Page 19 of Rent a Hitman

When suddenly, a fucking goblin comes flying at me from out of nowhere. A hairless goblin with claws that sink into my neck when he lands.

“Motherfucker!” I hiss, shaking my body violently, hoping to fling him off, but he’s not going anywhere, the fucker. In my surprise, I stumble against the coffee table, whose legs scrape across the floor, before I finally manage to shake myself free. Klaus darts away, and good thing. He’s making me rethink my policy against killing animals.

“Who’s out there?”

Shit. It’s too late to run. She’s already coming out of her room, holding something in one hand. “I have a weapon. Go, now, before I use it!”

She flips the light switch on the wall, and now there’s nothing to do but watch as recognition washes over her. “You?”

9

AINSLEY

No, this isn’t happening. I’m still sleeping. I haven’t been able to get Talon out of my head for days—of course, this is a dream about him, that’s all. I’m going to wake up now.

“What are you doing?” he asks once I start squeezing my eyes shut and opening them, then squeezing them shut again.

“I’m waking up. I’m waking myself up.”

“You’re not asleep.”

That’s not what I want to hear. “If that’s true, you just broke into my apartment.”

“Yeah, and you came out wielding a hair dryer. What was that supposed to do? Blow-dry me to death?”

Holy hell, this is real. He wouldn’t get snarky with me in my own dream.

I drop the blow dryer and make a run for it before I know what I’m doing, scrambling for the front door. I don’t know what I’m thinking or what I plan to do. I only know I need to get out of here, now.

He reaches me before I can open the door, and once he’s got an arm around my waist and a hand over my mouth, there’s nothing I can do. He’s too big, too strong, and all the kicking and swinging of my fists in the world doesn’t make a difference. I might as well be fighting a brick wall.

“Stop it.” He doesn’t sound angry as he carries me back to the bedroom. Irritated, if anything. “You’re wasting your time, and there’s no reason to fight me.”

He lowers me to the bed with his body half draped over mine. His hand is still over my mouth by the time he nearly touches his lips to my ear. “I didn’t come here to hurt you. There is nothing to be afraid of.” I can only squirm and groan behind his hand. Who is he trying to kid? You don’t break into a woman’s apartment in the middle of the night, then act like this is just a normal visit.

“I don’t want you to be afraid. I can explain all of this—and I want to trust you. Can I trust you? If I take my hand away, will you promise to listen and not scream or throw a fit?”

Can I promise that? Do I want to test this man? That’s the real question. If he’s willing to break into my place and sneak around, what else is he capable of? How could I have been so wrong about him? Tears well up in my eyes, then trickle onto his hand.

“Ainsley.” He sounds like a disappointed father. I should know since I’ve heard enough disappointment. “I would rather hurt myself than ever hurt you. I know that isn’t easy to believe right now, all things considered, but it’s the truth.”

The thing is, I want to believe him. Plus, I can’t fight him and risk having him lose his temper. I nod in agreement, and as promised, he lifts his hand away.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper. I’m frozen in fear, almost sick with it. Now would not be the time to throw up all over the place. Though if it gets him off me, maybe I should consider it.

“I wanted to see you.”

“You know there’s such a thing as a phone, right? I gave you my number when I booked the wedding.”

“I know that. But… I wanted to see you now. It’s not easy to explain.”

“Give it a try.” No, I probably shouldn’t give him attitude, but now that my first rush of fear has passed, anger is taking its place. Rage. This is my home, the one place I should feel safe.

He was the one person who ever made me feel safe. Safe to be me with no apologies, no hiding. Now he’s taken that from me, and I’m supposed to be happy about it?

He sighs. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head for a minute since Saturday.”

I really wish my heart wouldn’t skip a beat. I have to stop myself before I do something stupid, like blurt out that I haven’t been able to get him out of my head, either. I can’t encourage him.

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