Page 11 of Love's Unexpected Surprise

“And you kill people for him?” Her voice is a few octaves higher, clearly frightened by what I said. I can see the questionson her mind. She thought I was a monster before, but knowing this isn't the first time I've done something like this must paint a different picture for her.

“Yes. I'm a hitman, assassin, whatever you want to call it.” Her eyes are blank as she studies my face, trying to determine whether what I'm saying is true. Something shifts in her eyes, and I realize she thinks it's better than something else she was considering. “Dimitri is a Don in the Russian mob. He's like a father to me, and I do jobs for him.”

“How many people?” She looks away from me again as she waits for the answer, barely able to stomach it.

I pause for a moment and shake my head, washing her more as she curls up in the tub. “I don't have an answer for that. I've lost count.”

She looks back at me, and I see the withdrawn look in her wide eyes. She's shaking now, trembling from the anxiety of being around me. “You've killed so many people you've lost count?”

Horror fills her voice, and a sick feeling sinks in my stomach. “I don't take any pleasure in my job. If it weren't for this, I would be dead.”

“But you kill people,” Amelia reiterates, stressing the fact that I shouldn't have decided to kill other people to protect myself. Though it wasn't only myself I was protecting. Marcus has always been under my care, and most of what I did was for him. If I had a difficult time surviving on the streets, it was astronomically harder for him. But she doesn't need to know about him right now.

“I know you think I'm some kind of monster, but I would never do anything to hurt you.” She stares at me with a blank look in her eyes, not sure if she should believe what I say. I can't blame her for the apprehension. If I were in her shoes, I would feel like I was in danger too. “What happened back there onlyhappened because Oliver—” She winces when I say his name, like giving a name to the person she saw killed made it so much worse. “He was trying to blackmail me because he saw you. People like him are dangerous, and he threatened to harm you. I couldn't let that happen. I was going to leave him there, but then he lunged at you, and I lost control.”

Her eyes soften only slightly, seeing some sense in what I said. She might not have been happy with what I did, but she did see him lunge at her instead of me. If I hadn't gotten in the way, she could very well be dead right now. I've only known her for a short time, but I would do anything to make sure she's okay. If I had to repeat this entire situation, I would because I know she would make it out the other end.

The water cools in the bathtub, and she trembles. I stand and grab a fluffy towel from the closet and hold out a hand to help her out of the tub. I wrap the towel around her and tuck it in, letting her sit with the warmth around her.

“I'm not going to tell anybody what I saw. Can I please just go home?” The fear is back in her voice, and my heart aches for her.

I open the bathroom door and lead her out toward my bedroom, placing a hand on the middle of her back to guide her there.

“I don't think that's a good idea right now.” I grab a T-shirt and a pair of thick sweatpants from my dresser and hand them to her, letting her dress before patting the side of the bed for her to sit down. She slips on the pants and turns away from me to put on the T-shirt before joining me. “How about we watch a movie and try to get your mind off things?”

She nods, and I grab the remote from my bedside drawer so she can scan through Netflix and find something worth watching. She leans back against the bed, her feet propped up, and I sit beside her, trying to watch the TV to make her feel more comfortable. I can sense how apprehensive she is beside me, andI know it won't be easy to win her trust back fully, but I'm willing to try.

7

Icouldn't focus during the movie. I couldn't tell you what it was about, who was in it, or what century it was made in. Alexei wanted to put the movie on, and I had no choice but to comply. Now that it's over, I'm glad. I no longer have to pretend to be paying attention to the twists and turns of the story. How the hell did he expect me to get my mind off what I saw?

He might be so used to things like this, but I'm not. I have a heart, and he doesn't.

It's like I've known two different versions of him. The man who asked me out in the café was a gentleman. He was thoughtful and kind and cared about me even though he didn't know me. Something gentle and calm about him made it seem like he would revere life in a way that most other men don't.

But the man who I know now is hardly a man at all. He's an animal, a monster. A hired gun—at least I assume he uses guns. A part of me wonders if he wants to be up close and personal with the victims just to watch the life drain from their eyes. I knownothingabout him.

How the hell could I have been so willing to lose my virginity to him?

I guess I didn't learn much from my sister after all.

She might have dated a lot of assholes and cheaters, but as far as I'm aware, she didn't date any murderers. I guess I won the lottery with shitty men.

“We should get some sleep,” Alexei says, pulling the blankets from under him and gesturing for me to do the same.

I can't stay here. I don't know what he has planned for me or who he works with. If this Dimitri guy knows I was on the scene, I could be a loose end that gets tied up the same way as the guy from the alley.

But right now, I have no choice but to comply with Alexei. He's bigger than me, and he knows how to use a knife. If I have any chance of getting out of this, I need to catch him off guard. So I climb under the blankets and roll over to face away from him. I close my eyes and pretend to sleep.

“We can talk about this in the morning, right?” Alexei asks, leaning on an elbow close behind me while he watches.

“Sure. I just need some rest.” I can feel his eyes on my face while I squeeze my eyes shut and pretend to try to sleep.

He's restless behind me for a while, tapping his foot against the sheet and tossing and turning. Eventually, he tosses an arm around my waist and holds me close. My skin crawls, thinking about how the hand brushing against my skin is the same one that just took a life. It's even worse when I think about possibly being the next one it takes.

After a while, I feel his arm relax, and I wait for about an hour, completely still as I formulate a plan. The only plan I have is to slide out from under his arm and run. I just need to be careful so I don't wake him up. God only knows what will happen if he wakes up and catches me fleeing.

Oh God, he knows where I live. He knows where my sister lives. From there, it's only a stone's throw away from finding out where my mom lives. How the hell am I supposed to get away from this man?

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