Hitman's Captive: A Bad Boy Romance (10 page)

I shook the sharp
memories off, taking a breath and reminding myself that I
was
good
enough. One of the best. This was no ordinary set up.

“Manny is dead
,
Jay
.” That announcement was enough for Jay to go still, and I seized the
opportunity to make him listen to what I was saying. “This was calculated and
coordinated - and whoever did it is taking out all of the pawns they used. Yes,
I took a rush job, but there was nothing suspicious about it and I used my own
source to verify. He ended up dead for his trouble. If I’d had time, sure I
would’ve gone the whole extra mile - but I did everything you taught me as a
minimum, and more. It was a straight, easy job - same as dozens before. And you
fucking know you would’ve taken it too.”

To my surprise, he didn’t
say anything after I’d finished, just looked at me with the same eyes that had
weighed me up for years, judging my worth against some standards I’d only ever
guessed at.

I took the opening to
continue with the main reason that I was here. “Look, I know how bad this is. I
know how many people will be out looking for me. The
bratva,
as well as
whoever was really behind this hit - and hell, probably Santini now too. I need
to clear this up, Jay. With Manny dead, I don’t have anyone left to pursue -
and I know how deep your connections go. Just give me a lead on who hired me,
and I can put an end—”

Jay was shaking his head,
and my stomach knotted despite the way his face softened momentarily as he
looked at me. “It’s too late for that, kiddo. Forget the people behind this -
you’ve got no hope in hell of finding them before someone tracks you down. This
has gone all the way through NYC’s underworld already. The city isn’t safe for
you anymore. Find some gods-forsaken hole-in-the-ground village somewhere - or
better yet, another country.”

My heart dropped. “But—”

“No
buts
about it.
You’re lucky your face and name is an unknown - that you’ve spent more time in
other cities than here over the last several years - but that won’t hold for
long. Get out of here before they get a lead that you won’t be able to shake.
You had a good run, boy, but maybe it’s time to retire.”

I blinked at that, the
drastic implications of this one fucking mistake slowly dawning on me. Everyone
in this business knew that was a possibility - piss off the wrong person,
client or victim, and you might find yourself needing to disappear. But I’d
never truly thought about it before. There was a reason I hadn’t retired yet,
and my bank balance made it obvious enough it wasn’t about the money - if I
wasn’t doing this, what the hell would I do?

This was who I was. Who
I’d always been.

I shook my head at Jay,
running a hand through my hair. “I can’t retire, Jay, I’m not—”

“Then find some other
place to do it. The blood trade exists the world over - just get some distance.
And hell, in ten years, when Viktor’s death is merely a sore memory, or they’ve
found someone else to take the fall? Maybe you can come back.” He waved his
hand as if he wasn’t casually suggesting the end of my life as I knew it.

Then he looked at me, and
my expression must have given something away, because for once I saw him soften
and he moved forward to clap my shoulder. “Just leave for now. Don’t risk your
life chasing shadows when these guys are on your heel.”

“What do they know?
What’s out there?” I didn’t want to think about what he was saying, so I tried
to focus on what I needed to know, seizing the opportunity for information
instead. Maybe I’d spent my life avoiding putting down roots and migrating from
city to city - but it was something else entirely to be barred from everything
I’d ever known.

Jay grimaced and shook
his head. “It’s chaos out there - the
bratva
and the Italians telling
different stories, suspecting each other while trying to pretend like they’re
working together. That’s a plus for you, even if it makes my job hell. They
don’t have much on you either - trawling through all the hitmen in the city at
the moment, but since they have to suspect all the affiliated killers too, it’s
a long list. You should be alright for a few days, though if you said the guys
who hired you want you gone - that’s one group who know exactly who you are.”

I grimaced at that, but
allowed myself a little relief that the
bratva
didn’t know who I was - not
yet.

“Thanks Jay—”

His gaze narrowed at me,
and he interrupted with a frown before I could finish. “
Alessa
, though -
she’s everywhere. Her name, her picture. The reward for her skyrockets almost
hourly - on both sides. What the hell are you doing with her anyway?”

The idea of that was
worse than if they’d been close behind me, and I cursed myself for this fucked
up situation for what felt like the hundredth time, hesitating in front of Jay
as I realized we’d come onto the one part to all of this that I didn’t want to
discuss.

“She was with Viktor when
I—”

“Yes, I know that.
Everyone knows that.” Jay’s voice was impatient, irritated with the deflection.
“So why the fuck isn’t she dead along with him?”

I looked at him, guarding
my own expression as I saw in his eyes that that’s exactly what he would have
done. What any of the other hitmen I knew would have done. The thing I’d been
telling myself to do since I’d picked her up.

“I didn’t know what was
going on - I wanted as much information as I could get, and I thought she could
tell me something.” I hedged my answer, knowing it wasn’t going to be enough.

“Okay.” His tone of voice
made it clear that he thought that was bullshit, but he narrowed in on the more
telling point, making me glance away from that penetrating gaze. “And now?”

“I—” I had no idea what
to say. I couldn’t even put together an answer for myself, let alone find
something that Jay would accept.

She’s innocent.
But
I’d killed fuck tons of innocent people, and I wasn’t going to let Jay think I
was going soft.

I haven’t fucked her yet.
Maybe,
but that was a terrible reason to hold her captive. Especially since there was
zero chance of that happening while I did.

You don’t have a fucking
clue why you’re keeping her.

In the end I just
shrugged, and his gaze narrowed. “Well, you need to take care of that problem,
Leo - and sooner rather than later. You’ve got a good chance without her, but
everyone
is out looking for Alessa Santini—”

My gut twisted again, as
it had every time I’d considered this, and to my surprise there was a wave of
anger and resistance underneath it.

“I’m not killing her.” My
voice was resolute as I finally acknowledged the decision I’d made from the moment
I’d first seen her, and I met Jay’s shocked expression.

His eyes widened as he
looked at me, flicking a glance to the closed door behind us, before his brow
furrowed and he scowled at me. “Don’t tell me you’re going soft for some
spoiled mafia girl.”

I ground my teeth, but
for once the accusation didn’t affect me. I was one of the best hitmen out
there, and I didn’t need to kill a helpless girl to prove my worth. “I’m
keeping her so she can’t talk - but when this is done, I’ll let her go.”

Jay stared at me, but I
just crossed my arms and met that strong gaze with my own.

“You brought her here,
Leo.”
The words were ground out, and I winced at the
implication. She could reveal Jay as much as me - I was just counting on his
connections to pull through for him.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I
didn’t have a choice, or I wouldn’t have done it. But with the favors you’ve
done for the
bratva
, Santini shouldn’t be able to come after you.”

“And when the
bratva
find out that Viktor’s killer paid me a visit, and I said nothing? If they’re
going to find out anyway when your captive girl starts talking, I should tell
them about this now.”

I breathed in deeply, a
muscle in my jaw twitching as I weighed Jay’s words. It was true - I’d put him
in a piss-poor position, and if he didn’t tell the
bratva,
it would
cause all sorts of trouble later. He might have been the closest thing I had to
a father figure, but I couldn’t begrudge him handing over my identity. Jay had
always been the hardest man I knew, and it would be the
right
decision.
Besides, with my attitude towards Alessa, I was pretty sure the
weakness
I’d
shown would undermine whatever fondness he might have had for me.

I nodded at him. “You
should do what you think best. Thanks for the advice, Jay.”

Even if it meant my
pursuers were much closer behind me, it had been right to come here. I’d needed
to know what was going on in NYC’s underworld - and more than that, I never
would have considered disappearing as Jay suggested.

I nodded once more as he
didn’t say anything, then turned for the exit, already trying to work through
what it would mean to leave everything behind. I didn’t know whether I could go
for it, but—

“Leo.” Jay’s voice halted
me as I reached the door, and I turned back, one eyebrow raised in question.

He strode up to me, hard
eyes meeting mine again before something I didn’t recognize flashed in them,
and he grunted with a shake of his head. “I’m not going to tell them. Come back
here tomorrow evening and I’ll set you up with a clean car. Just get out of here,
eh?”

I blinked in surprise,
looking at him again, my own brow furrowing as I tried to work out what had
changed his mind. The car would help as well - I hadn’t even begun to think
about that yet, but he was right, using mine would be a risk. I couldn’t see
any advantage for him in helping me out, but…Jay never did anything if it
didn’t benefit him somehow. Deciding not to question the stroke of luck, I gave
him a small smile instead.

“Thanks, Jay.”

He gave my arm a quick
squeeze and then moved past me into the main room. I followed, hoping that
Alessa hadn’t caused any more trouble while we’d been talking - then thinking
that maybe I should have walked out first, in case she was planning to jump us
again. Seemed stupid against two trained hitmen, but…that hadn’t seemed to
bother her last time.

And this is the girl you
refuse to get rid of?

I ignored that thought
and saw with some relief that she was just hanging back towards the end of the
hall. I moved to join her with a quick nod.

Jay followed me, and I
turned to give him one last smile.

He grasped my shoulder
again. “I’ll let you know how things develop here, if I can. And if I
do
find something about whoever planned this, I’ll try and tell you. But you can’t
count on that, Leo.”

I nodded again, my chest
easing somewhat at that news. For some reason, he was going to help me - as
best he could. And maybe there was a chance Viktor’s killer - his
real
killer
- could be found. Then maybe I wouldn’t have to—

“I mean it.” Jay scowled
at me again, appearing to read my thoughts as well as he had when I was
fourteen.

I gave a wry smile and
nodded again. “Point taken.”

Then I turned to Alessa
and gestured towards the door. “C’mon, time to go.”

To my surprise, she
darted back from me, looking between us for a few seconds.

“Sure thing. Just…” She
turned to Jay, gesturing down at herself. “Don’t suppose you have any…more
suitable…clothes here?”

I stared at her, unable
to believe her boldness. She was meant to be my hostage, dammit - she shouldn’t
feel comfortable being so daring. Then I caught the way she was tugging
awkwardly at the shirt that fell to mid-thigh, and figured that maybe she was
just more uncomfortable about the clothes she was wearing than whatever
reaction we’d give her for asking. I fought the twinge of guilt for dragging
her out like this - it wasn’t my fault I hadn’t stocked my safe house for a
hostage,
damn it.

I turned to see Jay’s
reaction, only to find him looking her up and down, eyes widening as if he’d
only just seen what she was wearing, drinking in the sight of her long legs. I
was hit simultaneously by incredulity that he hadn’t noticed before and a twist
of something unpleasant that he was looking at her like that. I had to stop
myself from taking a step forward in front of her before he looked back at me,
then between us silently.

After a few moments, he
nodded. “Maybe. I’ll see what I can find.”

He didn’t catch my raised
eyebrows as he turned and headed for the stairs into the house proper - Jay was
never usually this accommodating. If I’d have asked, I was pretty sure he would
have laughed in my face.

Alessa and I waited in
silence for him to come back, both avoiding looking at each other. She seemed to
know I was pissed about the question, but as much as I wanted to tell her that
she shouldn’t have asked, I couldn’t begrudge her for doing it. And if Jay had
some clothes, I guess it solved another problem that wasn’t even large enough
to be on my radar.