I May Have To Steal You
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!
Chapter Twenty-four
Jackson wheeled the suitcases into the guestroom. His blue eyes flicked to where Lisa lay asleep in the bed. She was curled into a tight ball, and appeared to be shaking.
Jackson shed his jacket and shoes and crawled into the bed beside her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and felt her relax against him. He kissed her forehead and smoothed her messy hair. He could stay there forever, with Lisa in his arms.
Moments later, the front door was kicked open. Jackson leapt into action. He picked up the still sleeping Lisa, intending to hide her from the intruders that he heard.
"Jackson?" she muttered sleepily. "What…?"
"Ssh," he whispered, slowly setting her feet on the floor. She grabbed on to him tightly, scared and tired at the same time.
Lisa was extremely confused. What was happening?
"Hide," he said, motioning to the closet, the nearest hiding place.
"Why?" she asked, locking her confused eyes on Jackson's troubled ones.
"Do it, Leese. They're here!" he urged, opening the closet door.
"What about you?" she asked concerned. She didn't want to lose him.
"Give me five minutes and then run to the neighbors if you don't hear from me," he instructed her. He was touched by her concern for him, but he had to keep her safe.
Lisa nodded and Jackson kissed her she released him and stepped into the closet, pulling the door closed behind her. Jackson slipped across the room, and cracked the bedroom door open. He could see the hit men wandering the house. He could see them searching the house.
"Where are they, Mrs. Reisert?" one asked, one who wasn't searching, as he held Wendy at gunpoint.
"Right behind you!" hissed Jackson, delivering a solid blow to the man's neck that severed the spinal cord and killed him.
Wendy was about to scream. Jackson quickly covered her mouth with his hand and whispered, "Go hide!" before releasing her.
Jackson picked up the gun and disappeared, slinking around the house. He was not nearly as familiar with Wendy's house as he was with Joe's. He heard footsteps behind him on the hardwood floor and lashed out with his right fist, connecting soundly with a hit man's jaw.
A loud crash came from the guestroom. Lisa!
His bare feet made no sound as they slapped against the floor while he raced to the guestroom. He pushed open the door just in time to see Lisa thrown onto the bed. She was kicking and clawing at the man who was attacking her.
How dare someone touch her! How dare they attack his Lisa! He'd kill him!
Without a second thought, Jackson jumped onto the man and knocked him off the bed, dropping the gun at Lisa's feet. Jackson head butted the man before squeezing the life out of him. His rage fueled him, and he forgot that Lisa was in the room. All he cared about was punishment for the man who dared to attempt to hurt his Lisa. The punishment for improper thoughts or touching her wrongly was death.
Satisfied that the man was dead, Jackson hopped upon the bed. He pulled Lisa onto his lap and held her close. She sobbed onto his shoulder and shook slightly. The gun was in her right hand, her grip unrelenting.
"Well, well, look what we have here," came a smooth voice from the doorway. Lisa turned around, careful to keep the gun hidden and Jackson wrapped his arms protectively around her. If this man wanted to hurt her, he'd have to go through Jackson first. "Rippner and his bitch. What a pleasant surprise. I guess I get the pleasure of killing you."
"Think again," said Lisa coolly, whipping the gun out and firing three shots into the hit man's chest, killing him.
"Don't move," Lisa warned Jackson, aiming his associate's silenced gun at him.
"It's okay," Jackson whispered, pulling her back around to face him. "They're dead."
It was far from okay. If he hadn't come back when he had… the thoughts were too horrible to imagine. Who had attacked them? Was Johnson betraying him? Did Roberts have a back-up plan if Jackson foiled his plans?
Wendy Reisert stepped into the room, carefully moving around the dead man. "Lisa? Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yes," she mumbled, speaking into Jackson's shirt as she pulled herself closer to him.
"Did you call the police?" Jackson questioned, not taking his eyes off Lisa.
"Yes, they're on their way," Wendy said, confused.
"Good," said Jackson nodding his head in approval. "We'll give statements and be on our way."
"You're leaving?"
"We've stayed in one spot too long. We have to. First, let's clean up a little bit, right, Leese?" Jackson said looking from Wendy to the young woman clinging to him for dear life.
Lisa nodded and Jackson picked her up. She automatically locked her legs around his waist. He smirked and carried her into the bathroom. He set her down and left the room and she didn't protest this time.
When he returned, she was already in the shower, letting the hot water relax her sore and tense muscles. He locked the door, stripped naked and slid in the shower behind her. She jumped at first when he wrapped his arms around her waist; afraid that she was about to be murdered Psycho-style by a Norman Bates type.
She couldn't have been more wrong if she tried. It was only Jackson, her beloved, caring, charming Jackson.
Lisa spun around, kissed him and pushed him into the shower wall. He smirked through the kisses and pressed her back into another wall before their emotions took over and they lost control.
They didn't need to speak, allowing their feelings and actions to speak for them.
A while later, a freshly showered and dressed Lisa and Jackson emerged from the bathroom. They each had an arm around each other and were impeccably dressed in new clothes again. Lisa's hair was tied back in a ponytail much to Jackson's dismay. When he had tried to stop her from putting it up, she had threatened to give him a hair cut, even though they both liked his long hair.
Wendy was giving a statement to the police, when they entered the room. "This is my daughter Lisa, and her boyfriend Jackson. They were involved in the attack as well," she said, introducing them. She grimaced at the word boyfriend, but how else was she to describe him?
"Please take a seat," said the police officer in charge, motioning towards the couch.
Jackson sat down on the couch and pulled Lisa onto his lap. His warm arms encircled her waist and she rested her hands on top of his.
"What did you see?" he questioned, looking at Jackson.
"I saw the men searching the house after they broke in the door. That was what alerted me to their presence. I urged Lisa to hide in the closet before killing the one threatening Mrs. Reisert," Jackson retold calmly. This was going to take a very long time. And they didn't have a long time.
"You killed a man?" asked the officer, looking up from his notes. "Which one?"
"I killed three of them. The one in the living room, one in the hallway, and the one in the corner of the guestroom."
"Who shot the fourth man three times?"
"I did," said Lisa. She wasn't afraid to admit it. Plus, the sooner they received the story, the sooner they could run again. "I shot him. He was going to kill us. They all were."
"Miss Reisert, where were you when you shot him?"
"On the bed with Jackson. He was holding me when the hit man entered. He called us by our names and threatened us. I shot him with a gun three times in the chest before he could come any closer."
"Mr…?" the officer asked, looking at Jackson.
"Rippner. Jackson Rippner," Jackson said. He was sick of these questions already. They really needed to leave.
"Right. Mr. Rippner, why didn't you shoot the intruder?"
"I didn't shoot the man because I didn't have the gun and because I'm a lousy shot. I would have missed, even at that short range," Jackson explained, trying not to sound rushed.
"Now, weren't some units called to this residence earlier today?" asked another officer, looking back in her notes.
"Correct," said Wendy. "Lisa and I were attacked."
"Do you believe that the two attacks are related?"
"They are related," admitted Jackson. He was extremely impatient. Every minute spent there put them in more danger and cost them precious time that would be needed to complete Jackson's job and get the hell out of Texas. "All the hit men were sent by the same company that sent people after us in Miami."
"Miami? What happened there?" asked the officer in charge. This story was getting interesting.
"Just a few hit men determined to see us dead because we foiled their plans."
"Plans? Like the Keefe assassination? What a minute, I knew the name Reisert was familiar! You were involved in the bombing at the Lux Atlantic! The news said you were killed!" said the officer, finally connecting the dots.
"The news was misinformed," stated Lisa. "The hit men didn't believe the reports and were waiting in the airport for us."
"They followed you home?"
"I believe so. Now, are we finished, officers? We really have to get going," Jackson said, trying his best to act calm. "I promise that we won't leave town immediately, but we will have to return to Miami by the end of the week."
"But…" began the police officer, yet Lisa and Jackson were already halfway to the door, suitcases in tow.
"Let them go," urged Wendy. "They've been through enough."
Lisa and Jackson ended up in the same hotel that Jackson had stayed in before boarding the red eye. The rooms were cheap and decent looking. Not that either of them cared. They just needed a place to hide and plan the job.
"Leese, most of this plan is going to rely on you," Jackson warned her, before divulging any details. She deserved to know a little bit of what was planned before she got in too deep.
"I don't care. I got us into this mess. Now I'll help get us out," she said with a smile, unfazed.
"Okay."
"When is this all going down?" she questioned, pulling herself closer to Jackson, attempting to distract him from the folder he was studying.
"Tomorrow. The sooner we finish, the better."
Lisa nodded. The sooner the job was finished, the sooner she would have all of Jackson's attention. "So, what's the plan?"
"Much as I hate it, you're going to be the bait. I'll set the trap, you have to sell it," Jackson said simply. He really didn't want to get into the details. The details would quite possibly disturb her.
"What did this 'Drew' do?"
"Lots of things. And someone just wants to get even with him. It's personal for them. Not for us, just remember that. He's as bad as Keefe was good."
"I don't need to know. Just, what do I have to do?"
Jackson turned to face her, a smirk plastered on his face. "Nothing, yet," he growled before dropping the folder and kissing Lisa.
She was surprised and returned the kisses, glad that she had finally been able to get him to pay attention to her. If only it could always be like this…
It would be like this, as soon as the job was finished tomorrow.
A well dressed, abet bloody, Lisa ran down a silent street later that night. She looked like she had gone several rounds with a boxer and seemed afraid for her life.
"Help! Someone help! Please!" she cried, eyes flicking back behind her. "He's trying to kill me!"
A handsome man in his thirties, exited a sporty red car parked outside a tall iron gate. He called out, "What's going on?"
Lisa ran towards him, tears streaming down her face. "Please, you have to help me! Someone's trying to kill me!"
"Calm down and tell me what's going on," he said, soft brown eyes locking on her face. She seemed like a sweet and innocent woman--the kind he liked to spend time with.
"They killed him! They turned to me, but I escaped! They're trying to kill me!"
"Get in," he said nodding to his car, dark hair shifting slightly.
"Thank you," said Lisa gratefully, hopping into the passenger side of the car as he entered the code to open the gate and drove down the long driveway.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Lisa, Lisa Bryant," she lied. There was no way in hell that her last name would ever be Bryant. No matter what Jackson said…
"Miss or missus?"
"I was missus," she said, holding up her left hand, showing him her ring. "But they killed him!"
"I'm sorry."
"What's your name?" she questioned. She was a little wary of handsome strangers who were helpful. They all reminded her of Jackson.
"Drew Rosemond. Nice to meet you, Lisa," he said with a half-smile.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Well, something terrible has clearly happened to you," he said, taking in her state of clothes and general appearance. "And I couldn't let you get in more trouble. Besides, you'll be safe in my house."
"I thought the same about my house," she said wistfully. "But they still found a way in. We fought back, but it was useless."
"Who?"
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. Of course she knew, but she couldn't tell him that. It would be too hard to explain.
"Come on," he said, helping her from the car. "Let's get you cleaned up and call the police."
Lisa nodded and allowed him to pull her towards the house. He entered another code at the door, before entering.
This was awkward. It felt far too strange to have someone else helping her and touching her. That was Jackson's job. Where was Jackson?
"Want something to drink?" Drew asked, heading over to the bar.
"Sure," she said and he poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her.
Lisa glanced towards a clock. Five minutes to midnight.
"Let me get that first aid kit," he said and disappeared from the room.
When he returned, Lisa had drunk the glass of wine and was calmer and slightly unsteady on her feet. He smiled and helped her over to the couch, where he cleaned her wounds, which were surprisingly shallow. She slummed against him, unable to sit up on her own. He carried her into his bedroom and laid her down on the bed.
As soon as she had drunk the wine, Lisa had known that it had been drugged. She had never expected that Drew would do something so underhanded as to drug her! She knew that Jackson had not expected it as well, but he couldn't know everything, especially when they were crunched for time.
Lisa moaned and shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable, wanting nothing more than to sleep. "Jackson," she whispered.
"I'm not Jackson," Drew said, slowly lifting her skirt, hands running along her thighs.
Warning bells went off in Lisa's head. This wasn't supposed to be happening. This wasn't Jackson. No one but Jackson should be touching her—least of all like that. The drugs were affecting her, slowly her mind, confusing her. She knew it wasn't Jackson beside her, but she still thought it was.
Drew's lips attacked her mouth furiously, harsh, not full of love and passion--like Jackson--but full of lust. Lisa squirmed. This was not right!
Drew laughed, and asked, "You don't appreciate my love, babe?"
"Get away!" Lisa muttered, trying to summon her strength to fight him off. She was not going to let it happen again. She was not going to be helpless.
"You know you want me."
"No!" she screamed and pulled a small gun from under her shirt. "No!"
"Whoa! Babe, calm down!" said Drew in surprise, not expecting his victim to be armed. He raised his hands in the air.
"Don't call me 'babe' like I'm yours. I have a man, and he's everything that you'll never be. He loves me."
"Who? This 'Jackson'? If he loved you, you wouldn't be wandering the streets."
"You're wrong. He's the reason I'm doing this," she said and fired the gun, shooting Drew in the chest at point blank range.
Lisa slowly got up from the bed, stumbling around under the lingering affects of the drug. She clutched the gun in her hand. She had come incredibly close to it again. She had almost been taken advantage of.
She knew why a charming man like Drew had been made a job. He'd screwed someone's wife or girlfriend or mistress, and pissed them off. That's why Jackson had used her as bait, even though he didn't want to. That's why the job had fallen to her.
She barely made it through the front door before throwing up. She was about to fall over when two strong arms caught her. She looked up into the crystal blue eyes of Jackson before her world went dark, the drugs and exhaustion finally catching up to her.
Author's Notes:
This was one long chapter! I hope everyone likes it! It took awhile to put together. I know that Jackson wouldn't want to be far from Lisa, but he had no way of knowing what was going on in the house, otherwise he would have burst in and killed Drew with his bare hands. Next chapter coming soon!
Reviewers!
Jesika – Thanks!
Dave-The-Laugh's-NewHotness – Sorry, but they're together now. Thanks!
Discord Marie – Thanks!
showmethehobbit – Yep, that's coming up soon. They have a few things to take care of first. Thanks!
be11011 – Thanks! I'm working on the longer chapters. Last chapter was rushed.