by Violet Paige
“Who? Who has them?” he asked.
“Someone named Jelly Bean Jack.” I looked at him. “Does that ring a bell?”
“No.” He pressed his fingers between his eyebrows. “I don’t deal in the cyber division. I don’t know code names or aliases. That has to be the stupidest name I’ve heard for an underground criminal. What the fuck is that?”
I huffed. “All right. It looks like there is a bidding war for the file. He has an entry fee.”
“You have to pay before you even make an offer?”
I nodded. “It’s sort of like an auction, but he won’t necessarily sell it to the highest bidder. You have to pay to stay in the marketplace. He’s going to close the door on me soon.”
“You can’t let that happen.” AJ sounded alarmed.
“What do the Project Compass files have to do with this flight? I don’t see a connection.”
“It’s there. Believe me.”
I was tempted to slam the laptop closed, but I didn’t want Jelly Bean Jack to lock me out permanently. I had to tread carefully inside his shop.
“I don’t want to beg you for this. We’re supposed to be working together. At least for now.”
“The connection is you.”
I was only half listening to him. I scrolled through the messages. I read the comments faster than I’d read anything in my life. There was an elite group in the room. The kind of names that made my spine crawl. Names that elicited fear. These were the darkest, most dangerous players in the underbelly of the dark web that I had always managed to avoid. I didn’t approach them. I didn’t make contact.
I kept reading.
“This flight is part of what Jelly Bean Jack is selling,” I whispered. The pit in my stomach was big enough to swallow me whole. I started to shake. “They-they promise to deliver Silver Siren with the files.” My eyes shot to AJ. “I’m Silver Siren, aren’t I?”
He didn’t want to answer. “Look, I—”
I wanted to strangle him. Push him into the aisle. Yell and scream for all the pain he had caused me. For the way he abandoned me. Holy shit he had known I was in danger and had kept that from me too. He had lived for the past six months with that secret. With that knowledge and never bothered to tell me.
I was wrestling with the idea that I had a different code name outside of the net. Silver Siren. It was obviously linked to my podcast. Either labeled as an ode or an ominous dark joke.
“You’ve got to figure out how they’re controlling the flight. Is it an explosive? Can they control the computer system in the cockpit? What is it they are doing?”
“The man shadowing me. Who is he?” I asked. AJ and I focused on different paths. I could see so many things he couldn’t.
“I told you I don’t know. I’m less worried about him and more worried about whether I need to disarm a device on the plane. If that’s the leverage they have, I can locate it and give control back to the pilots.” His clenched his jaw. “There is a way I can climb into the cargo cabin, but I need to know what I’m looking for. The flight crew is going to have to be in on this. I can debrief them quickly. Maybe they’ll let me talk to the captain. It would help to have Beechum cooperate.”
“There isn’t a device,” I responded. “Stop talking about bombs,” I whispered. “Someone is going to hear you.”
“There isn’t one?”
“No.” My voice was cool. I didn’t know how I was keeping it together.
“You know the threat, don’t you?”
My eyes floated to AJ. I closed the laptop. “The threat is on board, but it’s not a bomb.”
“Fuck, Syd. What is it?”
“No. You tell me what the hell is going on. Tell me now.” I felt a sudden amount of power that maybe I shouldn’t have.
His eyes hardened. “You’re playing with everyone’s life on this flight.”
“You’ve been playing with mine for six months,” I fired back. “You owe me this.”
“This is a dangerous game.”
“You’re the one dragging me back into a dangerous world. I didn’t ask for this.” My eyes darted back and forth as if I could scan his retinas for more clues. More answers.
“It seems like you never left.”
My eyes narrowed. “You’re the one who did the leaving.” I instantly regretted saying it.
“How did we get here? Fuck, Syd. How do we get out of it?”
“I don’t know if we can.”
His fingers curled through mine. I watched the way they intertwined. Touching AJ was as natural as breathing. It always had been. I didn’t know if he was trying to comfort me, or convince me we were in this crisis together.
I hated him as much as I loved him.
“What’s controlling the plane?” he asked.
I’d never felt so hopeless. I closed my eyes. It was strange, but the first thing I pictured was the river. It was summer and I was eight. I was floating on one of those pink floats shaped like a popsicle and my dad was pretending to be a shark in the water. I’d squeal and giggle every time I saw him swim closer, knowing he was going to try to tip my float over.
“No! No! Don’t do it, Daddy!” I squealed just as he somersaulted me in the air with a powerful flip.
I knew he didn’t mean to scare me. He had no idea I’d be disoriented and fling my arms and legs to fight my way to the surface when I launched ten feet from where we were playing. But I couldn’t find him. I couldn’t find the sun. I couldn’t even find the sandy bottom to push myself up. I was lost. Spinning and spinning in only four feet of water. I started choking and sputtering. I took in one gulp of water just as I felt my father’s arms wrap around my waist and jerk me out of the river.
“Sydney, baby girl. Are you ok?”
I cried, throwing myself on his shoulders. He patted my back. “It’s ok. I found you. I saw you the whole time. Shh. Shh.”
“Andy, what happened?” my mother called from the pier. “Is she ok?”
“She’s fine, Pam. Nothing to worry about.”
He took my face in his hands. “You’re ok. Aren’t you?”
I nodded, wiping the snot with the back of my hand. “I was scared. I thought I was going to stay under there.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen. Never.”
I couldn’t get back on the float. Not after I thought I was going to drown.
That’s how I felt now. As if I were spinning sideways, trapped, unable to get to the surface. And AJ was the most unlikely hero.
I had to tell him. I knew it was a risk to trust him. To trust anyone. But I needed someone to help pull me up to the surface. I could do the kicking and the paddling. I just needed to find the way up.
“AJ.” I looked around us, keeping an eye out for Cindy and Jeff. If they heard what I was about to say, we’d lose any hope of surviving. “It’s not a device. But something has been planted on this plane.”
“Ok I think that’s good. I should be able to isolate any threat. I’m trained in at least fifty types of terrorist threats and combat techniques.”
I shook my head. “You can’t isolate this. It’s too big.”
“Come on, I’m trained. An air marshal would have been helpful, but we’re going to figure this out without him.”
“No. You don’t understand. It’s too much for you. Too massive.” I stopped. I had to push the nausea down to finish my explanation. “It’s the crew. The flight crew. All of them. They are the threat. They have compromised the flight.” My throat almost clamped shut. “Beechum and the co-pilot. We can’t trust them, AJ. They are answering to Jelly Bean Jack.”
It was the first time he didn’t have an answer for me, and the silence was deafening.
Chapter Twelve
I wasn’t reckless or spontaneous. It didn’t suit the design I had for my career or personal goals. On the other hand, I hated the thought of being labeled rigid. I considered myself a planner. A thoughtful architect of my life. Someone who was careful and considerate. A young woma
n who weighed her options with scrutiny. I kept a calendar and made sure it was synced with my phone. I returned emails and texts. I didn’t break plans or back out of them. There wasn’t room for whims and impulses in the life I had made.
But standing behind AJ Hart as he jimmied the lock of the vacant townhouse, I realized how ludicrous all of this was. I had thrown the core essence of who I was away the second I kissed him in that alley. He tugged my hand in his and led me inside, closing the door with a gentle thud. This was what it meant to be untethered from plans.
His lips found mine in the dark and I was instantly lost again in the heat of his mouth. His hands.
“This is crazy,” I whispered, knowing there was a chance I’d break the spell and reveal what a prude I really was. Maybe it was a blessing he didn’t remember the kind of girl I was in college. She never would have done this. Thought about it, of course. Done something about it, never.
“Breaking and entering isn’t exactly something I can brag about in training on Monday.” He cupped my cheeks with a firm grip, kissing me fiercely.
It made me feel wicked and seductive the way he was ignoring Academy rules to be with me. Was I that tempting to him? I had to be. The way he looked at me was seductive enough.
There were a few pieces of furniture scattered throughout the downstairs. Part of the realtor’s effort to stage the home for the open house tomorrow. We knocked into a potted palm, stopping for a second to gain our balance.
I stepped out of my heels, leaving them in the kitchen and wandered into the sunroom. The floorplan was similar to Becca and Travis’s, only the mirror opposite. AJ walked behind me. His hands landing on my hips, shimming my dress off my body. I lifted my arms, allowing him to slide the straps over my wrists.
I spun to face him.
His eyes dipped to my breasts, covered in black lace. “Fuck. I want to devour you, Sid.”
I blushed. “Why don’t you?” I teased.
It had to be the wine talking. I didn’t say things like that. But I felt daring and bold. I was turned on by everything AJ said and did. I liked living like a wild gypsy for the night. Making out with my college crush. Crashing someone’s empty house like Goldilocks. It was surreal and scandalous.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
“Who said you had to?” I lifted the straps on my bra and unclasped the hook, freeing my breasts.
He groaned, dipping his head to my chest. I pulled him to me, but AJ didn’t need direction or encouragement. What was it Becca had called him? Mister Sex on a Stick.
My knees almost buckled when he pinched my nipple before sucking it inside his mouth. The combination of piercing pain replaced by the heat of his tongue was exquisite. I needed it again. His tongue rolled over the tight bud before he moved to the right side.
“Oh, God.” My head fell back. My hair cascaded along my bare shoulders, tickling my spine. I didn’t know if anything had ever felt so wickedly good.
My breath hitched when AJ rose, bringing my attention to his eyes.
“This could get out of control really fast.”
I bit my lip. “I guess we don’t want that.”
“I want to see you again, Syd.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, dragging my body to his. “Buy you a coffee this time.”
I giggled. He kissed along my neck and my throat. “I’d like that,” I admitted.
“Good. Sunday brunch date it is.”
“Then I’m skipping coffee and having a mimosa.”
“You can have whatever you want,” he growled.
His thumbs hooked against the tiny strings on either side of my hips and with one breath he had slid them to my ankles.
“But I—”
He stroked the slick heat between my legs and I whimpered with just how much his fingers aroused me.
He kissed me, searing my lips with a kiss that promised another date and another.
“Oh fuck me,” I purred when his fingers pushed inside me.
“Not tonight,” he whispered. “Three dates at least,” he joked, plunging deeper until a long moan fell from my lips.
I was a prisoner to the ecstasy he punished me with. I rocked into him, clenching and squeezing every time his fingers moved inside me. My core tightened with sensational rhythm. One that was going to drive me right off a cliff. I clutched AJ’s shoulders while I shook. I convulsed with an orgasm that had been building since the minute we were reintroduced. It skyrocketed under my skin.
“Holy fuck, you’re sexy.”
My eyes opened and he was staring at me. Watching me with lustful wonder. Desire.
I exhaled as the last wave washed away.
“That felt so good.” I smiled.
I looked between us. He was turned on. The khaki pants bulged against his thigh. I wanted to help him with that.
“We should probably go open that bottle of wine now.” He brushed the flyaway hair from my cheek. “Let’s go back to your place.”
I reached for his belt. “Or I could make you feel just as good.”
“And how are you going to do that?” It sounded like a dare. One I was ready to accept.
I yanked the belt out of the way and unzipped his khakis, pushing them to the floor. I was just as quick with his boxer briefs. I should have been prepared for AJ to have a generous cock, but it was epic. Thick and solid. I took his shaft in my hand as I lowered to my knees.
“Oh, fuck,” he groaned when my tongue ran the length from tip to the base. I could taste soap and slight hint of salt. I wanted to inhale him.
I licked my lips quickly and slid them over him. He hissed with pleasure. My eyes shot upward as he slid inside my mouth with an eager thrust. Another and another until I felt him begin to quiver. He yanked my hair back, staring into my eyes with a smoldering gaze that captivated me. I worked harder and faster until his release catapulted to the finish. I swallowed with satisfaction.
He offered me his hand as I rose to my feet. The hardwoods creaked as I adjusted my position.
He tipped my chin upward, kissing me and making me feel want and desire all over again. I threw my arms around his neck, practically scaling his body. He whirled me around, pressing my back into a column that separated the sunroom from the kitchen.
My breathing was erratic. If he offered to fuck me now, I would say yes. I wanted a little rebellion in my life. Something to break up the monotony of DataCorp days and wine nights with the girls. Maybe I was made for a great love. A wild love, like AJ.
He leaned into me and I felt his length harden again. My eyes flashed to his, grinding my hipbone against his cock. I moaned, wanting so much more than this.
“Damn, you’re making this hard. You’re making me hard.”
I gave him my best she-devil smile. “I’m ok with this, AJ. So ok.”
He took my lips, running his hand to my ass, cupping it with possession. “The crazy thing is, so am I.” My leg draped over his waist.
We both jerked when we heard AJ’s phone ring from the pile of clothes on the floor.
“Ignore it,” I turned his face toward me.
He hung his head. “I can’t. It could be work. I can’t ignore calls. I’m sorry.”
He left me in an awkward position against the column and stooped to the floor, digging through pockets until he found the phone.
“What’s up, man?”
I waited while I observed half a conversation.
“Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Ok. Got it, man. I’ll tell her.”
He replaced the phone and started to get dressed. He handed me my underwear and bra.
“The good news is that it wasn’t work. The bad news is it was Travis,” he explained. “You left your purse and phone next door. Becca tried to call when she saw your bag, but it started ringing.”
“I did?” But I looked around, and it wasn’t with me. I had been so anxious to leave with AJ, I had left them behind. I twisted my lips together. “And how do I explain that I’m only ninety seconds away?”
He laughed. “Don’t offer up that part of the story.” He winked. Somehow AJ became increasingly sexier.
He helped zip the back of my dress and I stepped into my heels.
He took my hand as we walked to the back door, where only an hour ago he had picked the lock. “Why didn’t I find you again until now, Sydney Miller?” There was regret in his voice.
I giggled. “It doesn’t matter.”
We stepped onto the patio. “I’m not so sure that’s true.”
Chapter Thirteen
It was strange how the jet noise suddenly seemed louder. It filled my ears. I felt the blast from the overhead vent, icing my skin. I was too shocked to try to adjust it.
“What are they saying in the marketplace?” AJ gripped my shoulders. “What details do you have about the crew?”
We were locked in a sphere of panic. I didn’t want him to let go, even though his fingers were digging into my arm. Sure to leave a bruise.
“The sale includes the flight. Jelly Bean Jack will give over contact for Beechum,” I whispered. “They can control where we land. And they will collect…” I swallowed hard. “Me.”
“Fuck.”
I squeezed my eyes closed. “Why? Why do they want me?”
“It has to be because of Project Compass. If they have you, the FBI can’t.”
“But like this? Why?” I couldn’t fathom why someone would go to the lengths of involving an entire plane full of people. The risks were monumental.
“It’s a power play. A show of strength. A fuck you to the FBI. Grabbing you on the street is too amateurish for this group. Imagine the notoriety and the respect the underground will hold for them. This is an incredible coup. One none of us saw coming.”
His words made me want me to vomit. I could have been kidnapped in Dallas? Or at home? At any point I was living my life, I could have been shoved into the back of a van and traded on the marketplace?
“The man you said has been following me. Is he the one behind this?” I asked.