An Eye For An Eye (Fast & Furious | Hobbs/OFC)

Chapter 26

"Looking forward to it, Hobbs," said Jakob, walking toward the cargo bay's rear door. "Assuming she lets you live that long."

"That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?" She'd sworn to herself she wouldn't play this game. Not now that Hobbs was onboard. But Jakob needed a good kick up the arse for thinking he was in a position to order her to do anything. "I never said I'd let you live that long either."

Elizabeth stepped into the doorway, rounding on Jakob before he could get within three feet of it. The look on her face said she wasn't impressed. The smug look on his own, however, suggested she was playing right into his hands.

"Well, maybe later you'll let me change your mind." He came to a halt in front of Beth, positioning himself just far enough to the left that his shoulder didn't block the view of her face. So if Hobbs hadn't already clued into who'd just crashed the party, he would now. "I can be very persuasive, you know."

"Maybe." She patted Jakob lightly on the shoulder. "If you learn to be a good boy."

"Yes, ma'am." That smug smile turned into a shit-eating grin as Jakob winked. He didn't want to say it out loud, lest Hobbs or Roberts overhear, but perhaps this flight wouldn't be so boring from now on. "Do you need anything else, ma'am?"

"No. You can go. You too, Roberts, thank you. I'll deal with Agent Hobbs from here."

Roberts had just secured the second cuff around Luke's other wrist when Shaw spoke. Cipher's lackey looked up at them both, nodded, and left the cargo bay. The fake Toretto, however, seemed to need another nudge or three. Despite her reply, he remained standing in front of Elizabeth, not moving an inch.

She sighed and tilted her head back, studying him. "What is it, Jakob?"

"Should I let Cipher know she has new orders?"

"No. I'll tell her myself. Just keep the plane on schedule."

For a moment, the tone of her voice became serious enough that Hobbs fixed his attention on Elizabeth. He might have called bullshit if it were an obvious bluff, but something about her demeanour suggested otherwise.

Had the mask finally come off, he wondered, or was she wearing yet another one while putting on a show to impress the kevlar-wearing clown? Or — and it was a big, old, worst case scenario 'or' — could this plan have been in place the whole time?

A little over two weeks ago, on the day the Shaws arrived at the base, he'd queried Elizabeth about her meetings with Cipher in Cuba. She'd denied them, as expected, yet this sudden show of strength raised more questions than answers.

Hell, it changed everything.

"Understood."

With that, Jakob finally packed it up, leaving the two of them alone. The cuffs on his wrists creaked as he pulled, but the chain didn't give. Again, Hobbs clenched his fists and strained against them, earning himself little more than a few cuts where they dug into his skin.

"What the hell are you doing, woman? You killed two men. Trashed multiple vehicles. Now you're—"

"Unless you want to be thrown off this plane, I'd keep your mouth shut."

"...Tell me it hasn't been you this whole goddamn time." When he thought about it, it made more sense than he liked. Tipping him off about the truck. The password on Cipher's plane. Jakob's late night visit to the kitchen. It'd all been so easy. So convenient. "Tell me you had nothing to do with—"

"It scares you, doesn't it?" Elizabeth smiled. The look on Hobbs' face was absolutely priceless. A combination of horror and the desperate need to know that the monster under the bed wasn't her. "The idea that the enemy was right under your nose. Again."