Page 4 of Hitman's Prize

The guy feels like one big wall of muscle. I don’t think I’m doing any damage to him and my body defies me when I get tired way too quickly. Catching my breath, I try not to notice the strength of his arm against the back of my thighs. He’s holding onto me like he has no intentions of letting me go.

The butterflies are back, swarming my gut in a huge flock. Do I really need to remind myself why this sensation is so wrong? I’m beingkidnapped.

“If you want to kill me, you don’t have to go so far out of your way,” I tell him back, trying my hardest not to let my voice shake. My teeth are chattering, it’s freaking cold out here!

“Not going to kill you,” he growls.Growls!Who is this freaking guy? What kind of power does he have to make my insides clench up at the animalist sound?

Compared to the crisp cold night, his body is a heater. I hate that I’m not trying to peel myself away from him quickly enough. At the same time, I hate that I’ve been caught in a nightgown.

If he’s not going to kill me, what are his intentions? Sell me off to someone who will keep me silent? Horrified thoughts start to form and I’m fighting a battle between putting up a struggle and curling up to the stranger.

“Were you hired to kill my uncle?” I ask after the sound of silence grows too consuming. After watching a handful of dramas, I’m wondering if this guy is a straight-up assassin. How far does this guy plan on walking?

The stranger doesn’t answer. The arm around my thighs tightens as he trudges through a thicker patch of snow. Must’ve hit that one right on the dot.

“Were you hired to kidnap me too?” The question comes out much quieter than I’d like. Honestly, I’m surprised someone would even know of my existence. My uncle wasn’t one who openly talked about me. “Am I going to get sold in the black market?”

He scoffs like I’ve told some type of joke. “No. Didn’t know you were there.”

So what, he decided to kidnap me on his own accord? A cold-blooded killer. What is he going to do to me once we make it to his destination?

You’ve got to fight and get away from this man. Even if he does feel warm, he’s still a bad guy here!

Grunting, I shove my knee into his stomach as hard as I can. I claw and scratch and do whatever I can to break free.

The stranger must be somewhat affected because he leans forward and suddenly, I’m sinking a foot into the snow. Dropped on my back, my nightgown does nothing to save me from freezing.

He looks angry. Even through the darkness, I can see his scowl. Those gloved hands are balled up in fists and shaking like he wants to fight the world. With his show of strength, I’m sure he’d win. I’m defenseless against the brute.

My eyes water instinctively and I cover my face. I’m cold and scared, what does he expect me to do, go with him willingly? I won’t cry. Not in front of this guy. Not while he’s staring down at me with uneven breaths.

Seconds of silence trickle by as I watch the anger slip away and morph into a look of stress, then straight to exhaustion. Does he not actually want to steal me away from that house?

“I wasn’t sent to kill you. If they catch wind of your existence, you will die.” He says the words so calmly it’s startling. Despite the serenity in his voice, his eyes tell a whole different story. He’s like an animal ready to strike at any moment. “I know how their minds work, it won’t be quick. You’ll wish I would’ve been the one to do the job.”

Sniffing, I wipe my eyes. Sitting up, I dust off the snow covering my arms. My poor skin is turning purplish at a terribly fast rate. Hello, frostbite. Goodbye, all the feelings in my body.

“Why would they want to do that?” My question comes out shaky with my teeth chattering. Whoever ‘they’ is, they sound awful.

The stranger curses and picks me back up. Rather than treating my body like some flour sack, he’s cradling me in his arms. The only reason I’m squirming to get closer to him is because of the heat radiating from his chest.

I’m breathing against his throat, sucking in his musky scent. It’s about the only thing around here filling my body with warmth and it’s hardly enough to cling to.

“Because you’ve seen too much.” He keeps trudging forward, unbothered by the chill in the air. That coat he’s wearing looks incredibly comfortable. Instinctively, I’m shoving a hand inside, dragging my palm against his hard chest. Shoving my arm inside followed by my other, I hear him hiss under his breath.

So this kidnapping is now a rescue mission? For all I know, this man is telling me lie after lie. He’s planting a story in my head to keep me from fighting. Though, if that were the case, he looks pretty annoyed by the whole situation.

My breathing slows and I stare at his throat, watching each time he swallows heavily. Despite all this walking, he’s hardlyout of breath. His arms feel so sturdy holding my body like he wouldn’t risk dropping me a second time. I think he’s learned his lesson after the first time. My body is wet and definitely soaking his clothes.

Snow is falling heavily, making it impossible to see what’s in the distance. We’re supposed to have a snowstorm passing through and I think we’re caught right in the middle of it. Did the man know ahead of time or does he have as bad of luck as I do?

“You’ve picked the worst night to do this,” I mutter under my breath. Wiggling closer, I can feel his stubbled cheeks poking at my forehead.

This issowrong on so many levels. Dependent on some hitman, snuggling against his chest like I am.

“Agree to disagree,” he grumbles back. “Perfect time to go unnoticed. This was supposed to be an easy job, quick without any problems.”

He won’t look at me, not even a glance. I shouldn’t want him to look down. Not when he’s got a scary-looking face.

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