Captive of the Hitman: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance Novel by Alexis Abbott, Alex Abbott Page B

what’s going on? What do you mean, ‘eliminate’ someone?” Cherry’s voice sounds far away, shrill and distant, and then all sound is lost to me. I move to a chair, placing myself down carefully. I can’t hear, I can’t think. It’s all too much to bear.
    All that I can see and think of is a flash of a memory that I couldn’t remember, the man looking at me in the room of red, a gun pointed in my direction. Mikhail. Right before he decided to spare me.
    Is this what having a breakdown feels like? I never thought a person could be aware of so much and nothing all at once. It’s like my life has come to razor focus, and it has to cut out all the noise for me to process what this all means. Who Mikhail really is.
    He’s the guy that people hire to kill. He’s everything he warned me he is.
    The sound of my name pulls me from my spell, and I look up at the three of them. I have no idea how much time has passed, but based on how concerned Mikhail looks, I must be pale as a sheet.
    “I promise to find a safe place to hide Alicia in the meantime. I have friends and connections all over town. Don’t worry, moy brat .”
    “ Spasibo , Leon,” Mikhail says, but his eyes don’t leave mine.
    I’m a fool who’s fallen for a bad man, just like that. And I’ve fallen hard. I don’t know how to pull myself from this. Blonde hair tickles my burning cheeks, and my heart thumps heavily in my chest. I should let him go, forget what we did last night, the passion I feel for him. Just walk away from it all.
    “Don’t worry about Alicia,” Leon tells Mikhail as if I’m not right here. I feel like a child being led around by my teachers, unable to speak up for myself or even put a voice to the jumbled thoughts rumbling through my mind. “I know a club up in Jersey City that owes me a favor and has a safe house where I’ve personally lain low a few times. She’ll be safe and comfortable. My vice-prez will take her there. Eva? Got anything going on tomorrow?”
    “Nah, I can tell my techs to handle things ‘till the afternoon.”
    “Good. Do that—I’ve gotta call in a favor from someone I know I can trust. My brother here has a lady he needs taken to the safe house the boys up in Jersey City run. Some of them will still be awake at this hour. If not, here’s some cash for a motel overnight. Get her in there first thing in the morning. Tell them things are even between us if they get this taken care of, alright?”
    “Been a long time since I’ve been uptown... So am I following you, big guy?” Eva says to Mikhail.
    “I appreciate it,” Mikhail says to Eva before turning to his brother. “Leon, you should know of all people that I act swiftly and quietly. Once I’m off to handle this situation, it won’t be long before it is done.”
    “I know. Tomorrow night, I’m guessing?”
    Mikhail nods.
    “Alright. I can work with that. It’s been good to see you again, Mikhail.”
    “ Da svidaniya, Leon. ”
    “ Fsyevo harosheva, moy brat. ”
    The night air gives me a hint of life again, but as Mikhail helps me into the car, I don’t feel at all like myself. Since he’s held me captive, I’ve felt a gamut of emotions for him. Hatred, anger, annoyance...but underpinning it all has been something that I haven’t been ready to grapple with.
    I’m alive because of him. Because he couldn’t bring himself to kill me. Because he wanted me to live, even if it meant taking away my life and my freedom. And some part of me knows that it wasn’t an easy decision for him.
    Did he feel something for me from the very start?
    I glance over at him as he drives, his expression serious and lost in thought. The lights cast deep shadows along him, but it only makes him look more rugged.
    I relax in my seat, exhausted from the long day and too worn-down to even fret about the fact that he wants to abandon me. I know he thinks it’s for my own safety, but now, I can’t help but want to be near him. In a weird way, I feel