Spotting Ken, one of my mother’s most treasured workers, rushing past, I managed to snag him by the sleeve. He paused, his eyes widening upon seeing me.
“Ella! You need to get on a lifeboat! Haven’t you heard the announcements?” he demanded, trying to tug me along. I dug my heels in, feeling more like my mother with each passing moment. “Ella, please! Come along, now,” he ordered brusquely.
I narrowed my eyes, keeping hold of his sleeve.
“Have you seen my mother? She’s not on the deck with everyone else. She wasn’t in the lifeboats or her room, either,” I hissed urgently. Ken stiffened, and he struggled to meet my gaze.
“The only other place I could imagine she’d be is in her makeshift office. She took one of the spare rooms on the lower deck and made it into a study for the duration of the cruise. You know how your mother is, always eager to stay on schedule,” he panted.
“What good is a schedule if she’s dead?” I shouted angrily, pushing away from him. “What’s the room number?”
“104. You be careful, Ella. If she’s down there, you need to grab her and get out,” he said fearfully.
Nodding briskly, I turned my back on Ken and sprinted in the direction of room 104. I hadn’t even known my mother had a makeshift office on the cruise ship, but I supposed it was just like her to find a place to work, even on vacation. For all I knew, she was using it to get away from her brat of a daughter.
I swore as I raced down the hall, nearly breaking my ankle as one of my heels snapped off. Rolling my eyes, I kicked off the high-heeled shoes and continued to sprint barefoot. The floor was hot underfoot, but I didn’t exactly have time to find a new pair of shoes to wear.
“Mom!” I screamed, hoping she would hear me and come out from wherever the hell she was.
Finally, I came to the room where Ken had told me she might be, slamming my elbow into the door and bursting inside. That room had been nearly turned upside down as well, but much to my relief, my mother was there, stood towards the back. She was deep in the process of tearing the place apart, and I rushed towards her, grabbing her by the arm.
“Mom, we have to go. They’re evacuating the ship, the fire—” I began, only to be cut short by a choked out sob.
“I can’t find my flash drive. Ella, that thing could make or break the entire business. That drive is my life,” she sobbed.
I gritted my teeth, trying to swallow my anger. I had a feeling she’d have little luck finding the flash drive, almost certain that ‘Paul’ had already snatched it by now. I couldn’t voice that thought, though. For one thing, I didn’t want my mom to play the ‘I told you so” card; for another, in spite of his betrayal, my heart still ached for the man I’d fallen for. The man who wasn’t even real.
While Paul Drake was but a figment of my imagination, the body he occupied was still very much beautiful. Moreover, his personality, whether it was fabricated or not, made me feel things I had never felt in my entire life. I was reluctant to turn him in without at least some evidence that he had betrayed me and my mom. There was no excuse he could offer, truly, but I could still dream.
My mom continued to rummage through her desk drawers, her cursing growing louder and more frantic as she searched. Smoke was beginning to billow in under the door, and my heart nearly seized in my chest as I realized that the fire couldn’t be far off now.
“Mom! Forget the drive! What use are the files to us if we’re dead?” I screamed, rushing towards her and trying to drag her away from the desk.
She clung to it a moment longer, tears streaming down her face. Then, she turned to consider me. Actually looked at me, her only daughter. Dread seemed to wash over her, and she pulled me into her arms.
“You should have gone without me,” she wept.
I pushed away from her, looking her in the eye for a moment before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“I could never,” I murmured.
I turned my back to her, rushing towards the door. I reached out to grasp the handle, screaming and jerking my hand back as the white hot metal seared my hand.
“Ella,” my mother cried out, rushing up to me.
I turned to face her, a sick sense of terror filling me to the brim. It was too late. The fire was just outside the door, and we were trapped in this room. My mother was worrying with my hand, muttering about finding some ointment or some other stupid, pointless thing. I jerked my hand away, tears falling freely down my cheeks.
“Mom, I’m sorry,” I whispered weakly.
She looked at me with confusion, and I drew her close in spite of how much my hand pained me. I buried my face in her hair, sobs shaking my body.
“I should have listened to you. I shouldn’t have been such a horrible daughter these past few days. I should have…I should have listened,” I wept.
She brushed a hand through my hair, sighing quietly.
“It’s all right, baby. I’m sorry, too,” she croaked.
She began to cough, then, and I realized smoke was flooding the room. I turned towards the door which was now being licked by flames. My heart sank, and I reached out to grasp my mother’s hand.
“This is it…isn’t it?” I mused.
She tightened her grip on my hand, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was sending jolts of pain through my body. Not that it would make much difference when we were up in flames. I simply wished I had gotten to see Paul one last time. Even knowing that he was not the man I thought he was, I couldn’t shake the thought that he was the one person I was meant to spend my life with.
As I imagined what our trip across Europe might have been like, I swore I could hear his voice calling for me.
“Little bird, little bird,” he shouted. I smiled to myself, realizing the smoke inhalation must have been making me delirious.
“Do you hear that?” my mother said incredulously, and I looked at her with wide eyes.
Were we stuck in some sort of fever dream together, some sort of mutual hallucination?
“Ella!” Paul cried out again, and I looked up to the window in the corner of the room.
There, instead of open water, I saw perhaps the most beautiful vision I had ever seen in my life. Paul was hanging on to a rope, banging against the window in desperation. After everything that had happened, he’d come to our rescue.
Before I could start moving, my mother was dragging me towards the window. Undoing the latch, she raised the glass, and Paul coughed as smoke plumed in his face.
“I can’t believe it,” my mother muttered, and Paul considered her with a vaguely disdainful expression before turning to me.
“Come on,” he urged, and I had little choice but to obey as my mother pushed me towards the window. I crawled up on the edge, balancing precariously as Paul handed the rope to me.
“How did you…?” I began uncertainly.
I stared up the length of rope, noting that it seemed to go all the way to the upper deck.
“I’ll explain later! Just climb,” he ordered gently.
In spite of the pain in my hand, I knew if I dawdled much longer, all three of us would suffer the same fate. So, as painful as the sensation of rope against my burned hand was, I began to climb as quickly as I was able.
After a long moment, I felt the tug of the rope beneath me, and looked down to see my mother climbing out the window, aided by Paul. She wheezed, nearly losing her grip.
“Mom!” I cried out, fear lancing through my heart.
“I’ve got her, Ella! Keep climbing!” Paul—or whatever his name was—yelled.
He held my mother in his arms, supporting her weight as he climbed up the rope behind me. Tears filled my eyes, and I had to swallow shrieks of pain each time I raised one hand above the other.
Soon enough, I had made it to the upper deck where the rope was tied off. I had no idea where to go from there, and I simply clung to the rope until Paul and my mom drew nearer.
“We’ll have to cross the upper deck; the lifeboats are on
the other side,” he called out, and I gingerly reached out to pull myself onto the deck.
Paul leaped up behind me, managing to push my weak mother up as well. He helped her to her feet, considering me with sadness in his eyes.
“How could you…?” I began, but he shook his head.
“Now’s not the time, Ella. I know I can’t ask you to trust me, not after everything that’s happened. But right now, you just have to listen. We have to cross the deck and jump overboard into the lifeboat that’s waiting below. If we stop or get off track in any way, the deck could collapse beneath us. Whatever happens, keep running. Don’t stop. And whatever you do, when you jump? Don’t look down.”
Looking between him and my mother, I drew in a shaky breath before nodding my head.
“All right,” I breathed.
I turned to face the opposite side of the deck, seeing that most of it was already consumed in flames. There was only a small patch that was still safe to walk on, and we would have to move fast. In spite of knowing I shouldn’t trust Paul, everything within me—my head, and my heart—was telling me to listen to him.
“Ella, honey, you can do it,” my mother urged from behind me, and I noticed just how pale her skin was. She needed medical attention as soon as possible, and I wasn’t doing her any favors dawdling on this side of the ship.
“Follow close behind me, with her,” I ordered Paul, and he nodded without hesitation.
I managed a smile, though it was the last thing I felt like doing. My hand was oozing blood, the pain shooting through it nearly unbearable. It seemed like we were seconds away from being trapped, and I realized then that I could waste no more time.
I lurched across the deck, remaining as light footed as I was able. I barely touched down before springing ahead, the fire-hot wood stinging my bare feet. I could hear Paul and my mother scurrying behind me, and I heard him swear loudly as a cracking sound ripped through the air.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw part of the deck fell away. I screamed as Paul nearly lost his balance, only to catch himself just before falling over the edge. He grabbed my mother once more, darting behind me. I remembered his advice as I grew near the edge of the ship: don’t look down. I could only trust that there was a lifeboat down there somewhere, and not the frigid waters of the ocean.
I came to the edge and jumped with as much strength as I was able. I heard Paul and my mom jump just to the side of me, and squeezed my eyes shut.
Before I knew what was happening, we had crash landed with a thump and a splash. I opened my eyes, relieved to see that we had landed on a life raft. My mother looked at me with wide eyes, and I staggered towards her, pulling her into my arms. We had made it. We had survived.
All because of the conman who had captured my heart.
Chapter Fifteen
Ella
The man I knew as Paul watched me with remorse in his gaze, but I was hesitant to address him. He had saved both my and my mother’s lives, but truthfully I had no idea who he was. His intentions in joining this cruise now seemed obvious; he had been intending to steal from my mother all the while. I still had no idea when he would have had time to steal the flash drive from her, considering most of our time on board had been spent making love.
Had it all been some game to him? Any sane person would come to the conclusion that he was a lowlife, a fraudster, but my heart still longed for him. Talk about desperate. My mother was deep in conversation with him, thanking him for saving our lives while completely oblivious to his actual intent. I had wanted her to like him, and it seemed I had gotten my wish. How ironic that I would now be the one to reveal that it had been his fault we’d nearly died. He’d saved us, yes, but if he hadn’t stolen that goddam drive…
Still, there was a pang in my heart as his eyes traced my face. It looked as if there were so much he longed to say, only he was afraid to say it on this crowded life raft.
I glanced into the distance, where the coast was now visible. It wouldn’t be long before we were on dry land, safe to pursue our futures, whatever they may be. I was troubled by the thought, because on some level, I still longed for that trip to Europe.
In spite of all he had done, in spite of the lies, I loved him. The question simply was whether I truly loved him, or the idea of himself that he had fabricated.
Minutes later, I was dragged from my thoughts as we struck land, and the small group that was gathered on the life raft scrambled out onto dry land. Paul, or whatever his name was, offered me his hand, smiling nervously. I grasped it in my own, familiar jolts of electricity shooting through my body. As we stepped out of the raft, I looped my arm through my mother’s to help her out as well.
As my bare feet touched the warm sand, an abrupt thrill shot through me. Perhaps he had told his share of lies, but if this man truly felt nothing for me, he would have left me to fry. Of that much, I was certain. He would have had little issue selling the stolen usb device if both my mother and I were dead. Who would press charges? He’d kissed that opportunity goodbye when he’d risked his life to save us.
That had to mean something, didn’t it?
“The paramedics will be here soon, Ms. Beck,” one of the crew members informed my mother, and I guided her to a seated position on the ground. She looked worse for wear, but at least she was alive.
I inhaled a shuddering breath, turning to face the man who had stolen my heart.
“Ella, I’m so sorry. You must think—” he began, but I was swift to cut him off.
Overcome with emotion, with the sheer thrill of having survived, I couldn’t resist the desire to kiss those perfectly formed lips, tangle my hands in his sweat-soaked hair. He seemed hesitant to return to embrace, but that suited me just as well. I was content to explore his mouth to my heart’s content.
When my mother cleared her throat behind us, however, I jumped away from him. He had a dazed expression on his face, and God help me, he was such a beautiful bastard.
“You son of a bitch,” I swore angrily, slapping him across the face.
My mother gasped, grasping at my skirt to pull me away from the man who had saved our lives.
“Ella, for God’s sake,” she blurted out, and Paul chuckled weakly, rubbing his reddening cheek.
“No, Martha. I deserved it, and so much more. The truth is, I didn’t join the crew simply to serve as an entertainer. I came into some information about your USB drive, and I was…eager to get my paws on it,” he admitted, turning to face me once more.
“But, Ella, I swear to you. You were never part of the plan. I never planned…I never planned to fall in love with you.”
I felt my cheeks redden, the slightest bit of delight welling up within me. There was one more score to settle, however.
“Give my mom back her goddam USB drive, will you? We nearly died looking for the thing,” I demanded, unable to help the iciness from creeping into my tone.
Paul tilted his head curiously, crossing his arms over his chest.
“But I don’t have it,” he said bluntly. “I never took it. After you told me that you wanted to change your fate, I knew that I had no choice but to go straight. I never touched your ma’s goods. Wait, that sounded wrong,” he muttered, making a face.
A laugh bubbled up past my lips, and I shook my head incredulously before pulling him into my arms. I buried my face in his shoulder, pressing tender kisses to the exposed skin there. His skin was covered in smoke and soot, and it wasn’t an appetizing taste, to say the least, but I was more than prepared to kiss every inch of him.
“You…you didn’t take it? You swear? Swear to me, Paul or…whatever the hell your name is,” I demanded.
He quirked a brow, looking more than vaguely bemused.
“I swear to you, little bird. I didn’t take the damn thing. I know I can’t ask you to trust me, but come on, baby. I have to get some lifesaving brownie points or something, right?”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, and I cursed myself for how easily I was
overtaken by my own emotions. I kissed him again, desperately clinging to him as if I would die if he slipped away. At that moment, I wasn’t sure I could survive without him. Still, if he hadn’t stolen the USB…
“If you didn’t take it…and I believe that you didn’t. At least, I want to believe it. But if you didn’t take the USB device, where could it have gone? My mother never takes the blasted thing off. Hell, I doubt she even takes it off to shower,” I huffed.
Paul shrugged his shoulders, and I breathed a frustrated sigh. Realizing with a start that my mother had been all too quiet for the past few moments, I turned to check and make sure she was still breathing.
She was alive, all right, though significantly more pale than I remembered. I stepped away from Paul, dropping to my knees in front of her and grasping her hands.
“Mom, Mommy, are you okay? You don’t look so good. God, where are those paramedics?” I wondered aloud, squeezing her hands.
She met my gaze, an inexplicable sadness in her eyes. I parted my lips to ask what was wrong, panic sweeping over me. After all that had happened, she couldn’t die like this. She was too damn tough to die.
I reached out to touch her cheek, and she coughed weakly before clearing her throat.
“Ella, honey…I’m so sorry,” she began, and I felt tears pool in my eyes.
“Mom, it’s okay. Whatever you have to say, it’s okay. Just try to hold on until the paramedics get here,” I said desperately.
Her sadness shifted to confusion, and she quirked a brow.
“Jesus Christ, Ella. I’m not dying. You’re so melodramatic,” she groaned, drawing me into her arms.
“If you’re not in pain or… Well, if you’re okay, why do you look so troubled?” I demanded.
She hesitated, looking as if she would like nothing more than to bolt from the scene. Just to ensure she did no such thing, I tightened my grip on her. She frowned, trying to shake off my hands.
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