Page 64 of Captive Hearts
Twenty-Five
They were all at the front door. It was two minutes to midnight, and Gina was freaking out. She was trying to do it with no outward signs. But it wasn’t easy when her stomach felt like it was trying to climb up out of her throat.
She wanted to punch Leanne in the tit. Because now, that horrible gun was going to be aimed at Ashley’s head again. The woman who’d been trying to fuck things up all day from utter selfishness had moved the target from her own back to the woman who’d worked all day to keep them safe. Poor Ashley. It was the one thing Gina hoped wouldn’t happen. To feel that steel pressed against her again.
‘Hey, Pete?’
Pete, chewing the inside of his lip, eyeballing the door, gearing himself up, looked at her with irritated distraction. ‘What?’
‘What’s the plan, exactly?’
‘The plan is shut the fuck up,’ he said, glancing back at the door.
‘No, I’m just asking… If we all know what we’re doing, it’ll be easier.’
‘Oh. I was gonna tell you if you waited. Fuck me, got somewhere to be?’
‘So…’ Gina prompted, ignoring warning looks from Ashley.
Pete looked annoyed that she was pushing him, but he didn’t really have time for a tantrum, so he gave in. ‘You’re all gonna form a circle around me. Ashley will be right at the front, and she’ll tell them I’ve got the gun to her head. Just in case they get any last-minute ideas. And we’ll all walk together to the plane. I’ll jump on with Ashley blocking me off from sight, and once I feel happy with the pilot and I see the cash, I’ll shove her out.’
‘You’re taking her on the plane?’ she said, glancing at Ashley. She didn’t look happy. As she shouldn’t. He’d never said anything about this before.
‘For a second, yeah. Got a problem with that, Ash?’ Pete said, turning to Ashley.
‘No,’ Ashley said immediately. Gina thought it was wise not to argue with him. Which was why what she was about to do was probably quite stupid. ‘Pete, let me go with you. You can point the gun at me, I’ll step on board, all of it.’
The whole room stared at Gina in shock. ‘Gina!’ Ashley exclaimed. ‘No!’
‘It’s fine, I want to,’ Gina said, keeping her eyes on Pete.
‘Why would I do that?’
‘Because… it was my knife. I poked the key out. Ashley tried to stop me, but… And when you walked in, she was trying to take it away so she could get rid of it.’
‘No, no, no…’ Ashley moaned.
But Pete was scratching his chin. ‘Wasit now?’
‘Yep. All me. And I wouldn’t feel right about Ashley being on the front line in my place.’
‘Gina-’ Ashley began. But Pete turned to her, gun up for a second. ‘Shut it.’ She did. Pete swung back to Gina. ‘You were the brains of that little scheme, were you? I’ve got to say, I sort of suspected it.’
‘Of course you did,’ Gina nodded. ‘No pulling the wool overyoureyes, is there?’
‘She’s full of shit, Pete. It wasme,’ Ashley tried.
But Pete liked this idea, Gina could tell. He was probably remembering their little standoff, the way she’d embarrassed him. That had to be sitting wrong with him. And now he had an excellent reason to punish her. It would make him quite happy, Gina thought. She was OK with the risks of doing this. Or, not OK exactly, but sheacceptedthem would be fairer to say. Because it felt like the right thing to do. Ashley had a bright future in front of her. This was going to be the start of everything she wanted. And Gina? She had less to lose. What was her life going to be if she let Ashley get killed and she went on to shoot more shitty movies? A waste.
‘OK, then, Gina. You’re at the front,’ Pete agreed.
‘Pete, she’s talking absolute bollocks. It was me!’ Ashley cried.
‘Ashley. You’re a lot of things. But you’re not stupid. And trying to get that key wassofucking stupid,’ Pete said.
That was Gina’s cue to glare at Leanne, who’d been keeping schtum. She had the grace to look away.
‘If anyone would be thick enough, my money’s on Gina. Good of you to try and take the flack for her, though. Very romantic,’ he told Ashley with a horrible grin. He checked his watch. ‘Right. We’re off now. Everyone ready?’
