Hustle (Book 1 in The Hunted Hearts) - SYTYCW Winner #action #comedy #romance

Hustle | Chapter 7

Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

Hustle By Claire Chilton

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.