Chapter Three: My Business is all about you

Kitten and Jackson sat together like this while the plane taxied down the runway and out of the terminal. She told him all about her adventures in London to find her mother, aka "The Phantom Lady" and he listened, knowing it already, trying not to become more infatuated with her.

"You know, it was good to find her," she remarked as the plane took off. "and sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if she'd stayed and I'd been with her and my father and we'd lived behind the parish. But then I wouldn't be the Kitten I am today." The plane shuddered in the air and she inhaled quickly, her hand gripping the armrest.

"Everything alright?"

"I just hate flying."

"Tell me more about your father" Jackson said as he resisted the urge to place his hand on top of hers.

"Father came over here about a year ago – seeing as Charlie and I were already here, there wasn't much left for him back home. He's living in Miami now."

"Retired?"

"Oh yes, bless his heart. One can only do the good Lord's work for so long before it starts to lose the glamour. So he's living with me now, and Charlie's living just down the lane so it's just like back home, only without Irwin and Laurence, bless their souls." The plane levelled out and Kitten breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Thank you for doing that; keeping my mind occupied." She smiled at him and patted his hand. Time to stop playing games, he thought to himself. Lay your cards on the table.

"Actually I was just keeping the focus on you and your father."

"Oh heavens, why?"

"Because it's my job"

"What do you do?"

"Showy government take-overs, assassinations, that sort of thing."

"Ah, so you're a revolutionary."

"No, I do it for the money." He saw discomfort in her eyes and it pained him. You have to finish this, he steadied himself. You have to finish the job.

"Please tell me something, darling."

"Anything."

She lowered her voice and whispered into his ear "Are you bombing the plane?"

Their blue eyes met as he turned to look at her. God, why did he have to do this? Couldn't there be some way out? He swallowed deep. He could feel her breath on his cheek. He wanted to do nothing more than to kiss her and taste the mystery.

"No, I'm not bombing the plane" he said. "But, as it turns out, my business is all about you."

"I don't understand." There was a tremor in her voice.

"I need you to do something for me. Help me out a bit."

"A favour?"

He gave her a half smile "yes. A favour."

"I'm very good at favours."

"Good. Because if you don't, your father will die."

She was silent for a moment as the colour drained from her face.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." His voice was cold. He had turned off all of his charm. Business is business, he reminded himself.

"Oh serious serious serious." She said and pressed the flight attendant button. He pulled a string of rosary beads out of his pocket. Her father's. He never travelled without it. She stood to get the flight attendant's attention and he grabbed her wrist. "Oh excuse me, stewardess, but this rather inebriated and troubled young woman who I have never seen before got very upset when I pulled out my rosary. You tell the flight attendant and your father dies. Sit down."

Kitten sank back into her seat as the flight attendant scurried over.

"What can I do for you?" She said as she noticed Kitten crying. Jackson smiled at her reassuringly.

"She's just had a really rough day."