I May Have To Steal You
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye!
Chapter Twenty-eight
Cynthia was manning the desk at the Lux Atlantic when two casually dressed people walked in, each with an arm around the other's waist. They looked familiar, yet she couldn't figure out who they were until the woman spoke to her.
"Cynthia! Hi!" called the woman, cheerfully, curly hair bouncing with each step she took.
"Lisa?" Cynthia asked in amazement. How was that possible? Lisa had been killed in the explosion.
But there stood Lisa Reisert, dressed in jeans and a nice top, wrapped in the arms of Jackson Rippner, who was also dressed in jeans and was wearing a plain tee shirt. They looked different than when Cynthia had last seen them. Then again, the last time she had seen them, they were dead and lying in the rubble of the conference room.
"That's me! Guess what?" Lisa said, not picking up on her friend's confused look.
"You're alive!"
"Leese, chill. She's in shock," Jackson whispered to Lisa as he pulled her back to his chest.
"Cynthia, the explosion was real, but luckily we weren't killed. We had been planning on faking our deaths, but it didn't work. Someone got to us first," Lisa explained to the redhead, whose eyes grew wider with each word.
"Why did you tell me?" asked Cynthia.
"I couldn't because we were on the run. They knew we were alive and were hunting us. We managed to escape them in Texas. We flew back last night, after having the hits on us removed."
"Wow. That's crazy. Do you still want to have a job here? That is, if they haven't replaced you already and still want you…"
"I'm not sure yet, Cynthia. But let me tell you my news," she said, smile wide upon her face. "Jackson and I are getting married!"
The coffee cup that Cynthia had been holding in her hand clattered to the floor. Lisa, a workaholic, wasn't sure she wanted her job back and she was getting married to a man who had tried to kill her! What was she thinking? Did she have a memory lapse or something? How do you forgive someone like Jackson after what he's done? The stories about the red eye flight from hell had convinced Cynthia to either not piss strangers off or to stay far away from Jackson Rippner. Unfortunately, she had been unable to avoid the semi-charming young man.
"What? When?" she asked, disappearing under the desk to grab her coffee cup. Luckily, it had been empty when she dropped it.
"We're getting married. As for the day, I'm not sure yet. Really soon though."
"Well, congratulations, Leese," said Cynthia with a smile. She might not like Jackson but Lisa seemed happy. She couldn't tell Lisa that she thought she was insane for marrying him.
"Thanks."
"It was nice to see you again, Cynthia," said Jackson politely.
"Yeah, let me know what day the wedding is," she said with a half-smile.
"Will do."
"Bye, Cynthia!" called Lisa as Jackson pulled her towards the door and Cynthia waved to her friend.
"Where do you want the wedding to be?" Jackson asked. It was strange that he could go from managing assassinations to helping plan his own wedding in less than a day.
"How about outdoors? After all, we live in Miami," suggested Lisa.
"True. Now, do you want to find a house first or plan the wedding?"
"House. I don't want to stay at my dad's any longer than we have to. There's too many memories," she said, shaking her head sadly.
"Not a problem. Let's go house-hunting," said Jackson steering the silver Beamer towards the waterfront, where the best homes were. He wanted Lisa to have the best home that he could afford—and there were not many homes that he could not afford.
They drove around for at least an hour, looking for sale signs. Some of the houses were nice, yet each time Jackson pointed one out to Lisa, she did not seem particularly enthusiastic. He was not about to buy a house that she did not like.
"Where should we look next?" Jackson asked, disappointed that the waterfront search had yielded no homes to their liking.
"Um, how about near my dad's?" suggested Lisa. She liked the idea of being near her father, but what would Jackson think?
"A neighborhood would be nice," he said, nodding in agreement and Lisa let out a sigh of relief.
For the next hour, Jackson drove around the neighborhood that Joe lived in, before turning down Blossom Palms Lane. They had seen several nice homes, but none were to Lisa's liking. This was getting exhausting.
"There!" called Lisa excitedly, pointing out her window to a house set a little ways back from the street.
Jackson stopped the car and shifted in his seat to see the house she was talking about. Outside the window was the home situated across the street from Joe's, the house Jackson had parked in front of many times while watching Lisa. He looked at her curiously, wondering why she had picked that house.
"You sure, Leese?" he questioned, carefully watching her reaction. "You want this house?"
"Well…" she said, sounding slightly unsure.
"Look you're right—they're not going to be happy…" Lisa said to Cynthia on the phone on the plane.
"Do you want this house? Yes or no."
"Yes," she admitted. For some reason she felt drawn to this home.
"Okay," Jackson said, shutting off the BMW's engine. He hopped out of the car and opened Lisa's door.
Lisa and Jackson walked down the driveway to the front door. The sign staked in the yard proclaimed an open house, which would save them time and allow Lisa to see if this was the house she really wanted. If she liked it, Jackson was prepared to make an offer to buy it.
Jackson knocked on the door and it swung open. Suspicious, Jackson's hand reached towards the KA-BAR on his hip. This was just too odd for his liking.
"Hello!" cried a peppy blonde who popped around the corner from nowhere. Jackson and Lisa jumped. Lisa's hand on top of his was the only thing that kept him from unsheathing the knife. "Do you want a tour?"
"Sure," said Lisa, putting on a brave face that masked how rattled she was.
"Great! Are you new to the area?"
"Um no. I've lived in Miami for a while. As a matter of fact, my dad lives across the street," Lisa said politely.
"Really? That's cool! Now, this here is the living room…"
Jackson and Lisa tuned out the woman's running commentary as they wandered around the home. It was a nice house and built in a similar fashion to that of Joe's house—only on a larger and more expensive scale. It was upscale and seemed to suit them well.
"Leese?" Jackson asked after they had seen the entire house. Personally, he liked it, but it was Lisa's opinion that mattered more than his. He wanted her to be happy.
"I like it. What about you?" she said, turning to face him.
"I'd like to make an offer," Jackson said, sending a charming smile to the blonde whose face lit up at the prospect of a buyer.
"Dad? Dad!" called Lisa, running into the house excited after Jackson unlocked the door. She didn't even bother to ask him how or why he had a key to her dad's house.
No reply.
"His car's here, Leese," Jackson told her after peeking out the door to check.
Lisa nodded and picked up her ever-present field hockey stick while Jackson drew the glittering blade from its sheath. They glanced at each agreeing on a plan with a look, and split up. Jackson headed upstairs while Lisa scoured the bottom level, both searching for either Joe or signs of a struggle.
The phone ran in the den while Lisa was searching and she jumped in surprise.
"Hello?" she answered the phone, voice trembling slightly.
"Listen up, Miss Reisert. We have daddy dearest. Tell Rippner to give himself up or responsible for the death of Joe Reisert and quite possibly you," said a voice, harsh yet undeniably happy.
"How do I know he's safe?"
"You won't," said the man before killing the line.
Lisa collapsed to the floor, sobbing, the phone in one hand and her field hockey stick held loosely in the other. Jackson rushed into the room, sheathed the knife and pulled her onto his lap. He had heard the phone ring and Lisa fall onto the floor.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, voice conveying his concern as he held her close to comfort her.
"He—he has my dad."
"Who, Leese?"
"What?" asked Jackson, staring blankly at the phone Lisa had placed in his hand.
"You know what. My dad. Make the call. Your part of the deal," she replied.
Her tear-filled eyes met Jackson's clear blue eyes and she uttered a single word, "Roberts."
Jackson looked like he had either been slapped or jabbed in the throat with a pen. He would kill Roberts! The bloody bastard had died by Jackson's own hands! Or had he? Could Lisa have been mistaken in her identification?
One look at Lisa and he knew she was not wrong. Roberts was alive.
"What does he want?" he asked calmly. He had to keep his head if Roberts was going to be thwarted this time.
"You," she whispered, clinging tightly to him. "He wants you or he'll kill my dad and possibly me."
"He won't. I'll make sure of it."
Jackson's words reassured her and calmed her frazzle nerves slightly. Jackson would fix things. He would make everything better. Roberts would lose to him again.
What the fuck was Roberts thinking? What made him think that he could come back and torment Lisa? After what he had done to her… Roberts would die a painful and slow death. Jackson would make sure of it. He had not been nearly careful enough the first time around. He had stabbed the crap out of him but, like Jackson, Roberts was not easy to kill. Had Lisa not been so upset, would things have been different?
No, he still would have been distracted. Roberts still would have come back.
It was a lose-lose situation, but this time around, Jackson was playing to win. He refused to let the Reiserts be hurt because of him.
Roberts smiled as he hung up the phone. He turned to face Joe, his captive.
"Jackson won't fall into your trap. He's too smart for that," said Joe. He may dislike him most of the time, but he had to admit the younger man was smart.
"He will because I trained him well. He was a good dog once, and he will be again."
"You're not going to hurt Lisa," insisted Joe. Jackson would see to that. At least he hoped so for her sake.
"You're right. I'm not going to hurt her. Jackson is, just like he did his own parents. Jackson's going to kill your daughter, Mr. Reisert," said Roberts, extremely pleased with himself.
Joe was pissed. There was no way in hell that Roberts was going to kill his daughter. Jackson would make sure of that. Jackson would save Lisa. He loved Lisa. He would stop this mad man.
He was trusting Jackson with Lisa's life as well as his own.
Jackson Rippner had better not fail this time. If he did, they would all be dead.
"Jackson, what are we doing to do? I don't want to lose you or dad. What are we going to do?" sobbed Lisa.
"Leese, everything's going to be fine. I promise," Jackson said, cupping her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes.
He knew what Roberts was trying to do. With Joe and Jackson out of the way, Lisa would be at his mercy. Roberts would not let Joe go alive any more than he would leave Jackson alive. He knew the way his half-brother's twisted mind worked.
"Please, don't leave me. He's watching us. I'm afraid, Jackson. I'm afraid of what he'll do."
"He won't touch you again, Leese," Jackson swore, voice going uncomfortably cold. "I'll kill him first."
"Don't leave me," she pleaded, clinging tighter to him.
"We'll both come back. Besides, I still have to steal you," Jackson smirked before wiping away her tears and kissing her.
Lisa relaxed and all of her worries disappeared. She was lost in Jackson's passion-filled kiss. Which of course what he had planned.
When he broke the kiss, a moan of protest sounded from Lisa's throat. She had not wanted the kiss to end. She locked her legs around his waist as he moved to stand. He stood up to leave, but Lisa was hanging all over him and he could not leave. Jackson pushed her up against a wall.
"Leese," he rasped. "As much as I want to stay with you, I don't have much time until Roberts kills your dad. Do you really want that to happen?"
"No, but I don't want to lose you," she whispered, her fear for Jackson and her father clearly showing in her voice.
"I'll be back. I'm not going to leave you. I love you, Leese," he reassured her again.
"I love you too, Jackson. Hurry back," she said and released her grip on Jackson as he gave her a quick kiss that left her hungry for more. Jackson sure knew how to thrill her and tease her.
"Keep the field hockey stick and a gun near you," he warned, stepping away from her slowly.
"I will," Lisa promised. She wasn't going to let Roberts get the better of her. She had fought him before and she could do it again.
"I'll come back for you," Jackson said with a trademark smirk before he left the house—and Lisa—behind.
"I still need you," said Jackson, replacing the airplane phone.
"You promised!" cried Lisa, upset and worried for her dad.
"And I'll keep that promise…" Jackson swore.
Lisa wanted to cry. If Jackson failed, she would be all alone and at the mercy of Roberts. Or Roberts would be at her mercy. But Jackson and her father would both be dead if Jackson failed.
She picked up the dropped field hockey stick from the floor. She replaced the telephone and pulled out a gun that her father kept hidden along with a wide variety of pens. Literally armed to the teeth with various weapons, Lisa slipped upstairs into her bedroom. She shed her shirt and buttoned up on of Jackson's. She breathed in the scent that was unique to Jackson and she could almost imagine he was there.
Feeling defeated, she wanted nothing more than to curl and hide under the soft pink spread and wait for Jackson's triumphant return with her father. Yet, she refused to do as she wished. She was going to have to protect herself against Roberts and she could not do that asleep.
Jackson drove to Robert's Miami address. It had not occurred to him to check Roberts' home for Lisa, because he knew his half-brother affinity for terror and that he enjoyed tormenting people in their own homes. Luckily for Jackson, he could not do that with Joe Reisert. Roberts would have to switch to plan B and take Joe to his home.
The silver BMW halted in front of a modest, well kept home. Always keeping up appearance was Roberts' style. Do not let anyone see the monster you truly are.
Jackson jumped out of the Beamer and strode up to the house, his right hand resting on the trusty blade upon his hip. Clean and sharp. Ready to end Roberts' disgusting life.
"It'll all be over soon…" Jackson told Lisa on the plane, after she changed Keefe's room.
The front door was unlocked and Jackson silently slipped inside. He was a master at not being heard. This was all far too easy—too careless. Careless was not in Roberts' nature. Everything that Roberts did was deliberate.
"Jackson?" called Joe in surprise ad he caught sight of the dark haired man's back.
Jackson spun around at his voice and hurried to Joe's side. In a flash, the bonds keeping Joe Reisert captive were sliced through. He was free and Jackson pressed the car keys into his hands.
He had to get Joe out of the house before Roberts popped out of nowhere.
"Get in the car. I'll deal with Roberts," hissed Jackson, falling backwards into manager mode. There was no time for Joe to argue.
"Deal with me?" came Robert's voice, followed by a loud chuckle. "No dear, despicable half-brother. I'm going to deal with you."
"Go!" Jackson ordered, shoving Joe towards the door. He would never forgive himself if Joe or Lisa died because of him.
Shots ripped through the air and a few bullets struck Jackson, knocking him down to the floor. He lay on his back, arms and legs splayed at odd angles, his breathing rough, raspy, and ragged. Blood seeped down his tee shirt and on to the fancy tile floor. This was it. He was going to die at Roberts' hands, not at Lisa's side when he was older.
"Leese…" he whispered urgently, glaring at Joe, indicating that he had to go protect her. "Leese!"
Protect Lisa at any cost. He had to protect her…
Jackson's angered blue eyes fluttered closed and all he could see was her face in his memories.
Author's Notes:
A nice, long chapter for everyone because it took me two days to update. Sorry to leave you with a cliffie!
Reviewers!
Sarah – Yeah, that should prove to be interesting… Thanks!
Laer4572 – That's okay. Nope, he's like Jackson—hard to kill. Thanks!
Jesika – Thanks!
be11011 – Thanks!
Coneflower Adams – Thanks! It was fun to have a light piece with them.
RaNdOmGiRl – Thank you so much!
Discord Marie – Thanks!
