Page 5 of Hitman's Prize

I’ve never met a man with multiple scars on his face. He’s got one on his chin and another on his eyebrow. If I leaned in and took a closer look, would I see any smaller ones? How would they feel if I ran a finger along each small indent? The temptation is there, silently whispering words of encouragement in the back of my mind.

I don’t reply, but I don’t like being considered a ‘problem’. Be it to a guy who kills for a living or to anyone else really. Knowing a little something about going unnoticed, I can bet he didn’t need a snowstorm to catch my uncle off guard.

Our walk together lasts only another five minutes. When I see a truck parked in between some trees, my nose scrunches. Just to go undetected, he walked all that distance? Sounds like too much work.

He sets me down hardly long enough for the heels of my feet to burn from the fresh snow. Once he’s got the passenger door open, I’m scooped back up and put inside.

“Don’t try to run,” he orders as he drags the seatbelt across my body. His fingers don’t brush against my body, simply clicking the belt in place. “I don’t want to chase you, but I will.”

My heart thumps hard at the promise in his voice. If I tried to dart anywhere, imagining this guy storming after me makes my body flicker to life, burning hot. Despite my skin freezing on the outside, something else is going on inside. Something I’ve never experienced before and can’t explain.

“I don’t have anywhere to run to now,” I whisper as he hesitates shutting the door. Meeting my gaze, I can’t avoid seeing the way his jaw tightens. He’s got a hard-to-read face and I can’t tell what he’s thinking. At least there isn’t pity in that hard gaze, just lingering agitation.

He shuts the door and walks around. Once he’s settled inside, it takes a minute before I can feel the heat blowing from the vents. My hands immediately press against the front for some relief. The heat at my feet is also appreciated.

“Do you have a name?” I ask once my teeth stop clashing together.

He doesn’t answer at first. From his pinched-up expression, I don’t think he wants to say. Well, I need to call my kidnappersomething.

“I’m Samantha, but I go by Sammy.” Watching the windshield wipers knock away the falling snow, I listen to the soothing repetitive sound. When was the last time I introduced myself to another person?

“Javier.” He puts the truck in drive and we’re off, headed toward the unknown.

Javier

She’s shivering despite having the heater full blast. I’m sweating beneath my clothes and I’ve already pulled off my gloves. My coat’s the next thing to go.

“I should’ve made you change,” I grumble more to myself. There are a lot of things I should’ve had her done before snatching her up. Pack a bag, say her goodbyes, etcetera etcetera. Instead, I chose to be an ass and even threw her in some snow out of frustration.

Sammy doesn’t complain when I give her my coat, wrapping it around her body instead. Rather than looking fearful for her life, she’s been staring at me since we’ve been on the road. One long stare shouldn’t make my stomach shrink up with the worries of what’s going on in that pretty mind of hers.

No longer fearing for her life for whatever reason, she hugs my coat closer to her frame. That shouldn’t please me, yet here I am, noticing each time she sighs in relief. I should’ve given it to her sooner.

“What’s your story?” I ask, hoping it’ll give her the excuse to give me a few minutes without having her stare weigh me down. “No one should’ve been in that house.”

I need to know the answer. It’s been bugging me ever since I first laid my eyes on her.

“He’s my guardian. Well,wasmy guardian. Outside of the whole being dead thing, I turned eighteen a few weeks ago.” Shefinally looks away and leans forward to press her fingers against the vents. “I’m sure he planned on kicking me out any day now.”

She sounds sour like she’s hardly mourning after the man.

“Bad relationship?” I should be satisfied with what I know, but more questions keep coming out.

When she’s not screaming, she’s got quite the soothing voice. I could listen to her read a collection of encyclopedias and still enjoy myself.

“Hardly close enough to call it a relationship,” she mumbles to herself. “He just took me in to get his part of my mother’s will. The man is the definition of greed.”

I’m surprised not only by the information but her willingness to tell me.

“You didn’t get anything?”

Her nose scrunches. “I’ve got a savings account that’ll be available to me when I turn twenty-one. Maybe she thought I’d be less likely to blow it on something stupid if I grew up a little. She probably didn’t think I’d have to take care of myself starting from sixteen. The money sounded nice a long time ago.”

She grows quiet for a moment before drawing her knees up to her chest. I try not to notice the way her nightgown doesn’t even try to fight gravity.Eyes up, Javier.

“Sorry, too much information. It’s been a long while since I’ve talked to someone. A really long time.” Her words are muffled against her kneecaps.

Fuck, did Hector leave the woman locked up? This angel is someone who shouldn’t be kept secret. If I’d met her on normal terms, not during a job, then maybe…

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