she had no other choice.

  “You’re not bleeding anywhere, are you?”

  She didn’t think so, but her hand flew to the back of her head where she’d hit the seat earlier. She felt a bump, but when she thrust her hand in front of her face, there was no blood.

  Cough.

  Hunter sighed in relief. “Look for the altitude indicator. Are the wings and horizon still level? The blue is for the sky, the brown is for the ground.”

  Cough cough.

  Becca wished he’d taught her what some of the controls were that night the
y were here together. Who would have thought she’d need to know them in such a dire situation?

  “That’s good. Give me a second. I’m looking up where the plane is so I can better assist you on where to land. Look for the speed indicator. Is the needle in the green zone?”

  She coughed twice once she found it and could answer his question.

  “Okay, so far things are smooth, if you want to call that smooth. You’re flying over pretty open area right now. That’s a good thing. Bec, the man said the door was open. It still is, right?”

  Cough cough.

  She pushed away the reoccurring image of that woman jumping. She had to have slipped on the parachute pack when Becca lost her vision temporarily. Maybe she’d planned the whole thing all along, or it had been her back up plan when they weren’t going to make it to the original destination, wherever that was.

  She had so many more questions and didn’t know how or when she’d ever get answers.

  “Damn it. She really jumped?”

  Cough cough.

  “Okay, Bec. There’s not a runway nearby and I’m not going to try and have you come back to the airport. You need to look out for trees and power lines. You don’t want to land around any of those. I’m going to need you to pull back the throttle. This is going to reduce power. Listen for the engines to change. When you hear that, cough twice so I know. Make sure to keep the speed in the green area.”

  Her hands were shaky, but she followed his instructions. When she heard the change, she coughed to let him know.

  “You’re doing beautifully, angel. I know you’re scared out of your mind, and so am I. We’re going to get you landed. I wish I could be there to hold you immediately, but I’m glad to be the one guiding you. I’ve called the police. You won’t be alone long. When I know you’re down on the ground and safe, I’ll be on my way.”

  He was good in a crisis. So calm. If anyone else was on the other end, she may not have the strength.

  Becca looked over at the man, still slumped over. She couldn’t be completely sure, but she thought he was still breathing. She quickly put her focus back on the plane. Outside, the world below her came closer and closer. What a haunting sight. At least the plane wasn’t plummeting full force.

  I can do this. I have to do this.

  “Just keep up with everything I say. If you have a problem cough like this.” He made a different sound. “We’re almost there. You were already at a low altitude, so getting you on the ground should be pretty simple.”

  Step by step, with a gentle ease, Hunter gave her instructions. She repeated steps in her mind that she needed to remember. As the plane neared the ground, she cringed, fearing a crash even though she was almost done. A sob erupted from her throat.

  “Shh… It’s okay. We’re almost there, Becca. Stay calm and in control. We’ve got this,” he soothed. “Remember, it’s a storm and we get through them.”

  After she raised the nose to flare, it was time to put it in idle. Hunter instructed her on how to do so. The plane was going so fast! Did she really have the power to slow this thing down without killing herself in the process? She fought down another wave of nausea and listened for Hunter’s voice.

  “Time to hit the brakes, angel. You want to be gentle. We don’t want you to skid. You want to press on top of the rudder pedals.”

  Becca wanted to close her eyes, but she concentrated. Her foot slipped once and she gasped, but she found the strength to push forward and did exactly what Hunter said.

  Sure enough, the plane kept slowing. As the trees and land whizzed by a little slower, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d done it. The plane was on the ground, coming to a stop.

  “You can turn everything off now, angel. You did it.” Hunter choked up. “You landed.”

  Becca lowered her head in her hands and sobbed. They were uncontrollable, painful sobs, and she couldn’t stop.

  A few minutes later, the sound of sirens couldn’t have been any more of a great relief. Becca wanted to bolt out and meet them, but she stayed right where she was in her seat so that she could hear Hunter’s voice. She didn’t think her shaky legs would cooperate with her anyway.

  “I’m coming to get you, Bec. I hear the sirens, so I know you’re going to be in good hands. I promise I won’t be long. I love you. I love you so damn much.”

  She continued to cry as Hunter’s voice cracked. She wanted so badly to tell him that she loved him too. The police and paramedics climbed up on the plane and found her clutching the headset as she cried uncontrollably.

  *****

  Hunter already called Shara, Beverly and Todd to let them all know what was going on. They wanted to go with him, but he’d already been on the road, en route to Becca and the plane. He’d have to call her grandparents, Rissi and maybe even Vince. Right now, all he wanted was to gather Becca in his arms and keep her safe, to see that she was really okay.

  Finally, he made it. The constant flashing of the blue and red lights etched a memory in his mind. Helicopters flew overhead. Damn it, why did the media have to be all over this right now? He parked the car in front of the police barricade. Just as he climbed out of the car, a tall officer stepped up to him.

  “Sir, you can’t be here.”

  “The hell I can’t. That’s my girlfriend and my plane. I need to get to her right now.” Hunter glared, daring the man to stop him.

  The officer sighed. “I’ll just need to confirm your ID.”

  He could care less about waiting around, but Hunter fished his wallet out, showing the cop his information. As soon as he handed Hunter his ID back, he grabbed it and ran. He figured the cops would yell, but they let him through. Now to get through this maze of law enforcement and find Becca. It didn’t take long. He spotted her, sitting between two officers, a plaid blanket draped around her shoulders. Even from a few yards away, Hunter noticed her visibly shaking. Her hair was a mess and she held a pen and pad in her hand, furiously writing on it. On his arrival, the officers glared at him. Hunter ignored them and sank to his knees on the ground at Becca’s feet. “Becca! I was so scared! Oh thank God, you’re okay. You’re here.”

  Becca dropped the pen and pad and flew into Hunter’s arms. She cried against his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.

  “You’re okay,” he whispered again. “Oh baby, I’m so sorry for everything. So damn sorry, Becca.” He bear-hugged her, never wanting to let her go again. From behind him, Hunter heard a squabble.

  “We just want a word with the victim-”

  Fucking reporters, already here looking for a story.

  He raised his head, glaring at the cops. “Please keep those damn reporters away from here.”

  One nodded and took off, the other gave Hunter a long, cold stare. “And who are you?”

  “Hunter Beckman. Becca is my girlfriend, and that’s my plane. I just got here. I was the one that instructed her how to land. Do you know much of what happened?”

  The cop took his hat off and raked a hand over his buzzed head. “We’re still trying to figure that out. Ms. Lange can’t speak, so she’s been writing everything down. It’s a little hard reading her handwriting because her hands are so shaky. Most of the time she seems to go off into shock. The man on the plane with her isn’t conscious and in very bad shape. He was shot.” He seemed relieved that Hunter was here.

  Hunter tipped Becca’s face up so he could look at her. “I’ll interpret while you sign.” He kissed her cheek, which was soaked with tears.

  Becca nodded. She was still visibly shaking. As Becca flew through the signs, Hunter watched carefully and explained everything to the police.

  “Bec, take it easy. You’re going so fast I’m having a hard time keeping up,” he said softly, taking in the information. What Becca relayed about the woman on the plane didn’t add up.

  If only he’d stayed on the plane for a little longer. He could have caught that woman and the guy before any of this happened. Becca’s eyes filled with tears as she ex
plained the whole story time after time, Hunter repeating everything she signed.

  She wasn’t hurt, other than a bump on the back of the head from hitting one of the plane’s seats.

  The hot blazing summer sun beat down on them. Becca pushed the blanket off of her and let out a long deep sigh. Hunter slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

  “Is this going to be much longer? How many times does Becca have to go through the whole story before she gets a little bit of a break. Hasn’t she been through enough today?” Hunter snapped. He understood they wanted to get down to the bottom of this. Hell, he did too, but beating the same story to death time after time wouldn’t do any good. He just wanted to take her home and hold her all day. “Shouldn’t you be out looking for the woman that jumped?” He hated that she was still at large. No questions would be answered as long as they had no idea of her whereabouts.

  Another person from the press ran over their way, a microphone in hand and a camera man following. “Can we get-”

  “Get out of here!” Hunter roared, jumping to his feet. “We don’t need the news in our face. Damn it, we haven’t even contacted her family to let them know what’s going on yet. They sure as hell don’t need to see this shit on the news!”

  When the woman opened her mouth to protest, Hunter thrust his hand outward and pointed. “I mean it. Go.” He sat down again. Becca moved closer to him and shivered. “Look, if we’re going to keep this up, at least take us somewhere private so that Becca’s not hounded by the spectators. I’m begging you,” Hunter snapped at the two officers that had been sitting with them the entire time.

  A few hours crawled by and the cops almost had enough information to realize neither Becca or Hunter was a suspect and let them go. They had the typical don’t leave town warning as the investigation would continue, but Hunter had no plans on leaving any time soon. He had messages and calls from the Sundstroms and Shara. He wanted his plane brought back to the airport, but that wouldn’t happen right away.

  One cop suggested Becca go back on the plane and give them a run down of how things went. Hunter had to catch her as her legs wobbled. She kept shaking her head, the tears streaming down her face again.