Dangerous Curves

by Kristina Wright

  Sammy shook his head. “She doesn’t want to listen. I don’t know when she’ll be ready. You know her. You care about her—you said so yourself. All you have to do is give her the letters.” He tapped the lid of the box “The answers she needs are in here.”

  He didn’t like it, but Jake figured he could do that much for the man. His estimation of Sammy Martin went up a few notches. He hadn’t abandoned his daughter, after all. He wondered how Sam would take that information. He was curious as hell to know what had happened between the Martins, but it wasn’t his place to ask.

  He glanced at the door as he tucked the envelope in his back pocket. “All right. I just hope I know when she’s ready to hear about this.”

  “You’ll know when the time is right. You’ll say the right thing.”

  Jake wanted to laugh at the man’s misplaced trust, But he wasn’t about to tell Sammy Martin that. Instead, he nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  He just hoped to hell that when the time came he knew what that was.

  Sam was uncomfortable with Amalmaú. It had nothing to do with the woman herself. In fact, she’d been more than kind. She’d let Sam cry on her shoulder in the kitchen, venting years’ worth of pain and anger. She’d made her tea and offered her only friendship.

  No, the problem she had with Amabnaú had more to do with her relationship with her father. This was her stepmother. She didn’t know what to call her, how to think of her. She knew more about her father than Sam could ever hope to learn. Sam remembered the question that had been on her mind since childhood.

  “Did you and my father—I mean, do I have any siblings?”

  Amalmaú’s laughter reminded Sam of her mother’s wind chimes—quiet and musical. “Oh, sweet girl, I do wish. No, your father and I didn’t meet until five years ago. We’ve been married for two. It took me that long to convince him I loved him.”

  She gave Sam a wistful smile. “By then, I was too old to be thinking about babies. But I always wanted a child.” She leveled her gaze on Sam. “A daughter.”

  Uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Sam turned her gaze toward the front door. She couldn’t imagine what in the world her father wanted to talk to Jake about. “Well, I just wondered.”

  “Your father was very lonely when I met him, Samantha. He missed you.”

  “Not enough to visit me. Not even enough to let me know that he was still alive. Not enough—” Sam’s voice broke and she put her fingers to her trembling lips, holding in the emotions.

  “You don’t know—” Amalinaú started, her voice edged with anger. She took a deep breath and then began again. “Your father loves you very much.”

  Sam nodded, not knowing what to believe. She didn’t know whether her father loved her or not. He seemed sorry for what he’d done, but that wasn’t love. All those years of silence seemed pretty contrary to love.

  “No, you don’t know. Not yet. But give him a chance, Samantha,” Amalmaú pleaded.

  “I’ll try.” It was the best she could do. Judging by Amalinaú’s smile, she figured it was enough.

  The door opened and Jake came out, carrying a small box. Her father hesitated in the doorway, the expression on his face one of hope and fear. She knew that expression well, had seen it on a million orphans in half-a-dozen countries. She offered him a tentative smile and was rewarded with a beaming grin.

  “You ready?” Jake asked.

  Sam nodded. “Thank you,” she said to Amalmaú, but her gaze included her father. “I hope I can come back soon.”

  Amalinaú surprised her with a tight hug. “You’re always welcome here, Samantha,” she whispered in Sam’s ear.

  Sam’s father took a step toward her, his mouth struggling with words he couldn’t seem to get out. “Take care of yourself,” he managed finally.

  Sam surprised herself by meeting her father halfway. “You, too,” she said, hugging him close.

  Jake was already in the car with Fletcher by the time she stepped away from her father and got in. “Goodbye,” she said out the open passenger window.

  Her father and Amahnaú waved as they pulled away from the curb and Sam was struck by how perfect they seemed together. How happy.

  She turned her head to watch them until the car rounded a corner. As she caught one last glimpse of her father, she wondered if she would ever see him again.

  Chapter 14

  “You okay?”

  Jake didn’t like how quiet Sam had been since leaving her father’s house. He kept waiting for her to ask about the box, even though he didn’t know what he would tell her. He wanted to protect her from the truth, but then again, the truth was what she had come here for.

  “I’m fine. Where are we going?”

  “The airport.”

  “Why?”

  “We need to get out of Key West and there’s no way I’m driving back the way we came. They’ll be looking for us.”

  “So we’re going back to Miami?”

  He shook his head. He’d considered that, but had realized Miami was a dead end. Literally. “Tallahassee.”

  “What’s in Tallahassee?” Yeah, Sam was fine. Her questions were already driving him crazy.

  “A friend. Someone I can trust, I think.”

  Her voice went up a notch. “‘Think’? Are you kidding? Everybody and their brother is after us and you think you might be able to trust your friend?”

  “Relax.” Jake steered the car into the small Key West airport. He glanced at his watch. With any luck, Brian or Mac would be landing shortly. He just hoped to hell they hadn’t messed with the schedule. “It’ll be all right, Sam.”

  “Up until this morning, I might have believed you.” Her words tore through him, but he didn’t blame her. And he couldn’t argue with that kind of logic, either.

  “One of my brothers should be through here any minute,” he said, hoping she’d drop the subject. “Then we’ll fly to Tallahassee. If nothing else, no one will know where to look for us.”

  “What are you going to tell your brother?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What are you going to do, steal the plane?”

  “Let me handle it, Sam.”

  Jake parked in the side lot as close to the runway as he dared. They had to wait out here because he couldn’t take a chance on going into the airport. Every employee and pilot who flew through here knew his face. One of them was bound to have seen the newspaper in the past two days.

  In less than an hour, a Particular Harbor Tours plane came into view, its hot-pink-and-turquoise emblem a welcome sight. The twin-engine Cessna touched down smoothly and taxied toward them along the runway. It glided to a stop just beyond the car.

  “Looks like Mac,” Jake said, just to break the uncomfortable silence. “Brian likes to bounce a little on the landing. Gives the passengers a thrill.”

  Jake watched Mac and the handful of passengers exit the plane. Mac was older than Jake by three years, and his dark hair was beginning to take on a salt-and-pepper look. It reminded Jake that he wasn’t getting any younger, either. And what did he have to show for his life? Not much, he decided.

  “Now what?” Sam asked.

  Mac unloaded the last of the luggage and headed for the terminal without even glancing in their direction. That was good. The last thing Jake needed was a confrontation with his brother. “The gas truck should be out to refuel in a few minutes. They’re pretty good about taking care of the charters fast.”

  “We’re just going to take the plane?”

  Jake’s conscience twinged at that. Mac would be furious when he found out the plane was missing. But there was no way Mac would just let him go. He’d insist on coming along. And Jake wasn’t going to let his brother’s good intentions get him killed. “Yeah. I’ll call Brian from Tallahassee and let him know where the plane is.”

  Sam fidgeted in her seat. “I don’t know, Jake....”

  “What?”

  Her brow creased as she frowned. “Stealing a plane? Won’t th
at just bring more trouble down on our heads?”

  Jake stifled a groan. Sam’s lack of faith was more aggravating than Mac’s big-brother routine. “It’s not stealing. I’m part owner of that plane.”

  “What about your brother? How’s he going to get back?”

  “He can go pick up Annie’s van.” He glanced at his watch “Mac will be home by five.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “So do I.”

  By the time the fuel truck puttered out to the plane, Sam was melting from the heat. Fletcher paced across the back seat of the car, panting and drooling all over the place, and his incessant whining was getting on her one last nerve. On the other hand, Jake looked cool and collected, his hands tucked behind his head as he watched the plane.

  “Well?” Sam asked.

  “Well, what?”

  “How long is it going to take to refuel the plane?”

  His slow grin only served to infuriate her. “Changing your tune? I figured you’d rather drive to Tallahassee than steal a plane.”

  “Maybe you haven’t noticed, but it’s got to be over a hundred degrees in this car.” She jerked her head toward the back seat. “And your dog is making a slobbering mess back there.” Fletcher, whined again.

  “I’d better walk him before we go anywhere.” Jake got out of the car and called to Fletcher. The dog bounded out after him and stood still while Jake clipped his leash on. Leaning in the window, Jake said, “If you want, you can get out and stretch your legs. It’s going to be a long flight.”

  Fletcher whined and pulled Jake down the grassy slope beside the runway. Sam jumped out of the car, pulling her damp shirt away from her skin. A warm breeze stirred the air, making it feel ten degrees cooler.

  Another plane taxied in and the deafening roar of the engine made her ears ring. She glanced over at the Particular Harbors plane and saw the fuel truck pulling away. Sam went around the side of the car to tell Jake they could leave, when something caught her eye.

  A beige sedan had left the access road to the airport and was headed across the field toward the runway—toward them. It bounced along, picking up speed on the open ground.

  “Jake! We’ve got trouble!”

  Jake and Fletcher trotted up the incline, Jake’s eyes on the car. “Son of a bitch!” he swore. “I thought we’d have more time.”

  “It looks like time’s run out.”

  Jake slapped Fletcher’s leash into Sam’s hand, he opened the car door and grabbed their bags. He shoved one of the duffel bags at Sam and she nearly dropped it.

  “Hang on to Fletcher and let’s go!” Jake took off at a run for the plane and Sam did her best to keep up. The dog trotted beside her, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

  Jake dropped the bags next to the plane. “Dammit”

  “What?”

  “I forgot something.” He darted back toward the car and it was all Sam could do to keep Fletcher from jerking out of her grasp and following him.

  “Leave it!” she yelled at Jake, but he ignored her.

  Standing beside the plane, Sam watched the approaching sedan kick up dirt and tufts of grass. It was less than fifty yards away. Fear chilled her to the bone.

  “Hurry, hurry,” she muttered under her breath. Jake seemed to be moving in slow motion. He would never make it in time. They were sitting ducks waiting to be picked off.

  With a painful grinding sound, the beige sedan came to an abrupt stop as it hit a ditch. The back tires spun and the engine roared, but the front end was firmly wedged into the soft dirt. Sam’s stomach knotted painfully when she saw the doors open and two men jump out. It was the same men from The Flying Dolphin. And they both held guns.

  “Come on!” she screamed to Jake. Fletcher whined beside her, dancing around her feet.

  Jake was running full tilt toward the plane. He had the box from her father’s house tucked under his arm like a football.

  He shoved the box at her, then struggled with the door before wrenching it open. “Go, go, go!”

  She tripped up the stairs of the plane, Fletcher on her heels and Jake behind him. She grabbed their bags from Jake as he scrambled up the steps and secured the door.

  Pushing past her, he climbed into the front seat. “Sit down and buckle up,” he ordered.

  She strapped herself into the seat beside him as he started flipping switches. Sam peered out the side window and saw the two men running toward the plane. “For God’s sake, hurry!”

  The engine roared to life and Sam braced her arms on the seat as the plane started moving in reverse, then swiveled around. Fletcher hugged against her legs as the aircraft gradually picked up speed.

  “Come on, baby,” Jake muttered under his breath. “They’re going to outrun us at this rate.”

  Sam looked out the window and down the side of the aircraft. The two men had to be within ten feet of the plane’s tail. She kept waiting for them to fire.

  Jake pushed the throttle. The engine whined. The plane was bucking along the runway at a fairly good clip now and the men were losing ground. Sam was thankful she hadn’t eaten breakfast. It would have been on its way up, thanks to this roller-coaster ride.

  “Here we go.”

  Jake’s words were followed by a moment of weightlessness as the plane left the ground. She realized then that what had sounded like a misfire of the engine had actually been a gunshot. Another shot rang out over the steady hum of the engine. It connected with a metallic thud.

  “Dammit! Where’d they hit us?” Jake asked, his eyes straight ahead on the wide-open sky.

  “I don’t know,” Sam answered, twisting in her seat. “The wing, I think. I’m not sure ”

  The plane gained altitude and the sound of gunfire faded. The radio squawked to life. “Who the hell is that?” Mac’s voice exploded over the open line.

  Jake picked up the mike. “Hey, Mac, it’s me.”

  “Jake? What the hell are you doing up there?”

  “I’ll explain later. I can’t talk right now,” Jake replied. “I left a rental. Annie’s van is at the rental agency. Do me a favor and get it back home.”

  “I know what’s going on, Jake. Get your ass back here so we can work it out.”

  “Can’t do it, Mac.” He hesitated. “You can pick the plane up in Tally. I’d appreciate it if you’d keep that to yourself.” Jake reached over and switched the radio off. He leveled the plane out, then made a half turn to the north.

  Sam cast a quick glance at Jake. She could see his shoulders relax a bit as he handled the controls with practiced ease. She wished she felt half as calm as he looked.

  Jake glanced over at her. “Everything okay?”

  Sam nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off the endless sky in front of them. “I’ll be just fine as soon as I’m back on the ground.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of flying.” Jake’s voice was incredulous.

  “I’m not afraid of flying,” she said, talking through gritted teeth as the plane climbed in the sky. “I’m afraid of crashing.”

  “Come on.” Jake settled back in his seat, looking for all the world like he was sitting in his living room. “You must have flown a million times.”

  Sam tore her eyes away from the sky. “Yeah. But I never sat up front.”

  “Well, we’ll be in Tallahassee in a few hours,” he said. “If this tailwind holds. Right now we need all the luck we can get.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that. “Why?”

  He looked over at her, hesitating as if he were debating what to say. “We’ll be flying on fumes by the time we get to Tallahassee.”

  Sam groaned.

  “Hey, it’s not that bad. We’re flying over water most of the way. That makes for a smoother flight. We’ll be fine. The tailwind just helps things out a little.”

  Sam just shook her head and looked out the window. “I would have insisted we drive if you’d told me that back there.”

  “Trust me, Sam.�
�

  “It looks like I don’t have a choice.” The steady hum of the engine underscored the thumping of her heart. “Who’s in Tallahassee?” Sam noticed that if she avoided looking out the window she didn’t feel nearly as shaky.

  “A friend of mine. Sherry Johnson. At least I hope she still considers me a friend.”

  “Great,” Sam muttered under her breath. That wasn’t exactly what she’d hoped to hear. If Jake was hanging all their hopes on some ex-flame with a grudge, Sam might as well jump out of the plane now. Why wait for it to crash?

  Jake glanced over at her. “Hungry?”

  Sam nodded. “Sure.” Anything to take her mind off crashing.

  “If I know Mac, he’s got a cooler of goodies stashed back in the cargo hold.” Jake unstrapped himself and stood, crouching over to keep from bumping his head.

  “Uh—Jake—” Sam stuttered, her eyes going from the yoke to the sky, then up at Jake.

  “Relax. Autopilot.” He paused, looking down at her. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “You’ll be all right. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  “Promise?” She didn’t know what made her ask such a stupid question.

  He squatted beside her, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He leaned close to her—so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her face. He looked like he was going to kiss her and her heart careened wildly in her chest at the thought

  Instead of kissing her, he whispered, “Promise.”

  Sam heard him disappear into the back of the plane, but she didn’t dare turn around.

  Autopilot Planes flew on autopilot all the time. That was all right. Her fingernails dug into her palms but she hardly noticed the pain. “Hurry up, please,” she said, her throat constricting on the words

  “Hang on,” came Jake’s muffled reply from somewhere near the back of the plane.

  She heard a thud and risked a glance over her shoulder Jake was hauling a medium-size picnic cooler up the aisle. Nudging Fletcher out of the way, he wedged the cooler next to Sam. He settled back into his seat and she let out a gusty breath. At least he was sitting down. She still wished he’d put his hands back on the controls.