
# HUSTLE

THE HUNTED HEARTS

CLAIRE CHILTON

# CONTENTS

* * *

  * START
  * CONTENTS
  * DEDICATIONS
  * 1. THE HEIST
  * 2. ESCAPE ROUTE
  * 3. A FRESH START
  * 4. THE GETAWAY
  * 5. HIDDEN TREASURE
  * 6. CAPTIVE
  * 7. BREAKOUT
  * 8. THE TRAP
  * 9. TREASURE MAP
  * 10. INCOGNITO
  * 11. THE HIT
  * 12. DARK JUNGLE
  * 13. UNLIKELY HERO
  * 14. RECOVERY
  * 15. OVERBOARD
  * 16. RECONNAISSANCE
  * 17. SURVIVAL KIT
  * 18. HAUNTED PAST
  * 19. REVENGE
  * 20. ENEMY OF MY ENEMY
  * 21. JUNGLE HEAT
  * 22. THE MORNING AFTER
  * 23. DEADFALL
  * 24. SHOWDOWN
  * 25. DOUBLE-CROSS
  * 26. FINAL SCORE
  * HACKER
    * 1. HACKTIVIST
    * 2. PWNED
    * 3. I SEE YOU
  * AUTHOR
  * MORE BOOKS

# HUSTLE

THE HUNTED HEARTS

RULE#1: DON'T STEAL HIS HEART

After ripping off a dangerous mob boss, Ellie Phillips decides it's time to quit hustling and give up her life of crime. She just needs a big score. Then she can give up the grift and start anew.

When she steals a map from Jacob Hawkins that shows the location of a huge heart-shaped diamond, she decides it's time to go treasure hunting. It's just one last hustle before she goes straight.

She thinks she's made a clean getaway when she jets off to South America with the map, but Jacob isn't letting it or Ellie get away so easily. With the mob hot on her trail and the bullets flying, she finally meets her match when she ends up in Jacob's sights.

# DEDICATIONS

* * *

This book is dedicated to Jonathan Eldred for his ongoing support and wonderful ideas for this story. Without your inspiration, it wouldn't have been such an exciting adventure. You're the best muse a girl could have.

I would also like to thank Eileen Gormley and Caroline McCall (also known as Evie Hunter) for their excellent advice and expert assistance with my sticky sentences. Thank you for being great friends and mentors.

Thank you to everyone at Wattpad and Harlequin for supporting this story, and for providing me with so many wonderful opportunities.

Finally, I would like to thank my mother for instilling me with the belief that life is an adventure, and anything is possible. Because it really is.
1

* * *

THE HEIST

As alarms blared throughout Hawkins Hall, Ellie Phillips dropped the stone tablet she was trying to steal from the glass case in front of her. She winced as it bounced across the Persian rug. Relieved to see that the tablet was still in one piece, she scooped it up and slipped it inside her handbag. The clasp of her outsize clutch barely snapped shut around it.

Her heart hammered as she heard footsteps pounding up the sweeping staircase outside the room. She spun around to stare at the panel of wires that had been concealed behind an oil painting of an old cargo ship.

_I cut all the alarms. I know I did!_

The professional in her itched to check the schematics and go over the wiring again, but the time for that had passed. She exhaled a frustrated sigh. She had locked the door behind her as a precaution, but she had assumed that she would evade the notice of Hawkins Hall's formidable security staff when she disabled the alarms. Now they were pounding down the door and the police were probably on their way.

Meyer had given her an easy job. All she had to do was get into Hawkins Hall, grab an Incan tablet and get out, but she'd somehow managed to bollocks it up. Well, the only thing to do now was escape. She'd have to figure out what had gone wrong later. She frowned as she scanned the room for an exit route. Strolling out of the building disguised as a guest wasn't a viable option anymore.

She glanced at the window, narrowing her eyes. With the door blocked by angry-sounding security guards, it was the only available exit.

She inhaled sharply as she leaned out into the evening air. It was a four-story drop. Glancing sideways, she saw a narrow ledge beneath the windowsill that led around the corner of the manor house. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to pop the bubble of panic that was growing in her throat.

_This is insane_.

Something heavy collided with the locked door behind her, galvanizing her into action.

She scrambled through the open window and struggled to balance on the narrow ledge, teetering on towering Louboutin heels. She took a few precious seconds to regain her footing before she closed the window.

The silk frock she'd bought to fit in with the charity-auction crowd did nothing to protect her from the gusts of cold wind that were blasting across the English countryside. She took one tiny step sideways, and then ventured another while forcing herself not to look down.

_Just get around the corner, and they won't know you're here_.

Her stomach twisted in cold fear as she edged around the corner of the building, clawing at the brickwork for any kind of handhold. She held her breath when she heard the window slide open behind her as she cleared the corner.

She froze in position, breathing a sigh when she heard the window slamming shut.

_I got away with it!_

Her moment of triumph was cut short when she heard the commotion coming from the grounds below. Security guards, no doubt. But they were down there, and she was up here. Her immediate concern was getting back inside Hawkins Hall.

She pressed herself against the damp limestone and carefully continued her way along the ledge. She almost lost her footing when another gust of cold wind blasted into her. When she threw a hand back against the wall to steady herself, she felt a window frame. Running her hand over the painted surface, she discovered it appeared to be open an inch or two.

Thankful that her luck had finally turned, she slid close enough to look inside. Beyond the heavy damask curtains she saw a master bedroom, complete with an ornate oak bed and matching furniture. There was no one in the room, and the door was closed.

She pushed the window open and tossed her handbag inside. It landed on the thick carpet with a dull thud. Relieved to have the heavy bag out of her hands, she gripped the window frame with one hand, hoisted up the fishtail skirt of her evening dress with the other and slid herself into the room.

Once safely back inside Hawkins Hall, she surveyed the room and collected her thoughts. She was starting to wonder about this gig. It should have been a snap. Go to a fancy party, pretend to be posh, nab an Incan tablet and swan out the front door after asking a valet to call a cab. Meyer had given her everything she needed—a wad of cash to blow on a high-street outfit, the layout of the estate, instructions for disarming the alarms—and Meyer didn't make mistakes. He was ruthless, but he was also a pro. So why had the alarms gone off?

Ellie had been so sure that this would be her last job. Working cons with her dad had been a breeze, but everything had changed after he'd died. She felt a familiar pang of pain over the loss of her father. Life wasn't the same without him. Joseph Meyer had moved in on the territory, and he was a different kind of criminal. She knew that the only way she could leave the life behind was with a big haul. Well, she could also leave it in a body bag, but she didn't fancy that option.

She'd thought that this job would be her way out, but now she wasn't even sure she could get out of this room.

She took a quick peek out the window. The manicured lawn was still filled with men running around, flashing torches and yelling into walkie-talkies.

_If I ever do another job like this, I'm dressing as a security guard instead of a fucking debutante_.

She picked up her handbag and paced the room. Then she plopped down on the edge of the huge bed and dropped her handbag into her lap.

The handbag bent in half across her knees.

She felt sick. There was a stone tablet in her handbag. It should not bend in half.

She remembered the thump when it hit the floor.

_Oh, shit, I broke the fucking tablet! Meyer's going to kill me. He will cut me into pieces if I don't deliver. The guy doesn't own a pig farm just for bacon_.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she opened her bag and reached inside. She pulled out the tablet in two jagged pieces. It had snapped clean in half.

She tried not to panic as she reached into her handbag again to pull out her mobile. Hitting speed dial, she called the only person who could get her out of here—her best friend, Jimmy Carroll.

_Come on, come on. Pick up_.

She listened to the phone ring. Jimmy was always there. A geek to the core, the only thing that would stop him answering would be if he was busy raiding in 'World of Warcraft' or chatting with his imaginary girlfriend in Florida. When her call went to voicemail, she gave up.

_Well, that's it. I'm dead_.

She gave the two slabs of stone in her lap a despairing glance and frowned.

_Then again..._

There was something wedged inside one half of the stone. It was tan and pliable. She touched it, realizing it was old leather. Her eyes widened as she pulled a leather scroll out of the tablet. She unrolled it and peered at it. Odd words and sigils covered it, but if she wasn't mistaken, it was a map. She stared at the words written on the scroll. She thought she recognized some Latin, and some of it might even be English, but the script was hard to read.

_Whatever it is, it sure as shit isn't Incan_.

Then something familiar caught her eye. There was a flag inscribed on the bottom left corner, and the sight of it caused her to inhale sharply. She knew this flag very well. It was the flag for the _Henry Rose_. Her father had been fascinated by the lost ship. Well, mostly he had been fascinated by the Corazón de Fortuna—the Heart of Fortune—a massive Spanish gem that was supposed to have been on board when the _Henry Rose_ sank. She traced her fingers around the swirl of stars on the flag. This was the haul her father had dreamed of.

She frowned again. It was too much of a coincidence that Meyer had sent her on a job that led to her father's obsession.

_What the hell is Meyer playing at?_

She set her jaw. This job had just changed.

_Either he wants the tablet, or he wants the map. I broke the tablet, and I'm not giving up the map. He'll kill me either way, so screw him_.

The thought that she was almost certainly doomed was strangely fortifying.

She grinned as she tossed the tablet on the floor and kicked it under the bed. Then she rolled up the scrap of leather and was about to put it in her bag when she considered the possibility of security guards at the door. She didn't know if Jacob Hawkins would have the nerve to search his fellow toffs, but she wasn't prepared to take the chance.

She smiled down at her shoes. They might have a use after all. She slid the shoe off her right foot. She unfurled the scroll and pressed it along the inside of the shoe. Then she slipped her foot back in.

_Perfect_.

She decided to try Jimmy again. She hit speed dial on her phone one more time.

"What the hell are you doing in here?"

She jumped, and then stood up, still holding the ringing phone to her ear. She hadn't even heard the door open.

_Maybe the housekeeper oils the hinges every day_.

But there he was: Jacob Hawkins, lord of the manor. Quickly gathering her wits, she smiled and gestured for a moment of silence from the imposing owner of Hawkins Hall by holding up her hand.

"Thanks, Mummy," she said to the still-ringing phone, using her plummiest voice. "I'll be home soon." She made a show of rolling her eyes.

After nodding for a moment, she hung up and turned to face Jacob, smiling sweetly. He didn't smile back. Nor did he move out of the doorway.

"I do apologize. I needed to make a call, and the party was so loud." Ellie stood up and briskly brushed down her skirt before dropping her phone back into her bag.

Jacob Hawkins stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

_Oh, this is not good_.

She stared at his back while listening to the door shut with an ominous click. His dark hair curled around the collar of his white shirt, and his broad shoulders fitted perfectly into his tux. He was tall, and he was obviously muscular. Fighting her way past him was clearly not an option.

She sighed. Charm wasn't exactly her strongest weapon.

As he folded his arms across his chest, his eyes bore into hers. "Usually, when women come into my bedroom, it's not to make a phone call."

She felt the blood drain from her face. She knew how to play this, but there was something about Jacob that sent shivers down her spine. She took a second to compose herself.

_Come on, it's the oldest con in the book. Use it or lose it_.

She peered down in submission and twirled a lock of her dark hair around her fingers. "Why, Mr. Hawkins, you'll make a girl blush with comments like that."

"Oh, really?" He covered the space between them in a couple of strides, stopping a few inches away from her. His eyes scanned her from head to toe. "I don't think I've made you blush yet."

She gulped, silently berating herself for losing her cool. It was just another con. She'd done hundreds of them since growing up with the greatest grifter of all time. This should be easy, but the close proximity of Jacob made her feel trapped. His presence surrounded her, making the room seem claustrophobic and small.

"And there it is," he muttered as his fingers traced her collarbone. "So you do blush after all."

He slid his hands over her shoulders and down her body to her waist. She froze. His touch sent her libido into overdrive, causing shivers of pleasure to ripple under her skin. But when his hands reached her hips, a moment of clarity filtered through the lustful haze that seemed to have gathered over her brain.

_Son of a bitch! He's patting me down for the tablet. Don't play a player, sweetheart_.

The fog lifted. She pressed her body against his and ran her fingers up the back of his neck as she undulated against him. "Let's see if _I_ can make _you_ blush," she breathed in his ear. She felt him gulp as she kissed his neck.

She pulled away and glanced into his eyes. Her lips were just inches from his, and her heart was racing. She'd never used sex to get out of a fix before, but this didn't feel like a con.

_And that's a problem! Pull yourself together, Phillips!_

Her brain was screaming for her to finish this job and get the hell away from Hawkins Hall, but her body...

The air was electric with tension, nothing but the sound of their breathing echoing in the room. There was a glow of passion in his eyes and a faint blush on his cheekbones. "And there it is," she whispered before brushing her lips over his. She fought to shake off her overwhelming attraction to him even as she kissed him.

She eased back to take a look at him. His brown eyes clouded over, his long dark lashes framing the wanton storm within. He swooped down, claiming her lips while pushing her back onto the bed with a growl.

_Oh, shi— Mmm_.

She rode a turbulent wave as he took over her senses again and again with his seductive lips and hard body pressing against her. Every time she came up for air, she plunged back under the surface, captured by temptation. She kissed him back, arching against him. The voice urging her to finish the job and get out was drowned out by the hum of tingling nerves. She was aching for him to do more than just kiss her.

Reality came crashing back when he began untying the straps of her gown.

_Wait a minute. This isn't some hot guy who wants to get your dress off for the body beneath it. He's just found a new way to search you_.

She went cold at the thought, narrowing her eyes.

_Fine. Now it's my turn_.

"Mmm," she moaned. "I love you."

His lips froze on hers before he pulled back, staring at her with wide eyes. "What?"

She smiled up at him and stretched her arms above her head. "I think I'm in love." She offered him a coy smile. "I mean, I don't want to rush things, but don't you think that Jemma Hawkins sounds wonderful?"

He rolled sideways, removing his hands from her body and putting some space between them. "I, er... What?" He climbed off the bed and backed away from it by a few paces as if it were home to a dragon, rather than an infatuated girl.

She sat up and flashed an eager smile. "I don't want to rush things, of course. It's not as if I'm clingy. But when you know it's true love, I don't think you should hide it, do you?" She crawled toward him on all fours, trying not to laugh at the expression of pure terror on his face. She climbed off the bed and approached him. "I know you feel the same. With kisses like that, how could you not?" She beamed at him as he stumbled back against the wall.

"Look." He held up his hands to ward her off. "I think you're a lovely girl, but—"

"Hush." She placed two fingers over his lips. "Don't fight it, my darling."

The door opened to her right, and she turned to see a burly man in a black suit—by the looks of him, a bodyguard—staring wide-eyed in the doorway. "Is everything, er, okay?"

"Bill, perfect timing!" Jacob gripped the top of Ellie's arm and marched her toward the door. "Jemma will need escorting back to her car."

"Call me, my love." She was finding it increasingly difficult to keep a straight face.

As he ushered her out of the room, the bodyguard shot a glance of disbelief at Jacob. "I'll make sure she's sent off safely for you, sir. Do you want me to give her the number for your direct line?" he asked innocently.

Jacob glowered by way of response.

Ellie snorted a laugh, quickly covering it up with fake tears. "My heart will ache until we are together agai—" She didn't finish her sentence as Jacob slammed the door in her face.

She turned to face the guard. "He's so masterful," she gushed.

The guard nodded, even though he also appeared to be trying hard not to laugh. "That's the Hawk for you, masterful at getting girls out of his bedroom," he muttered. "Let's get you home, shall we? Where did you park?"

"You know." She leaned into his arms as if losing her balance, playing the role of the tipsy debutante. "I don't think I should be driving right now, Bill."

"I tend to agree. How about we call you a cab?"

"That is such a good idea!" She staggered down the opulent hall toward the front door with the stolen map securely hidden inside her shoe.
2

* * *

ESCAPE ROUTE

Ellie noticed that she was impatiently tapping her fingers on her knee and forced her hand to remain still.

_Come on taxi. Hurry up_.

She was seated on one of the plush couches in the foyer of Hawkins Hall, watching the security staff roaming around the grounds through the open door.

She ignored the cup of black coffee that Bill had left on the small table near her seat. It looked like mud.

_How drunk does he think I am?_

She hated waiting for anything, and patience was not a virtue when it came to making a clean get away. She knew that the broken tablet could be found at any time. The clock ticked loudly in the foyer, reminding her that another minute of nearly getting caught had passed by. Her hand started tapping on her lap again, and she clenched it into a fist to make it stop.

A few seconds later, she grabbed her cream wool coat off the seat beside her and pulled it on, feigning a shiver for anyone who might be watching and shoving her hands in the pockets to stop herself from giving off anymore tells.

Every time someone walked down the stairs into the large foyer, she hitched her breath.

_Anytime now, and I'm busted_.

She eyed the staircase as a feeling of doom swept over her. After all the things that had gone wrong, it seemed unlikely that she would be walking out of the front door unscathed.

Hope lit up inside her as headlights shone on the gravel driveway outside. A big black cab pulled up outside the open doors. She rose to her feet and headed toward the car, remembering to put on a drunken stagger as she crossed the marble floor.

Strong hands gripped her shoulders, and she nearly shrieked in surprise. She glanced up to see Bill's stern face looking down at her.

"Let's get you in there safely, shall we?" He offered her a sympathetic smile as he guided her into the taxi.

_I guess Jacob shunts off a lot of women in taxis late at night_.

She nodded and then pulled a queasy expression. "I wanna go home." She hung her head in mock-sickness.

Bill patted her on the shoulder. "You'll be okay. Just drink lots of water when you get home. Where do you want the driver to take you?"

"Calerville." She pointed down the road in the rough direction of the small, rustic village just a mile away from the estate. "Jus" down the road. Home, mmm." She flopped back into backseat and closed her eyes.

"Take her to Calerville." She heard Bill say, followed by a sweeping sound.

She opened one eye and saw him pay the driver.

_They're paying for my getaway car!_

"Thanks, Billy," she murmured.

"Take care, Miss." Bill closed the door and tapped the roof of the cab. It rolled down the driveway, leaving the house behind it.

Ellie sat up after a couple of seconds and cracked open the car window, enjoying the fresh air that was rushing through it.

_I made it_.

"Don't let her get away!" A familiar voice echoed behind her.

She glanced back to see Jacob hanging out of his bedroom window, holding what appeared to be the broken tablet in his hands. She was too far away to see his face, but she could guess that he looked pissed.

She bit her lip as a grin spread across her face.

_That'll teach you to treat women like toys_.

She leaned over to the driver. "Can we go to Bakerston instead? There's a party I need to get to. And if you get me there fast, there's an extra ten quid in it for you."

"Sure thing." The driver nodded without glancing back at her.

She flopped back in her seat as the driver slammed his foot on the gas and took a sharp left turn out of the estate. She checked the back window for following cars, but the road was empty.

Hawkins Hall was surrounded by tiny villages, giving her the perfect opportunity to send any pursuers in the wrong direction. She admired the quaint thatched cottages of Bakerston as they passed by.

_Maybe one day, when this nightmare is over, I'll buy a house like this_.

She smiled when her car came into view. The shabby black Astra looked out of place on the idyllic street. She'd parked outside of an unlit cottage that had a FOR SALE sign in front of it. "Just here is perfect," she said, pulling some notes out of her coat pocket and handing twenty pounds to the driver. "Keep the change."

He nodded. "Have a good night."

She climbed out of the backseat and shut the door. Then she paused to watch the cab speed off into the night. She waited a beat for him to be gone before rushing to her car. When she got to the car door, she paused.

_Keys, where are my keys?_

She frowned.

_In my bag_.

Her eyes widened.

_Where is my fucking bag?_

She closed her eyes and rubbed her brow.

_No, no, no. You idiot!_

She knew exactly where her bag was. It was on Jacob Hawkins's bed.

She would have to berate herself later. At the moment her most pressing concern was getting far, far away from Hawkins Hall. Fast.

She walked to the back of her car and knelt down, pretending to be inspecting the tire. She pulled a slim jim out from the clamp under her bumper.

_Dad always said I should be prepared_.

She slipped the tool up her sleeve and headed back to the driver's door. She glanced around at the cottages that were lit, relieved to see no prying eyes watching her from the glowing windows. She slipped the slim jim down the side of the window and jimmied the lock until it clicked.

As soon as she slid into the driver's seat, she opened the glove compartment and pulled out the spare set of keys she'd duct-taped to the roof of it. She sighed and leaned back in her seat as she started the ignition. All the adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins tonight seemed to evaporate, and she felt bone-tired. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to find her inner calm.

She jerked in her seat when the phone on her dashboard buzzed. She glanced at the screen.

_Jimmy, you slow arse!_

She picked up the phone and held it to her ear. "Better late than never, is it?"

"Jesus, woman. Can't I take a crap in peace these days?" The familiar tones of her best friend's northern accent reverberated down the phone.

"Nice talk! You'll never get a girlfriend if you say things like that."

"I have a girlfriend!"

"I meant a _real_ one, not a stranger on the internet."

"Don't even start."

Ellie grinned. Jimmy was the pain-in-the-arse little brother that she'd never had. "Oh, and what are you going to do about it if I do?"

"That depends. Did you pull off the job or, as I suspect, did you mess up and are currently in deep shit?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not in deep shit. It's more like a detour around it."

"And where did we detour to this time?"

"Some dude's bedroom."

"Ha, that'll be a first, won't it?"

Ellie slapped her hand to her forehead. "I didn't mean it like that. God, you're such a—"

"Did you get it?" Jimmy interrupted.

"Kinda..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll tell you when I get back into the city. I'll be home soon. Bye." She still had to work out how to tell Jimmy what she'd done. He was going to flip out when he discovered she'd crossed Meyer.

Before she took off, she slipped out of her coat and threw it onto the back seat. She grabbed her black hoodie off the passenger seat and pulled it over her head, keeping the hood up to shadow her face.

Glancing down at her shoes, she shook her head.

_Never again.  _

She pulled them off and flexed her toes. It felt so good to free her feet, which hadn't been built to wear heels. She peeled the map out of the right shoe before throwing the heels onto the back seat. She glanced around. She couldn't think of a place in the car that was secure enough to stow the map. After a moment of contemplation, she zipped it up into the pocket on the arm of her hoodie.

She pulled on her biker boots and then rested her head on the steering wheel.

_What else is going to go wrong tonight?_

What had started out as a simple plan just seemed to keep getting more complicated. She shook her head.

_It's over now. Just get home, and then figure out how you're going to avoid Meyer_.

There were headlights in the distance, coming from the direction of Hawkins Hall. She slammed the car into first gear and did a U-turn. Then she headed back toward Manchester at full speed.

Once she was certain that she wasn't being followed, she tried to remember what had been in her bag. No ID or bank cards—she was careful about that kind of thing—but she had a nagging feeling that she'd left something important behind. She couldn't remember what it was, but she didn't like the feeling.

She flipped on the radio, and 3 Doors Down's 'Not My Time' blared out of it. She watched the gray landscape flash past the windshield as the song touched something deep inside her. It had always been one of her favorites, but since her dad died, the song had new meaning for her. She didn't know what she was going to do when she left this crazy life behind. It was all she knew, and it was her last connection to her father.

But working for Meyer was nothing like working with her father. It wasn't simple cons anymore. It was big business—the kind that could get you killed. Organized crime was taking over. Meyer had shown Ellie respect when Stewart Phillips had been alive, but that died when he did. Meyer did give her the occasional job, but the jobs just seemed to get more and more dangerous. She had thought that Meyer was giving her a break with the Hawkins Hall gig. Now she wasn't so sure...The only thing she knew for certain was that she had to get out. Her only option was to go for the big prize, one last score that would set her up for life. One easy haul, and then disappear.

_"There's no such thing as an easy job, girl. And the bigger the haul, the harder the grab."_ Her father's words echoed through her head.

She gripped the steering wheel.

_I can handle it_.

Forget about the charming little cottage in the countryside. She was tired of cold, rainy England. Maybe it was time to make a new start somewhere else.

Loss ached inside her. Maybe it wasn't the right time to give up her home, her life. The song hit every nerve. She wasn't ready. She didn't know how this was going to end. All she had was the map and a plan.

She pressed her foot down the accelerator, blazing down the empty highway. She'd keep on running until she finished this job. It was the only life she knew.
3

* * *

A FRESH START

"Wake the fuck up, will ya?" Jimmy's voice jolted Ellie awake.

"Wha—what's wrong?" She sat up and looked wildly around her father's loft, one of his hideouts in the city. Unpainted brick walls and sparse furniture littered with random items like clothes and books surrounded her. Everything seemed to be just as it should be. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on Jimmy, who was standing at the end of the couch that she'd passed out on last night.

He pushed his black-framed glasses up his nose and glared at her. "What the hell did you do?"

"What? Nothing. Did something happen?"

Jimmy waved the pile of papers in his hand. "Do you know what this is?"

"I'm guessing it started its life as a tree before it ended up in your printer."

"Oh, very funny. You should take that show on the road."

Ellie straightened up and tried to look alert. Jimmy was clearly upset. He thrust the sheaf of papers at her. "This is the call log for your burner phone from last night. I printed it to show you how insane the activity on it is. Along with someone testing out all your numbers, there's a trace on your phone, and Meyer's been calling me all night. I thought you said you got away scot free?"

She stared at Jimmy. His dirty blond hair was a mess, sticking out all over the place under his black trilby. His thin black tie hung loosely around the collar of a crumpled white shirt. There were dark shadows under his usually bright blue eyes.

"Did you stay up all night?"

"Yes, I did. I was trying to save your idiot arse again. What the hell happened?"

"Calm down. It's fine. I got away with it." She flopped back onto her pillow. "It's done, but there have been a few small changes to the plan."

"Oh, really?" He pulled a newspaper out of the pile of papers and dropped it on her chest.

Ellie sighed and picked up the paper, rolling her eyes. Jimmy worried about everything. If a tree fell in the Amazon, he'd start wheezing and complaining about a lack of oxygen in the room. She glanced at the front page, and her blood froze in her veins. There was a large passport photograph of her. Under the photo, a headline screamed off the page:

HIGH SOCIETY VANDALISM!

She frowned and read the story:

POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR THIS WOMAN IN CONNECTION WITH AN ACT OF VANDALISM COMMITTED DURING THE ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL BALL AND CHARITY AUCTION AT HAWKINS HALL LATE LAST NIGHT. THE WOMAN, IDENTIFIED AS JEMMA JENKINS, IS SUSPECTED OF DESTROYING A PRICELESS INCAN ARTIFACT.

"Oh, fuck."

" _Vandalism?_ I thought you were supposed to steal it, not break it. And do I even want to know how they got your photograph and the name Jemma Jenkins?" He folded his arms and scowled at her. "It's not just your arse on the line. If they find you, they find me."

"Crap." She dropped the paper, rolled over and put her pillow over her head. "This is a nightmare."

"That's right. Hide under your pillow like a little girl. That'll fix it. God, how did I end up working with a child?"

Ellie narrowed her eyes. She rolled over, sat up and threw the pillow at Jimmy's head. "You're younger than I am!" she cried. "I need a moment to think." Then she groaned.

_The phone was in my handbag. My handbag is on Jacob's bed_. _Did Jacob put a trace on my phone?  _ _Crap!_

"I left the burner phone at Hawkins Hall. Please tell me you didn't answer Meyer's calls."

"Of course, I didn't! I hate that arsehole. What do you mean you left your burner phone there? The one you called _me_ from, the one with my phone number in it?"

"I left my bag on Jacob Hawkins's bed with the phone in it."

"What the fuck were you doing on his bed? No. Don't tell me. I don't want to know. What about the tablet? Tell me you got it, after all this."

Ellie winced.

Jimmy took off his hat and ran a hand through his rumpled hair. "So, Meyer has been calling my phone non-stop because you botched the job? Do you at least have the _pieces_ of the tablet?"

"I left them behind, but there was a map inside it. I took the map."

Jimmy slumped down onto the couch and sighed. "A map?" He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"A treasure map." She grinned.

"Like the kind Tommy sells to the tourists?" he asked in a dead voice.

"No. This one is real!" She dragged her black hoodie off the floor and opened the pocket in the arm. She unfolded the old leather and showed him the map. "Look."

He studied for a moment. "You don't know it's real."

"This is a map to the Heart of Fortune, a huge diamond that went down with the _Henry Rose_. Look." She pointed to the flag. "That's the ship's insignia. Dad researched this for years. And why hide it inside a bogus Incan tablet if it's fake?"

"Your dad might have been obsessed with this treasure, Ellie, but you know he never intended you to do this. How many times did he tell you to quit the life and go to college?"

She waved the comment away. She was never going to be a good girl, and any chance she had at having a straight life had disappeared the first time she took a job with Meyer. "Come on, this could be our big haul. It's an adventure." She tried to persuade him. "White beaches, sunken ships, and the Corazón de Fortuna."

"I wither in direct sunlight," he muttered. "And you don't even know if the Heart exists. It's just a legend."

"This map says it exists." She pointed to the roughly drawn heart on the map.

"And what is that a map of, exactly?"

She scrutinized the rough outlines of a coast as she tried to remember everything her father had ever told her about the Heart. "Somewhere in Central America, I think?"

Jimmy sniffed. "I am _not_ going to a third-world country."

"Fine. You stay here. Please give me a call before Meyer feeds you to his pigs." She flashed her sweetest smile. Jimmy had been her friend for a lifetime. Both of them had been lost since her father had died. They needed each other, and he knew it.

"Why do you always drag me into _your_ nightmares? Fuck! Fine, I'll come with you," he grumbled.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You won't regret it. I promise!"

"I already do. And Jesus, woman, brush your goddamn teeth. What, did you eat a keg and an ashtray last night?"

She jumped up from the couch, smiling. "Okay, what do we need to do first?"

"We need to get out of the UK, right now. If the people looking for you keep digging, they'll find this place. For all we know, Meyer is on his way here himself right now. We need to get rid of anything that might identify us. We need to disappear. That means phones, identities and connections. We need to get rid of everything."

She felt a moment of sorrow. The ramshackle loft had been a safe haven for as long as she could remember. But Jimmy was right. There was nothing here for her anymore. She could either wallow in regret or start a new life somewhere else. "Let's do it." She nodded.

Jimmy gave her a hug. "We better move fast. But, first on the agenda, we need to make you into a new woman, or you know, into something remotely female." He waved his hands over her jogging bottoms and camisole with a look of distaste.

* * *

"I don't want to!" Ellie stared at the scissors in Jimmy's hands.

"You need to change your look. The hair has to go. It's either slice-and-dice or go blonde." He shook the scissors and the hair bleach at her.

She lovingly curled her long dark locks around her fingers. "I'm not doing it."

Jimmy sighed. "Would highlights be too much of a problem?"

She considered the idea. Highlights wouldn't be so bad as long as she didn't come out looking like a zebra.

"Sit down, and let me work my magic." He pointed to the chair in front of the sink.

She sat in the plastic chair and leaned her head back over the sink. "You better not make my hair pink."

He lifted the shower head and soaked her hair. "Don't be ridiculous. If I mess it up, it'll go green." He flashed a wicked grin.

"Green will be the last thing you see if you do." She sighed, resting her head against the hard porcelain rim of the basin. It had to be done. It wasn't the first time she'd dyed her hair for a job, but she preferred wigs. They were easier to change in an instant. Dye seemed a bit too permanent.

She closed her eyes as the warm water rushed over her scalp.

_This new life is going to be permanent, too. I might as well get used to the idea of that now, new hair for a new Ellie_.

After an hour of washing, waiting and drying, she peered at her new look in the mirror. Her dark hair had been lightened to chestnut brown with blonde highlights speckled through it.

_Okay, it isn't so bad_.

She didn't look as dramatic as before, but at least it matched her hazel eyes.

"Hey, my eyes look greener with this hair color." She called out after she'd put down the hair dryer.

"Good. We'll change your eye color to green then," Jimmy called from the adjoining room, where he was working on their passports.

She stepped out of the bathroom to find him hunched over his laptop.

He'd made himself at home in the loft with wall-to-wall electronic devices. "Dude, you have gotta get out more," she said while staring at the three monitors he had hooked up to his laptop.

"If getting out more involves ending up on the front page of the newspaper for _high society vandalism_ , I'll skip it, thank you very much," he muttered while typing away on what looked like a command prompt that was displayed on his screen.

"You know there are things out in the world that are more exciting than that, don't you?" She pointed to the black screen. "Culture, life, treasure, a girlfriend."

He spun around in his seat and glared at her. "You know that I have a girlfriend, right?"

"The one from that game? She could be a forty-year-old dude."

"Cheryl is a twenty-two-year-old _woman_ from Florida, not a dude." His cheeks flushed with indignation.

"Great, I look forward to meeting her when we're in Florida."

"I know what game you're playing, so don't even try it." He turned back to his screen and pulled up a new window on his computer before starting typing.

"Hey, if you're too chicken to meet the girl of your dreams, it's not my problem." Ellie shrugged. She was playing him, but the guy really needed to go out on a real date. He was the little brother she'd never had, and it was about time he got out in the world, rather than hide behind a computer screen.

"You're starting to get on my last nerve," he said.

"You're scared to meet women," she countered. "Online relationships don't last, but hey, maybe Cheryl isn't worth it, huh?"

He paused in his typing and glanced back over his shoulder. "Do you really think she'll like me in real life?"

"She likes you now, doesn't she?"

"Damn it, Ellie, you always get me caught up in your stupid fantasies." He shook his head.

"So, you're going to meet her?" She grinned.

"Yes. But only so you'll shut up about it, and when it turns into a disaster, I'll know who to blame."

"The only thing you can blame in that situation is your mouth." She wandered over and ruffled his hair. "Hey, does that mean I get to dye your hair and dress you up, so you look like a date and not a fashion disaster?"

He brushed her off. "No, it doesn't. I'm not on the run, and I would never let you near a man's wardrobe. Last time you dressed me up for one of your jobs, you made me into frumpy security guard with a receding hairline!"

She chuckled. It was a fair point. She was the last person in the universe who should be giving makeovers. She used them for disguise, not to appear esthetically pleasing.

She smiled as a burst of optimism about the future filled her with warmth and hope. This journey was going to be an adventure. The idea of leaving the grim, gray skies of England behind and jetting off to the sunny isles of the Caribbean to hunt treasure was exciting. Everything she really cared about was coming with her. She had her father's research, the map, and her best friend. What could possibly go wrong?
4

* * *

THE GETAWAY

Ellie forced herself not to fidget as she stood in line for the security check at Manchester Airport. She watched Jimmy put his laptop on the conveyer belt in front of her. The only worry he displayed was concern over what the X-ray machine would do to his precious baby, but Jimmy wasn't currently wanted by the police.

Even with her hair lightened to a soft chestnut with blonde highlights and the quick spray tan she'd given herself, she worried that she would be recognized

_Just chill. It'll be fine. You know people only see what they want to_.

She glanced down at her passport. It was the first one she'd owned with her real name in it. It was a fake—Jimmy had taken the new photo after her transformation—but she was using her real name for once. The name 'Ellie Phillips' had never been connected with any illegal activity. Since what she was about to do wasn't a crime, it was the safest name to use. It was only her face that could be a problem. She was looking forward to getting through security, so she could put her sunglasses back on.

Her pulse raced as Jimmy stepped through the metal detector. Once he got through security without a hitch and collected his things, he shot a glance back at her. She glimpsed a note of worry in his eyes.

_Great, we both think I'm screwed_.

She dropped her duffle bag onto the conveyer without glancing at it. Then she walked to the metal detector. Under the gaze of airport security, she hurried through the frame, feeling like an animal at the zoo. She had no concerns about the metal detector, but the scrutiny was making her insides curl up.

_What if they recognize me?_

It took her a few seconds to realize the metal detector was bleeping.

_What the hell?_

She had been careful to avoid wearing anything metal because she wanted to get through security as quickly as possible.

_I didn't even put on earrings!_

A male security guard pointed her toward a female colleague. He seemed bored. Ellie was mildly relieved.

"Lift your arms, please." Ellie lifted her arms as the woman swept a metal-detecting wand over her body. It crackled near her left boob. She peered down at the tiny pocket in her checked shirt.

"Could you empty that pocket, please."

Ellie frowned and pulled a pack of chewing gum out of her breast pocket, offering it to the woman.

The woman shook her head. "Open it."

"Are you kidding? It's chewing gum."

The woman remained resolute and silent, glaring at her.

"Okay then." Ellie pulled out the sticks of gum, and then unwrapped the foil wrappers around them. She showed the woman a handful of Juicy Fruit.

The woman nodded. "Okay, that's fine."

"I can go?"

The woman scowled at her.

Ellie took that as a 'yes' and hurried toward her bag, which had already passed through the X-ray machine.

_Jesus, nearly caught because of some gum, what else is going to happen?_

She stuffed the gum into the first trashcan she passed.

She walked toward passport control, noticing Jimmy hovering on the other side of the checkout desk. He was shifting from one foot to the other with a look of concern on his face. Not surprising really, since he was outside of the UK, and she was still inside it.

She was a bit worried herself. This was the moment of truth. Would she be recognized when someone was studying her face? The man behind the counter looked mean, certainly not someone she'd want to mess with. She dropped her passport and ticket on the desk, offering him a polite smile. He picked up the passport and barely gave it a glance before waving her through.

She grabbed the documents and hurried over to Jimmy, breathing a sigh as she stepped into the terminal.

_We did it. I'm out of the UK in one piece_.

"Let's get to the gate." Jimmy hurriedly guided her through the food court.

"What's the rush? We don't fly for another hour."

He shot her a dark look. "Better safe than sorry."

"Cheer up. We're on our way to Florida!" She grinned at him, the rush of relief and adrenaline fueling a burst of optimism inside her.

"Yeah, but this was the easy part," he muttered.

* * *

Jacob Hawkins stared down at the prepaid phone in his hands.

_Who is Jemma Jenkins?_

He had his best security team hunting her down, but even his most adept staff couldn't find any trace of her. She was a ghost. A ghost who'd snuck into his world and evaporated out of it, taking his future with her.

He flipped open the dossier waiting on his desk, narrowing his eyes at the photograph on the first page. She was pretty, with wide hazel eyes and long, dark hair. Her lips had a natural pout, which he was certain got her anything she wanted. She looked like any innocent girl. The file said she was twenty, but she looked even younger than that.

_I bet that helps her rip people off_.

He clenched the phone in his fist. The screen cracked. Jemma Jenkins was apparently a fake name. So was everything he had thought he knew about her. The only thing that was real was this picture. It matched his memory of her face.

_Why did she break the tablet?_

Jacob knew very little about the Incan tablet. What he did know was that it was his last link to his father. Douglas Hawkins had been the original 'Hawk'. He had run the Hawkins Shipping empire, but he had also been a treasure hunter. That was before he disappeared.

Jacob had been a boy when it happened. The last time he had heard from his father, the Hawk had been in Peru. The tablet was the last thing he had brought home.

Jacob picked up a piece of the broken tablet. It could be restored, but there was clearly a machine-drilled hole in the fragment in his hand. The tablet had to be fake.

_My father knew enough to spot a fake_. _Why did he bring this home? Why did he guard it like a treasure?_

Jacob rubbed his finger along the smooth cavity inside it. He felt sick as he realized what had happened.

_She knew it was a fake. That's why she broke it. She knew there was something inside it_.

That tablet had been his only hope of convincing the board to keep him on as CEO of Hawkins Shipping. The directors thought that he wasn't serious about the company, that he spent too much time treasure hunting and not enough time focusing on the business. He had planned to donate the Incan tablet—his father's final find—to Hawkins Shipping and make it the first piece in a new museum inside the corporate headquarters. He wanted to prove that honoring the connection between modern shipping and its romantic, swashbuckling past would be good for the company. He wanted to pay tribute to his father's love of adventure while burnishing the image of the company Douglas Hawkins had built. Most of all, Jacob wanted the board to see that he could run the business _and_ take the occasional treasure-hunting jaunt. His father had done it. Why couldn't Jacob?

He scowled. _He_ was the Hawk now. And the Hawk would never let a slip of a girl in a party dress rob him. He needed to find this 'Jemma'.

His office door burst open and Bill rushed in. Out of breath and gasping, he held up his hand for a moment's silence.

"You seriously need to start doing some cardio," Jacob told the bulky security chief.

"Had to run from the village," Bill gasped. "Got a lead. Not much time."

"What? Tell me."

Bill held up his hand again while slowly inhaling.

Jacob impatiently tapped his fingers on the desk, wanting to shake the information out of Bill.

"She's not Jemma Jenkins."

"I know that." Jacob waved the cracked phone at him. "That's not news."

"She's called Ellie Phillips. An old woman in Bakerston saw her get into a car late last night. She said the woman was acting suspicious, so she took down the plates of the car. We traced her back to Manchester, and you're not going to like it." Bill wiped his brow with his sleeve.

"What aren't I going to like?"

"She's Stewart Phillips's daughter."

Jacob flopped back in his chair in silent shock, his pulse racing. Stewart Phillips had been in business with his father and was rumored to have been responsible for his father going missing. Although nothing had ever been proven, a lot of people blamed his father's disappearance on the hustler. "You're telling me that this is a job by _the_ Stewart Phillips?"

"Well, that's unlikely. He's past tense these days."

"What?"

"Phillips died on the job a year ago. He was running a con and got blown to smithereens in the middle of it. There's no way he pulled this job."

"So who's his daughter working for now?" Jacob frowned. Having lost his father at an early age, he felt a moment of sympathy for this girl, but it quickly passed. She hadn't looked too heartbroken when she was grinning at him through a taxi window and absconding with his future.

"Joseph Meyer's name came up, but word on the street is that he's looking for her, too. I think she's working on her own, following in her father's footsteps." Bill handed over a file.

"This is the last time a Phillips hurts this family." Jacob scowled as he flipped open the file and encountered her face again. Her hair was lighter, but he recognized her face. His eyes trailed down her neck to her dainty shoulders. He recognized those too.

He mentally shook off the sultry images that his mind was conjuring from the night before, trying to focus on his anger instead. This photograph was of her leaving an apartment with a geeky-looking kid. They were both carrying a luggage. "Where is she now?"

"That's the problem." Bill took the seat opposite Jacob's desk. "She's just skipped the country. They flew out of Manchester airport an hour ago. Our guys were tracking her, but they lost her at the airport check-in."

"Why didn't they stop her before then?" Jacob rubbed a hand across his brow.

_I'm only twenty-four. I shouldn't have this much stress in my life_.

"They were just on surveillance duty."

"And who's the guy she's with?"

"The guy is..." Bill leaned over the desk and flipped open the file to a photograph of a blond-haired kid. "...Jimmy Carroll. He went off the grid after being arrested when he was eleven for hacking into a bank. He's presumed dead, but he doesn't look very dead to me."

Jacob peered at the file. "Jesus, he's only seventeen. She's working with kids. Did we at least find out where they were going?"

Bill nodded. "Two flights booked consecutively. Both of them flying to Florida, and then the girl is heading for Costa Rica on her own a day later. Carlo found out that she's booked passage on a fishing trawler near Espadilla Beach to Cocos Island."

Jacob felt a smile growing on his face. He knew Cocos Island well. It was paradise for treasure hunters. Idiots, more like. He'd spent much of his childhood there, exploring the region with his father. She may not know it, but Ellie Phillips was heading straight into his world. She didn't stand a chance.

"Get the plane ready. I want to dock in Cocos before she does. Call the rangers and ask for a pass."

"Yes, sir." Bill nodded.

"And Bill, pack a bag. You're coming this time."

Bill turned and stared at him. "I am fucking not. You know I don't fly."

"I need you on this one. I don't know shit about hustlers. You used to be one. You're coming with me. No arguments."

Bill looked as if he wanted to argue, but he shook his head instead. "You totally suck."

"It'll be fun. You'll get a tan on that pasty white skin of yours." Jacob grinned. Bill lived in his small local world. It was about time he embraced some global culture.

"What, so I can be a pretty boy like you? No thanks. By the way, real men don't wear shirts like that." Bill offered him a sweet smile before leaving the office and stomping down the hall.

Jacob peered down at the brown T-shirt he wore, which had a picture of Animal from the Muppets emblazoned across it. "Sure they do," he told himself.
5

* * *

HIDDEN TREASURE

Ellie wiped her brow with her free hand as she steered the boat across the crystal waters surrounding English Bay on Cocos Island. She'd managed to pay her way on a fishing trawler from Costa Rica. Before the trawler sailed off to start fishing, she'd rented the captain's motor boat. The trawler was due to pick her up on its return journey in about five hours.

She checked her watch. It was midday.

_Only mad dogs and Englishmen_.

The sun burned down onto her bare shoulders from the clear blue skies above. The blue-green water surrounding her looked so inviting that she was tempted to stop the boat for a moment to cool off. She was certain she'd sizzle when she plunged into the sea.

She shook her head.

_This isn't a pleasure trip. You'll be in the water soon enough anyway_.

She glanced back at the diving gear she had tossed in the stern.

_I hope I remember how to use that stuff. You just have to clear your ears and come back up slowly, right?_

She turned to peer at the map that was pinned to the small windshield of the boat and then squinted at the shoreline behind her. The craggy rocks matched the drawing on the map, but the angle was wrong. She slowed the boat and turned it, heading along the shoreline until what she saw on the shore matched the rough line drawn on the map.

She stopped the boat and turned off the engine, staring at the symbols and numbers etched into the map. They didn't always make sense to her, and she wasn't an expert in nautical navigation, but Jimmy had used Google maps to plot a rough idea of the journey she would have to take. All she had to do was use her phone to find matching scenery nearby. After scanning the map and the coastline, then consulting her phone, she nodded. The craggy rocks that looked like a woman's face were to her left, and the mountains rose above the trees on the island ahead of her. This must be it.

She dropped anchor, glancing around for any signs of other boats. The sea was an untouched azure blanket. At this distance, she wouldn't even be noticed from the shoreline—not that there was anyone there to notice her. The island was a national park, home to a few rangers.

She plucked the map off the dashboard and rolled it up before putting it into her backpack and clipping a padlock around the zipper.

_That should keep it safe_.

There were no instructions on the map about where to go next, so she could only assume that the answer was below her. Jimmy had told her it was a fool's quest, but the Heart of Fortune was priceless. It had been lost long ago to pirates in this region, taken with a big haul of Spanish gold. The treasure had never been recovered, and the captain of the _Henry Rose_ had never been seen again.

She picked up her flippers and pulled them on. Her father had been a great historian when it came to pirates. Not many people had known that about him, but he loved tales of ancient hustlers. She felt a moment of sorrow over his loss. Life wasn't the same without him around. He'd have loved this adventure.

She tried to imagine what he'd think of her now, chasing buried treasure.

_He'd agree with Jimmy and tell me to go to college_.

In the pit of her stomach, she knew they were both right, but what choice did she have? Meyer wasn't going to magically disappear from her life without some leverage.

_A priceless diamond will buy me that_.

When her plane had landed in Costa Rica, she'd seen troops of treasure hunters bustling through the airport, each one looking like a sad tale of failure.

_But I have something they don't_.

She pulled off her T-shirt and adjusted her bikini top to ensure it had stayed in place.

_I have a map_.

She tightened the strings around her back and neck to ensure the black swimsuit didn't move an inch when she was in the water. Next, she pulled on her mask and checked she could see through the goggles.

After the air check to make sure that the tank was working, she clipped a small torch to the top of her bikini. She took a seat on the port side of the small boat and slid the heavy harness attached to her air tank onto her back. There was only one way to find out if this really _was_ a fool's quest. She fastened the harness around her and fell backwards off the boat into the icy waters.

After the initial shock of the cold water, she enjoyed the cooling effect it had on her burning skin. She checked her regulator as she began to descend, taking her first breath under the surface. For a moment, she expected to choke on water, but she breathed easily with the scuba tank. She was relieved to find that she had no problem with making her ears equalize.

_I knew it was like riding a bike_.

She peered up at the bottom of the boat as it drifted further away from her. All she could hear was her breathing as tiny bubbles popped around her. She checked her buoyancy. Everything looked good.

Now the checks were done, she could enjoy the feeling of weightlessness in this alien landscape. Bright fish flitted past her as she floated downwards, and then colorful flora dotted the craggy rocks as her feet bounced on the seabed.

She turned around, shining the torch in all directions. She'd expected a shipwreck or something here, but there were just craggy rocks and tunnels smattered across the region. She sighed.

_Was this all for nothing?_

She smiled when she saw a starfish do a backflip off the smooth wall of a cavern.

_Who knew they even did that?_

There was serenity under the surface, a quiet calm of nature that washed over her. All her worries and stress faded away as she watched underwater life live freely around her. She pushed herself up off the sea floor and glided over to the starfish to see if it would flip again, brushing her fingers over bright coral as she passed it.

When she reached the cave, the starfish flitted inside it. She peered into the deep cavern, aiming her torch inside it. It looked like a tight fit, but she could get inside if she wanted to. She shook her head. If she got stuck in there, she'd never get back to the surface.

She turned to leave, and froze. As her torch turned in the cave, she noticed markings scratched into the rock—words, to be exact.

IF THOU SEEK THE HEART, FIND IT ON THE JEWELED ISLE. BUT IF THOU HATH THIS KEY, THOU SHALT NOT LOSE THY WAY.

Ellie shone the torch down below the engraving. There was a small mossy mound just below the words. Time and life had grown over whatever lay beneath. She stared at the lump of green mossy flora.

_That's what I need_.

She tried to swim into the cave, but her air tank caught on the small opening, jolting her to a standstill.

_Damn it_.

The cavern wasn't deep. She just needed to reach into it a bit further. She stretched out her fingers, trying to grasp at the moss and clawing a few clumps away to reveal the corner of a stone box. She tried to reach it, but it was just too far.

She backed up and relaxed for a moment, trying to think of a solution.

_Maybe I can find a stick and poke it closer to me?_

The ground around her darkened as the starfish darted past her out of the cave. She glanced up, and saw a large black shape in the water beside the shadow of her boat.

_Another boat, you've gotta be kidding me!_

Determined not to lose her treasure, she unclipped her air tank and let it fall to the seabed. She inhaled deeply before releasing the regulator and boosting herself into the cave. She glided to the box and quickly brushed away the moss covering it, filling the cave with foggy weeds in the process.

She tried to pick up the box, but it was welded to the cave either by time or by the person who had left it here. She pushed on the lid, trying to force it open, but it was held shut by hardened fossil.

_Come on, you son of a bitch!_

She wedged her feet against the cavern's wall, pushing her hands against the lid. After straining her weight against it, the lid shifted sideways as rock crumbled around her legs. She reached inside and grabbed the round metal object contained within.

_I've got it_.

She didn't have time to examine the key, only noting that it was a round disk and not an actual key, before the cavern wall crumbled and pinned her legs beneath a pile of heavy rock.

She slipped the key into the tiny pocket on the hip of her bikini bottoms and zipped it shut.

Trying to turn with rocks crushing her legs was an impossible task. She bent sideways in the water, wriggling like a fish caught on a hook.

_This can't be happening_.

She tried to pull her legs out, but they were firmly stuck.

Her lungs burned for air as her last breath bubbled from her mouth.

_No!_

She tried to move back, away from the cave fallout, but the space was too small and cramped.

Her head swam as conscious thought began to fade away. Her struggles weakened while her body screamed for oxygen.

_I can't believe I'm going to die like this_.

She fought to free her legs, her movements sluggish and her vision blurring.

_At least I'll see dad again_.

Her last thoughts were met by a bright light as she closed her eyes and fell into unconsciousness.
6

* * *

CAPTIVE

Ellie winced as a bright light flashed in front of her closed eyelids. She felt something pressing against her chest, making her cough. She jerked and rolled onto her side, coughing out water onto the wooden deck of a boat. She gasped for air, and the world spun for a few seconds.

_I guess I didn't die then_.

She groaned and rolled over onto her back, feeling very much like a fish as her weak muscles flopped onto the hot deck. A tall man in a diver's mask bent over her and scooped her up into his arms. He carried her below decks of a small yacht, taking her into a wood-paneled cabin and laying her on the bed inside it.

She tried to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down.

"You need to rest." His voice seemed familiar. She studied his back as he turned away from her and pulled the mask off. His dark hair was short and wet. Rivulets of water dripped off his hair and rolled down his tanned back, sliding over the bulging muscles flexing around his shoulders and down his back to the blue knee-length swimming trunks that were hanging off his slim hips before eventually dripping onto the floor.

He didn't look dangerous, more like a surfer than anything, so she flopped back on the bed, feeling exhausted. Her eyelids felt heavy.

_I'll just close my eyes for a minute_.

She sank into the warm, comforting mattress beneath her, her hand resting on the small lump of the key zipped into her bikini shorts.

She must have drifted off because she woke up to something cold clamping around her wrist. She squinted and opened one eye, peering at her arm.

The man was sitting on the bed beside her. His head was turned away as he held her arm.

She frowned, unable to see what he was doing. "Wha—what's going on?" Her voice came out croakier than she intended. She sounded drunk.

The man turned to face her with a grim smile on his face. She gasped when she recognized him. It was Jacob Hawkins.

"You're under house arrest until we reach the authorities," he said, moving aside to reveal handcuffs locking her right wrist to the wooden headboard.

Ellie panicked.

_Did he steal the key?_

She patted her hip, relieved the find that the pocket still contained the metal object. She struggled to pull her wrist out of the cuffs, but it was locked firmly in place. "What are you doing? I need a hospital!" She really didn't, but what the hell. It might work.

"The nearest one is in Costa Rica. We'll be there by morning." When he stood up, she could see that his hair was dry now, and he wore a beige T-shirt and khaki combat shorts. She did a double take at his T-shirt, which was emblazoned with a picture of Chewbacca and the words: I HUG LIKE A WOOKIEE.

After blinking at the furry face for a moment, she shook her head and peered around the room. The lighting was dimmer, electric rather than daylight. "How long was I out for?" The last time she remembered was midday.

"Over seven hours." He nodded at her legs. "Long enough for me to bandage those and search your boat. It's eight-thirty now."

He didn't find the key, so he must have not searched _her_. She glanced down at her bikini. There wasn't much to search, two triangles and a pair of bikini briefs. She frowned when she noticed her legs. There were patches of gauze taped to them with surgical tape.

"Did a shark get me?"

"I'm surprised one didn't, given how you stupidly went diving in a region that you clearly know nothing about. But no, you got grazed when I pulled you out of that cave-in." He turned to stare at her with folded arms, his eyes burning with anger.

"So _you_ did this to me? That's GBH. I'll sue you for—"

"Saving your life and grazing your knees?" He interrupted in a dry tone, narrowing his eyes.

"You can't just cuff me to your flippin' boat. I'm sure there are laws against holding people against their will." She shook her arm to rattle the handcuffs, but the motion appeared to draw his eyes to her chest, rather than her cuffed wrist.

His eyes flicked over her body in a long slow stare that caused her to press her legs together. It was sexy and grossly inappropriate at the same time. She looked away from him before he made her blush again.

_Get a grip. This is the bad guy, remember?_

She glared at him. "Can I at least get some bloody clothes?"

He turned on his heel without saying a word and left the cabin.

"Hey, it's getting cold in here!" she shouted after him. It wasn't, but keeping the lines of communication open with him was the best way to get out of the cuffs.

She slumped on the bed.

_Fantastic, I'm going to end up in a cell in Costa Rica wearing a bikini. This day can't get any worse_.

A few minutes later, he strolled back into the room, carrying a pile of clothes. He dropped them onto the bed beside her free hand. "Get dressed." He stepped away from the bed and folded his arms.

She glanced down at the clothing, blushing when she spotted her underwear in the pile. He must have taken them from her bag. "What, with you watching? I don't think so."

"It's not anything I haven't seen before." His expression was resolute and unnerving.

"I'm pretty certain you haven't seen me naked. You don't even know who I am."

"Ellie Phillips, daughter of Stewart Phillips, the criminal. You're a thief like your father, and you've stolen something from me." He held up the map, which he must have taken from her bag. "This is Henry Rose's map to the Corazón de Fortuna. I recognize it because my father was looking for this when he went missing. Isn't it odd that you steal something from my house and then suddenly run off to the same place my father was last seen? I always knew Stewart Phillips killed my dad. I guess now I know why. It was for this." He waved the map at her. "Did I miss anything?" he asked as he folded the map up and slipped it into the back pocket of his shorts.

"My father never killed anyone." She narrowed her eyes at him. So what if her dad had been interested in the map. He was interested in lots of mysteries and missing treasures. He hadn't been a killer.

_Did he work with Jacob's father? Why didn't he ever mention it?_

She frowned for a moment before shaking her head. It didn't matter. Whatever her father had done, she was certain he'd never killed anyone.

"Believe what you want if it helps a debased criminal like you sleep at night," he said with venom in his eyes.

"I'm not a debased criminal." She scowled at him.

"What are you then?"

"I'm a _great_ criminal," she muttered.

"Apparently not, since you're cuffed to my boat." A satisfied smile wavered on his lips.

He was enjoying her plight far too much, but it was an opening in the conversation.

"Okay, I'm not great. I'm not even especially good. But everyone makes mistakes, right?" She hung her head, peering up under her bangs.

He rolled his eyes. "Get dressed before I toss you back in the sea."

_Crap, he's not falling for it this time_.

"Fine. And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" She rattled the cuff again.

"One-handed."

"Can I at least wash off the salt water first? It's itchy."

He shook his head.

She picked up her burgundy sweater and tried to lift it over her head, but her muscles were still weak, and it was impossible with only one arm. "This is ridiculous," she said. "Uncuff me. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

"What? So you can make me disappear, too?"

"What?"

He leaned over her, his face only inches away from hers. His dark eyes glared into hers. "Just like _your_ father made _mine_ disappear." His hot breath burned her skin.

Like a powerful predator, he hovered over her. Her pulse quickened at his close proximity. Her body betrayed her by responding to him.

"I told you. My father wouldn't have—he _couldn't_ have—" She gulped, glancing at his lips and then back to his dark eyes.

The tension in the air shifted from dangerous to sexual. His expression was intense, but his hand stroked her face, lifting her chin. They were both breathing deeply, locked together in an attraction that must have been some kind of cosmic joke.

"I only took a map," she whispered as desire flooded her body.

He leaned over and kissed her lips, softly claiming them. Arching up against his firm, muscular body, she kissed him back, letting out an involuntary moan of approval as she did so.

The sound seemed to excite him. He hauled her against him, lifting her up and crushing his lips onto hers, overpowering any urge she might have had to get away. The tension building up inside her snapped, and she writhed beneath him in wanton need. He excited parts of her that no other man ever had. His hands roamed over her body, stroking, touching and driving her insane with desire.

She tugged his T-shirt up with her free hand and ran her fingers over his hard pecs. He quickly pulled his T-shirt off and threw it onto the floor before lying on the bed beside her. He kissed her neck and slowly trailed his fingers down her stomach to the waistband of her shorts.

She wanted to pull him closer to her. It was insane, and her conscious mind was telling her to stay away from him, but his touch was driving away her doubts in a haze of desire. Reality faded into the background. Fantasy took control of her as his kisses traveled down her neck to her chest.

"Uncuff me," she gasped, wanting to run her fingers over his tightly muscled body.

His lips froze on her neck.

It took a moment for her to realize what she'd said.

He raised his head, and she caught a flash of hurt in his big brown eyes before the light left them. He climbed back off the bed. "You'll do anything to get what you want, won't you?" He shook his head, wearing an expression of disgust.

"What? Hey, you kissed me, _twice_ now!" Anger burned through her veins, anger at him for wrongly accusing her, and anger at herself for being so stupid and...and horny. She wasn't trying to escape. She just wanted to wrap her arms around him. Her stupid body kept betraying her when she was close to him.

_Thank God it's like a bucket of ice water over the head when he's a total asshole, or he'd be dangerous_.

She glared at him from the bed. "You're not angry at me. You're angry at yourself!" she told him.

_Okay, that's just me projecting my own emotions onto him, but it's probably true_.

He snatched his T-shirt off the floor, and she found her eyes drawn to his muscular chest again as he tugged the beige cotton over it. Heat flared under her skin at the sight of his shifting abs, but she averted her gaze to keep from falling for his raw sexuality again.

"Oh, that's right. Hide your virgin eyes from my naked skin," he said in a mocking tone. "You're unbelievable! Does the con ever end for you?"

She narrowed her eyes. The virgin comment had hit a raw nerve. She was inexperienced, but it wasn't as if anyone had ever noticed before. Glaring, she turned to face him. "But baby, you're so easy to play." She flashed him a seductive smile and arched her back, thrusting her chest out toward him.

His eyes flicked to her chest, staring at her breasts with open desire. He growled and shook his head. "Not this time, sweetheart." He turned on his heel and stormed out of the cabin, slamming to door shut behind him.

She flopped back onto the bed, shaking with anger at her own stupidity. Winding him up wasn't going to get her out of here.

_What am I doing? Did my brain get damaged in that cave?_

But Jacob had gotten under her skin with his snide comments and assumptions about her. He didn't even know her.

_Clearly, if he thinks I'm some kind of super-slut_.

She scowled at the closed door. "How am I supposed to get dressed?" she shouted at it.

"Why not use your body? You use it for everything else!" She heard him shout back through the closed door.

Tears pricked the back of her eyes, making her even angrier with herself. She'd never gotten herself into this kind of mess before. It was all _his_ fault. She dropped her head onto the pillow in defeat.

_What the hell is wrong with me? I should be able to handle this_.

But she was alone in a foreign land and out of her depth. She was venturing into something she knew nothing about, fumbling and making mistakes in a new world. _His_ world.
7

* * *

BREAKOUT

According to the clock on the nightstand, Ellie had been staring at the door in silence for over five hours. Jacob had not returned. She'd had lots of time to think about her options. She needed to get out of the cuffs and off this boat before they docked in Costa Rica.

The boat had gone silent two hours ago when the engines had been turned off. She'd heard the splash of the anchor being dropped, and then nothing after that. She was pretty certain he'd gone to sleep somewhere else on the boat.

She'd realized that Jacob was a danger to her, and not just because he was planning to drop her off in a third-world prison. When she was around him, he made her head swim to stupid places. The effect he had on her rational mind was her biggest threat.

It was time to get off this boat and as far away from him as possible.

She glanced around her. The only things close enough for her to reach were the pine bedside tables on each side of the bed.

She shuffled across the bed to the one on her right, swinging her legs off the side of the mattress and sitting up. The small cabinet had two drawers in it. She opened the first drawer, finding a Rolex, a notebook and some cufflinks in it.

Shaking her head at the opulence of the small trinkets, she opened the second drawer. With a grin, she picked up the woman's hair clip that she found at the back of the drawer. It had gems dotted along one side, but the other half of it was a long pin.

_That'll do the trick_.

She glanced at the door, listening for sounds of Jacob, but the boat remained silent.

_Okay, time to do what I'm good at_.

She moved up the bed a few inches to get a closer look at the lock on the handcuffs. They weren't police-issued. She rolled her eyes. He probably picked them up from a sex shop. The lock was a basic generic kind that a cheap suitcase key would open. She peered into the keyhole and pushed in the end of the pin, feeling around until there was a click. She pressed on the pin, and the handcuffs swung open, freeing her from them.

_Well, that was easy_.

She moved silently off the bed, reaching across it and grabbing her clothes before moving them to her side of the bed.

After peering at the door again, she quickly stripped off her bikini. Feeling vulnerable as she stood naked in the cabin, she grabbed her black panties and pulled them on. Next, she picked up her bra and put it on, quickly fastening it behind her back before snatching up her jeans and tugging them on.

Her eyes flicked over the door as she fastened her jeans.

_Did he lock that too?_

She picked up her black T-shirt and pulled it over her head while trying to recall if she'd heard a lock click into place. She was pretty certain that it hadn't. She picked up her dark red sweater and pulled that over her head, enjoying the comforting warmth of the red wool. She glanced around. There were no shoes.

_I need to get to my bag_.

She checked the room for anything useful and then plucked the key out of her bikini pocket. She studied the metal compass for a moment before slipping it into the side pocket of her jeans, feeling relieved that she hadn't lost it. Next, she shoved her bikini into her back pocket.

_I might need that again_.

Holding her breath as a shiver of fear shot down her spine, she silently walked to the door. She pressed her head against it. There was a low growling sound coming from the other side.

_Did he bring a dog with him?_

She shook her head. That was insane, but then for all she knew there were more people on this boat.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she decided that it was now or never. She turned the brass door handle until it clicked, and she slowly opened the door.

In the short corridor outside the room, Jacob was slouched in a chair, sleeping. She watched him for a moment, listening to the deep growl of him snoring.

_Jesus, the poor woman he marries will need earplugs_.

The good news was that his loud snores would cover up any noises she made while escaping.

She stepped out of the room, careful not to brush against him in the narrow corridor. She turned to close the door behind her, deciding that the longer he thought she was in there, the more time she would have to escape.

Pressing her back against the wall of the corridor, she slipped past Jacob. She didn't take her eyes off him as she snuck past. He was slouched in the chair with his long legs stretched out in front of him. His eyes were closed, his dark lashes fluttering above his cheekbones. They fluttered wildly for a moment, and she froze until they relaxed and stopped twitching. His mouth was open with loud snores coming from within.

_Kodak moment_.

She grinned as she had the overwhelming urge to do something to him while he slept.

She glanced around, noticing a whiteboard on the wall behind him. Hanging from it was a black marker pen. She carefully reached over and snatched the pen off the hook, shaking her head.

_This is such a dumb idea. You're going to get caught_.

But the urge for some petty revenge was stronger than reason.

She exhaled slowly as she straightened up over him, trying to be as quiet as possible. He hadn't moved an inch, other than letting out a few loud snores.

She grinned as she pulled the cap off the pen with her teeth and hovered over him. Holding her breath, she touched the thick marker to his forehead. He didn't flinch, so she quickly scrawled a word there, before putting the lid back on the pen.

She studied her artwork with a wide grin, battling against the urge to laugh at the word DICK that was now tattooed on his forehead.

She slipped the marker into her pocket as she carried on past him and headed for the stairs. She pushed open the hatch, careful not to let it slam against the deck as she climbed up. She peered back through the hatch as she closed the door. Dick was still sound asleep.

Once the hatch was closed, she hurried across the deck. She snatched her bag off the floor as she passed by the open duffle bag. She peered over the port side, looking for a boat. She noticed the tip of her motor boat at the stern. She hurried topside down to the back of the boat, relieved to see her shoes and diving gear still aboard the smaller craft.

She climbed into the motor boat and dropped her bag on the small deck. Next, she checked the boat for keys. They were still in the ignition. She grinned, quickly untying the ropes and pushing her boat away from the yacht. Someone had too much faith in his crappy handcuffs.

She glanced ahead at the shore in the distance. The sun was beginning to crest on the horizon, providing a dim light over the dark sea. The current was taking her closer to shore, so she waited before turning on the engine, hoping no one would notice her escape for a few hours. The last thing she wanted was Jacob on her trail. As she drifted away from his boat, she exhaled a sigh of relief.

When she could barely make out the yacht in the darkness, she turned on the engine of the small craft, and headed for the shore.

_I made it!_

Her grin was firmly in place at the idea of Jacob waking up and looking in a mirror. She pulled on her boots and fastened them while steering the boat with her shoulder.

She pulled her bikini out of her back pocket, dropping it into the bag. Next, she retrieved the key from her side pocket. She tightened her grip on the small metal disk as she stared out across the dark water with narrowed eyes. He still had the map, but she was going to get it back.
8

* * *

THE TRAP

Jacob jerked awake, gasping for air. Cold sweat beaded his skin, and his heart was racing due to the dream that was still vivid in his mind. He'd been trapped at the bottom of the ocean in a small cave with his father's corpse reaching for him.

He rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and tried to calm down. His heart hammered, and he could hear the echo of his pulse pounding in his ears. He shook his head. The nightmares weren't a new thing. Ever since his father went missing, he'd had some version of them. It seemed that having Ellie Phillips on board had only made them worse.

_Yeah, and kissing her probably didn't help_.

He shook his head, disappointed by his inability to stop kissing her. She'd gotten under his skin in the worst way possible. Her pouting red lips, her soft skin, the curves of her petite body...

_Stop thinking about it!_

He clenched his hands into fists, angry with his own body for wanting the enemy. It was clear in his mind that she not only knew about his father's disappearance, but she was partly responsible in some way.

_She's just a low-life hustler. Never forget that!_

But he had forgotten it. When he found her unconscious in the cave, she'd looked so small and helpless. He'd panicked, and the urge to save her had been so strong. Beyond reason and beyond anything he'd felt for someone before, the idea of losing her had felt like a punch in the gut. He'd dragged her out of the cave, risking his own life to get her out. The cave had totally disintegrated after he'd gotten her out. If he hadn't been there, she'd be dead at the bottom of the Pacific right now. When he brought her on board, he was certain she was gone. She'd had no pulse. She _was_ dead for a few seconds, but CPR had brought her back.

He'd meant to tell her that, but he'd been worried about her welfare, and to be honest, angry at her for diving in a dangerous location alone. By the time she was fit to talk to, he'd found the map and realized her father had been trying to get it all along. Treachery appeared to run in the Phillips family. It made sense. He knew his father had been working with Phillips before he went missing. After his father had disappeared, Phillips had come to see his mother. The old con man had been asking about the map. Even as a child, Jacob had not trusted him.

Ellie showing up at his house now and stealing the map was no coincidence. She had to have known the map was inside the statue. The only way she could know that was if the person who put it there had told her. If his father had found the map, the only person he would have told was Phillips. It was likely that her father had told Ellie about it. Her sneaking in to steal it was more proof that her father knew what had really happened to his, more proof that she knew about it.

Resolved to not give in to her feminine wiles again, he stood up and threw open the cabin door, prepared to interrogate her for the information he wanted.

He stared into the room, and his jaw dropped open. The cuffs were unlocked and hanging on the bed frame. She was gone.

He spun around and raced up the steps to the hatch, throwing it open and tumbling out onto the deck. She was nowhere to be seen.

_No, no, no!_

He raced to the stern, finding only ropes trailing in the water where her boat had once been. He scanned the shoreline, looking for a sign of her or her boat, but the sea was empty.

He raced back to the hatch, rushing down it before bursting into the second cabin on the ship.

Bill was gently snoring on the bunk.

Jacob grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Wake up!"

"Wha—feck off, man. I'm sleeping," Bill mumbled, trying to roll over.

"Wake your ass up!" Jacob shook him again with more force.

Bill opened his eyes and stared at Jacob. His eyes widened as they lit up with a glint of amusement. "There's no need to be such a _dick_ about it."

"She's gone!" Jacob pulled on Bill's arm. "Come on, we need to find her."

Bill rubbed his jaw and sat up, grinning. "I think she left you a gift before departing." He laughed.

"Why are you laughing? This isn't funny. We can't let her get away."

"I dunno. It might be for the best. I get the feeling that she doesn't like you very much." Amusement lit up Bill's face. " _I'm_ starting to like _her_ though." Another laugh escaped his lips.

"You think this is funny?" Jacob snapped.

"I think it's hilarious." Bill gave up any attempts to contain his laughter, letting it roar out of him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?" Jacob wondered if she'd drugged Bill. He was acting insane.

"Just, d-do me a favor." He stammered mid-laugh. "Please look in a mirror."

Jacob frowned at Bill. What the hell is he talking about? He shook his head and turned to face the mirrored door of the closet to his right. He froze on the spot, and his eyes widened. Thick black letters were scrawled across his forehead, spelling out the word: KCID. He frowned for a moment and then realized they were backwards in his reflection.

_Dick! She wrote dick on my forehead!_

"Oh, very fucking funny." He furiously rubbed at the word with his fingers, but the letters didn't even smudge. "Did she use a permanent marker?" He scrubbed harder, but the word remained the same.

He turned around, scowling at Bill, who had rolled over, clutching his stomach as tears of laughter rolled down his cheeks. "That's the best wake-up I've ever had," he said, gasping.

"It's not even funny." Jacob narrowed his eyes at the mirror. "She's evil. Pure and simple, she is evil incarnate, and I'm going to find her and then—"

"Draw on her?" Bill gasped, laughing even more.

"I hate you," Jacob said as he pulled a baseball cap off the hook on the back of the door and pulled it down over his forehead. "You suck," he muttered before slamming his way out of the cabin.

"Don't be such a _dick_ about it!" Bill called after him, continuing to laugh.

Jacob stormed his way down the corridor to his cabin. He dropped onto the bed and lay back, trying to control his anger. She'd played him again. Why was it every time he ran into that awful woman, he ended up looking like a fool?

He rolled sideways and stared at the open handcuffs.

_She can pick locks, too. Great, what else is on her list of accomplishments?_

The scent of her skin was on his pillows. Before he realized what he was doing, he inhaled, causing sensual memories of her lips and the touch of her soft skin to invade his mind.

_God, stop it!_

He rolled onto his back and sat up on the bed. She and her father had stolen everything from him, his company, his father... What kind of horrific twist of fate would make her attractive to him? But he _was_ attracted to her. Even he had to admit that. Somehow, she'd used her feminine wiles to creep under his skin. Now she was going after the Heart of Fortune, and she'd probably steal that from under his nose, too.

He walked over to the bathroom, searching the cupboard for something that would remove permanent marker. He found a bottle of rubbing alcohol under the sink. He dabbed some on a cotton ball and wiped it over the words on his forehead, which seemed to bring the ink to the surface. Next, he scrubbed at the ink with some hand soap until it faded to a faint shadow of the word DICK.

He rested his hands on the basin and stared at himself in the mirror above the sink. His forehead had a red glow after all the scrubbing, and the word was still faintly visible. He narrowed his eyes at it. How could she call him a dick when all he was doing was trying to get some justice?

_And trying to kiss her_ , a small voice in the back of his mind argued.

_She kissed me back!_ _And she left me with nothi—_

Widening his eyes, he rushed out of the bathroom and out of the cabin. He climbed out of the hatch and ran into the wheelhouse toward the lockbox under counter. He pulled it out and sat in the driving seat before quickly typing in the combination on the box. He flipped it open and peered inside, sighing when he saw the map, which was resting on top of his passport. A smile spread across his face. He knew he would have another chance at catching her.

_She'll be back. I've got the map she wants_.

He whistled as he steered the boat toward the marina on the port side of Playa Espadilla. He was confident that Ellie would come at him to get to the map. And this time, he'd be ready for her.
9

* * *

TREASURE MAP

Ellie sat on the bed and flipped open her laptop. She glanced around at her new hotel room with a look of distaste. The single bed came equipped with a hard mattress and an itchy green blanket. The walls were off-white with an array of stains on them. The small window was barely covered by torn curtains that were in need of a clean.

_Home sweet home_.

She shook her head. Perhaps moving out of the hotel was a bad idea.

Her original hotel had been in a beach resort, providing her with an opulent room with an en-suite bathroom. However, when she got back to shore, she'd decided to check out and head for the nearby city. The idea had been to lose Jacob in the city, but the hotels got shabbier and shabbier the closer she came to the busy center of Quepos.

_He won't find me here_.

She nodded.

_Roughing it won't be so bad_.

She rested her hand on the bedside table, freezing in position when she felt something crawl over it. She glanced down to see a large cockroach pause in its journey across her knuckles to peer up at her.

_Gyah!_

She shook it off her hand and leapt up from the bed. While the roach scurried over the scratched wooden surface of the table, she ran to the other side of the room. Her heart pounded, and she took a moment to try to calm her frazzled nerves. Meanwhile, the cockroach decided to go on the internet as it skittered across her keyboard, opening a browser window on its travels.

_Oh, no you don't!_

She grabbed the broom that was resting against the wall and held it aloft like a staff.

She moved toward her laptop, her eyes trained on the vile insect. It must have seen her coming because it flew into the air, aiming straight for her face.

She narrowed her eyes and swung the broom at it, pushing it back toward the open window. It tried to dodge her, but she whacked it with the broom, and it flew outside. She pulled the window shut, and then locked it on the off chance it could pick locks as well as browse Google.

Breathing deeply, she checked the bed. Goosebumps had risen all over her body.

_Please don't let me find anything else in here_.

Once she was certain that the bed was safe, she sat down and turned to face her laptop.

_I need help_.

Beads of sweat popped up on her skin from the humid air in the room. She missed her previous air-conditioned hotel as she glanced up at the ceiling fan in this one, which was spreading the hot air around, rather than cooling it. She looked back at her screen, hoping the internet would at least work.

_It must be working if the roach could get to Google_.

She checked the Wi-Fi connection to ensure it was active. Then she opened Skype and waited for it to load up her friends list. There was only one person on her list: Jimmy.

_I hope he's around this time_.

She clicked call and waited for him to answer.

After several rings, the call connected. Her screen was black for a moment before an image of Jimmy appeared. He must have been lying on a sun lounger because she could only see his shoulder as he leaned sideways out of the camera's view. Behind him was a five-star hotel with a designer swimming pool and large gardens.

"No, you." His voice crackled over the speakers in her laptop, but she couldn't see his face, just the top of his left shoulder moving.

"No, _you_ are," a female voice answered him.

Ellie tilted her head to the side.

_Who's he talking to?_

"When it comes to adorable cuteness, it's so _you_!" Jimmy said.

Ellie felt a bit queasy for a moment. "Jimmy, what the fuck?" she said to the laptop.

"Huh?" Jimmy rolled sideways toward the camera, his face finally coming into view. He was holding what looked like a frozen margarita in his hand, wearing a straw hat, and the skin on his face was bright red from too much sun. He smiled as he noticed her. "Ellie, _hola_ from Florida! How goes it?" He took a sip from his drink and waved his hat at her.

"Are you drunk?" She stared at the image of a happy Jimmy and wondered what monster she had created by bringing him here.

"On love," he cried. He reached for the person beside him and pulled them into view. "Meet Cheryl, my snookum kitten!" Cheryl was a smiling blonde with bright blue eyes. She offered a sweet smile and waved excitedly.

_Snookum kitten, did he have a lobotomy?_

Ellie waved limply back at the happy couple. "Hey."

"Hey, it's so great to meet you. Jimmy's told me so much about you." The snookum kitten gushed.

Ellie widened her eyes.

_How much did he fucking tell her?_

"Oh, really. Like what?"

"Only the good things," Jimmy said.

"Not much at all then." Ellie smiled, but the smile was frozen on her face. She felt like the outsider in the conversation.

Cheryl whispered something in Jimmy's ear, and he laughed before hugging her. Then he whispered something into her ear, and she giggled in his arms.

_Oh, I'm gonna be sick. Is this going to last long?_

"So, there's a problem." Ellie managed, staring in awe at the screen. Jimmy was in love. She hadn't expected that. Jimmy was an idiot when he was in love. She _really_ hadn't expected that.

Jimmy turned back to the screen with a dopey grin on his face. "How may I help you on this fine summer's day?" He turned away as a waiter came over to refill his drink.

Ellie narrowed her eyes and glanced around her hotel room.

_I got the crappy end of this deal_.

She wanted to tell him about Jacob showing up and about her near-death experience. She wanted to talk about her father and the things that Jacob had said. She wanted to ask him about the key. But with Cheryl there, Ellie clammed up instead.

"I ran into an old friend," she said.

"Oh?" Jimmy sipped his drink.

"Mr. Hawk," Ellie evasively added.

Jimmy choked on his drink. "What?"

"Oh sweetie, they're doing volleyball in the pool. Let's go play!" Cheryl's voice filtered through the speakers.

"I'll be there in a minute, sugar plum," Jimmy said. "Save me a spot."

Ellie breathed a sigh when Cheryl got up. She watched her walk away toward the pool while plucking her pink bikini bottoms out of her backside.

_Ooh, classy_.

She knew it was an irrational dislike of Cheryl.

_She's probably a lovely girl_.

She tried to be open-minded, but she needed Jimmy's attention right now.

Jimmy watched Cheryl leave with an audible sigh. "She's something else, isn't she?" he said when he turned to face the screen.

"Oh, yeah," Ellie muttered. "She's definitely something else."

"So, what happened? I don't have long." Jimmy put down his drink, looking concerned.

"Not much. Jacob showed up and stole the map, and I ran off." Ellie skipped many of the details. She just needed Jimmy to help. There was no reason to ruin his fun. He was happy. That was a good thing, right?

"Did you find the trea—er, what you were looking for?" Jimmy glanced around to check that no one heard him.

"No, I found a clue. A key, kinda." She pulled the small metal disk out of her pocket and flashed it at the screen. "It looks like a compass, but it doesn't work."

"How do you know it's a clue?" Jimmy frowned into the screen, squinting at the object. "It looks old."

"There was writing on the cave above it. It's part of the, er, hunt." It was really hard to talk to him by a crowded poolside.

"Put it near the camera." Jimmy frowned at the object.

Ellie shrugged before holding the compass near the camera at the top of her laptop.

"Turn it left a bit."

She turned it.

"No, the other way."

She turned it the other way. "What do you see?"

"There's a switch on it. Look at the left side. There's a tiny lever. I think it's a mechanical switch."

Ellie lifted the compass closer to her and peered at the side of it. He was right. There was a tiny little lever on the left side of it. "What does it do?"

"I dunno. Pull it. See what happens."

She wedged her fingernail over the lever and pressed it down while holding the compass in the palm of her other hand. The face spread out into separate lenses stacked on top of each other, opening up one at a time until the compass opened like a flower, each lens a glass petal and the compass itself the heart of the flower.

"Wow. What is it?" Jimmy asked, staring through the camera.

"I don't know. It looks like a flower. See." She held it up to the camera, seeing Jimmy's face through the different petals. They were like lenses, but each one had a different view.

Jimmy gasped. "Can you see that?"

She nodded with wide eyes. She could see exactly what he was talking about. Each lens had lines and markings engraved onto the glass. When she looked at Jimmy through the compass, she saw a map reflected on his face.

"There are no reference points." He frowned.

"I bet there are on the leather map," she said. "If you look at it through this, I bet it's a map straight to the Heart."

"Maybe." He didn't look convinced.

Ellie pressed the lever and the compass closed. She slipped it into her pocket. "Well, it's something. That's for sure."

He nodded. "So, what do you need?"

"I need the map to finish this, but Jacob has it. I need his location, a way in and a way out. I also need a boat."

"What's the boat for?"

"The next location."

"How do you know the next location?" Jimmy frowned.

It had taken Ellie a while to work it out, but it was kind of obvious in the end. The Jeweled Isle. Isla Precosia was an uninhabited island several miles down the coast. "It was written on the wall."

"Alright, gimme until tonight. I'll have the boat and his location by then."

"Thanks Jimmy." She smiled, but it slid off her face when a pink bikini appeared on screen.

"Come on, sugar puff." A girly voice giggled. "Who's the cutest one in all the land?"

"You are!" Jimmy turned away from the camera to face Cheryl with a grin on his face.

"No, you are!" Cheryl giggled and jumped onto his lap.

"No, you!" Jimmy said.

"No, you," Ellie interrupted.

They both turned toward the screen, looking confused.

"...need to go have some fun. I'll call back later," she quickly added with a smile before hanging up.

She rolled onto the bed and stared up at the cracked ceiling, putting her hands behind her head. She hated to admit it, but she was a bit jealous of Jimmy. He got a luxury hotel and to fall in love. She got a sweaty dumpsite of a room and to end up attracted to someone who wanted to throw her in jail and leave her there to rot. She felt as if she was alone in this.

It was scary being alone. She'd always had her dad and Jimmy by her side. This time, she was venturing into the unknown without any backup. The world seemed harsher, less of a playground and more dangerous. She watched some kind of flying slug crawl across the ceiling.

_Maybe I should have stayed in England_.

Her heart felt heavy, and tears pricked her eyelids.

She sat up and shook her head before melancholy set in.

_I'll be fine once I get the Heart. This is just a minor setback. I'm better off on my own_.

She grabbed the shopping bags off the floor and began pulling out her new clothes.

_I just need to pay Jacob a visit in the morning_.

* * *

Jacob rubbed his eyes, trying to force himself to stay awake. He'd been staring at the map for most of the night, trying to work out where it led to next. He frowned at it. It made no sense. There were markings on the map that he didn't recognize. The cave he'd found Ellie in was clearly shown on the map, but the rest appeared to be random lines and symbols.

He stood up and walked toward his balcony. It was all starting to feel like a wild goose chase. He'd been excited when he'd found the map in Ellie's bag, convinced it would lead to information about his father's disappearance.

_It had to be dad who put the map inside the tablet_.

He stared out across the dark beach at the moon resting on the horizon. Why had his father hidden the map in the first place?

He narrowed his eyes. His father had never done anything frivolous his entire life. There had to be a reason his father had hidden the map.

_It has to lead somewhere_.

He turned on his heel and returned to the writing desk, taking a seat in the plush leather executive chair in front of it. He idly spun in the chair as he scanned the surface of the map again.

As he turned, he frowned at the old leather. The lines curved into each other from a different perspective. His eyes widened as the lines joined over a bump in the leather. He lifted the map in his hands and curled a fist underneath it, causing the material to curve and the symbols to join up. They joined to create a symbol, an X.

He laid the map on the desk again, this time creating folds and bumps in it, trying to connect the many lines in the cloth.

The feeling of excitement faded when he realized that there were hundreds of different ways to bend the map and make it join up, but there was no way to tell which curve was correct.

He slumped back in his chair and narrowed his eyes.

_There has to be a way. I bet she knows how to read this thing_.

He realized that there was only one person who could decode this map for him, Ellie goddamn Phillips.

His plans to have her arrested would have to take a back seat. He needed to know where this map led. He needed her to show him how to read it.

He scowled at the map. _Crap!_
10

* * *

INCOGNITO

Ellie took a seat at the table beside Jacob's in the hotel restaurant. He offered her a polite smile. She nodded at him, being careful not to dislodge her blue-rinse wig. He was scanning the restaurant with narrowed eyes, probably looking for her.

She wasn't concerned that he'd recognize her. Her experience with disguise had proven that people saw what they expected to see. No man of Jacob's age was going to study an old woman with much scrutiny. He'd see her shawl, the caked-on make-up, and his imagination would age her sixty years all by itself.

She dropped a lacy handkerchief onto the marble floor before sighing. "Could you help an old lady out?" she croaked at him, offering him a wrinkled smile. The thick makeup felt as if it cracked on her face.

He turned toward her with a sympathetic light in his eyes. "Of course." He got out of his chair and knelt before her, deftly swiping the cloth off the floor and offering her it.

"It's not often you see a gentleman around these days." She made her voice as gravelly as possible to conceal it. "You're such a fine young man. Do you have a girl?" She made her hand tremble as she reached for the handkerchief and gave his hand a pat in the process.

He smiled. "I'm afraid not."

"Ah, playing the field, are you?" She nodded. "Just like my Gerald used to before he met me."

"Your Gerald?" He seemed eager to leave, but Ellie was too busy enjoying messing with him to let him get away that easily.

"Sit down, sit down." She waved him toward the seat opposite her. "Keep an old lady company for a while."

He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, clearly wanting to get away, but debating the matter of manners.

"Unless you're waiting for a hot date?" she added.

She noticed his eyes darken in anger for a moment before he flashed a polite smile and took a seat opposite her.

_That hit a nerve_.

She wondered for a moment if he _was_ waiting for a hot date. She frowned when her chest ached at the thought of him with another woman. Ignoring the feeling, she tried to dismiss it as indigestion.

"So who was Gerald?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts and reminding her to remain in character.

"Ah, Gerald was the love of my life. We were so young and wild back then. We met here every year for a crazy adventure." She glanced out of the balcony, down to the white beach and azure waters below. "Back then, you could live a lifetime in one hot summer." She sighed wistfully, flashing him a glance to ensure she had his attention.

She did. He was listening to every word. "Gerald and I lived many lifetimes on this very beach until one year when he didn't show up."

"What happened to him?" Jacob asked. He sounded genuinely sad. She glanced at him. For a second, he didn't look angry or menacing. He looked as lonely as she felt.

_Perhaps all great stories of love are just stories. None of it is ever real. We just want it to be, so we make it all up_.

"I never found out, but Gerald was gone. I never saw him again. He wouldn't have just stopped coming, so I suspect he died. Still, I come back every year for the chance to have an adventure with him again. For love, we do the craziest things." She nodded, pulling her shawl around her shoulders. "Say, it's getting a bit chilly. Would it be too much trouble if I asked you to help an old romantic up to her room?"

Jacob nodded and helped her out of her seat. "It'd be a pleasure, ma'am." He guided her toward the elevator. "There's something about old romantics that I quite like."

She offered him a crinkled smile. "You look a little like Gerald. He was tall and dark-haired, like you." She stepped into the elevator with him. "And handsome, so handsome. Why, my heart would speed up just because he was near me. Did you ever feel like that?"

Jacob's eyes darkened again. "Just once."

"I hope you didn't let her get away." Ellie turned to watch him.

His hand hovered over the panel in the elevator wall. His muscles tensed in his shoulder for a moment.

"Oh, silly me. It's the second floor, dearie." She had the urge to make him talk about the girl.

_Is he talking about me?_

"It is a girl, right? You never can tell these days what a gentleman prefers."

He spluttered a cough as he pressed the button marked '2'. "It's a girl, yes."

"Is she a pretty little thing? I used to be quite the catch in my day." She glanced up at him from beneath her false eyelashes.

He closed his hands into fists. "She's very pretty," he grounded out, staring ahead at the elevator doors. "It seems we're staying on the same floor." He changed the subject.

"Oh, that's wonderful. It'll be nice to know there's a strapping lad around if I get in a fix." She hooked her arm through his as the doors opened, and they walked down the long corridor.

"You know, all this walking isn't good for an old lady. It's a shame they don't have chairs down here." She fanned her face with her hand, her large handbag swinging on her wrist. "Can we slow it down a little, let an old lady rest?"

He slowed his pace and turned to face her, concern warming his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, hot flashes. I'll be fine. I just need to sit down for a moment." She looked around the corridor, feigning looking for a seat.

"My room is just here." He pointed to the door nearest to them. "Would you like to rest there for a minute?"

She giggled. "Why, if I was ten years younger, I'd think you were trying to seduce me."

He smiled, but it appeared frozen on his face in fear at the thought.

"A rest would be good," she agreed as he swiped the card in his door and invited her inside.

While he guided her to the armchair in the opulent room, she scanned it for places he would put the map.

"Thank you." She sat in the chair, glancing up at him. "Could I trouble you for a glass of water?"

He nodded before rushing into the bathroom to fetch her one. She waited a beat and then tugged open the drawers in his room, routing through his clothes to try to find the map, but it wasn't there. When she heard the tap turn off, she returned to her seat and reclined back in an exhausted pose.

"So, tell me about this girl," she said as he walked back into the room with a glass of water.

"She's a bad person," he said in a flat tone.

"She can't be all bad if you like her. You know, Gerald wasn't a saint, but it's the heart behind the actions that count." She accepted the glass of water, taking a small sip.

"I'm not sure she has a heart." He sighed, taking a seat on the bed.

She frowned, not liking what she was hearing. "There has to be something good about her."

"Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you?" Jacob shrugged his shoulders, looking more puzzled than anything else.

She narrowed her eyes. "It doesn't sound as if you like her at all."

"I don't," he said. "She's trouble, and she gets under your skin—like a disease."

Ellie choked on her sip of water.

_A disease! Did he just call me a disease?_

"Oh, are you okay?" He was beside her in a second, taking away the glass that was shaking in her hands.

She coughed harder. "Oh, I spilt some." She brushed imaginary water off herself. "Could you get me a towel?"

He nodded, jumping to his feet and rushing to the bathroom again. She tugged open the cabinet beside her and peered inside it. She found a small metal lockbox resting on the top shelf. She lifted the lid of the box. Contained within was a stack of cash, a passport and the map resting on the top of the pile. Relieved to find the map, she quickly grabbed it and shoved it into her purse before closing the box and the cabinet.

He hurried back with a towel, and she dabbed her dress down with it, making a display of soaking up imaginary water.

"That cold shower seems to have done me the world of good." She smiled at him. "I'm feeling much better now. I may go to my room and lie down." She pushed herself up from the chair, gripping her purple handbag. "Thank you for your charming company and hospitality."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He offered her an arm to help her up, and she took it, brushing against him as she stumbled by.

They headed toward the door, his muscled arm holding her up.

"I'll be fine now." She smiled up at him.

"If you need anything during your stay here, just let me know," he said while standing in his doorway as he guided her past him.

She stepped out into the hallway, releasing his arm and turning to face him. "You know, you should forget about that bad girl and date a nice one. My granddaughter's single."

He frowned. "I thought you never married? What about Gerald?"

_Shit._ "I said I loved Gerald. I never said I wasn't married to someone else when I fell in love." She chuckled and patted Jacob on the ass, giving it a sharp pinch out of pure spite.

He jumped at her touch, a look of distaste appearing in his expression.

She winked at him. "Love comes in all shapes and sizes," she called behind her as she waddled down the corridor with his map in her bag.

She continued walking slowly until she heard a door click shut behind her. She glanced back. He'd gone back into his room. She hurried down the corridor, racing for the stairs.

_It's time to get the hell out of here_.

She grinned. That had been fun. She couldn't help messing with him. She hadn't meant to, but when he called her a disease, the temptation had been too strong.

"Hey!" She spun around at the sound of his voice, and her wig swung off her head, flopping against the wall beside her. She glanced down at it, her heart racing. Then she stared at him in silence for a moment.

He stood in his open doorway holding her shawl in his hands. His eyes widened as he stared at her, and the shawl dropped out of his fingers before floating to the floor. "You!" he bellowed. His brows knitted together as his expression rapidly turned from one of surprise to one of anger.

_Crap!_ She turned on her heel and raced down the corridor, hearing his heavy footsteps pounding on the marble floor behind her.

She burst through the fire escape door and jumped down a flight of stairs before turning and leaping down the next flight to the first floor. She hurried through the doors into the foyer and leapt over the small balcony onto the pier, racing down it while trying to catch her breath. Her floral skirts billowed behind her as she teetered on old lady heels, clattering her way down the boardwalk. She glanced back. He wasn't behind her. She pumped her arms, heading for the end of the pier.

_I'm going to make it_.

There was a loud crack in the air a millisecond before something hard hit her in the back as she reached the end of the short wooden walkway, and she toppled over the edge into the cold waters below.

Pain blossomed over her body as she went into shock. Inky red blood tainted the water around her. She glanced at her shoulder with wide eyes.

_He shot me! I can't believe he fucking shot me_.
11

* * *

THE HIT

Jacob paused in the stairwell, panting as he stared across the poolside. He watched Ellie leap over a barricade and land on the pier ahead of him. He clenched his hands into fists as anger flooded through him.

_She fucking did it again. She stole from me again!_

He boosted himself over the railing and landed on the pier several feet behind her. He intended to follow her, but he froze when he heard what sounded like gunshot. He automatically ducked and hit the deck, glancing up just in time to see her get hit and topple over the edge into the sea below.

A mix of emotions clouded his mind, anger, fear and concern. He jumped to his feet and raced toward the end of the pier, dodging bullets.

_Who's shooting at us?_

He glanced back over his shoulder to see Bill running down the pier toward him.

"Why are we shooting at her?" he shouted.

"We're not!" Bill cried, rushing to his side and dragging him behind a wall for cover.

"Then who is?" Jacob peered over the wall after a bullet whizzed over it, noticing a flash of reflected sunlight near the hotel gardens.

The people who had been lounging by the pool were screaming and running inside the building as constant gunfire shot across the pool area toward the water where Ellie had fallen in.

Jacob tensed his jaw at the idea that she might be dead. Anger expanded inside him, the kind he hadn't experienced since his father went missing. She was a pain in the ass, but she was _his_ pain in the ass. He wasn't going to let her get away, so dying certainly wasn't an option for her.

He turned to Bill. "Can you take the shooter out?"

"Yeah, if I double back. What are you going to do?"

"Save her ass again," Jacob muttered.

"I'm starting to think you like her." Bill grinned.

"Don't start thinking for yourself now."

"Hey! I think just fin—" Bill began to protest.

"Go!" Jacob interrupted. Now wasn't the time for bickering. "And don't do anything stupid." He patted his friend on the shoulder. Bill was the closest thing to a father he had left, but he was confident that he could handle a dangerous situation.

Bill nodded and hunched over before hurrying down the pier toward the hotel foyer.

Jacob stared at the end of the pier, counting the seconds it took for Bill to get to the shooter.

_How long can she be underwater and survive? Did the bullet hit her? Is she dying out there?_

Images of her body floating on the surface of the water caused his heart to burst in his chest.

_Please don't let her die. Please don't let her die...._

It occurred to him, while he watched Bill stealthily creep up on the shooter, that his feelings for Ellie were more than just revenge. But since she'd just played him again, he was finding it difficult to rationalize what he was feeling.

Once the shooting stopped, he hurried down the pier. Her blood had splattered onto the weathered boards. When he reached the end, he looked down in horror as the dark red liquid sank into the grain of the wood.

_Please let her be okay_.

 He stared down at the water, coldness creeping over his skin when he saw blood tainting the surface.

He didn't think twice about it. He dived into the water, searching the inky depths for a sign of her. His heart seemed to have jumped into his throat, blocking it. He didn't know what he would do if he found her corpse.

The water was dark, and he couldn't see much. He felt around, only finding weeds. His lungs began to burn for air, so he kicked to the surface, gulping in air when he burst out of the water. After a few breaths, he inhaled deeply and dived down again, searching for her.

_Where is she?_

By the time he realized she wasn't there, he knew the search was pointless. If she'd been under for this long, she wouldn't still be alive when he found her. He continued to dive, regardless of the reality, wanting to believe she was still alive.

When he came up after his twelfth dive, he saw Bill waiting for him on the sands, waving for him to come to shore.

Panting and with aching muscles, he swam over to the beach. He blinked saltwater out of his eyes, the lump in his throat refusing to dislodge. Had they found her? Was she dead? Loss washed over him, confusing his emotions. She was his lifetime adventure. He didn't know if she was a good one, but just being near her brought him to life. Just like her story about Gerald, she was the wild and crazy thing that made his life an adventure. On some level, it was as if she'd been talking about them.

"Where is she?" he asked as he waded onto the beach.

"No sign of her yet, but the gunman is in custody." Bill pointed to the Fuerza Publica officers who were cuffing a man's hands behind his back.

Jacob glanced at the azure ocean.

_Where did she go?_

The weight lifted off his chest.

_Did she get away?_

"Who is he?" Jacob turned and scowled at the man.

"A hired gun by the looks of it."

"Who hired him?" Jacob set off toward the pier.

_I need to find out what happened to her_.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I took this off him." Bill flashed a cell phone at Jacob. "He's got Meyer's number stored in it. I think it's a safe bet to assume Ellie's got a hit out on her."

Jacob frowned as he headed for his boat. "Does Meyer even operate out here?"

"Normally, I'd say no. But why else would this guy have Meyer's number? Whatever she did to Meyer, it was enough to bring him across the world to get to her." Bill kept pace beside him.

"Well, she _is_ pretty irritating," Jacob muttered.

"What's the plan?" Bill frowned as Jacob untied his yacht.

Jacob jumped aboard and gestured for Bill to follow. "We find her."

"What about Meyer?"

"We find her first." Jacob scanned the ocean with determined eyes. "She's mine."

* * *

Ellie's shoulder burned, but she ignored it, kicking her legs and heading for the opposite shore. Bullets whizzed into the water around her. She felt numb with shock. He was trying to kill her.

_What kind of monster is he?_

She heard someone running on the pier behind her. She inhaled deeply and ducked under the surface. There was a splash as someone else hit the surface. She sped up, swimming as far away from her pursuer as possible.

She swam under the surface, holding her breath for as long as she could. When she eventually came up for air, the bullets had stopped firing. She swam for the other end of the cove, pushing her body to keep going.

_Don't stop to worry about the damage. Just keep going. You'll make it_.

She glanced back. She'd left the hotel far behind her, and she could see Jacob diving at the end of the pier, looking for her. He didn't glance in her direction.

With renewed vigor, she used all her strength to cover the distance between her and the opposite shoreline. It was a rocky incline with a smattering of grass and thick jungle on top of it. She headed for it, thankful of the cold water numbing her burning shoulder.

She fought not to scream in pain as she dragged herself up the rocks and climbed onto the grassy shore, her shoulder stinging with every movement. She lay on the hot soil for a few moments, panting from the exertion.

_God knows what damage I'm doing to my shoulder_.

She didn't dare rest, knowing that she didn't have long before she would be spotted. She rolled over and ripped open the buttons of her old lady dress, struggling out of it and pushing the soaked linen off her body.

Underneath, she wore a pair of black cargo shorts and a black vest. She lay on the grass for a moment, drying off in the hot sun.

After catching her breath, she glanced down at her shoulder. There was a deep gash across the top of her arm, where the bullet had raked through her skin.

_Okay, get a grip. You can't just lay here waiting to be shot again_.

She pulled the purple handbag toward her, thankful that she'd packed her biker boots in it. The bag was still closed, but it was full of water. She opened it and emptied it out onto the grass. After the water splashed onto the grass beside her, her black boots fell out, followed by the map and compass. She grabbed the soggy map and compass off the grass before stuffing them into the pockets of her shorts.

She glanced at her wounded shoulder. The tear in her skin was gushing blood.

_That's going to need stitches_.

She ripped a sleeve off the linen dress. Since it was soaked in saltwater, she hoped it would make a clean dressing. She tied the cloth around her bleeding shoulder as tightly as she could, wincing at the hot pain blossoming around it.

_If nothing else, it'll stop my strap rubbing over it._

She gently laid the black strap of her vest over the dressing.

_An inch to the left, and I would have had a bullet stuck in me_.

She trembled for a moment, pushing back the feeling of shock that was beginning to overwhelm her.

_Hold it together. Now is not the time to panic_.

She tipped the water out of her boots and then pulled off her old lady shoes, tossing them aside. She pushed the boots onto her feet and tightly laced them up. They were cold and wet, but it was a welcome relief in the hot sun.

She peered back at the distant shoreline and narrowed her eyes. She could just make out Jacob boarding his boat at the pier. He'd tried to kill her, and it didn't look as if he'd finished trying yet.

_My fucking hero! Why didn't he just let me drown if he wanted me dead?_

None of his actions made sense to her.

Shaking her head and deciding to follow her survival instinct, she pushed herself up off the ground with her uninjured arm and stood up. She turned to face the jungle behind her and then hurried through the trees, brushing past thick green fronds and disappearing into the undergrowth.
12

* * *

DARK JUNGLE

Ellie staggered into the clearing, gasping for air. She swiped the sweat out of her eyes with the back of her hand before resting against a thick tree trunk and taking a moment to regain her breath. She'd torn through the humid jungle to escape Jacob and ensure he didn't follow her. She was trembling all over, using every ounce of energy she possessed to keep going. She didn't know how long she'd been running, but she was pretty certain she'd lost him.

_That's not the only thing that's lost_.

She grimaced at the thick trees, searching for a hint of a way out but only seeing dense greenery surrounding her.

She lifted her left foot off the ground and winced. Her toes felt raw inside her boots, which had rubbed against her wet skin every step of the way. Even though they had dried on the outside, the boots were still sodden on the inside. The thick leather had been a welcome relief at first, a protective covering for her bare skin against the hissing insects on the jungle floor, but now she'd give anything for a dry pair of socks.

She shook her head at her current situation. When she'd set off running, she hadn't really had a destination in mind. She was being shot at, so she ran.

However, the farther she ran, the worse her situation became. Her feet were probably a blistered, bloody mess inside her shoes. Her bare arms and legs made her feel unprotected. Sharp pains shot down her arm and back from the gash on her shoulder.

Fighting dizziness from exhaustion, blood loss and thirst, she realized she was lost in a tropical jungle with no way of calling for help.

_And who would I call? Who even cares that I'm out here?_

Her mind tried to tell her that Jimmy would care, but Jimmy wasn't here and part of her was glad he wasn't.

_In the long run, isn't he better off without me?_

She licked her dry lips.

_It doesn't matter_. _If I don't find water soon, I'm dead anyway_.

She glanced around the clearing, sighing with relief when she saw the banks of a lake beside her. Water was something she needed very badly.

_Is it safe to drink?_

The idea of stopping to boil it wasn't a very alluring one. She still didn't know if she was being followed. She didn't know what time it was, and she didn't know what to do if she was still here at night.

She shivered. A night in the jungle alone didn't sound like a good idea. It was beginning to dawn on her that a city girl like her shouldn't have even tried to come to a place like this.

_I'm so fucking dead. If a gun-wielding psycho doesn't get me, this place will_.

She shook her head and stumbled toward the lake.

_What's a bit of dysentery when you're probably going to get eaten by something nasty anyway?_

She knelt at the lake's edge and scooped up some water into her hands. It was cool and clear. Her shoulder burned when she reached down. She glanced at it, allowing the water to fall through her fingers. The makeshift bandage was dark red and sticky. Blood splattered down her arm where it had poured through the bandage and smudged against the brush and leaves as she ran by them. She touched the bandage, and fire bloomed down her arm.

_I'm so fucked_.

She tightened her jaw.

_Stop whining. I've just gotta get out of here, and it'll be okay_.

She scooped up some more water and took a sip out of her palm, freezing in place when she saw a long green snake slide into the water from the opposite bank. She spat out the water and jumped back from the lake. The body of the snake was thick and long. She didn't want to stick around to find out if it was harmless or not.

She glanced up at the sun, trying to fathom where she was, but it wasn't giving her any clues.

_Okay, think, think. I know the marina is two miles west of the beach_.

She glanced back at the broken shrubs behind her.

_And that's the direction of the beach. I just need to know where west is_.

She fought the aches and pains of her body to try to think straight. The urge to sit down and just rest was growing stronger with every moment she remained near the lake.

_I need to figure out where I am_.

She paused for a moment, frowning before widening her eyes.

_I may not have Google Maps, but I_ do _have a compass!_

She pulled the key out of her pocket, peering at it. The dial wasn't moving. She held it out in her palm and turned around, but nothing changed.

_Maybe the water damaged it._

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

_Come on. Please work_.

She flipped the lever, and the compass opened up. She stared down at the dial in the center of the mechanism. It swung as she turned on the spot.

_Yes!_

She turned to face the way she had come. The 'N' pointed to her left. She turned to face north. West was in the opposite direction she had come from.

_I've been going the right way. I think..._

She faced west and hurried past the lake.

_It's gotta lead to the marina, or I'm dead_.

She brushed large fronds of tropical wilderness out of her way as she hurried through the trees. Loud screeches and the sounds of the jungle caused her to jump. Whatever lived in here was noisy and probably dangerous. Her heart pounded as she pushed her way through the thick foliage, forcing one foot in front of the other until the trees began to thin.

She broke into a run when she saw a roadside ahead. She scrambled up the hill to reach it.

_Civilization!_

The road was a dusty highway that was devoid of traffic, but it _was_ a road.

She hurried down it, dragging her feet as her body weakened. The sun burned down onto her shoulders and back. She ignored the throbbing pain in her shoulder and her aching muscles, forcing herself to keep walking down the seemingly endless road.

When a cool breeze brushed over her burning skin, she peered at the side of the road through blurry vision. The jungle had cleared away, tapering off to a shoreline. She stared ahead, her eyes widening. It could have been a mirage for all she knew, but it looked like a marina.

_This has to be it_.

The sun had begun to sink into the hills on the horizon, and night was swiftly coming. She forced each step to get to the marina, only the stinging in her arm keeping her conscious.

_Pain is good. It means you're still alive_.

A dull ache in her chest reminded her that being shot wasn't the only way she could be damaged. She didn't know what she'd thought Jacob was, but a cold-blooded killer wasn't it.

_I'm such a fool. I was flirting with him, playing around while he was planning on killing me all along. Why didn't I see it? How could I be so stupid?_

She'd trusted him to be decent. She shook her head.

_I should have known better. Dad always told me I should never trust anyone_.

_"People don't do the right thing, girl. They do what they can get away with."_

Her father hadn't been a great humanitarian, but he'd known people, often better than they knew themselves. In England, Jacob may be a decent guy. But out here, there were no rules. Out here, he was a monster.

She exhaled slowly when she saw a large blue and white sign for the Isla Marina. She scanned the dark lot, seeing a short pier with a few boats moored to it. The pier was behind a six-foot fence that surrounded the marina. She scanned the boats as dusk shadowed them. A small cabin cruiser was the boat closest to the fence. It was called the _Celeste_.

She smiled. At least Jimmy hadn't let her down. That was her boat. He'd told her the keys would be in the ignition.

_All I need to do is get onto that boat_.

She stumbled down the short hill toward the fence. She tripped when her foot caught on a jutting rock, causing her tumble down the incline. She landed in a heap at the railing and groaned.

She pushed herself up onto all fours and then used the fence to pull herself up to standing.

_Just one more hurdle...._

She gripped the fence and pulled herself up, using energy she didn't think she had to climb over the fence into the marina. She managed to get to the top of the six-foot fence, but her vision blurred again. Her head swam as she reached the top, and she toppled over the other side, landing on the hard gravel below.

She rubbed the back of her head. She could barely focus on the _Celeste_. She saw three of them where there had once been one.

She shook her head, and the boat came into focus.

_Get up and get on the boat_.

She tried to command her body, but it was weak and refused to move.

_Come on. Get up and sort your shit out. You just gonna lay here and die?_

Although the idea of just lying there was appealing, she pushed herself up off the ground, ignoring the aches and pains.

She gritted her teeth and staggered toward the boat. She climbed over the rail. Her leg caught on it, and she fell onto the deck of the small craft, knocking her head against the cabin. The world became hazy from one fall too many. The last thing she saw was the deck as her face headed toward it.
13

* * *

UNLIKELY HERO

Jacob stared at the blood splashes on the fronds of a tree fern.

_That's a lot of blood_.

His pulse raced.

_How badly wounded is she?_

He clenched his hands into fists.

_Stupid, stupid girl. Why did she keep running? I could have helped her_.

He turned to Bill, who was still aboard the yacht that was moored several yards from the shore.

Jacob held the two-way radio to his face. "Take the boat along the shoreline. I'll meet you at the marina."

"Where are you going?" Bill's voice crackled back through the speaker.

"I'm going to take the scenic route." He pointed to the jungle ahead. "See if I can find her on foot." A knot of worry tightened in his stomach at the thought of her being lost in the dense jungle. That blood was going to attract animals. Her chances of survival were getting smaller and smaller.

From the trace Bill had put on her friend Jimmy, they knew she was heading for the marina. It was just a case of finding out if she made it. The problem was that they weren't the only people tracing Jimmy's movements. Someone else was hunting her down. _Meyer_.

"Call me if you find her," Jacob said into the radio before clipping it to his belt and unsheathing his bowie knife. He sliced through the blood-soaked ferns to follow her trail into the dense trees.

"Will do." He heard Bill reply on the radio before the engine of the boat roared into life behind him.

Ellie's trail was pretty easy to follow. There was a massacre of ripped trees and shrubs where she'd run through the jungle, leaving a trail of her blood on them in her wake. Worry knotted in his stomach. The jungle wasn't a safe place for anyone, especially not an idiot English girl who'd been shot.

He hurried through the broken path she'd made, checking for signs of hungry animals along the way. After a short run, he came to a clearing. Her footprints led to the edge of a small lake. He walked to the shore, scanning it for her. When he didn't see her he glanced down, noticing indents in the earth where she'd knelt at the shore.

_Tell me she wasn't stupid enough to drink out of this._

He frowned. Judging by her outdoors skills, she had never set foot outside a city before. He turned around, scanning the brush to pick up her trail.

After noticing the ripped branches of a tree ahead, he hurried toward it. He touched the blood on the broken branch. It was still wet.

_She can't have gotten far_.

He headed through the opening in the jungle, glancing up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set. Adrenaline pumped through his body. If he didn't find her soon, he'd lose daylight and have to pick up the search in the morning. The chances of her surviving until morning were not good.

He hurried through the jungle, pausing occasionally to find a new trail of blood or more broken wilderness. When the trail led to a road, he let out an audible sigh.

_She made it out_.

His eyes widened when he reached the roadside. There was a trail of blood on the dusty road.

_She's losing too much blood!_

He ran down the road, pumping his arms and legs to get to her.

* * *

Jacob ducked behind an old boat in the docks as the headlights of a vehicle lit the road to the marina. Three jeeps pulled up at the gates of the Isla Marina. Several men with guns climbed out of the cars, carrying enough weapons between them to be a small army. The men were most certainly mercenaries. The question was; who was paying them?

He widened his eyes when he saw Joseph Meyer step out of the last car. He'd suspected that the mob boss was behind all this, but he hadn't expected the man himself to leave England. Meyer was notorious for never setting foot outside his well-armed fortress near Rochdale.

_What did Ellie do that would bring him all the way to Central America?_

Jacob studied the man. He was short with white hair and a craggy face. Jacob watched as he scanned the marina before he turned to speak to the large mercenary beside him. He pointed toward a small cabin cruiser that was docked at the pier.

Jacob glanced at the small craft. It was called _Celeste_. He couldn't see anyone aboard it, but Ellie could be hiding—or worse.

As Meyer and his men walked up to the office of the marina, Jacob moved silently from his position and onto the pier. He hurried toward the small boat, bending low to keep out of sight in the shadows.

_If she's here, she's in worse trouble than I thought_.

He glanced back. Meyer and his men were still inside the marina office. The window lit up when they turned on the lights.

Jacob turned and peered into the boat, inhaling sharply when he glanced onto the deck. Ellie lay there unconscious, sprawled out with her eyes closed. A small pool of blood surrounded her.

He quickly untied the moorings and gently pushed the boat away from the pier. Then he stood up straight and leapt aboard before it floated too far away.

He bent to check her pulse.

_She's still alive!_

He breathed a sigh before hurrying to the helm, relieved to find the keys hanging from the ignition. After a quick glance behind him to check the coast was clear, he turned on the engine, quickly steering the craft away from the marina and heading out to sea.

"Er, Jacob. What are you doing?" Bill's voice crackled over the radio.

Jacob snatched the radio off his belt. "Getting her out of here," he said.

"Do it fast. They're coming back."

Jacob glanced back to see men running toward the pier. Gunshots followed as he pushed the boat to its full speed, heading away from the shore.

He narrowed his eyes and steered out toward the dark sea.

Bullets whizzed past his face, and he ducked low to avoid being hit.

Jacob scanned the sea, looking for Bill. He noticed his yacht come into view as he passed the jagged rocks on the east side of the bay. He pressed the talk button on the radio. "Don't come any closer. You need to stay out of sight."

"Don't you need me to come with you?" Bill sounded incredulous.

"I need you to slow them down."

"With what, my endearing charm?"

"I was thinking you could use my boat." Jacob ducked again as a rain of bullets landed in the water on the port side of the boat. He swung the boat out to the left, making a zigzag path out of the bay to avoid the spray of ammunition.

"I've got a better idea." Bill's voice crackled over the radio.

Jacob glanced back to see three flares shoot off the side of his yacht and fly toward the pier. There was a cry as they landed on the shore, blinding the men standing there. The men covered their eyes and dropped their weapons.

Using the few minutes he had, he turned the small craft toward the west side of the bay, disappearing around the corner of a rocky shoreline before heading out to sea.

"I hope you didn't use all the flares"."

"Nah, I saved enough for you to screw up a few more times. What do you want me to do?"

"I need to make sure she's alive. Then I'll get back to you. Stay out of sight until then."

"What the fuck is Meyer doing out here?" Bill's voice crackled down the radio.

"I don't know. I can't make sense of all this," Jacob muttered as he set the boat on course before hurrying to Ellie's side.

He knelt beside her and checked her breathing. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. He pulled away the bloody bandage on her shoulder. She was still losing blood. After deciding it was best to get her inside the cabin, he pulled off his t-shirt and padded it up into a ball before pressing it against the wound to stem the bleeding.

Once satisfied that she was safe to move, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her below deck, frowning at the blood that was already soaking through his makeshift bandage. She looked pale in the cool moonlight, but her skin was hot to the touch.
14

* * *

RECOVERY

Spikes of pain shot through Ellie's body. She screamed in agony.

_Hold on. It will be over soon_.

A voice echoed through her mind, but she couldn't tell if it was real or part of the nightmare.

She tried to open her eyes, but her lids were too heavy to move. She was aware of sharp pains digging into her shoulder while a dense fog settled over her mind. She panted through the pain until it subsided, collapsing as her mind wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness.

_You're going to be okay, I promise. I'll take care of you_.

Reassured, she let herself drift away.

When she eventually woke up, she groaned and rolled over onto her side. Every muscle in her body ached. She opened one eye and squinted at the sunlight streaming through the cabin window. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the brightness. She glanced around the small cabin, a frown forming on her brow.

_Where the hell am I?_

Ellie tried to remember where she'd gone to sleep, but she didn't even remember getting into bed. Her mind was fuzzy. She glanced at the bottle of tequila resting on the bedside table.

_Was I drunk?_

She sat up and winced as pain shot down her arm. She peered at her shoulder, frowning at the clean bandage taped to it. Her memories slowly returned.

_I got shot!_

She recalled her escape into the jungle and finding her boat in the marina, but everything after that was a blur.

She gingerly pushed herself upright. Her legs felt like lead. Pain bloomed around her shoulder, echoing down her arm and her back.

She sank back into the pillows.

_Maybe now isn't the time to get up_.

She glanced at the cabin door.

_Who patched me up?_

"Hello?" she called out.

She heard footsteps above her. She saw a pair of tan boots come into view as they climbed down the stairs toward the cabin, followed by a pair of jean-clad legs.

Her heart sank when the face of her rescuer came into view.

_Jacob fucking Hawkins!_ _The guy who shot me!_

Jacob looked worried as he hurried down the last step toward the end of the bed, but she wasn't buying whatever he was selling.

"What? You're disappointed I'm not dead yet?" she asked.

His concerned expression turned into a scowl. "I'm _surprised_ you're not dead yet. Of all the stupid things to do, you decide to go running into the jungle after being shot." He folded his arms. "Stay in that bed while you heal up, or so help me God—"

"What? I'll get shot again by a complete _dick_?" she interrupted. She was pleased to see that her parting gift was still faintly visible.

His scowl deepened. "Probably, yes! You're obviously a pro at putting yourself in the stupidest situations."

"Funny, the only danger I seem to run into is when I'm around you!" She clenched her hands into fists, and her arm muscles ached, reminding her that she was too weak to deal with him right now.

"It's a miracle you've survived this long, and you won't last much longer if you don't let yourself heal!" he snapped.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She frowned.

_Was that a threat?_

She was seriously beginning to wonder if he was unhinged.

_Does he have a hero complex or something? He shoots me and then saves me, for what? So he can keep me in his bed?_

"Just rest. We'll talk about it when you're feeling better. If that hurts—" He nodded to her bandaged shoulder. "—take those. They're the only pain killers on board." He pointed to the box of co-codamol on the nightstand.

She glanced at him. He was studying her with his arms folded.

She nodded, saying nothing.

_Okay psycho, I'll play your game_.

He walked over to the nightstand and picked up the bottle of tequila. "And take those." He pointed to a second box of tablets that were beside the bottle.

She eyed the box. They were antibiotics.

She narrowed her eyes at the bottle of tequila in his hand. "What's that for?"

"I was going to clean your wound with it before I found the first aid kit."

She glanced out of the window. "Where are we?"

"A few miles from shore. It's not safe to go back yet. You need to stay in bed and heal up. Will you do that?"

_Safe from what, the authorities looking for your psycho ass?_

She nodded again, her eyes like slits.

"Good." He turned to leave, taking the tequila with him. "Shout if you need anything. I'll be nearby." He called over his shoulder.

_I bet you will_.

She scowled at his back as she watched him leave.

Once he was gone, she sank back onto the pillows.

_He's right about one thing. I'm not going to be much use banged up like this_.

She sighed.

_I need to play this out until I'm fit enough to deal with him_.

She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her shoulder.

* * *

Ellie rolled sideways and got up off the bed. She winced as she used her arms to push herself to standing position. Her shoulder ached, but it had been a few days since she'd been injured.

She peeled off the bandage, peering at the rough stitches in her skin. The wound had almost closed up. The antibiotics had dealt with the nasty infection she'd had in it. All in all, she couldn't fault Jacob's skills at healing her.

The boat had been anchored off the coast for a few days, and he'd catered to her every need. More and more, she found herself confused by his actions. For a cold-blooded killer, he was being incredibly nice.

Tired of waiting in bed, she staggered toward the stairs. She wanted some fresh air.

She climbed up the stairs and peered through the hatch. Her stomach grumbled at the smell wafting through the air.

_Mmm, bacon_.

She watched Jacob at the stern of the boat. He was shirtless and leaning over a barbeque on the deck, flipping bacon rashers.

She climbed onto the deck and wandered over. The food smelled amazing, and the view wasn't bad either. She stared at his tanned skin as he leaned back, taking a swig from a bottle of beer. Her eyes traveled down his body, from the line down the center of his back to the waistband of his jeans that were slung low on his hips.

"Hungry?" His voice jerked her out of the trance.

She looked up to his face. He was smiling, a light of amusement in his big brown eyes.

"I, er, the bacon smells good." She tugged down the t-shirt she wore to cover her bare legs as much as she could, feeling naked under his intense gaze. It was clearly one of Jacob's shirts since it had the Cookie Monster emblazoned across the front of it.

"Have a seat." He gestured for her to sit on the bench on the port side.

She nodded and walked toward him, perching on the edge of the bench.

"Bacon butty?" he asked.

"With lots of ketchup." She nodded, enjoying the feel of warm sunshine on her skin.

"Do you want a drink with it?" He handed her a plate with a bread roll open on it. Then he piled several lashers of bacon into it before handing her the bottle of ketchup.

"The beer looks good." She nodded at the Coors Light in his hand.

"Ah, I don't think antibiotics work with alcohol. How about a bottle of Coke?" He pulled one out of the cooler near his feet.

Ellie nodded. Anything that didn't taste like her mouth would be good right now. She took the bottle and opened the lid, taking a swig of Coca-Cola. Then she tucked into the bacon sandwich after squirting a generous amount of ketchup into it.

"So, how are you feeling?" He put the lid on the barbeque and took a seat on the bench a few feet away from her at the stern of the boat.

"Good. I think I'm nearly healed," she said after swallowing a large bite of the bacon sandwich.

He took a sip of beer, studying her for a moment. "It'll take a while to be fully healed, but you look a lot better."

For some reason, she found it hard to look him in the eye. It was easier to hate him when she didn't look at him. She was unsure of his motivations, but he really didn't seem like a crazy person.

_People never do until they crack_.

She ignored the feelings of trust that were growing every day she spent with him. The facts spoke for themselves. He'd shot her. All the smiles in the world weren't going to let her forget that.

"We probably need to talk," he said.

She glanced up and caught the sincere look in his big brown eyes. His lips curved into a smile as she acknowledged him. Heat flooded through her veins as she remembered his kisses.

_Crap_.

She glanced out at the empty ocean to avert her eyes. "Oh, what about?"

"Meyer."

Her eyes widened, and she spun around to face him.

_How does he know about Meyer?_

"Ah, you know him then. That'll make it easier."

"What? That'll make what easier?"

"Did you know that he's here?" Jacob took another sip of his beer.

"Wha—what? On the boat?" Her pulse raced. Jacob might have shot her, but Meyer was so much worse.

"No. He was at the marina looking for you."

"How did he find me?"

"Probably the same way I did, through Jimmy."

Ellie's world began to spiral out of control. Jimmy had betrayed her. Her brother, the only person left in this universe that she could trust. No, it couldn't have happened. It made no sense. "Jimmy would never...He just wouldn't."

"Oh, no I don't mean that. A trace on Jimmy, that's how I found you."

She frowned. Jimmy was a hacker. No one could trace him.

"How did you trace him?"

"It was pretty easy. He booked a boat called the _Serendipity_ for you and bought you a pair of diamond earrings on his credit card. You shouldn't have worked with a dumb kid. He left a paper trail to you that might as well have been a neon sign pointing to your location."

She narrowed her eyes. Jimmy wasn't a dumb kid. He was probably the best forger she'd ever known. He was certainly the best hacker. There was no way he'd book her a boat with a credit card that was registered to him.

She glanced down at the side of the boat. They were on the _Celeste_. Jimmy had told her the boat was called _Celeste_ before she'd set off on this job. Why would he rent two boats in the same marina and make one traceable?

_And why would Jimmy buy me diamond earrin—_ her mind froze. _He wouldn't buy_ me _diamonds, but what about his girlfriend Cheryl?_

She could imagine Cheryl helping herself to Jimmy's credit card and buying herself a pair of earrings on it. She seemed the type. But there was only one reason she'd rent a boat in the same marina as the _Celeste_. For the express purpose of leaving a paper trail straight to Ellie. It was far easier to believe that Cheryl was working for Meyer than it was to believe that Jimmy would.

She scowled.

_That dirty harlot is playing him. She's gotta be working for Meyer_.

But if that was the case, why didn't she just call him? There was something very odd about it all.

"There's no need to be upset. You're safe for now," Jacob said, misinterpreting her scowl. "All you need to do is get better and stop dating children."

She choked on her drink for a moment before glancing up at him. He was peeling the label off his beer bottle with a scowl on his face.

"I'm not dating Jimmy!" she gasped.

"Who is he then?"

"My..." She paused. Jimmy had shown up in her life shortly after her mother had died. He'd come to her dad for help. On the run from the police and with nowhere to go, he'd started off as an apprentice of sorts, but he'd quickly become a member of the family. "He's my brother." It was true. Regardless of how he'd ended up with them, he'd become her brother.

"I didn't know your dad had a son." Jacob frowned.

"It's a long story. What about you? Have you got any brothers or sisters?" She glanced up at him.

He shook his head. "I'm an only child."

"Figures," she muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're a bit self-absorbed." She smiled, glancing up at his confused expression with devilish delight.

"Me, selfish, are you kidding?"

"It's your way or the highway, right? I bet you even order your friends around, too."

"I do not! Don't tell me what I do or don't do."

"Is that an order?" She bit the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing. Messing with him was almost too easy.

"Yes. I mean, no." He narrowed his eyes at her, but there was a light of amusement in them. "Oh, very clever." He finished his drink, shaking his head. "And what are you then, the resident bad girl?"

She shrugged. It was close enough.

"Someone probably deserves a good hiding, huh?" His raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, and are you going to give me one?" She paused for a moment and then widened her eyes. "I didn't mean..."

His eyes widened too. "I didn't mean it like that..."

They both looked away from each other.

"Well, I better go back to bed." She stood up and turned away from him. Then she closed her eyes.

_Great way to change the subject, idiot!_

"If you need any help, just let me know." His deep voice struck a nerve in her body.

She spun around to see him slap himself on the forehead. He looked at his hand and then back at her. "Mosquito."

"You should rub something on it." It was as if there was an idiot button that they both had pressed, and everything they said came out sounding kinky. "The bite, I mean the bite."

"I'll put something on it. Let's get you into bed first, shall we...?" He trailed off, looking out at the ocean with an expression of despair.

Ellie struggled with replying, fighting not to say anything even slightly provocative. "I'll be fine."

She turned away and walked toward the hatch. At the last moment, she turned back. "Thanks for the meaty goodness."

He widened his eyes at her.

"I meant the barbeque!" She gulped and hurried below decks, wondering if she'd had one too many knocks on the head lately.
15

* * *

OVERBOARD

"What do you mean Jimmy's gone?" Ellie listened to Jacob as he spoke to someone on his cell phone. She leaned closer to the window of the wheelhouse, ducking down to ensure she wouldn't be spotted.

For the most part, she and Jacob had avoided each other since their ridiculous conversation, but that didn't mean she hadn't been watching what he was doing while being trapped on this boat with him.

_It doesn't mean I trust him_.

"Bill, don't tell me he's skipped town. We need to find out what he's up to."

She frowned.

_Is Jimmy okay?_

"So he left the hotel. Where did he go next?" Jacob paused for a moment. "How can you not know? He can't just disappear!"

She knew all too well how easily Jimmy could make himself disappear, but why would he?

"What girl?"

She peeked over the edge of the window when Jacob's voice went silent. He was standing near the helm, looking out across the ocean. He held the phone to his ear with his back to her. She stared at his free hand as he rested it on the wheel. Her eyes traveled up his tanned arm to the rolled-up sleeve of the crisp white shirt he was wearing. The shirt was tight across his back, clearly one size too small for his broad shoulders.

One good thing about the boat had been that there were clothes on board. Ellie and Jacob didn't know whose clothes they were, just that they were men's. Ellie had ended up in a giant blue shirt and denim shorts that were held up by a piece of rope for a belt while her own clothes were hanging from a line, drying off after being washed.

She ducked down low again when Jacob started to turn his head. "How do you know she's not just someone he picked up?"

_It has to be Cheryl that he's talking about. Jimmy doesn't talk to girls unless they're online_.

"You think it's Meyer?"

She frowned. She tried to put two and two together. Half a conversation wasn't much to go on, but it sounded as if Cheryl worked for Meyer.

_God, what kind of mess is Jimmy in because of me? Is he okay?_

"Isla Precosia? Wait a minute." There was a sound of rustling paper. She peeked over the window frame again to see Jacob leaning over a map, studying it. "I'm really close. If they've gone there, I can probably pick them up and have a matched set."

_A matched set? Does he mean me and Jimmy? Jimmy's on the island! What the hell is he doing there?_

"I dunno, but she's not talking much."

Jacob laughed. "Oh, really? Well, I don't think you know very much about women."

Ellie rolled her eyes.

"I am not!" Jacob shook his head. "You've no idea what you're talking about."

She sank back against the wall of the cabin, tuning out part of the conversation.

_I need to get to that island_.

Jacob's laugh interrupted her thoughts. "You seriously think I'm stupid enough to fall for some two-bit criminal with the seduction skills of a frog?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Of course, she's a criminal. She uses sex to get what she wants. I think I can handle her. I need you to meet us though if Meyer's heading there."

_Seduction skills of a frog! Uses sex? He just called me a slut!_

She tuned out the conversation, clenching her hands into fists.

_So that's what he really thinks of me, is it? Son of a bitch!_

By the time Jacob came out of the cabin, Ellie was taking her washing off the line and folding it up.

"Hey. We're going to be heading for land soon."

She turned to face him, still burning with anger. The words 'seduction skills of a frog' echoing through her mind.

His smile slid off his face when he noticed her expression. "Is, er, everything okay?"

She flashed a false smile. "Peachy," she said before turning her back to him.

"Okay..." He dragged out the word and then paused for a moment.

She could sense him standing behind her in silence, feeling his eyes burn into her back. She spun around. "What?"

"We're going to an uninhabited island, and I want you to stay on the boat," he said, glancing back at the distant shore.

She looked toward the bow of the boat. The shore was at least a couple of miles away, but she caught her first glimpse of Isla Precosia. It looked very small and very green from this distance.

"So will you stay here? It's for your own good."

She turned to face him, narrowing her eyes. "What are you going to do if I don't, cuff me to something?"

"I don't need to do anything. You plus jungle equals dead city girl. Just stay on the boat and do as you're told for once." Jacob scowled.

"Oh, you're ordering me around again. You're not the boss of me, and you have no effect on what I choose to do!" Anger burned through her body. He obviously thought she was some kind of lovesick female who would do his bidding. He could take his hot body and smoky eyes and shove them up his arse!

_No one tells me what to do_.

"What? Don't be stupid. You need to stay on the boat. The island is dangerous, especially for you."

She stormed toward him. "Oh, so now I'm stupid, too!" She poked her finger into his chest, backing him up against the railing of the boat.

"I never said _you_ were stupid!" His jaw tensed, and the muscles in his neck clenched as his nostrils flared in anger.

"I am not staying on the boat," she said, slowly dragging out each word as she stepped closer and closer to him, pressing up against him. It took her a moment to realize they were touching. But when she did notice it, her body instantly responded to his nearness. Heat blossomed under her skin, and her eyes were drawn to his handsome face. She shook her head, getting more irritated by his allure than anything else.

"You need to stay here." His voice was deeper, more guttural as his hands rested on her shoulders, cupping them. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

_No, no, no. He will not seduce me again_.

She shook her head. "Where's Jimmy? If he's on that island, I'm going to find him."

His hands tightened on her shoulders, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "That's all you care about?" He shook his head and released her shoulders. "That fucking guy again..." he muttered. "Fine. You have no choice. You are not leaving this boat, or else—"

"Or else what?" she snapped. "You'll shoot me again?"

He widened his eyes, staring at her as if she was nuts. "What, are you fucking stupid?"

Anger burned through her veins, quickly replacing any feelings of lust.

_If he calls me stupid one more time..._

"Of all the stupi—"

He never had the chance to finish the sentence as she lunged at him, pushing him over the side of the boat in a fit of anger. She stared down in shock as he flipped over the side and dropped into the sparkling water below.

_Oh God, what did I do?_

She breathed a sigh of relief when he came up for air. He looked pissed off and extremely wet, but he appeared to be in good health otherwise. The boat was leaving him behind though as it chugged toward the shore on autopilot.

"What the fuck was that for?" He brushed back his dark hair and blinked water out of his eyes.

She glanced back at the bow, watching the shoreline get closer. He could swim it from here. She grinned at him. "I hope you can swim!" she called back to him.

"What? You can't just leave me here!" He bobbed in the water, staring at her with an expression of disbelief.

She knew that she really shouldn't leave him here without any kind of assistance. She lifted the bench on the stern and pulled out a lifejacket from the ottoman beneath it.

_That'll do_.

She threw the lifejacket at him, taking her best aim.

It flew across the gap between them, heading toward him.

"You can't just leav—" His words were cut short when the lifejacket slapped him in the face and he was knocked back under the surface.

_Oh, shit!_

She stared at the waves as her pulse raced and panic bubbled up in her stomach.

_Where is he? Is he okay?_

He burst through the surface of the water, gripping the lifejacket. Judging by the murderous look on his face, he was going to be fine.

She smiled as relief flooded through her.

_He's okay_.

"Sure I can!" she shouted back. "It's not as if there's anything stopping me." Okay, there was. She felt kind of guilty for throwing him off the boat.

_He shot you. He cuffed you to a boat. You don't owe him anything_.

A small voice in the back of her mind disagreed. _He saved your life...._

"Come back. Don't do this. Don't be stupid!" Jacob shouted. "Why are you so angry?

She scowled.

_Stupid again!_

"Seduction skills of a frog!" She shouted while putting her hands on her hips.

He was getting further away, bobbing in the water while holding onto the lifejacket.

She could barely hear his reply. "I didn't mean y..." was all she could make out before the sound of the engine cut off his words.

Ellie turned from the stern and shook her head.

_I need to save Jimmy. Jacob can save himself. It's only a short swim, and by the time he gets there, I'll be long gone_.

Making a firm decision that this was for the best, she hurried down to the cabin, taking her dry clothes with her. She snatched an empty duffle bag off a nearby hook. This time when she went into the jungle, she'd be prepared for anything.
16

* * *

RECONNAISSANCE

Jacob swore, watching the boat move farther away from him.

_What's she doing? Stupid fucking idiot!_

He realized, after she shouted the frog comment at him that she must have heard him insulting Cheryl and thought he was talking about her.

"I didn't mean you. You seduce me far too fucking easily!" He shouted out at the distant boat. "Bollocks," he muttered, sighing at the lifejacket.

_I can't believe she pushed me off the boat!_

A range of emotions were flooding through him, largely led by anger.

_I save her ass, and she throws me off the boat. When I get hold of her, I'm gonna...What, tickle her to death while handing her your fortune?_

He scowled at the back of the boat. The voice in his head was right. So far, he'd given her everything she needed. He might as well have just handed her the Heart of Fortune—not to mention his own—on a platter before groveling at her feet.

_Meanwhile, she's pining after that Jimmy kid and running off to save him_. _I am such an idiot_.

He stubbornly refused to go after her. He bobbed in the water instead, determined not to move until Bill showed up. He pulled on the lifejacket and folded his arms.

_I'm not going to rescue her again. So what if Meyer's probably on the island right now...._

He scanned the shoreline for other boats. Then he turned away from it. Nope _.  _

_She made her choice_.

_What if she gets killed?_

He gritted his teeth.

_It'll be her own stupid fault_.

It took him about thirty seconds before he sighed and turned in the water before swimming after the boat.

_I'm not going to save her. I'm going to find her and then toss her into a swamp!_

_Sure you will_ , a voice in his head goaded him.

He growled and kicked through the water as fast as he could, using his anger to drive him through the waves toward the shore.

His arms ached by the time he eventually reached the boat. It had taken him a long time to get to it. He ducked low in the water as he slipped down the port side. The craft was still and anchored not far from the shore—too close to the shore. He was surprised she hadn't grounded it. He shook his head, biting back the urge to scream at her because it would make her aware of his presence. If she was still on the boat, she might have found the gun that was in the wheelhouse. The last thing he wanted was her shooting at him.

Why was there a gun on the boat anyway? Why were there men's clothes on the boat? He'd never really stopped to question whose boat it was, but he frowned as he thought about it.

_Whose boat did I fucking steal? Great, now I'm a pirate. I steal boats!_

He shook his head. It didn't matter anymore. He needed to get on board and find Ellie.

He circled the boat, sliding silently through the water. She wasn't on the deck. He stopped at the stern and peered over the edge. Once he was certain she wasn't in view, he boosted himself up onto the deck. His arm muscles strained as he pulled himself out of the water while gripping onto the railing. Making as little noise as possible, he climbed over the rail and dropped onto the deck.

He stood still for a moment, listening to the sound of his soggy clothes dripping water onto the floor. When he was certain he hadn't been detected, he hurried to the wheelhouse, quickly checking the cabinet on the wall behind him for the gun. It was still there. He checked that it was loaded and the safety was on before slipping it into his belt.

_Well, at least she isn't armed. Thank God for small mercies_.

He glanced around the wheelhouse. Most of the cabinets were open with items lying on the floor as if they'd hurriedly been ransacked. She'd obviously cleaned out the boat for supplies. He picked up the remains of the first aid kit. Half of the items were missing. She'd literally split the cache, leaving him half of the first aid kit.

He sighed and grabbed a duffle bag off the top shelf. He shook his head and began filling the bag, throwing in the gun, first aid supplies, tools and anything that would be useful to him on the island. He didn't do it quietly, feeling certain that she was no longer aboard the boat.

He glanced on the dashboard, looking for his cell phone. It wasn't there _.  _

_Great, I get the gun, and she gets the phone. Shit!_

He pocketed the keys to the boat after clearing the room of useful contents. Then he headed below decks to try to find some more clothes and a clue to where she'd gone to on the island.

Jumping down the hatch, he hurried into the small cabin. He felt a moment of sorrow upon seeing the empty bed. Much as he hated to admit it, he'd liked seeing her when she first woke up. Her eyes glowed green when she first opened them. It was the strangest thing. Most of the time, her eyes were dull green with golden flecks in them. But when she first woke up, they shone like emeralds.

He narrowed his eyes.

_Great, write her a fucking poem about it, why don't you?_

He banned all romantic thoughts from his mind as he hurried into the cabin. He threw the duffle bag onto the bed before walking into the small bathroom. He pulled off his wet clothes, leaving them on the bathroom floor and stepped into the shower.

His muscles were sore from swimming, and his skin was icy to touch. He turned on the hot water and relaxed under the steamy spray while he warmed up. He quickly rinsed off the saltwater, thankful to be warm again.

Jacob didn't plan to stay in the shower for long, but his body needed a minute to heat up, so he threw some shower gel into the palm of his hand and began soaping his chest.

_Just a couple of minutes in here, and I'll be ready to go and get her_.

* * *

Ellie widened her eyes as she watched Jacob strip out of his clothes. She had meant to leave, but she found herself frozen to the spot as she watched his tanned body step into the shower. Her eyes followed the line beneath his bulging thigh muscles up to the curve of his perfect ass.

_Drool more, why don't you?_

_Okay, enough staring, time to get out of here_ , she told her feet, but they didn't move. He was sleek and powerful. Just watching him made her skin heat up.

She'd meant to be long gone before he got to the boat, but he'd swum a lot faster than she had thought possible. When she'd seen him sneak aboard, she'd stuffed her bag under the bed, and rolled under there after it.

_Come on! Get out of here_.

She suspected there was something wrong with her brain because rather than hurrying off the boat, she tilted her head sideways with her eyes locked on Jacob's alluring form.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She'd seen naked guys before, sure, but none of them had ever made her pulse race like he did. It was crazy. Just looking at him made her want to strip off her clothes and get into the shower with him.

_Jesus, woman! Get your shit together, will you?_

Fighting the primal needs of her body, she stepped back, away from the tantalizing view. She shook her head, snatching her bag off the bed.

She hurried onto the deck, ignoring the small lifeboat that was tied to the starboard side of the craft and running toward the bow. She pulled off her boots and dropped them into her bag before climbing over the railing and jumping overboard. As she landed in the surf, cold azure water splashed around her bare knees. She hurried toward the shore, holding her bag over her head.

Sharp shells dug into her bare feet, but she ignored them, rushing to get as far away from Jacob as she could. The cold water splashing her thighs should have been the perfect cure for any thoughts of his hot naked body, but unfortunately his tawny skin was all she could think of, and her own skin remained in heated state.

_Remind me to get laid more often when this nightmare is over—or, you know, at least once_.

She hurried across the white sand beach into the jungle. The island was shadowed by craggy rocks and mountains with thick trees filling the center. Uninhabited and home to a dormant volcano, it was awash to overgrown flora and a maze of caverns and jagged cliffs. She gripped her bag.

_It'll be okay. This time I'm prepared for anything_.

* * *

Jacob frowned when he heard a loud splash outside the boat. He quickly rinsed off the soap and dashed out of the cubicle, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist as he hurried topside.

He ran to the bow and stared around. There was no one there. A flash of movement to his left caught his eye.

The sunlight glinted off her chestnut locks as she hurried into the jungle. Jacob tightened his hands on the towel he held around himself.

_She was here while I was in the shower. I can't believe I missed her again!_

He clenched his jaw and turned on his heel, racing for the cabin. She wouldn't get far before he caught up to her.

Gripping the doorframe for balance as he slid on the wet floorboards, he dashed into the cabin. He ripped open the closet, grabbing some clothes out of it. He stuffed the clothes into the duffle bag, finally letting go of the towel and allowing it fall to the floor around his ankles.

He froze when the bag started ringing.

_What the hell?_

He pulled out the clothes and peered into the bag. It wasn't his. There was no gun in it, but there was his cell phone.

_She took the gun!_

He snatched the phone out of the bag and stared at the screen. A photo of Bill smiled at him as it rang.

He answered the phone, holding his breath.

"Hey, just a head's up. If you're near the island, back up. Meyer's boat just passed me. He's close."

"I'll call you back!" Jacob said before hanging up.

_Shit!_

He threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt before stuffing his boots and the clothes back into the bag. Dropping the cell phone into his pocket, he ran out of the cabin and onto the deck before jumping into the surf to follow Ellie. The last thing he wanted was to be around when Meyer showed up.

He glanced at the duffle bag as he raced through the waves toward the shore.

_I hope she doesn't pack like a girl_.
17

* * *

SURVIVAL KIT

Jacob knelt behind a large boulder on the outskirts of the jungle, hidden from the beach by ferns and craggy rocks. He stared down in disbelief at the contents of the bag that he'd tipped out onto the forest floor. Along with the phone and clothing he'd thrown into the bag, he inspected Ellie's version of survival supplies; a lighter with no gas in it, half a first aid kit, sun tan lotion, bug spray, a hair brush, a notebook and pen, and a fucking romance novel! Okay, there were a few more things, but why didn't she pack a rope or a knife?

_This is a beach bag, not a survival kit!_

He rubbed his brow and closed his eyes, shaking his head.

_How is she still alive with this kind of planning?_

He plucked a lacy bra between his thumb and forefinger, studying it. As it unfurled, a small case fell out of it. He dropped the bra back into the bag and picked up the case, expecting to find a manicure set.

He widened his eyes when he peered at the tools inside. It was a lock pick kit, containing pliers, pins and a variety of oddly shaped instruments.

_Well, at least it's not another romance novel, but what lock is she expecting to pick on an uninhabited island?_

A loud shout on the shore caused him to jump and drop the case on the jungle floor. He peered out through the ferns to see people sailing toward the beach on a small boat. He quickly stuffed all of the items back into the bag and zipped it up before taking a second look at the shore.

Coming from a large yacht that was anchored close the island, a smaller boat full of mercenaries arrived on the shore. There were seven of them, each one bulky with muscle and heavily armed with guns and knives. He recognized Meyer, too. The mob boss pulled on a camouflage bush hat before he turned and signaled to his yacht.

Jacob widened his eyes as a man carrying a rocket launcher appeared on the deck of the larger craft. His jaw dropped open as the man on the yacht turned to face the _Celeste_ , aiming the large weapon at it.

_Oh, no_.

There was a loud crack in the air as the rocket was launched. It shot across the water and smashed into the side of the smaller craft. Jacob jumped as the ground shook beneath him when the _Celeste_ exploded. Flames shot up into the air after a loud boom. Thick black smoke billowed into a cloud above the remains of the ship. Flaming debris fell into the water, pieces of the hull and the cabin sizzling when they hit the surface as the boat floated on the water like charred skeletal remains.

Jacob gulped. He'd expected this to be hard going, but it looked as if Meyer wanted a war.

_He's making sure we can't get off this island. He just blew up our only escape route_.

Jacob silently moved back while rising to his feet and gripping his bag.

_I need to find Ellie before Meyer does. Then we need to find a place to hide_.

* * *

Ellie wiped her brow. She'd been trekking through the humid jungle for a while now, trying to cover her tracks as she went.

She jumped when there was loud booming sound behind her. She peered back, trying to see what had caused the noise, but she could only see dense trees and bushes.

_What the hell was that?_

For a moment, she worried it was the volcano.

_But it's supposed to be dormant_. _Did it suddenly come back to life?_

Shaking her head, she tried not to think about it. This venture was becoming too dangerous as it was—dangerous for her and anyone who knew her.

Her first plan had been to find Jimmy. But with no idea where to begin, she'd decided to follow the map. It was all she had to go on.

With the compass open, she looked at the battered leather. Each lens revealed a distinct set of markings. It had taken her a while to work it out, but there were three different locations to visit, each one on a different part of the island. They ran consecutively north to south. So the first location was a cave, which according to the directions, should be just ahead of her.

She closed the compass by using the small lever on it before dropping it into the left pocket of her combat shorts. Then she folded up the map and dropped it into her other pocket.

The sun burned down through the trees onto her bare skin. She plucked her damp vest away from her stomach and fanned it to try to create a breeze. Her throat was sore, and her lips were dry.

She dropped the duffle bag onto the forest floor and crouched beside it. She unzipped the side pocket and reached for her water bottle, frowning when she discovered that the pocket was empty.

_Did I drop it?_

She unzipped the main compartment and stared inside the bag, her eyes widening.

_What the hell is this shit?_

There were knives, ropes and a mess of random items. She plucked the gun between her thumb and forefinger, pulling it out of the bag and staring at it.

_What the fuck is this doing in my bag?_

_Wait. This_ isn't _my bag_. _I must have grabbed Jacob's by mistake_.

She rifled through it looking for water, scowling when she pulled out a box of water purification tablets instead.

_Oh, you've gotta be shitting me. Now, I need to find a lake!_

She pulled out a weird plastic key. It had a metal thing that looked like a bottle opener hanging off the ring beside it. She stared at the alien object.

_What's that for?_

The key had no end, just a small pole. It certainly wouldn't lock anything. She shook her head and threw it back in the bag.

_Boy toys! God, does he have a set of Tonka trucks in here, too?_

There weren't even any clean clothes in the bag. No brush for her hair, no bug spray...She widened her eyes.

_There isn't even any toilet roll in here—fuck!_

She sighed and shook her head.

_That boy needs to learn what the essentials are. How can you go camping without a lighter, without water, without clothes? Idiot!_

She zipped up the bag and stood up before hauling it onto her back.

_Of all the dumbass things to pack, a knife and some rope. What is he, Tarzan?_

She stormed through the thick jungle, brushing aside giant green fronds and heading in the direction of the cave.

As she hurried to her location, she kept an eye out for any signs of water. The jungle was dense and thick, so seeing anything a few feet ahead of her was impossible.

She sighed as she pushed her way past a bushy tree fern. Her foot caught in the vines of a shrub that curled around her ankles, nearly tripping her. She struggled for a moment, breaking through the thick greenery.

She stumbled as her foot became caught in a second web of vines and fell forward onto the forest floor.

She groaned and rolled over onto her back, staring up at the tall trees and blue sky peeking through them. After a moment of checking she hadn't damaged herself in the fall, she sat up and pulled the mess of shrubbery off her feet and ankles.

Once free, she stood up and turned around. She was standing in a wide clearing. There was a path leading off to her left and back into the untamed jungle. Directly ahead of her was the wide entrance to a cave. Above the opening, a huge mountain, which appeared to be made of volcanic granite and jagged rocks, towered over her. Small clusters of grass and flora decorated the ledges of the dormant volcano. She stared up at it, feeling very small beside its towering bulk.

_Well, at least it isn't shooting fire at me_.

As she was about to enter the cave, she paused and frowned. She scanned the curve of the rock and the jagged stone. She'd seen this cave before.

_But that's impossible_.

She searched her memory. It took a while for her to remember where she'd seen it before. Then it came back to her. In her father's journal, there had been a photograph of him, a picture of him standing in front of this cave.

_But that's impossible! Dad never went to Costa Rica. How could he have been here?_

She tried to recall if he'd ever mentioned coming here, but he never had. She chewed her bottom lip, staring at the scene before her. It was the same cave. She was certain of it. In the photograph, he had been younger, around thirty if she had to guess.

_That means he was here before I was born, or around the time I was born_.

She knew a little bit about his life before her birth, and he sure as hell never mentioned coming here.

There had been a second man in the photograph, a tall, dark-haired man, who had been smiling. She remembered that her father had had his arm around the man's shoulder. The second man seemed familiar to her now, but she was certain she'd never seen him before or after she'd seen that image. There was nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was missing an important piece of the puzzle—that she knew more than she remembered, but she couldn't grasp what it was.

She shook her head. None of it mattered right now.

_I need to know what's in that cave_.

She dropped the duffle bag and unzipped it, pulling a torch out of it. Jacob wasn't _completely_ useless at packing it seemed. She widened her eyes and dropped the torch at the same time.

_Jacob! That's who looks like the other man in the photograph!_

She crouched, snatching the torch up off the ground. After zipping up the bag and throwing it over her shoulder, she stood up and strode toward the cave entrance, gritting her teeth. She flipped the switch on the Maglite and peered into the dark cavern.

_Dad must have been here looking for the Heart. How did he know Jacob's father? Is that why Jacob shot me? Did dad rip him off?_

The answers had to be in here. She stepped into the cave.

_Why didn't dad tell me about this?_

She didn't like secrets, and she hated the nagging feeling that she hadn't known her father as well as she thought she had _._

_If he hid this from me, then what other secrets was he keeping?_
18

* * *

HAUNTED PAST

Ellie turned around in the large entrance of the cavern, shining the light on the jagged walls. Mossy growths and damp patches darkened the rock, but there were no indications of life in it—not even spider webs.

Relieved by the cooler temperature inside the cave, she took a moment to inhale. The air was damp but fresh. There must be another opening. When she shone the torch ahead of her, she saw a narrow tunnel with a dim glow at the end of it. Wary of the dangers in the subterranean area, she took tentative steps toward the tunnel, going deeper into the darkness.

Her throat was dry, and her legs were aching from the trek here. She listened for sounds of creatures, constantly spinning around to check behind her, but the cave was silent, and there was nothing in it but her.

She faced forward again, making her way down the narrow passage.

_I don't have much luck with caves. I hope this one doesn't collapse on me, too_.

She clenched her teeth.

_Of course, I had to think of a cave-in now_.

She shook her head, trying to shake off the feeling of impending doom as she slowly traveled down the narrow path, trying to see past the light of her torch. She squinted at the dim glow.

_There's something up there_.

_Maybe I should just go back?_

She paused for a moment.

_Did you travel this far to run away the second you encountered some darkness, or did you come here to find treasure?_

She smiled. She'd never been scared of the dark. In her experience, the dark was a safe place to hide. She hurried down the tunnel, frowning when she heard a trickling sound. She paused for a moment.

_Is that...?_ _That's water!_

She sped up, heading toward the sound. The one thing she did need was water, thanks to Jacob's idiot version of supplies.

She came to an abrupt halt as the tunnel came to an end, and so did the path. Staring in awe at the massive atrium ahead of her, she took a step back. The narrow passage led to a shelf that ended with a twenty-foot drop into a large pool of water. She glanced up to see daylight peeking through a wide opening at the top of the atrium. Thick granite walls curved down to the water below her.

Daylight lit up the cavern, making her torch obsolete. She turned it off and stared down at the clear water in the subterranean pool.

_How do I get down there?_

There was a small path cut into the rock to her left. She frowned. Like a man-made slope cut into the granite, it curved around with the wall, leading down to the water.

_Is that natural, or did someone make it?_

She shrugged. She needed water, and the cave didn't seem as scary with rays of sunshine beaming into it.

Holding onto the wall, she carefully made her way down the slope. It was quite steep and narrow, but easy enough to navigate her way down. When she reached the bottom of the cave, she hurried to the pool.

Quickly searching her bag, she pulled out an empty flask and filled it with water. Next, she pulled the out the purifying tablets and dropped one into the flask before giving it a shake and taking a long drink. She immediately felt revived and sighed while sitting on the cold cavern floor to enjoy a moment of tranquility.

She stared up in awe at the natural beauty surrounding her. The cave was like an artistic sculpture with stalactites hanging down from random ledges and an array of glassy stones sparkling in the walls. It was cool and fresh, a welcome relief from the humid jungle air.

She relaxed back against the cavern wall and sighed, closing her eyes and resting her full weight against it.

The wall behind her shifted. She tried to sit up, but too late. It fell away behind her, and she tumbled backwards into another chamber.

Her ass hit the hard floor first, and her body bounced before she flopped onto her back. She groaned and rolled onto her side. "Oww," she muttered.

_I think I broke my ass_.

She glanced up to see a hole four-feet above her.

_At least I can get back out_.

The small chamber was dark, but the light through the hole provided a dim glow.

She faced forward, toward the left wall of the chamber, and nearly swallowed her tongue. She stared into the hollow eye sockets of a cracked skull before she yelped and pushed herself backwards to get away from it.

Bile rose in her throat as small insects and worms moved around inside the skull.

_Oh, that's just disgusting_.

She shivered and brushed cobwebs off her face and arms while sitting beside a rotted skeleton.

_Oh great, now I find spiders_.

She stood up slowly, keeping her back bent so she didn't bang her head on the low ceiling. She stumbled over to the opening she had fallen through before reaching through it to grab the torch she had left on the level above.

The dead guy was pretty gross, but she wanted to know how he ended up dead inside a cave.

She grabbed the torch and flipped it on, pointing it at the corpse near her feet and studying him.

Judging by the rotten clothes, the skeleton had been a guy once. His khaki jacket was torn and ragged, what was left of it anyway. He was curled up in a fetal position. There were rotted boots on his feet, which were mostly just rubber soles now. For the most part, he was just bare bone with insects moving around inside him.

_Who was he?_

She frowned and knelt beside him, brushing away dust and slate to search the ground around him. Rusty bloodstains marked the slate, splashing the walls and floor near him.

_This must be where he died._

She shivered, unable to think of anything worse than being killed and left down here for the bugs to eat.

Her fingers brushed over something smooth, and she glanced down. There was something white stuck into the ground. She closed her eyes as she dug her fingernails beneath it, trying to pry is out of the earth and stone that it was wedged under.

_Please don't be a bit of bone_.

It came out with a snap and jumped into her hand. She peered down, opening one eye to peek at it. She'd already convinced herself it was going to be something disgusting. She opened her eyes and frowned when she stared at it. It was a credit card—an old credit card, judging by the date on it.

She brushed dust and dirt off it, trying to make out the name. Her eyes widened in horror when she read the name. MR. DOUGLAS HAWKINS was engraved into the plastic, surrounded by splatters of dried blood.

_This is Jacob's father, or at least, it was once_.

She gripped the card as shock jolted through her body.

_My father was here with him. One died, and one survived_.

Her stomach flipped over. Maybe it was the idea that her father might have been a killer or the stench of the death in the air finally reaching her senses, but she turned away from the skeleton and heaved.

Fighting to control the rising bile, she shook her head. She refused to throw up here. The situation was bad enough without that. She closed her eyes, and the smiling man who had looked like Jacob appeared in her mind. His skin rotted away, melting off his face and leaving a skeleton behind. The image was too much for her churning stomach, and she threw up on the far wall, unable to keep it down.

Breathing heavily, she stumbled back, careful not to touch the vomit or the body. She wiped her mouth with her hand and reached up to pull herself out of the cave.

When a large hand gripped her wrist, she screamed, pulling away and falling back into the chamber. She landed beside the skeleton and stared up at the opening in horror.

Jacob peered through the hole. He was staring down at her with a thunderous expression on his face.
19

* * *

REVENGE

"I—I didn't know."

Jacob frowned at Ellie as she stammered.

_What the hell is wrong with her?_

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I fell. I didn't know..." She shook her head, appearing unable to form a coherent sentence.

Jacob flicked his eyes over the small chamber she had fallen into, surveying the scene. He briefly glanced over some rocks, but he froze when he saw bones and rusty blood spatter beside a shaking Ellie.

He stared at the skeleton, noticing the cracked skull and bullet holes in the breastbone of it. His first instinct was to get her out of there. The cavern was musty and cracked. It certainly didn't appear stable. Having her trapped in there with a crushed corpse wasn't making him feel any more secure.

He frowned at the body. Someone had been murdered here. That much was certain.

He shook his head, reaching down through the opening. "Take my hand. You need to get out of there."

When she didn't respond, he stared down at her. She was shaking, and there were tears in her eyes. "You'll be all right, but I need to get you out of there. You need to help me, okay?"

She nodded, gulping for air.

_Come on, don't lose it now. The last thing we need is you having a girly fit in there_.

He reached down again, offering her his hand. He felt her small fingers slide past his as he gripped her wrists. He leaned back, pulling her up through the opening. When she was half way though, he gripped her under the arms and hoisted her out of the hole, hauling her shaking body against him.

She was cold and trembling. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair.

_Jesus, what happened to her?_

"It's okay. You're safe now." He used his most soothing voice.

She shook her head, burying it into his chest. Much as he was enjoying the physical contact with her, he couldn't understand why she was such a mess.

_Hasn't she ever seen a skeleton before? Didn't she take biology in school?_

He pulled back and looked at her face when her shivering abated. She was staring at something in her hand.

"Did something happen?" She was starting to freak him out. If there was something bad in this cave, he needed to know what it was.

She shook her head, refusing to look at him and continuing to stare at her left hand.

Beginning to lose his patience, he lifted her hand to see what she was holding. It was a plastic card, gripped so tightly by her fingers that it was cutting into her palm.

"Hey, stop that. You're hurting yourself." He tried to pry the card out of her hand. "Come on. Whatever it is, it's not worth it." He tried to make her let it go.

She lifted her chin to face him. He felt a shiver shoot down his spine. He'd never seen her look so empty and emotionless before. There was usually fire in her eyes of some kind, but they were cold and dead right now.

He heard the card clatter onto the stone floor as she dropped it. "I'm sorry," she said. Her voice was hollow. She released him and stepped back, turning away and walking toward her bag.

_What the hell is going on?_

He glanced down at the card. It was a credit card, judging by the Visa symbol on it.

He glanced at the name and froze. He clenched his jaw. For a moment he was certain his heart had stopped beating as a tornado of emotions twisted through his mind.

_Dad. That skeleton was my father_.

After the initial shock and renewed pain of loss, red hatred clouded his vision. He dug his fingernails into his palm, fighting the urge to tear into someone. He tensed his muscles and turned to face Ellie while an irrational voice in his mind told him that she must have known about this all along.

He snarled, vengeance being the only thing he could focus on. He blinked in shock when he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"I didn't know," Ellie said, the pistol trembling in her hand. Her voice was calm. "I didn't know my father was here. He never told me. I won't pay for something he did." She clenched her jaw, keeping the gun trained on Jacob as she backed away.

"I don't want to fight," she said as she bent down and snatched her bag off the ground.

"I do," he growled back. He didn't believe a word she said, and he wanted her to pay for what her family had done. Someone had to.

"Yeah, I kinda figured you might." She backed away, past the pool and stumbled backwards up the slope, still pointing the gun at him.

"You're going to stay here." She glanced warily back at the slope when she wobbled on the edge of the ledge. She righted her footing. Then she looked back at him. "And I'm going to go far away, okay?"

He stared at the gun as she stumbled on the uneven surface again. He waited a beat for her to glance back at the slope. Then he launched at her.

He reached her before she had time to turn her head. She cried out as he knocked the gun out of her hands. It bounced off the slope and splashed into the pool beside them. She put up her hands to defend herself, dropping her bag, which rolled down the slope.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her off the ledge with him as he fell backwards into the cold water below. The water slapped against his skin on impact, but he didn't feel it. He couldn't feel anything but rage.

She struggled in his arms. "Jacob, no—" Her words were cut off as they plunged beneath the surface.

She writhed against him as he took her down with him under the surface and into the depths of the pool. Her chestnut hair floated wildly around her, and her green eyes were wide with terror as she struggled to try to get free. Air bubbles escaped her mouth as she kicked out at him, trying to get free of his grasp.

_What am I doing?_

Conscious thoughts finally filtered through the haze of revenge. Even if she had known about this, she wasn't old enough to have had anything to do with his father's death. If that was his father, he had died a long time ago.

Her struggles became weaker. Jacob widened his eyes. He snatched up the gun, which was resting on a craggy ledge beside them. Then he swam up to the surface, taking her with him. He dragged her out of the water and pulled her into his arms. She shivered in his arms and coughed up water before resting limply against him.

"I'm not going to kill you," he told her, finding it hard to speak to her. A part of him wanted to apologize, but the burning hatred inside him was stronger. "Until we get out of here, you are my prisoner. When we get out of here, I'm handing you over to Meyer. After that, I never want to see you again. Do you understand?" There was venom in his voice as he spat out the words.

She nodded but didn't say a word.

"And this?" He pointed to her and then to himself. "Whatever this was, it never happened."

He released her, and she sank to the ground.

She sat on the cave floor and refused to look at him, staring at the smooth rock surface instead. She shivered, drawing her knees up to her chest. Water dripped down her long hair in streams, and she looked tiny, huddled up in drenched clothes.

He dragged over his bag, which lay nearby, and crouched beside it, ripping open the zipper. After searching it for a moment, he snatched a towel out of the bag and deftly wrapped it around her shoulders.

He stared at her for a moment. She appeared lost in her own nightmare, and she didn't look as if she was going to put up much of a fight.

He glanced at the gun, wondering if it would still work after being drenched.

_It doesn't matter as long as she thinks it will_.

It was crazy that just a few minutes ago she had been the focus of his world, but now he found it difficult to even look at her. He didn't know if he was angrier over his father's death or her obvious scheming to finish her father's destruction of his family. The betrayal hurt more than anything else. Even though she'd played him—repeatedly—he'd begun to believe there was something between them as they had spent time together, but it turned out that she'd just used him to get here.

_I'm a fool_.

She looked so lost, but he strengthened his resolve. She wasn't his problem anymore. He walked toward her, slipping the gun into his waistband. He pulled the towel off her shoulder and rubbed his hair with it. Then he picked up the second bag and dropped it and the towel into the first bag. He zipped up the bag and threw it over his shoulder.

A part of him knew he should examine the corpse. A part of him knew he should grieve before moving on, but all he wanted was Ellie Phillips out of his life and to get the hell off this island. He'd seen enough. Her actions alone screamed _guilty_ , and his father was long dead.

She stared up at him when he strode toward her. He crouched beside her and put his hand under her arm, pulling her upwards and forcing her to stand. He turned her to face the slope. "Ladies first," he said coldly, pointing the gun into her back.

She gulped, glancing back at him with a horrified expression before turning toward the slope and stumbling up it. He followed her at a short distance, telling himself it was marshal law. She was a criminal. He was bringing her to justice. But somewhere inside him, a voice nagged that giving her to Meyer was a death sentence.

_It isn't really justice. It's revenge_.

A part of him wanted to check that she was okay, but anger and hatred overwhelmed any compassion he might have felt when she tripped on the slope or shivered in her wet clothes.

He studied her back. She was silent as if dealing with her own demons. For a moment, he wondered what could possibly be haunting her, but the question faded away when he realized that he didn't care.

_If she has any demons—good. She deserves them_.

His mind was whirling over the events. Was it all about the Heart? Did she come here to get it? Had her father? Was he left fatherless at an early age because of greed?

He scowled as he followed her up to the first chamber. This adventure was over for him, and so were any feelings he had for Ellie Phillips.
20

* * *

ENEMY OF MY ENEMY

Ellie was finding it difficult to breathe. The idea that her father was some kind of killer had shocked her to the core. She tried to think rationally, but her world had just fallen apart. Everything she thought she knew was a lie.

_Dad was worse than Meyer. Is that why Meyer didn't move in on his territory until he was dead?_

She wished she could talk to Jimmy, but for all she knew he was dead, or worse. Was Jimmy like her father? Did he know about all of this?

There was a hollow ache in her chest. She felt as if she'd lost everyone she cared about: her father, Jimmy. She glanced back over her shoulder at Jacob's grim expression.... Jacob.

Any illusions of romance had died the second she found Jacob's father. Okay, there hadn't been much chance of this ending happily, but she'd be lying if she didn't admit that on some level she'd flirted with the idea of... _something_ with Jacob. It was too late for that now. There was no going back from this. For a while there, when he'd given her the towel, she'd almost believed he still cared—almost.

It was strange. Her encounters with Jacob had never been romantic, not really, but there had been a connection that in the end, even she couldn't deny.

Like an audible snap, she'd felt that connection break the second he found out his father was dead. He was a stranger to her now.

_Just like my father is_.

She'd never felt so alone before.

She stared at the craggy slope, not really seeing it. It all felt so empty and hopeless.

_It_ is _hopeless. When he gives me to Meyer, I won't be alive for long anyway_.

She shook her head, trying to shake off the numbness that had settled over her brain.

_I can't just let him hand me to Meyer_.

Irrational guilt clouded any ability she might have had to get away.

_Why not? What makes you worth saving?_

That was the question that haunted her. Was she any better than her father? She'd grown up idolizing the man. She'd wanted to be just like him.

_What if I_ am _just like him?_

During the shock of finding out her father had killed a man, Ellie had suffered some kind of automated survival instinct. When Jacob found her, she'd pulled a gun on him.

_If he hadn't taken the gun, would I have shot him?_

She didn't want to think she would have, but the calculated coldness that had settled over her mind had torn her apart inside. She didn't even know who she was anymore. Was it a reaction to the shock, or was it her inbuilt nature?

The idea that one day, she too would become a killer was too much to bear. There was nothing worth fighting for if it meant becoming someone she hated.

She slowly inhaled, trying to clear her mind as she reached the top of the slope. Jacob nudged the gun into her back, guiding her into the narrow passage that led out of the cave.

She glanced back at him to try to talk about this, but one look into the stormy clouds in his dark eyes was enough to silence her. His thunderous stare sent a shiver down her spine. His nostrils flared as he breathed, and his expression was one of barely contained rage.

_He isn't going to talk to me. He'll probably shoot me again if I try_.

She faced forward and rubbed her bare arms, shivering as they walked toward the large entrance chamber. She needed to run. That was the only option here.

She tried to ignore the guilt over what her father had done and convince herself that she was doing the right thing, but she was scared by what she was capable of.

_Am I so cold that I'd have left Jacob to rot in a cave?_

She shook her head, refusing to believe it.

_Get your head together. Now is not the time for this! Remember how you felt when he shot you. He's no angel_.

The ache in her shoulder and the memory of the pain from being shot was good incentive to not experience anything like that again.

The torchlight ahead wavered for a moment. She glanced back to see Jacob looking back while he adjusted the falling bag strap on his shoulder.

Using the hand he held the gun in, he was reaching across his chest to pull up the falling strap. In his other hand, he held the torch, which was shaking as he moved.

She didn't pause to think. She stepped away from him and spun around, kicking out at the torch and knocking it from his hands. It flew across the cave and smashed against the wall, plunging the cave into total darkness as she dived to the ground.

"What the hell?" She heard Jacob's feet move across the floor. She rolled sideways into a crouching position to the left of him.

"Stop or I'll shoot." His voice echoed through the cave, but there were no gunshots.

She held her breath, silently moving along the wall toward the bend in the cavern. If she could get to the exit of the cave and out of it before he found her, she could lose him in the jungle.

"Ellie, I'm not joking. Get your ass back here, or you'll regret it." She heard him stumble in her direction, so she scurried along the wall, feeling her way to the exit. Most people were disorientated in the dark, but one thing about her upbringing was the ability to think clearly in any situation.

She hurried around the bend, hoping she'd left Jacob behind her. Seeing the cave entrance ahead, she hurried toward the light.

_Keep going. Just keep going_.

She could almost feel the gun leveling at her back, but she refused to waste time looking behind her. If he caught her, she was dead anyway. Running was her only option.

She ran out of the cave entrance and into the hot sunshine, breathing a sigh as she paused to look for a place to hide in the thick jungle.

Something heavy hit her in the back, and she fell to the ground. For a second, she thought she'd been shot.

_Oh God, not again_.

But when a heavy weight landed on her, she realized that Jacob had thrown himself at her, pinning her face down on the forest floor.

She struggled and kicked back, trying to wriggle out of his iron grip, but he was too strong. Anger flared in her belly.

_Why can't he just let me go?_

She flipped over, trying to take him with her, but he pushed himself off her, bracing himself on his arms above her.

"Let me go!" She lashed out at him with her fist, but he caught it and pinned it behind her head.

"Not a chance in hell, sweetheart." He glared down at her. "You're getting exactly what you deserve."

"I didn't fucking do anything!" she snapped at him, trying to push him off her with one hand.

"Oh? You didn't come into my house and steal from me? You didn't just lead me straight to my father's corpse?" His grip around her right wrist tightened, pushing it down further into the soil.

"I didn't know it was your father! If you stopped being such a fucking psycho for three seconds, you'd realize that." She tried to kick him, but her legs were trapped beneath his.

He lowered his face to hers, his hot breath warming her cheek. "This is me being nice. You really don't want me to be nasty to you."

She scowled and raised her face to his, her heart beating fast and her blood boiling. "I think you need to look up the definition of 'nice'." She snarled at him. "Get the fuck off me before I—"

She froze when there was a loud crack, and something whizzed past them both.

_Was that a fucking bullet?_

He rolled sideways, taking her with him as a spray of bullets shot toward them. Cradled in his arms, she couldn't get away as he jumped to his feet, pulling her with him.

"What the hell?" She glanced back at the trees, seeing several men with guns.

"Meyer." Jacob ground out before he boosted her up and threw her over his shoulder. Then he set off running.

"Put me down!" she shouted as he burst through the jungle at high speed, and she bounced against his back, a helpless sack on his shoulder.

"Shut up and stay still," he growled as he tightened his grip on her legs before running off the trail and into the thick jungle.

She heard gunshots in the distance, which was the only reason she kept quiet.

She stared down and found herself staring at Jacob's upside-down ass.

_Great_.

She frowned _.  _

_Why didn't he just give me to those men if it was Meyer? That's what he said he was going to do_.

She tried to turn and peer back at him, but she could only make out the back of his head.

_Does he even know what he's doing?_

She winced as tree fronds slapped against her skin, and her body jerked up and down on his hard shoulder.

_I'm gonna puke if he doesn't put me down soon_.

After what felt like an eternity, he swung sideways and knelt down, lowering her onto the ground beside him. She rolled over and sat up, about to say something, but his large hand covered her mouth as he hauled her against him. He held her tightly, his hot body crushed against hers. She peered back at him, and he gestured for her to remain silent. Then he released her waist and pointed through the trees ahead of them.

She glanced through the large leaves to see two men sneaking through the jungle with guns. Her pulse raced, and she shivered.

She peered around. They were hidden behind a large boulder, surrounded by a group of thick trees. She glanced back at the mercenaries to see them moving swiftly past them.

She could feel Jacob breathing softly beside her. She stared at him, feeling confused. He frowned at her and shook his head, indicating for her not to make a sound as he removed his hand from her mouth.

_Why is he hiding me if he's giving me to Meyer?_

She stared through the fronds again. The men with guns had moved on, and all she could see were trees.

Jacob got to his feet, silently crouching beside her. He held his finger to his lips, indicating that it wasn't safe to make any noise yet.

She nodded to show she understood.

He tugged her arm, pulling her back. She scrambled to her feet, bending low behind the boulder as she backed up with him. They turned together and scurried into the bushes behind them, winding their way through the trees and running away from the men with guns.

After a few minutes, he straightened up. Ellie stood up straight too, and she peered at him. He pointed ahead. She nodded.

His hand gripped hers before he set off running, and she ran with him through the dense jungle.

Whatever his plan was, following him seemed to be the best option right now. It was clear that he didn't intend to give her to Meyer after all.

_But why?_

* * *

"Wait," Ellie gasped, pulling Jacob to a standstill. "I need a second to catch my breath." She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. They had been running for what felt like hours.

"We can't stop. We need to find somewhere to hide before the sun sets." He pointed to the sun, which was now low in the sky. "This is no time for you to flake out on me."

"Do you even know where you're going?"

He spun around and glared at her, obviously still angry with her. "Just because I didn't give you to Meyer, it doesn't mean I don't have a plan for getting out of here and bringing you to justice."

She shook her head. Forgiveness was a long way off by the looks of it but running blindly through the jungle wasn't the answer. "Oh, and what is your great plan, keep running until we're too knackered to defend ourselves?"

"Just shut up and keep moving." He reached for her hand again, but she pulled back.

"That's your answer? Are you kidding me? What about stopping and coming up with a realistic solution?"

"I don't need to stop running for my brain to continue functioning." He scowled at her.

"Well, maybe if your brain wasn't in your ass..." she muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." She rolled her eyes and tried to think of a solution. She smiled when one came to her. "We do have a map of this island you know."

She pulled the map and compass out of her pocket and waved them at him. "Let's try using our brains while we stand and read it, shall we?"

He snatched the compass out of her hand and peered at it. He flipped it over and frowned.

She sighed and offered him the map.

He glanced at it, and his frown deepened. "Oh, very useful, a compass that doesn't work and an undecipherable map. That'll be great help." He handed them back to her, shaking his head.

She rolled her eyes and flipped the lever on the compass, opening it up into flower-shaped looking-glass. Then she spread the map out across her hand and stared at the new reflection on the map. "We just need to work out where we are now," she muttered.

She felt Jacob's breath on her skin as he stood behind her, peering over her shoulder.

She heard him gasp. "What the hell is that?"

She shrugged. "A decoder key."

"Where did you find the key? Was it hidden in some innocent guy's bed?" Jacob asked dryly.

"No! Shut up," she snapped.

"Was it in his pants?"

She turned and glared at him. "You know, if you can't say anything useful, there really isn't any reason for you to speak at all. I need to find out where we are on this map and save your lame ass."

He narrowed his eyes and pointed to the center of the map. "You. Are. Here." He slowly ground out each word.

"You can't know that." She stared at where he was pointing. It was near a rough drawing of a house.

"Sure you can. Anyone with the basic ability to read a compass can know that. Idiot city girls who require road signs and street names however..."

She folded up the map and compass and shoved them into her back pocket before turning the face him. "There's a house in that direction." She pointed through the trees. "And there's a slap in that direction." She pointed to the left side of his face.

He turned left, and she slapped him across the cheek.

"What the hell was that for?" He rubbed his reddening cheek.

"For being a total prick." She turned on her heel and stomped in the direction of the house on the map.

_What's a house doing all the way out here anyway?_

"First person to find the house gets to sleep on the bed," she called back.

"You know that symbol doesn't mean _a_ house, right?" She heard him reply.
21

* * *

JUNGLE HEAT

Ellie pushed back the bright green fronds of a fern and widened her eyes at the scene before her. She stared in awe at the broken old village that was home to several wooden cabins with thatched roofs. Made up of broken shingles and weathered wood, the structures looked as if they'd fall over in a soft breeze.

She stepped into the clearing, frowning at the abandoned village.

_Did people live here once?_

She heard Jacob's footsteps behind her as he followed her into the clearing. She turned to face him. His eyes were wide with surprise.

"Did people used to live here?" he asked as he walked toward the first structure.

"There weren't any records of inhabitants in the books I read about the island." She followed him, stopping at the first cabin and peering through its broken window.

"These cabins aren't very stable. They must have been built quickly by people working here." He pointed to the pickaxes resting near the door.

"Working on what?" She pushed open the door and entered the cabin. The door wobbled on its hinges before expelling a loud creak. "And what made them leave so quickly?"

She stared at the table in the center of the room. Food bowls were laid out on the table top, covered in dust and fading with age. The centerpiece was a rotten carcass of some kind of animal, which was now reduced to bone.

She turned to see Jacob follow her into the cabin. He frowned at the table and then scanned the room. "I don't know, and I don't like it."

She wandered over to the unmade bed, taking a seat on it. It was hard and lumpy, but it was still a bed. "It's better than the jungle at night."

Jacob peered out of the open doorway at the darkening sky, and he nodded. "It'll do for tonight." He glanced back at her. "Do I need to tell you that running off would be stupid, or can I assume you've learnt that lesson?"

She scowled at him.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'm going to go catch us some dinner. You can start a fire and get us some water out of that well." He pointed to the wide well at the center of the village.

She rolled her eyes at him. He was right, of course, but that didn't make taking orders from him any easier.

He dropped the bag on the cabin floor and pulled out a knife and some Para cord. "Don't make too much noise and make the fire in the fireplace. We don't want to attract the whole jungle over here. Hopefully, they won't see the smoke at night."

"I was going to use the fireplace. I'm not stupid, you know."

He smirked at her, saying nothing before he turned and walked back toward the jungle.

She glanced at the bag.

_I hope my lighter is in there or starting a fire is going to suck_.

* * *

By the time Jacob returned, Ellie had filled two water bottles from the well, but she was still having problems trying to light a fire. The lighter was empty, and her plan to use the flint in it for a spark wasn't wielding any results.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked as he strode into the cabin with several fish slung over his shoulder, bound together with cord.

She held up the lighter and scowled at him. She'd tried really hard to light the fire. She'd fetched dry wood and kindling for it. It wasn't her fault that the bloody thing wouldn't light. "Well, I tried singing Prodigy's 'Firestarter' at it, but it didn't like it, so I thought I'd try a lighter," she said, offering him a dry smile.

A smile crinkled around his eyes for a moment before it faded away.

She sighed and put down the lighter. She missed his smiles.

"Why didn't you use the flint in the bag?" he asked.

_What flint in the bag?_

"I searched the bag. There isn't a flint in it."

"Yes, there is."

"No, there isn't!" She stood up and folded her arms.

He shook his head and crouched beside the bag. He dropped the fish on the floor before glancing up at her. "I don't suppose you know how to clean and gut fish either, do you?" He reached into the bag and pulled out the funny looking key she had found when she first looked into his bag.

"I can order a mean pizza," she muttered as she watched him use the metal bottle-opener-looking-thing to scratch the key. After a couple of tries, he had a fire blazing in the fireplace. It illuminated the room with a warm glow, instantly creating a cozy atmosphere in the desolate cabin.

"How was I supposed to know that was a flint? It looks like a badly formed key." She sat on one of the chairs around the table and slouched in it.

"At least you cleaned the table," he muttered as he picked up the fish and began cutting them open with the knife.

"Oh, gross." She jumped out of the chair and turned away from the now headless fish.

"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 went against her better judgment, 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. Then she 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 realized 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 recognized 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 realize I was in the presence of an elitist caveman! Tell me, when you see fire do you think: _Ooh shiny thing_?"

"You know that spewing out 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 toward 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 fueled her passion, and it 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, down his neck and then across his broad shoulders.

As he strode toward 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.
22

* * *

THE MORNING AFTER

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, where reality tentatively hovered 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 it 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 bag on the floor at the end of the bed. Barefoot, she tiptoed over to the bag, trying not to wake Jacob.

She snatched the cell 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 gotten yourself into this time_.

She picked up the cell phone and walked into the jungle while dialing Jimmy's number, out of earshot of the cabin.

* * *

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. A few seconds later, the sound 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 cell 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. I'm going to tell him that I love him. I want to share everything with him. I'll risk it all for him_.

* * *

Ellie hurried back toward 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 she 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 toward 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 she 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 totally 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 read the words written on it:

ELLIE,

WHEN I WOKE UP AND YOU WERE GONE, I REALIZED 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 he had 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. Then she zipped up the duffle and swung it over her shoulder before rising to her feet.

Gunshots cracked near the cabin. She glanced out of the window, relieved to see that Meyer's men hadn't arrived yet. She quickly ran from the village and into the cover of trees. She was certain that it was no coincidence that Meyer's men had shown up now. Just as it was no coincidence that Jacob had tortured her with feelings of love before he threw her to the wolves. The note was probably an attempt to keep her in the cabin until they arrived.

He hadn't just handed her to Meyer. He'd ripped out her heart first.

She ducked under low-hanging branches, rushing away from the gunshots.

_I'm going to rip_ his _heart out and show it to him when I find him_.

_At least I did my research_.

She pulled the rough drawing out of her pocket. When Jacob had gone for food last night, she'd taken some time to copy the map. Even without a compass, she knew the rough direction that he would have gone in.

_I just need to find his trail, and his ass is mine_.
23

* * *

DEADFALL

Jacob wiped the sweat off his brow with the tail of his khaki shirt before taking another glance at the map. According to the markings, the Heart should be buried inside the volcano. He sighed when he peered at the compass, feeling guilty for taking it.

_I shouldn't have left her behind_.

He shook his head.

_It's for the best. Meyer wants her, not me. She'll be safe in the village. I can get the Heart and then go back to find her. That way, Meyer won't get his hands on her_.

All thoughts of his father and her father had evaporated when she was wrapped in his arms last night. Whatever had happened in the past was history. He'd realized that for most of his life he'd lived in his father's shadow. The Hawk was his father, not him. His father's company was just another part of the past that was weighing him down. He loved exploring the world and finding hidden treasures, but not for prestige or the title of being the Hawk. That was Douglas Hawkins's life, not his.

_When we get back to the UK, I'm leaving the company. I've got enough money to do what I want, and this is what I want_.

While all his friends had been traveling the world and experiencing new things, he'd been keeping track of accounts at Hawkins Shipping and chasing the treasures his father had never found, chasing the father he'd never had.

_Well, now I've found him_.

Once he'd realized that, everything had become so clear.

_Get the Heart, keep Ellie safe and get off this island_.

At first, this whole journey had been about his father, saving him, saving his reputation. But whatever his father had been doing here, if it involved men like Meyer, his father had been no angel. It wasn't his cross to bear anymore. Jacob's life had been on hold for his father until he'd met Ellie. Now he had her, he'd found his own place in the world, and it wasn't at Hawkins Shipping.

_She'll forgive me for leaving her like that_.

He nodded as he brushed through the trees to find the dark, cavernous entrance to the volcano before him. He smiled.

_She'll forgive me when I give her the Heart of Fortune_.

* * *

Ellie was unsure if she was going in the right direction, so she stopped to rest for a moment beside a large palm tree. She hadn't heard gunshots for a while, and she was relieved by the silence. The constant crack of shots being fired had been wearing on her already tense nerves.

_What are they shooting at anyway? Jacob's lame ass wouldn't warrant that many bullets, plus he's such a—_

Her thoughts froze as she glanced up to see the dark granite of a volcano above her. It towered through the trees like a daunting fortress. She swallowed her fear of it and hurried through the trees, hoping she was on the right side of the massive structure.

She stopped when she came to a solid wall of volcanic rock.

_Crap, where's the entrance?_

She had a choice of left or right. She decided to go right and follow the wall, hoping the entrance to it wasn't too far away. The wall of rock was cold to touch. Overgrown trees and plants climbed up it, making it difficult to trek around it. She climbed over wild tree roots that were sticking up out of the earth and brushed by large plants with leaves and thorns, skirting around what she could to stay beside the wall.

As the shrubs and trees began to diminish, she came to a clearing. She stopped at the large craggy opening to the base of the volcano, staring at it in awe. It looked like a jagged open mouth with sharp rocks for teeth. She shivered as every essence of her being told her not to go in there.

She gritted her teeth. Instincts aside, she knew she had to go inside. On impulse, she pulled the gun out of her waistband and leveled it at the entrance of the cave. She held it with two hands, one around the handle of the gun and the other hand around her wrist, bracing it for impact. Then she quietly walked into the volcano.

There was a glow in the distance from a lit torch. She stared at Jacob, who was brushing moss off the wall he stood beside. He hadn't noticed her presence. He was staring intently at the wall instead.

She leveled the gun on his back, planning to take him by surprise. But just the sight of him sent her blood boiling.

"Looking for my heart?" she said as she stepped toward him. Her voice echoed around the chamber.

Jacob spun around, his eyes wide. "Ellie, no!" he cried as he raced toward her.

She narrowed her eyes and stared down the barrel of the gun, but she couldn't pull the trigger.

_Damn it_.

She lowered the gun as he bounded in her direction at full speed. "Stay back or I'll—"

She widened her eyes when he didn't slow down and plowed straight into her.

_Son of a bitch!_

She hit the ground with his heavy body pinning her down. She raised her arms to try to punch him, but he covered her body with his, capturing her beneath him.

She heard the rush of an explosion and peered up through the gap between his arms to see flames shooting out in the air inches above them.

She widened her eyes as the fires of Hell lit up the cave in a red glow. Waves of heat singed her skin, causing instant beads of sweat to appear on her brow.

After a few seconds, the fire went out, plunging the cave into darkness lit only by dim torchlight.

Jacob raised his head and peered back before turning to face her with thunder in his eyes. "Of all the stupid..." He shook his head. "Follow me and keep your fucking head down."

He pointed to the wall. "You see that line?"

She glanced at the wall of the cave, noticing a thick line carved into it. "Er, yes."

"Keep your head below it, or you'll set off the trap." He pointed ahead. "Go to where the torch is, but not past it. Do you understand? Do not go past the torch, or you'll set off another trap."

Ellie gulped and nodded. "Okay."

_Traps? What is this, Indiana Jones?_

She glanced at Jacob _.  _

_More like_ Goonies.

"You first." He rolled off her and onto all fours, keeping his eyes on the line scraped into the wall.

She rolled onto her side and then scrambled onto all fours. She checked her crouched height against the line on the wall, breathing a sigh when she found herself well below the line that would trigger the trap.

She glanced back at Jacob. "Why should I go first?"

"So, if you fuck up, we both burn." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. He shook his head and glared at her. "If I'm behind you, I can warn you before your stupid head reaches that stupid line. What are you even doing here? I ask you to do one little thing—one thing—and you can't even manage that."

She scowled at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you think I was on the payroll, oh great lord and master? What a fucking wake-up call this must be for you."

She turned and scurried forward across the cavern floor, keeping a cautious eye on the holes in the wall that seemed to randomly shoot out a fiery death.

"I prefer 'sir' to 'master'."

She narrowed her eyes when she heard the smirk in his voice. She peered over her shoulder and scowled at him. He wore a satisfied smile on his face as he stared at her backside.

"Enjoying the view?" She raised an eyebrow.

He glanced up to her face and then tilted his head sideways as if considering the question before nodding. There was a sparkle of amusement in his dark eyes and a smirk of approval on his lips.

She scowled and scurried faster to get away from him. The man was infuriating. How dare he try to be cute after what he'd done!

She stopped when she got to the torch, which was lying on the cave floor. She glanced back to find Jacob standing behind her, smirking down at her.

"You can, er, get up now." Judging by the wide grin on his face, he was clearly enjoying seeing her kneel before him.

She jumped to her feet and placed her hands on her hips as she turned to face him. "I really don't know what you're grinning about." She glanced down at the gun in her left hand and then back to him.

"What? You're going to shoot me after I saved your dumb ass again? Don't bother, sweetheart. There are enough traps in this cave to kill me faster. And what the hell are you doing here? You were supposed to stay in the village."

"Oh, I see. You wanted me to cuddle up with Meyer's men?"

His face visibly paled. "What do you mean?" He widened his eyes. "They found the village?"

She frowned.

_Is he on the level?_

She shook her head.

_He's been playing me from the start_.

Her instinct told a different story, and in the past, she'd always relied on her instincts. But when it came to Jacob, she couldn't even read his body language, let alone work out what kind of person he was.

_Which means he's a player_.

What was it old dad used to say?

_Words and intentions are just a smokescreen for how people want to be perceived. The reality lies in their actions_.

Jacob's actions had not been good in any way. Since she'd met him, he'd pinned her to a bed, chased her across the world and cuffed her to a boat. What did his actions show about him? She frowned.

_That he's horny?_

She shook her head again. Okay, he might have saved her life once, but then he'd left her in the middle of nowhere with mercenaries closing in on her. None of it made sense. There was no logical reason for any of his actions, which meant that they must have been a smokescreen.

"Er, yep, but I got away." She decided to play his game, but she found it difficult to keep the anger out of her voice. "So, what's going on in here, traps?" She gestured at the wall he'd been examining when she first arrived at the cave.

"Yeah, this place is booby trapped in ways I've never seen before. Check this out." He pointed to the wall he'd been brushing earlier.

She peered at the dark wall and then frowned. Beneath a layer of moss that he'd brushed away were wooden cogs and levers. "What is it?"

"Another trap." Excitement lit up his eyes.

She understood the look. She was pretty sure she'd had it herself when she picked her first lock and run her first scam. "What does it do?"

"I dunno." He shrugged. "But if it's anything like the first one, it'll be a challenge getting past it."

She stared at the intricate cogs. If a pirate like Henry Rose had built all this, he'd have left a safe way past it. "Can I see the map?"

"Sure, you can hold onto it." He passed her the map and compass before picking up the torch and shining it down the tunnel of the cave.

She watched him explore the walls with the light for a moment, and then she shook her head before peering down at the map.

Their location was marked with a triangle, which she assumed meant volcano, but she was looking for more. If you made a map, you'd have instructions on how to get safely through it.

Jacob picked up a rock and threw it down the tunnel. When it landed on the ground, the floor dropped away ahead of them, leaving a gaping chasm down the tunnel.

She peered down, gasping at the sharp spears embedded in the bottom of the pit. Skeletal remains were skewered on some of the spears. "Pirate shish-kebab," she muttered.

After a few seconds, the cogs beside her ground into action, and the floor reappeared.

Jacob glanced up at the ceiling. "There's no way across this."

She peered back at the map, looking through the lens of the compass. The compass point was facing south, but she was certain that they were facing north. She frowned at the compass. On impulse, she pushed the petals of it. The glass lenses turned like a wheel around the center. The mechanism clicked and stopped at a hundred and eighty degrees. North was now south. She peered through the glass and gasped. The markings had become a map of the volcano. She read the words under the first marking, which was a symbol for fire:

FIRE IN THE HOLE.

That had to be the first trap.

"This is impossible." Jacob was still staring at the tunnel ahead. "I don't think we're going to be able to get through. It's like the walk of death."

She glanced at the next lens, noticing a symbol of a centered path drawn on the map. "Walk the plank." She read the words marked beneath it.

"What?" He turned to face her.

She picked up another rock and threw it down the center of the tunnel, aiming for dead center. The rock landed in the middle of the path a few yards ahead of her. The ground dropped away again, but this time leaving a narrow plank along the center of it, a path to the other side.

She grinned and placed her foot on the precarious path before turning to Jacob. "We just have to walk the plank. Watch your step." She turned and began making her way to the other side.

She felt the plank wobble as he followed her. "How did you work that out?"

She smiled. "I know how pirates think." She waved the map. "Plus, there's a map."

The plank was a narrow path, offering a painful death to anyone who fell off it. She concentrated on keeping her balance as she hurried to the other side, grateful for the light from Jacob's torch.

"There was nothing on the map when I read it." She heard Jacob grumble behind her.

"The compass is upside down. If you turn the lenses, it shows another map." She called back with a grin on her face. "Every good thief makes a plan for getting in and getting back out."

"Of course, magnetic poles in volcanos are known to be opposite. He must have been a damn good cartographer to make a map like that. I don't think they even knew that back in the day."

She shook her head. Of course, he was a science geek. Jimmy would love him. "Yeah, I guess," she said as she stepped off the plank and onto the path at the other side. She moved aside, so there was room for Jacob to walk off the plank beside her.

Jacob pointed to a lever in the wall. "What's next?"

She peered down at the map. "Get measured fer yer chains." She read the line beneath the symbol of a cage. She glanced ahead. There were no cages, just a long dark tunnel.

"Do you know what that means?"

She glanced at him. "Yeah, it meant a pirate was being fitted into a gibbet cage for punishment, but there's no gibbet cage here."

He glanced at the lever. "Do we pull it?"

She shivered. She didn't like not knowing what was coming next, especially in this place, but she'd come this far, and she wanted to know what was at the end of this map. She knew that if she didn't find out, it would haunt her. She nodded for him to pull the lever.

His arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her closer to him before he pushed down the old lever.

Cogs ground against each other, and she heard the sound of metal clinking before a cage that was suspended on a long chain dropped out of the ceiling and hung in front of them. She felt his body jump as the deadly looking gibbet cage bounced in the air ahead of them.

"What are we supposed to do with that?" She peered at the human-shaped cage.

He stared at it in awe for a moment. "I think we're supposed to get in it."

"Are you fucking kidding? We won't fit in that, and it looks like a death trap." As she spoke, the walls of the tunnel began to shift inwards, and she could hear the sound of more cogs turning.

"I don't think we have a choice," he cried as the path ahead began to crumble away, making room for the narrowing walls. He grabbed the cage door and pulled it open, bundling her inside it before jumping in after her and pulling the door shut.

The cage was a tight fit with his large body pressed against her. "Now what?" she spoke into his chest.

"I don't kn—"

The cage jerked upwards as the chain it was hanging from tightened. She could hear the grinding of metal as the cage began to rise up into the ceiling of the tunnel.

"I guess we're going up to the next floor," he said as the cage elevated upwards.

"Let's hope the lift doesn't break down." She peered down at the rapidly narrowing space of the tunnel.

When she glanced up, she sighed, glad to see a new level of the volcano coming into view. She wished the cage would hurry up. Being this close to Jacob was driving her senses crazy. His hot body pressing against her was bringing back memories of last night that she didn't want.

He glanced down at her smiling. "Nearly there."

His breath warmed the skin on her face. She glanced up, finding her lips only inches from his. His eyes clouded over as if he were about to kiss her. A part of her wanted him to.

_No, no, no!_

She tried think of the least sexy thing she could say. "Do you think there will be rotten corpses up there?"

That seemed to do the trick. He frowned and glanced up at the dark chamber they were elevating toward. "I, er, dunno."

She sighed. Crisis averted. It was either corpses or telling him to imagine his mother naked. That always worked better than a cold shower on most men.

She could feel his eyes on her, but refused to meet them until they were out of the cage. He was dangerous enough to her betraying libido without being crushed up against him.

She looked up when the grinding gears came to halt, thankful to find that Jacob was now staring back over his shoulder rather than at her.

She peered past him to see a vast chamber with a sandy floor ahead of her.

Jacob pushed open the cage door and stepped back out of it. She hurried after him, eager to get out of the close confines.

He scanned the room frowning. "There's nothing here."

She glanced around the room before peering at the map. There was a symbol of a chest with four words carved beneath it. "X marks the spot," she said.

Jacob turned to face her. "What X? There's nothing here."

She walked around the cave, studying the floor. It was softer than the ground in the rest of the cave. She dug her foot into it, amazed to find soil beneath her feet. "How come there's mud in a volcano?"

She dragged her foot through the soil, coming to a halt when her foot caught on something solid. She peered down to see a wooden beam buried in the dirt. "Hey, look at this."

Jacob hurried over and crouched near her feet. He began brushing away the soil. "There's something under here."

She traced the wood with her foot. When she'd finished, she stood back and stared at the shape of the wooden beams. Two beams crossed, spanning the room with a giant X. "Er, I think this is it. It has to be."

He stood up and stared at the massive cross. "The treasure is under this beam. We've found it!"

Ellie yelped when a cold hand wrapped around her neck, pulling her backwards. She widened her eyes when the blade of a knife pressed against her cheek, staring at it in horror. Had Henry Rose come back from Davy Jones's Locker to reclaim his treasure?

"I was hoping you'd say that." She heard Joseph Meyer's rough voice as his breath warmed her cheek. "Do an old man a favor, lad, and start digging." He threw a spade at Jacob.

Jacob scowled at him, his eyes darkening in response.

"Or I'll gut your girlfriend." Meyer threatened, moving the knife down Ellie's throat and pressing it against her collarbone.
24

* * *

SHOWDOWN

Ellie watched Jacob driving the spade into the thick wooden beams. His shirt was transparent with sweat. His tawny muscled skin was visible through the deep V of his open collar.

He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and glanced up at her and Meyer with smudges of dirt on his face and clothes. His eyes were dark pools of anger, intensely set on Meyer in a scowl.

"Don't give me that look, boy. You're lucky you lived this long." Meyer's voice echoed behind her, his spindly fingers still gripping her throat.

Jacob narrowed his eyes. He straightened up, his muscles popping up in his arms and chest as he drove the spade through the first beam, cracking it in half with a roar.

Ellie heard Meyer chuckle behind her. "You're just like your father, all pride and honor. Not so honorable in the end though, I'll bet, just like your father."

Jacob pulled at broken splints of wood and threw them aside as he glanced up at the older man. "What's that supposed to mean? You know nothing about my father."

"Is that so?" There was a snide laugh in Meyer's voice. "I find it amusing that history is repeating itself: a Phillips and a Hawkins together again. Didn't work out too well for your fathers though, did it?"

Ellie clenched her hands into fists. He knew something about her father that she didn't. She remained silent since Meyer was so chatty about it. Jacob, however, appeared to be finding it difficult to control his emotions.

"You don't know anything about my father. You're just some low-life criminal!" He snarled at Meyer, his muscles bunching up in his shoulders.

"Is that what you think? You're above it all. How do you think your father got rich? Did you think the Hawk made his reputation from being nice and honest?" Meyer laughed. "Stupid boy, who do you think did all of his dirty work?"

The blood drained out of Jacob's face. "Y-you worked for him?"

"Idiot, he worked for me!"

Jacob widened his eyes, appearing horrified at the thought of it. "I don't believe you. You have no connection to him or his company."

"Well, you have Phillips to thank for that." His hand tightened around Ellie's throat, and she fought to remain calm.

_Dad, what did he have to do with this?_

"When your father met up with Stewart Phillips, he found a way out of my organization. I wasn't the big man I am now. I was just starting out, and Phillips wasn't someone I'd mess with back then. Phillips owned the streets. He was as sly as a fox. No one could beat him, no matter how much muscle they had. So, when he adopted the Hawk and took him under his wing, my hands were tied. You can imagine how much that pissed me off. Do you know who your father was, girl?" He shook her. "Quite the man, he was. You didn't follow in his footsteps, though, did you? I bet he'd be disappointed by the silly little girl he brought up. Sending you after his treasure was poetic, don't you think? It was the perfect revenge, setting you up to take the fall for the theft. I might not have destroyed one Phillips, but I got you, didn't I?"

He laughed in her ear. "Oh, did you think it was an accident that you were sent to steal from Hawkins Hall? It was a pleasure seeing you two at each other's throats. Your fathers were such good friends. What better revenge than to drive a wedge between their children?

"But now, history is repeating itself, and the time for fun and games is over." His voice was cold. "Time to do what I couldn't do when your father was alive. Keep digging!" He snapped at Jacob while pressing the knife against Ellie's throat.

Jacob shook his head and began digging through the broken beams, shifting soil and broken wood into a pile beside him. "You're crazy."

"Do _you_ think I'm crazy, little girl?" Meyer's breath brushed against her cheek. He was short and wiry, but his grip on her was strong and deadly.

"I think you were scared of my father," she said, trying to emulate her father's voice. "I think you should be scared of me."

"Ha! You don't have it in you. Any threat your father posed died when he did."

"What did you do to Douglas Hawkins?" She wanted to know how the story ended. She knew her father worked with him. By the sounds of it, he was helping the Hawk escape Meyer's clutches, but how had Douglas died?

"Not much that he didn't do to himself. He got a bit too big for his boots. This was years after Phillips had secured his independence. They had a good run of it until then, making money, making their own names. But the Hawk wanted to cut old ties, so he decided to go after the Heart on his own. I guess he didn't think he needed Phillips's protection, but I was tracking him all that time, waiting for him to be stupid. And he _was_ stupid."

Jacob stopped digging, and his knuckles whitened as he gripped the handle of the spade.

She caught his eye and gave a slight shake of her head. She wanted to know more. Now was not the time for him to lose his cool.

"So you killed Douglas?"

"I killed him while he was trying to steal the Heart of Fortune from under Phillips's nose. You know, I never did find out if he was going to share that bounty with your dad or not, but that didn't matter. It's all about reputation, girl. You need to have one to survive in this business. That's why you won't survive, but I will. Hell, I was going to go after Hawkins's family after I'd finished with him, but your dad stepped in again and put this little runt under his protection. Like I said earlier, there's no one protecting him now, and I'd like to have a matched set."

Ellie's blood ran cold. He was going to kill her and Jacob anyway. No matter what happened, it was all about his reputation. Killing Stewart Phillips's daughter would give him a reputation greater than her father's, and killing Jacob would provide him with revenge.

She stared at Jacob. He looked broken by the news of his father as he shoveled dirt out of the hole he had made in the soil.

_The Heart has nothing to do with this. It's about control of the streets_.

She knew that when her father had died, she had not maintained his reputation. She'd let it all go. Meyer had moved in on the territory and hurt so many people.

_How many people did my father protect?_

He didn't do it with muscle or moxie. He did it with intelligence and by walking in the shadows.

She was Ellie Phillips, not some two-bit criminal. He'd taught her everything he knew. A cold and calculating instinct had taken control of her body the second that Meyer had grabbed her. It wasn't coincidence or shock. It was training.

The spade loudly clunked onto something metal. She glanced at Jacob as he crouched down and began brushing dirt off an old chest.

_Once Meyer has the Heart, he's going to bury us in that hole_.

"Open it," Meyer commanded as he peered over her shoulder, the knife in his hand relaxing to his side.

She didn't wait to find out what was in the box. She gripped the pressure point at the base of his thumb on the hand that was wrapped around her throat. His grip loosened as she spun around, taking his arm with her and twisting it behind his back.

"You messed with the wrong family," she hissed in his ear before kneeing him in the back with as much force as she could muster and knocking him to the ground.

He fell to the floor, and the knife clattered on the ground beside him. She dived for the knife, gripping the handle of it.

He rolled over and punched her in the back of the head. She saw stars for a moment. Dizziness clouded her mind as he gripped her hair, and his weight landed on her.

The weight lifted as she fought to remain conscious, and the grip released her hair. Without thinking, she rolled over and thrust up the knife to defend herself. It sank into Meyer's chest, driving deep into his heart.

She glanced up in shock to see Jacob holding Meyer around the throat, lifting him off her. Their eyes connected in a moment of shock as Meyer groaned and slumped in Jacob's arms.

Jacob looked away from her as he lowered the dead mob-boss to the floor. Then he knelt beside her. "Are you okay?"

She didn't know if she was okay.

_I just killed a man. Sure, he was a bad man, but what does that make me?_

"You were just defending yourself," he said.

She nodded, unable to form words. She'd meant to knock him out in some clever way, but when he jumped on her back, the years of defensive training had kicked in. "I feel sick," she muttered.

"Let's get out of here." Jacob held out his hand.

She gripped it and let him pull her off the cavern floor. She glanced down at the open chest in the hole he had dug. It was empty. "Where's the treasure?"

"It was empty." He shook his head.

She glanced over at him, unsure if he was telling the truth, but there was no way he could hide a giant diamond in his clothing, and his bag was back at the entrance of the cave.

She nodded, resting against him. "Let's get out of here."
25

* * *

DOUBLE-CROSS

Ellie groaned and rolled off the bed. It took her a moment to remember where she was, but she remembered when her eyes settled on the old table inside the cabin. After the fight inside the volcano, they'd lost daylight. She and Jacob had returned to the village for the night, planning on leaving the island this morning.

They'd escaped from the volcano the same way that Meyer had got in, through a man-made opening in the same chamber as the chest. There hadn't been any mercenaries near the village, so a night in the cabin had seemed the safest plan.

_I don't even know if anyone is still after us_.

She peered through the broken window beside the bed. It was still dark outside with only a hint of sunlight beginning to rise over the horizon.

She glanced around the cabin. She was alone in it.

She rolled off the bed and pulled on her boots before venturing out of the door. Her mouth was dry, so she headed toward the well in the center of the village.

Jacob had told her to get some rest before he'd left to find a different cabin to sleep in last night. He'd been pretty quiet on the trek back from the volcano. He was probably thinking about his fortune and his father. It must have been a shock to find out that his father had been a criminal.

She wanted to talk to him about it. She wanted to talk to him about a lot of things. Her instincts told her that he had only been trying to protect her, but she was still recovering from him leaving her in the jungle. Even though she knew it was irrational because he'd saved her ass over and over again, she found it difficult to trust him.

_Was there a treasure in the chest?  _

She shook her head.

_Where would he have hidden it, in his pants?_

She leaned over the well, dunking the bottle into it to fill it with water. She stared into the water, trying to sort out her thoughts. She was angry that he'd left her behind, and that feeling wasn't going away any time soon.

The bottle knocked against a mossy rock at the bottom of the pool. Some of the moss floated off into the water, revealing a shiny object beneath it. She frowned at the glinting rock.

She released the bottle, leaving it to float on the surface of the well as she brushed away the moss. Her eyes widened as the moss fell away to reveal a large heart-shaped diamond.

She stood up, staring at it in awe.

_It's here! Did Jacob put it there?_

She shook her head. There was no way that Jacob had the time to grow moss on the stone. It had been here for years by the looks of it.

Her pulse sped up.

_All this time, it was here at the bottom of the well_.

_I should tell Jacob_.

_Yep, that's right. Tell him, so he can try to steal it from you again_.

She frowned. She'd taken a chance on him before.

_Yeah, and look how that turned out. He abandoned you in the jungle_.

She stared at the diamond and chewed her bottom lip.

_What would dad do?_

Without thinking about it, she turned on her heel and raced to the cabin, snatching up one of the duffle bags before running back to the well. She paused for a moment, trying to decide if she was making the right choice. With a shake of her head, she scooped up the diamond and threw it into the bag.

_Dad would get the fuck out of here_.

She hurried out of the village without looking back.

_Sorry Jacob. You had your chance, and you blew it_.

* * *

By the time Ellie reached the beach, guilt was weighing her down.

She shook her head.

_Jacob's a big boy. He knows how to take care of himself. He'll be fine_.

_You didn't even leave him a note_.

_Then he'll hate me. So what? He didn't love me enough to stay with me last night. He didn't love me at all. He was just using me for the diamond, just like his father used mine_.

She scanned the shoreline and groaned. It was the opposite side of the island, and her boat was miles away.

By now, the sun was burning down on her from high in the sky.

_I wonder if he's awake yet_.

She stared out at the ocean, considering swimming around the island. She froze when she spotted a small yacht moored just offshore. She studied the boat's name, squinting while trying to read it: SERENDIPITY.

_Wasn't that the name of the other boat that Jimmy had rented?_

She scanned the water. There were no other boats nearby. She turned back toward the yacht, widening her eyes when she saw Jimmy walking across the deck. He wore a straw sombrero and a Hawaiian shirt. On his arm was a busty blonde in a red bikini.

_Jesus, check out Hugh Hefner_.

She hurried across the water, diving in and swimming toward the boat. It didn't take her long to reach it. She listened to the conversation topside, trying to discover where he'd been.

"I dunno snuggle-bear." Cheryl's voice echoed from the deck. "Is it safe to go onto the island with all that shooting going on?"

"Bill's got it under control, and I need to find Ellie. She might be in trouble—actually, since it's Ellie, she probably is in deep shit." Jimmy's voice made Ellie smile.

"Fine, then I'm coming with you," Cheryl sounded serious for the first time.

"It's not safe," Jimmy said. Slurping sounds followed, and Ellie wondered if he was having a drink or if he was making out with Cheryl.

"I don't care! I love you, big bear man. I'm not leaving your side, ever!" Although Cheryl's devotion to Jimmy brought her a new level of respect from Ellie, she had to ponder her choice of nicknames.

_Big bear man?_  Jimmy was five-foot ten and skinny with ripped muscles.

"Hey, you gonna invite me aboard or what?" Ellie called out.

Jimmy's face appeared over the railing, staring down at her in shock. "Ellie? You're okay!"

"Yep, but can we please get me the fuck out of here?"

Jimmy reached down and pulled her up the side of the boat, helping her aboard. "What happened? Is Meyer following you?" He gave her a tight hug. "You scared the shit out of me."

She hugged him back, feeling happy to be among friends again. "We need to get moving. I'll tell you everything later." She planned to talk to Jimmy once they got back to Florida. She wanted to find out what he'd been doing in her absence, and she still wasn't sure about Cheryl.

"Where's Jacob?"

"Uh, what?" She hadn't expected that.

"Bill warned us to stay at this side of the island while he dealt with Meyer's mercenaries. He's been keeping us updated over the radio. Did he find you and Jacob?"

"Um, no. Jacob and I had a falling out."

"A falling out?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"Just trust me. We don't want to see Jacob right now."

"Then what do I tell Bill?" Jimmy folded his arms. "That guy saved mine and Cheryl's asses."

"Um, can't you tell him that you've found us via heat-source scanning or something?"

"What am I, an alien trophy-hunter with super senses? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Make some shit up, techie-geek-shit. You're good at that." She flashed him a winning smile.

"You're going to Hell, you know." He shook his head and turned toward the wheelhouse. "There's a special place for you there," he added as he walked over to the radio.

She followed him, still gripping her wet bag. "The one for liars?"

"No, the one for _crappy_ liars. Fucking Predator heat-sources, I might as well tell him that I dreamt of where you are after doing a voodoo ritual that involved setting my ass on fire."

"Just turn this boat toward Florida, and then tell him we're at the village. It's about five miles away from this side of the island, due south."

She glanced at the shore. Her heart ached for leaving Jacob behind, but she'd made her decision when she left the village. This time the Heart of Fortune had won, and Jacob had lost.

Jimmy shook his head as he turned the boat around, heading away from the island.

She turned with the boat and watched the shore with a sigh.

_Jacob will never forgive me for this_.

She tried to ignore the lump in her throat, but it refused to go away.

_At least I'll live to regret it_.

Something tickled her neck.

She spun around to see Cheryl holding a lock of her hair.

"Wow, this soooo needs conditioning. It reminds me of Wookiee hair. You ever seen that movie about star thingies? I loved it, but not the Wookiee hair. All those split ends, gah! You know..."

_Great, I look like crap_.

Ellie slowly exhaled and closed her eyes, trying to drown out Cheryl's voice. There was a dull the ache in her heart. It finally hit her that she and Jacob were over. She'd broken her own heart this time.

_Maybe I do belong in Hell_.
26

* * *

FINAL SCORE

Ellie stared across the golden sands at Jimmy and Cheryl as they played volleyball together. Well, Cheryl played. Jimmy tried.

Cheryl, it turned out, really was in love with Jimmy. After he'd bought her diamond earrings, she'd borrowed his credit card to book him a nicer boat for his trip. She'd heard him talking about it on the phone and decided to surprise him. Okay, she'd booked it on his credit card—she wasn't perfect, but the intentions had been good. They were happy and in love. Who could complain about that?

Ellie sighed, sinking back in her seat under the shaded awning of the beachfront cafe. It had been a week since she ditched Jacob, but he hadn't left her thoughts for a moment. Like a ghost of what could have been, the memories of him haunted her. She could still see his face; the look in his eyes when he was pissed off at her, the look in his eyes when he worried about her.

_And how did you repay him for caring about you?_

She shook her head. She'd beaten herself up about abandoning him in the jungle too many times.

_Not again_.

At first, she'd worried if he had escaped the island. Then—when he turned up on the cover of several gossip magazines with a supermodel on his arm—she'd worried about what he thought of her now.

_Get over it. He hates you. You deserve it. Move on_.

She stood up and walked toward the parking lot. It was time to move on. He hadn't come looking for her, even for revenge.

She tried to shake off the hollow ache in her chest and the feeling of emptiness that threatened to swallow her whole.

_It doesn't matter. I have the treasure and, by a lucky twist of fate, a shitload of money_.

It turned out that her father had bank accounts all over the world. Jimmy had found them after tracking her father's activities in the United States. Ellie would inherit a couple of million, assuming her lawyer was as good as Jimmy claimed. She planned to give half of the money to Jimmy. He was her brother after all.

Jacob had only wanted a heart-shaped diamond from her. She was certain of it. Look how fast he walked away when he thought it was gone. For love, you'd fight a bit harder than that if it was real.

She sighed as she opened the door to her jeep. It was time to move on. There was a job in Miami that she'd heard about. Apparently, her father had a complete life over here. Word about his daughter had got around. She shivered for a moment. Word about who killed Meyer had _not_ got around. She rubbed her arms to warm them up before shaking her head. She didn't want to think about the repercussions that could come from killing a man like Meyer. As long as no one found out, she'd be fine. She had a new life to start here now. If you wanted to find something, you now called Ellie Phillips. It wouldn't be a bad life—not bad at all.

She smiled and glanced back toward the beach. She wouldn't need Jimmy for this job. She was finally ready to try out the world on her own.

Cold metal clamped around her wrist, locking her hand to the steering wheel of her jeep. She stared down at the handcuff in shock.

_What the hell?_

She glanced into the back seat of the jeep to see Jacob open the door and climb out of her car.

"You're not going anywhere, sweetheart..." He stood close to her, pinning her against the open door. "...without me."

_Oh God, did he find out about the—_

Her mind went blank as his lips descended onto hers in a brutal kiss that caused her limbs to tremble. He pulled away, studying her with fire in his eyes. "What? You thought it would just end like that?"

"You know that cuffing a girl to her vehicle isn't a mating ritual, right?" She grinned as she said it but worry clouded her thoughts.

_Why is he here?_

"You know that leaving a guy in the jungle is the worst way to break up with him, right?" He narrowed his eyes at her, but there was smile playing on his lips.

She lowered her head, a mountain of guilt growing inside her. "I didn't mean to do that. I—"

"Look, I don't know if you want to hear this, or if you even want to see me again, but I need to say it. If you want me gone after that, then I'll leave you alone. Just hear me out, okay?"

She glanced up at his face, studying the serious expression on it and nodding in agreement.

"I love you. I don't know why because you drive me crazy, but I do. I loved being stuck in the jungle with you. I was happier back there with you than I ever will be anywhere else. I love that you fight me on every stupid, fucking thing, and I love that you just don't quit." He paused, his eyes searching her face for a sign. He looked hopeful. He looked sincere. "I know that my father wasn't the man I thought he was. I know that you may not think I am a good man because of that, but I don't want to be like my father. I want you to know who I really am. I want us to start our lives without the sins of our fathers hanging over us. I want us both to start a new life, together."

"What about the treasure?" she asked. His words tugged on her heart. It was everything she wanted to hear, but that was how all good cons worked.

"I don't care about the treasure, and I don't care if we never find anything ever again. You are the only treasure I want. I found you. That's all I was looking for. I just didn't know it."

"So, if I had the Heart of Fortune in my bag, right now, you'd let me keep it?" She knew it was a risk, but she wanted to know how he really felt.

"I'd throw it into the fucking ocean for keeping us apart this long, and then I'd drive off into the sunset with you!"

"Go on then." She nodded at the bag on the passenger seat.

He frowned. "Are you shitting me?" He pulled over the bag and opened it. The large diamond inside glinted in the sunlight. He gasped, and his eyes widened. Now she would find out what he really wanted. Hope blossomed in her chest.

_Please choose me_.

He turned, frowning at her. Without saying a word, he picked up the rock and walked away from her with it in his hands.

_Shit_.

Her hopes plummeted into the pit of her stomach.

_I'm such a fool_.

She narrowed her eyes on Jacob's back.

_Dad didn't raise a fool_.

She pulled a hairpin out of her hair and fiddled with the lock on the cuffs while watching Jacob walk across the parking lot.

_Like hell he's stealing it_.

Her heart ached, but she tried to ignore it.

_He never loved me, he nev_ —

She paused and frowned as he walked toward the pier.

_What the fuck is he doing?_

She widened her eyes and dropped the pin when he reached back and flung the diamond into the ocean. It skimmed across the surface and bounced a few times before dropping into the depths far into the distance.

_No! What's he doing? Idiot!_

He turned and walked back down the pier toward her, crossing the parking lot with a look of determination on his face.

"Do you trust me now?" He folded his arms as he stopped to face her, wearing a scowl.

"No! You just threw away a priceless diamond. What are you, fucking crazy?"

He grinned. "Crazy for you."

"Oh, very cheesy. From now on, you are not touching the treasure we find. Is that clear?"

"The treasure _we_ find?" A smile lit up his face.

"Yeah, and I'm the boss." She grinned back.

"That depends on your orders?" He leaned over her, his lips hovering over hers.

"After you've kissed me for a reasonable amount of time, you can unlock the handcuffs."

"Yes, ma'am." He kissed her, and the world around her disappeared. It seemed the most precious treasures of the world were hidden inside the heart all along—the kind that beats.

# THE END

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# THE HUNTED HEARTS

* * *

Do you want to read the preview?

READ CHAPTER ONE
1

* * *

HACKTIVIST

Lara Grayson widened her eyes in horror as she peered over the computer screen in front of her. Her heart jumped into her throat when she heard the unmistakable click of a doorknob turning as she squinted at the entrance to the district attorney's office and watched the door slowly open.

A bubble of panic expanded in her chest. The data she needed was still downloading.

The door swinging open galvanized her into action, and she ducked underneath the desk, grateful that she could hide in the shadows of the unlit office. She tried to control her rapid breathing as panic washed over her. There shouldn't be anyone here. She'd chosen tonight to break in because she knew that Norman Alcott's campaign staff were supposed to be at a fundraising event on the other side of the city. So far, her first attempt at breaking-and-entering wasn't going very well.

She heard a low voice, a giggle and the sound of high heels on linoleum.

Her breath caught in her throat.

_I'm so dead._

_If they turn on the lights, will they see me?_

Nobody turned on the lights, but her heart was thumping so loudly that it had to be echoing off the walls. As she hugged her knees and tried to disappear, she decided that this had been a very bad idea. Being caught by one of Alcott's goons would be worse than being caught by the police. She was going to end up floating face down in San Francisco Bay if they caught her.

_Why did I even come here?_

But she knew why. She was a hacktivist, and Alcott had declared war on her tribe.

_It's for freedom. Don't chicken out now. You've hacked into a terrorist website and survived. This is nothing_ .

"Ow! Shit!" Lara's pulse started racing again when a female voice cried out.

A male voice cooed, "Sorry, baby. Let me put it back in. Is that better?"

Lara widened her eyes.

_Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me._

"Oh, God, yes." Both voices dissolved into groans.

In the shadows, Lara blushed.

_Great, I've stepped into a porn movie._

Obviously, she wasn't about to be busted by Alcott's hired muscle. She was just trapped by two Alcott staffers who wanted to do it on a desk in the campaign office.

She let herself relax a bit, tried to ignore the sound of flesh slapping against flesh and hoped that it would all be over soon.

Mulling over her predicament, she wondered how she'd gotten herself into this situation. She wasn't usually interested in local politics, but Alcott had made her angry enough to act. As a district attorney in one of California's most conservative regions, he'd made a name for himself by going after hackers. Talk about Alcott was all over the deep web and the IRC channels. The elite hackers knew how to protect themselves, but innocent web surfers and newbies were vulnerable. Lara knew that Alcott had been pinning his own financial misdeeds on unwitting web users and inflating his tough-on-crime reputation by busting them. And now he was running for governor.

The proof she needed to expose him was almost within her reach...

She jumped at the sound of a grunt followed by a disappointed, soft sigh. Hearing a few murmured words and some shuffling, she expelled a shaky breath. She listened to the sound of steps moving away from her, and she tilted her head when she heard the click of the door closing.

The room fell silent.

She crawled out from beneath the desk and peered over it, relaxing her tensed shoulders when she realized that the room was empty. After quickly checking that the files had finished downloading, she grabbed her memory stick before making her way home.

* * *

Lara narrowed her eyes at the article on the district attorney's website:

ALCOTT DECLARES WAR ON HACKERS.

Her hands balled into fists as she scowled at the photo of the smiling politician beside the headline.

_Well, this hacker just declared war on Alcott._

After studying the website for a few seconds, she opened whois.com and typed ALCOTTFORGOV.COM into the search box before hitting ENTER. The registration details for the site appeared on the screen within seconds.

She smiled, sitting back in her chair and flexing her fingers. His site was hosted by Listhost, and cPanel was active on the site.

_Easy pickings._

However, the fact that this would be easy didn't mean that it was without risk. Her heart hammered as she opened her Shell control panel and used a Perl script to hack into the administration area for his website. She forced herself to calm down, breathing deeply to slow her racing pulse. If she was caught doing this, she could end up with a twenty-five-year jail sentence due to the archaic internet laws that were still in place.

It was bad enough that Alcott was demonizing hackers. They were Lara's family—her only family. But what really made her blood boil were his attacks on web users, who didn't have the knowledge or the resources to defend themselves against a DA's accusations. Rumors about Alcott's money laundering had been circulating on WikiLeaks for months, but Lara's memory stick held the proof she needed to bring him down.

She worked as quickly as she could to diminish the risk of being caught. Even so, it took her almost an hour. Sweat beaded her brow as she logged out. With a sigh of relief, she leaned back in her chair to admire her improvements to alcottforgov.com.

The article trumpeting the DA's prosecutions of hackers had been replaced with profiles of his innocent victims and evidence of his own campaign's fraudulent fundraising. Where the grinning headshot had been, there was now an image of Alcott that had been altered in Photoshop to show him in an orange jumpsuit, behind bars. The footer contained just two words, Lara's signature: SHADOW REAPER.

She was so pleased with what she'd accomplished that she hadn't even noticed that her laptop was more exhausted than she was. The hard drive was making ominous whirs, and the plastic case felt as if it were on the verge of melting. What she needed was a high-end gaming PC—something that could handle some serious hacking, but she had no idea when she might be able to buy a new computer. She couldn't even pay her rent.

She gave her trusty old machine an affectionate pat as she closed her programs, and then she smiled at the image on her desktop. The code for the first hack she'd written at age fourteen was emblazoned across a photo of Jack Kinder, the grandfather of hacktivists. He was raising a fist in the air as he was released from a grim prison, which towered hauntingly behind him.

She blew Jack a kiss before she stood up from her chair and stretched. She walked a few steps to her tiny kitchen, which consisted of a mini fridge and a tiny sink. The short counter was crowded with a microwave, toaster and electric kettle.

Grabbing a soda out of the fridge, she popped open the can and peered out through her cracked window into the street below. Broken-down cars and unkempt yards lined the street. A gang of teenagers was hovering outside the 7-Eleven, smashing beer bottles on the sidewalk. For a hacktivist superhero, she lived in a shitty neighborhood.

She didn't think she'd ever get used to the Tenderloin. After being here for nearly a year, the place still creeped her out. Mind you, she'd been shunted all around San Francisco in foster care before that. She wasn't sure anywhere would ever feel like home to her.

She sighed as she took a seat on her tatty old couch. Sinking into the worn upholstery, she eyed the job application forms piled on her secondhand, scratched coffee table. The application on the top of the stack was for a job stocking shelves at the mini-mart down the street. She didn't know how, at eighteen, her life had turned into such a mess. Okay, that wasn't true. She knew how it had happened, but she really hadn't meant it to.

She had only been twelve when both her parents died in a car accident. With no family to take her in, she'd spent the next six years as a ward of the state. Just thinking about her first couple of years in foster care made her shudder.

When she was fourteen, she had discovered a completely new world online, and it had saved her. Online, she found peace and purpose. She'd learned so much from strangers with names like 'The Master of Doom', and she found a virtual family to replace her missing one.

By the end of her junior year, she was doing some serious coding and working with hackers who were fighting for freedom and justice. She'd even played a small part in the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. While other kids her age had been fighting over who would be prom queen, she'd been saving people's lives in another country. She didn't even bother with her senior year. Instead, she'd become a full-time hacktivist.

The day she turned eighteen, she left foster care for good. She'd managed to find this crappy apartment on her own, and she'd had enough money to get by on for a while. However, once she started looking for a job, she realized that dropping out of high school had been a serious mistake. She planned to get her GED, but in the meantime, she needed whatever work she could manage to get.

She brushed a wisp of fiery red hair out of her eyes before depositing her soda on the table. None of this was what she wanted for herself. Somewhere during her time of mourning, she'd lost herself in the online world and fooled herself that she had a future. Unfortunately, it seemed that reality didn't allow fools to enjoy their fantasies for very long. While she'd been busy enjoying the online world, her real life had fallen apart.

She had some mad skills, but hacking didn't pay the rent. Sure, online she was saving lives, but offline she was a loser.

_This can't be the life I'm meant to lead._

As she reached for the mini-mart application, her gaze drifted to the latest edition of _Game Informer_ , which was also sitting on the coffee table. The cover photo was another shot of Jack Kinder. A couple of decades had passed since his triumphant release from prison, but he was still sexy as hell with his dark hair and steel-gray eyes. Shrugging away the guilt over putting off her job search for yet another day, she picked up the magazine and flipped to page three.

Jack Kinder had started out just like her. At age sixteen, he'd hacked into a government fund for warheads and distributed it to starving families around the world. That was how he had ended up in prison. Kinder Corp was the business he'd started as soon as he got out. It was the largest data security company in existence, but it was so much more. Kinder Corp's research arm was working to save the environment, help the poor and generally make the world a better place.

She closed the magazine and looked at the cover photo again.

_Why can't I meet someone like him?_

Okay, he was twenty years older than she was, but that didn't matter. Jack was her hero. Like her, he'd fought against criminals by using his abilities as a hacker. He'd changed the internet. He'd changed the world. Maybe he was her destiny, her soul mate.

She yelped as she was jolted out of her fantasy when three loud thumps slammed against her apartment door.

"I know you're in there!" A rough male voice bellowed from the hallway.

_Crap._

Lara sank into her seat, hiding on the couch and remaining silent. She recognized the voice. It was her landlord, Joe.

"You're late! Rent isn't free." He shouted through the door, giving it one more bang to drive home his point.

She knew she didn't have enough money to pay him.

"Don't mess with me, girl. You're out of time. Pay me by the end of the week, or you're on the street."

She listened to his heavy footsteps pounding down the hall as he walked away.

_I'm so screwed._

Once she was certain he'd gone, she straightened up on the couch. She didn't have a choice. If she didn't get a job soon, she was going to be kicked out.

She sighed, picked up the mini-mart application and grabbed a pen. She couldn't put it off any longer, but it felt like a death sentence. She shuddered as an image of herself at sixty, still stocking shelves at a convenience store, filled her mind.

She paused when she came to the section about her employment history.

"Tell us about your previous work experience."

_I've hacked into a multinational cosmetics company and changed their logo to read: "Thumper died for this shit, and the parabens in it will give you cancer."_

She shook her head. She was probably going to be stacking those cosmetics on a shelf if she got this job.

_I've hacked into a big_ _-_ _brand food company and changed their public profile to read: "Low fat and loaded with sugar after careful removal of everything that's good for you. Guaranteed to give you diabetes and a potbelly."_

She sighed, picturing herself ringing up customers buying these snacks.

_This sucks. There has to be a better way to earn money._

While staring at the form, she contemplated hacking into a bank. She was certain she could do it, but that went against everything she believed in.

_It'd be easy money._

She shook her head. There was nothing easy about stealing. Someone, somewhere would get hurt by it. She clenched her fists, crumpling up the application in the process. No matter what happened to her, she refused to go against her own ethics.

_Hackers are supposed to right the wrongs in the world, not serve themselves._

Coding was an art, a gift. Her purpose as a hacker was to expose those who used their power to prey on the powerless. If she used her coding skills to rob a bank, she would be just as bad as that bastard Alcott was.

She turned to look at her computer. The real world sucked, and the online world of endless possibility called to her. Maybe she should try her luck at internet gambling...

She blinked with surprise as her laptop screen flickered before displaying a black rectangle surrounded by a pulsing red light. She stood up and walked toward her desk. As she drew closer, she could see that the black shape was an envelope.

_What the hell?_

She sank into her chair, tapping her fingers on the mouse mat. It was a Flash site that had automatically opened on her screen. She instinctively knew that if she clicked it, it would open. The question was what would she find inside it, a virus?

She had just hacked Alcott's website. Her pulse raced with fear, but she couldn't imagine that someone would bust her by sending her something that looked like a party invitation. While she was trying to decide what to do, a pen appeared on the screen. It was writing something on the envelope in sparkly gold letters.

_It's probably just a spam pop_ _-_ _up, right?_

LARA.

A chill ran down her spine. No one should know her name. It wasn't in her laptop because she was Shadow Reaper online.

She frowned, considering her options. Her laptop had multiple backups, so her data was safe. She didn't fear someone hacking her shitty life. It wasn't as if they could make it any worse. With reckless abandon—not to mention irresistible curiosity—she clicked on the envelope to open it.

It opened to reveal a dark red letter with golden words printed on it.

DEAR LARA,

YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO ENTER INTO THE KINDER AWARDS, OUR NEW, ELITE COMPETITION FOR THE VERY BEST HACKERS IN THE WORLD. THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A CASH PRIZE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN INTERN AT KINDER CORP'S CALIFORNIA HEADQUARTERS.

TO ACCEPT THIS INVITATION AND ENTER THE FIRST ROUND OF THE COMPETITION, CLICK ENTER.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU COMPETE.

JACK KINDER

KINDER CORP

Lara stared at the message, wide-eyed. Getting a job at Kinder Corp was like winning the lottery, especially if you didn't have a degree from MIT to wave around. This could mean a new life for her, a stable one with a bright future.

Her face flushed as she reread Jack's name.

_This has to be a joke. Why would they choose me?_ _None of my hacks have been major, except maybe Alcott's website, and they couldn't possibly know—_

She opened a browser window and pulled up alcottforgov.com. It looked exactly like it had before she'd hacked it.

She narrowed her eyes as she scrolled down. All the elements of her hack were gone. Her eyes widened when she glanced at the bottom of the page. The footer no longer said Shadow Reaper. Instead, it read:

THIS SITE IS PROTECTED BY KINDER CORP.

She gulped.

_That's how they found me._

Although tempted to hack in and change the DA's site again, even she wasn't that stupid. Kinder security would trace her in a second.

She closed the browser window and stared at the invitation. It seemed like an opportunity, but on the net that usually meant a scam.

_How would they know I worship Jack Kinder? Even a hacker can't get into your head._

_What about your desktop?_ A cynical voice in her mind asked.

Her heart pounded as she stared at the golden words. What if it was legit? A smile hovered on her lips. Why not take a chance? She had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

She glanced around her crappy apartment, scowling at the pile of applications on the coffee table. The life she had wasn't the life she wanted. What she wanted was to save the world and marry Jack Kinder. Maybe, if she won this contest, she could accomplish both.

_What about Alcott?_

_Maybe I can do more good with Jack Kinder's help._

One thing was certain. There was nothing to gain by going against Kinder Corp.

The cursor hovered over the word ENTER. She grinned as she clicked it.
2

* * *

PWNED

Lara ground her teeth when a message popped up on her screen from a hacker by the name of Dark Dayz.

"Sweetheart, if you want me that badly, all you had to do was ask."

She scowled as she disabled his Trojan backdoor, a program that had a payload to take over her laptop via remote access.

_Nice try, asshole._

She quickly typed out a reply in the Internet Relay Chat channel. "I only want your head. I'm going to hang it over my fireplace once I've hunted your ass down." She hit ENTER before tabbing back to her main screen. The backdoor she'd found into the airport's website was still working.

_I bet Kinder Corp left this here on purpose._

She and Dark Dayz were both looking for the same thing: the passenger manifest for flight 21B. The one who got to it first would win the final round of the preliminary competition.

Her opponent was trying to slow her down, but she was holding him off by filtering most of his crap behind her firewall. Meanwhile, she'd launched a denial-of-service attack against him. It was taking a bit longer than the tactics he was using, but he'd be dead in the water when it overloaded his server.

She narrowed her eyes at her screen as another message popped up on it.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a girl who knows what she wants. Go on then, I'll roll you over in the clover if you insist."

_How does he know I'm a girl?_

It wasn't his hacking that was irritating her. It was the constant messaging that was getting on her nerves.

She tapped out a reply, a smile hovering on her lips. "Well, that'll be five seconds of my life that I won't get back, won't it?"

"Baby, I can make you scream for at least ten seconds."

She snorted with laughter and then forced herself to remain focused. She wasn't going to let this guy win just because he was flirting with her. She'd taken down all of her opponents so far. If she knocked him out of the competition, she would make it to the final challenge.

"Baby, you make me scream just by existing, like any cockroach would."

She watched the cursor blinking on the chat box, but no new messages appeared. He was taking a long time to respond. So far, he'd been as quick as a whip. She frowned and tabbed back at her main window. Her connection speed was running at a snail's pace. Someone was hitching a ride on her internet connection.

_Son of a bitch, he's using my access to reach the backdoor!_

She was so close! She still had a chance to beat him to the manifest.

"Honey, I'm kinky, but even I draw the line at cockroaches." As Lara read the words, her backdoor crashed and her internet connection shut down.

_No, no, no!_

She checked her connection. She only had local access.

_Fuck! Not now. Did he do this?_

She checked her computer. It wasn't over-working at all, and there were no signs of a malicious attack. Next, she checked her wires and the router to ensure the cables were firmly plugged in and all the right lights were glowing green on the hub. Once she was certain that the problem was coming from outside her apartment, she jumped out of her seat and snatched her cell phone off a nearby table, quickly dialing the number for her internet service provider. She drummed her fingers against the wall as she waited for the call to be answered. It eventually clicked.

"Hello, my name is Myra. How may I be of assistance?"

"My internet just went down. I need it back up, right now. It's urgent." Lara glanced back at her screen, shaking her head. This was going to take too long.

"Can I have your twelve digit account number please?"

"Are you kidding me?" Lara yelped.

_It'll be on the bill_ , she thought as she started rummaging through a pile of unopened mail. "Fine. Just gimme a second." She dropped the cell on top of the old cabinet and rifled through the drawer.

She scanned the letters, quickly finding an unopened bill from her internet provider on the top. A triangular logo with the word VIACON beneath it was emblazoned on the envelope.

She quickly ripped it open and scanned her latest bill.

Her heart sank as she read the bold red words:

FINAL WARNING. AMOUNT DUE: $259.09.

It wasn't Dark Dayz after all. It was her ISP shutting down her delinquent account.

_And the 'Worst Timing Ever Award' goes to..._

She picked up the phone. The last thing she wanted was a lengthy conversation about how she couldn't pay her bill.

"Oh, it's working now. Thanks anyway." She hung up the call and stared at her laptop screen.

_Maybe I'll get through anyway. I won nine out of ten rounds._

_How am I going to find out if I got through?_

She scowled at the screen.

_Screw it. Desperate times..._

She needed to win this contest. She felt as if it was her only chance. Hurrying back to her desk, she searched for wireless connections within range. She knew that Hub454 belonged to her neighbor.

"Sorry, Mrs. Barrow. I'll pay you back," she muttered as she hacked into the wireless connection that belonged to the old lady next door, hitching a ride on her internet.

Back online, she quickly navigated her way back to the flight manifest. She breathed easy when she found the data still in place.

She quickly copied the file before closing the backdoor she'd opened.

_I've got it. I've won._

After taking a moment to settle her rattled nerves, she opened the file to ensure it was the right data. The flight manifest for 21B had fifty-seven passengers. She scanned the names as she scrolled down the file. It looked good.

If Dark Dayz had been hitching a ride on her internet, he must have lost his connection at the same time. She grinned.

_That knocks him out of the running._

Her eyes widened when she reached the bottom of the file. There was a web address:

WWW.PWNED-U.COM/21B.

She frowned before copying and pasting the URL into a browser. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as the page loaded.

It was a white page with a giant smiley face emblazoned across it. Beneath the face were the following words:

YOU JUST LOST, SWEETHEART. NICE PLAYING YA! – DARK DAYZ.

White-hot anger burned in the back of her throat as she stared at the screen. She clenched her mouse so hard that the plastic made a cracking sound.

It was bad enough losing to a guy as irritating as this one, but losing because her ISP had dropped her internet connection was just bullshit.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself down. The anger dissipated, followed quickly by a sense of loss.

_That was it. That was my shot, and I blew it._

She turned her chair away from the screen, gripping the red plastic edges of her seat with whitened knuckles.

_What am I going to do now?_

She stared at her apartment. Everything in it was shabby and secondhand, but this crappy little place was the closest thing she'd had to a home since her parents died. She couldn't lose it.

She jumped when her computer pinged. She swung the chair around and stared at the screen, widening her eyes when she encountered another black envelope addressed to her.

_This is going to be the one that tells me I'm out of the competition._

With a heavy heart, she reached for her mouse. She didn't want to open the envelope. She didn't want to know her fate.

She exhaled slowly, trying to boost her courage.

_Just do it._

She gritted her teeth and clicked. The envelope opened to reveal another red letter with golden words.

DEAR LARA,

CONGRATULATIONS...

She widened her eyes. She could hear her heart beating, and she found it difficult to breathe as she continued reading.

...ON WINNING A PLACE IN THE GRAND FINALS OF THE KINDER AWARDS. THERE WILL ONLY BE TWO HACKERS IN THE FINAL ROUND GOING HEAD-TO-HEAD FOR THE GRAND PRIZE. TWO HACKERS WILL ENTER, BUT ONLY ONE WILL LEAVE. AS ONE OF THE FINAL TWO CONTESTANTS, YOU ARE INVITED TO THE EVIL EYE CAFE, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, ON THE 23RD OF THIS MONTH. THE COMPETITION WILL BEGIN AT 15:00 PST. BRING YOUR BEST GAME TO THE COMPETITION BECAUSE YOU WILL BE FACING DARK DAYZ IN THE FINAL ROUND.

GOOD LUCK.

JACK KINDER

KINDER CORP

She froze in pure shock as she read the message again. A part of her didn't believe she had won.

_I made the grand finals._

A smile broke out across her face.

_I made it to the fucking finals!_

She jumped out of her chair, panicking about the future.

_What do I need to do to win? Think, think._

The next round was in three days. She didn't have a lot of time to prepare. She scanned the note again. There were no hints about what the competition would entail, but all of her other challenges had been to hack in somewhere and retrieve something. It was a sure bet that the final hack would be something more difficult—maybe a government agency or a military system.

She opened up her browser. She needed to know about the systems Kinder Corp used and to find the chink in their armor if she was going to beat Dark Dayz. She narrowed her eyes when she thought of him.

_This time, his ass is mine._
3

* * *

I SEE YOU

Lara jerked awake, lifting her head off her keyboard and rubbing her eyes. Loud thumps and screaming echoed through the ceiling from the apartment above hers. She glanced at the time. It was 5:00 a.m.

_I guess the couple upstairs are killing each other again._

She groaned and rubbed her back. Falling asleep bent over her desk hadn't done her muscles any favors.

She stood up and stretched. She'd been writing code all night, creating new scripts that would assist her in hacking even the hardest targets. Her plan was to have an artillery of scripts to fall back on. She knew that she'd need to adapt to suit the specific challenge awaiting her, but the more scripts she had in advance, the stronger her chances of winning were.

With no idea what to expect in the final round, she aimed to cover every possibility. Dark Dayz wasn't going to win by default this time.

She wandered over to her kitchen and flicked the switch on the kettle. There was only one way she was going to be ready in time: copious amounts of caffeine to help her work her ass off.

After throwing two scoops of instant coffee into a mug, she added sweetener and waited for the water to boil.

All she could focus on was the competition. The only thing she knew about it was who she was competing against. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the spoon she was using to stir her coffee.

_If I'm going to beat Dark Dayz, I need to find his weaknesses._

She bit the inside of her cheek while trying to decide whether to work on the scripts for the competition or to hunt down her adversary instead.

_There should be time for both, right? As long as I don't sleep..._

She went back to her laptop and booted up IRC. She needed some help, and Fire Wire—her best friend online—had some great scripts. Lara often wrote a script from scratch, but hacking was a permanent learning curve. Sometimes she'd take a script and rewrite it to do things that hadn't been done before.

The focus of hacking, whether it was white-hat or black-hat, was to create something new. That was the motivation behind every code: knowledge, invention and innovation. Hacking was about pushing boundaries and exploring the unknown. Both types of hacker could expose a fault in an online banking system, but one would help the bank fix it while the other would take all the money. Although they had different agendas, the codes and methods were the same. White-hat hackers were the Jedi, and black-hat hackers were the Sith. Both used 'the Force', but their faction depended on what they used their power for—good or evil.

Sure, there were millions of script kiddies out there—those who used someone else's script to hack—but she didn't have a very high opinion of a hacker who only had the ability to click execute. Anyone could call themselves a hacker these days because they broke into something, but a true hacker was someone with the ability to create something new. Script kiddies caused a lot of the media-driven hate against hackers because they spammed out hacks without a target, hitting everyone with someone else's code.

She logged in as Shadow Reaper and sent a message to her friend.

"Fire, what up, girl? You there?"

Fire Wire replied almost instantaneously. "Bitch, who pwned your ass on FB?"

Lara tapped out a quick reply. " _Que?_ "

"Your profile's been one-shotted. Haven't you seen it?"

"Man, dat ass!" A hacker called Captain 1337 commented in the IRC channel.

"Pr0n! What I would give to spank dat," another hacker called Night Burn wrote. "Who knew you had dimples, baby."

_What the fuck is going on?_

She switched to her TOR browser to avoid any cookies or tracking JavaScript and logged into Facebook. She rarely used Facebook because of the privacy issues, but she also knew how to keep her identity well-hidden when she wanted to blast something out as Shadow Reaper.

She nearly swallowed her tongue when the page loaded. A new image had replaced the cover photo on her profile. What was once an image of a purple, cloaked figure called Shadow Reaper spanning across the top of her screen was now a photograph of Lara posing in a bikini with the words _Dark Dayz Nailed Dat Ass!_ emblazoned beside it.

_Nooooooooooo!_

She recognized the photo. She'd taken it on her cell a few weeks ago. She'd just wanted to see how her new bikini looked. She didn't have a full-length mirror, so she'd taken the picture instead.

_Son of bitch, he hacked my phone!_

Her face burned with humiliation, and she froze in horror as she considered how she looked in the photo. It was a side view, and she was bending forward to fit into the shot while looking over her shoulder at her phone. There was an embarrassing look of determination in her green eyes as she stood there, wearing nothing but a red bikini with her ass sticking out.

The swimsuit had been a rare indulgence, and now it was a source of humiliation.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before she opened them again. The photo had seven hundred and fifty-three likes. It had been shared forty-five times and... _Oh, god!_

She scanned the comments, trying to force herself to breathe.

"Bitch, you fugly!"

"Take off the rest!"

"h4x0r pr0n."

"lolz I wish I'd nailed it."

"Hax!"

"lol Screenshot, or it didn't happen."

By the looks of it, the entire hacker community had dropped by to comment on her ass. If she wasn't mistaken, a few trolls had dropped by to share their views as well.

Aside from the fact that her ass was now a public monument on Facebook, Dark Dayz had exposed her real identity.

_What goes on the internet stays on the internet._ _I'm gonna kill him!_

She decided against checking the B room on 4Chan—an anonymous chat room with no rules that was well known to most hackers. Because it had no rules, it was often spammed with vile images. She knew that what was happening to her photograph on there would be far worse. She narrowed her eyes, trying to think of the best way to fix this. Bullshit appeared to be her only option.

First, she took down the image. Then she composed a status update.

"Sorry to disappoint, guys. That was just a photo of Dick Dayz's sister. Look at the size of her ass!" She hit post.

"Aw, baby, you wish you had an ass like that, though, don'tcha?" A hacker called Razor Blade replied instantaneously.

Lara rolled her eyes, ignoring him while she changed her Facebook password, for what it was worth.

She logged out, shaking with anger as she switched back to the IRC channel. Apparently, her photograph was the most exciting thing happening in the hacker world right now. The screen zoomed by, containing an array of tasteless comments, most of which involved her backside in some way or another.

Thankfully, she didn't have any pictures of herself on the web. She kept her real life and her imaginary life completely separate. In the online world, Lara Grayson didn't exist. She was hopeful that no one would connect the image to her. If that happened, her invisible existence was over.

She scowled. Dark Dayz had just thrown down the gauntlet, and she was going to respond in a manner he wouldn't forget for a long time.

She logged into the zombie computer she'd set up on his server yesterday, but he'd already found it and revoked her access. She was irritated, but unsurprised.

Narrowing her eyes, she pulled up a password algorithm she'd been working on. It would find most passwords using a brute force attack, and brute force was _exactly_ what she wanted to use on Dark Dayz. She ran the script, tapping her nails on the desk as she waited for it to find the password to his server.

It worked like a dream, cracking his password within minutes. She quickly hacked into his server and set up a new zombie computer that gave her total access to his machine.

Once inside, she could see all of his files, read his email and control anything networked to his online server. She grinned when she found access to his IP CCTV cameras, the webcam surveillance cameras for his house.

"Let's see who you really are," she muttered as she scrolled through stored video footage. She opened a file from last night, just after the last round of the competition had ended.

The black-and-white video was soundless as she viewed footage of a plush apartment with modern furniture. Near the glass patio doors that looked out onto a moonlit pool was a spacious computer desk.

Despite the colorless video, she could tell that she was looking at an amazing set-up.

Her breath hitched at the sight of such a badass PC. It had probably cost more than six thousand dollars. She felt a moment of pride that she'd managed to compete against such a monster of a machine with her little laptop.

She could see a man sitting at the desk, typing feverishly.

_That must be him._

She studied the back of his head. His hair was a short, rumpled mess. She couldn't tell from the black-and-white footage, but he might be a blond. He had broad shoulders and muscular arms, but he seemed to be ripped, not bulky.

_Was he naked when he was hacking last night?_

She widened her eyes as he stood up, and she breathed a sigh when she noticed knee-length surfer shorts hanging off his slim hips. Only his chest was bare.

When he stretched, the muscles in his arms and shoulders flexed, causing her stomach the clench in response. She shook her head.

_You're supposed to be finding his weakness, not checking him out._

As if he heard her, he turned toward the camera, and she got an excellent view of his perfect abs, along with a nice view of a well-muscled chest.

He picked a trilby hat off the desk and rolled it up his arm, dipping his head until he ended up wearing it, Frank Sinatra-style.

_What a poser._

She studied his face. He looked young, around her age. He was attractive, she grudgingly admitted, with bright eyes and a strong jawline.

He tugged down the front of the hat before walking out of the camera's view.

She had tried not to gape at his half-naked form, but there was something appealing about him. He walked with long, graceful strides and seemed confident in his surroundings.

_He's just some idiot rich guy._

She recalled his crack about nailing her ass and scowled.

_That'll happen_ w _hen hell freezes over._

After he'd gone, she studied the room. It was open-plan with a large kitchen near the far wall and a sleek leather sofa in the center of the room.

She squinted as she moved closer to the screen, studying the refrigerator.

_Is that a Mr. Fridge?_

She opened a web browser and did a quick search. She was right. It was one of the most advanced smart fridges in the world. She could hack it.

Scanning the rest of the room, she realized that most of his house ran on smart technology. She'd been looking forward to hacking his computer. Now it looked as if she could hack his _life_.

"Dude, I'm gonna mess with you so bad." She grinned as she began typing.

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# THE HUNTED HEARTS

LESSON#1: DON'T FALL FOR THE MARK.

Ellie Phillips doesn't want to go to university. She wants to keep running cons with her father and her brother Jimmy, just like she always has. When she strikes a deal with her dad to run the perfect heist, she bets her future on the result.

All she has to do is dig up the dirt on a shady billionaire. To do so, she needs to get into his hotel and snoop around. Unfortunately, when she runs into the mark's son Matt and falls for him, she lets her guard down and everything starts to spiral out of control...

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# AUTHOR

* * *

After completing her honors degree in English Literature, Claire Chilton was interviewed to work for MI5. Fortunately, for the sake of the United Kingdom, she did not get the job. Now a web designer and graphic designer with a passion for great stories, she writes about the adventures she'd like to have.

A prolific writer with wide-ranging interests, Claire specializes in romantic and speculative fiction, which includes genres such as mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, comedy and romance. Her mystery romance novel, _Hustle_ , won Harlequin's _So You Think You Can Write_ contest in 2013, and her previous books in _The Demon Diaries_ series won the _Most Read_ award on Wattpad.

After exploring the world in her misspent youth, traveling across Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, she now lives in an ancient Roman city in Yorkshire with her Californian fiancé and a fluffy kitten called Shadow, who is convinced she is a bigger cat than she is.

You can find Claire online at claire-chilton.com.

# BOOKS

* * *

BOOK SERIES  
by Claire Chilton

The Hunted Hearts

A Mystery Romance Series

_Action-packed mystery adventures with sexy heroes and badass heroines._

The Legacy Series

A Paranormal Romance Series

_Enthralling paranormal romance stories about demon hunters and a dark underworld of vampires and monsters._

The Mists of Time

A Time Travel Romance Series

_Gripping time travel stories that explore different eras as the characters become lost in time._

The Celtic Witches

A Paranormal Romance Series

_Magical paranormal adventures about witches, demons and the supernatural._

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Hustle by Claire Chilton

Copyright © 2013 Claire Chilton

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under United States copyright law No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher.

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Second Edition

First published on Wattpad by Claire Chilton 2013

Previously published by Harlequin 2014

This edition published in Great Britain by Ragz Books 2015

www.ragz-books.com

Illustration by Claire Chilton
