Hustlers (9 page)

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. 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 much 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 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 ebony 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 feel claustrophobic and small.

“And there is it,” 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 under 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.

E
llie 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.