THE HITMAN'S CHILD: A Dark Bad Boy Baby Romance Read online

  Vanessa reached for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “It’s just so wrong what they did to you.”

  It took a second for her action and her statement to come together in his mind. “You’re crying… for me?”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry. I hate to think of anyone going through what I went through, and what they did to you was so much worse. I wish I had the capacity to kill sometimes. It might be awful to say that, but I can’t help it. Did you ever fantasize about killing your parents?”

  Hunter chuckled. If she only knew. “Only every night.”

  “I guess they’re lucky that you turned out nothing like them.”

  Right. Lucky that he turned to murder before drugs and wasn’t around to be able to kill them. No doubt he would have eventually if the lowlifes hadn’t done the job for him. Sometimes the desire was still there. He still had wonderful dreams where he got to kill them. Got to point a gun at their heads. Got to beat them to death. Got to cut them and torture them like they had to him.

  Vanessa dabbed at her eyes again and brought him back to the present. She was crying for him. Feeling something for him, because of what he’d been through. Never had anyone cared like that for him. No one ever cared what happened to him. He was always the one brushed aside, forgotten and left behind. Never the one being listened to and cried for.

  He dropped his eyes to the floor. If he had the emotional capacity, he might tear up himself.

  # # #

  “Do you want to dance?” Vanessa asked. Seeing him quiet and sad had made her bold. She felt more comfortable with him than she had with anyone in a long time and she wanted to keep it going, wanted to see how close they could be.

  She got up and went to the little wireless speaker sitting on the TV. She opened the app on her new, pre-paid phone, and started playing music. The sound quality wasn’t good. Nothing like the full sound system she’d had in the house with Jeremy, but it was better than nothing. She stood there, a little awkward, waiting for him.

  He seemed to be considering for a moment, then got up and took her hand. He pulled her close and held her as they swayed. It wasn’t so much dancing as it was the stiff sway of the high school couple at their first dance, but it was the nicest thing she’d felt in a long time.

  For once, she didn’t feel like a mother. She wore no functional-but-not-flattering clothing. She wasn’t wearing the uniform of a school nurse. And she didn’t have on one single bruise that proved she was a survivor. She should feel good about surviving, but sometimes she wished desperately that rather than having made it through, she hadn’t had to make it at all. Being with Hunter made her feel like a woman, not just someone who got away from a horrible situation.

  She was free, and for the first time in so many years she’d lost track, she felt safe. It was a strange feeling. It almost made her wary of it. Too much security could make a person get lazy. She couldn’t afford that. Not when strange vans showed up. But for right now, for this little sliver of time, she could allow herself to just exist in the space of Hunter’s arms, and to be taken care of.

  “What’s wrong?” he whispered in her ear.

  She wiped a stray tear and smiled. “Absolutely nothing. I was thinking how I couldn’t remember the last time I felt safe.”

  “I’m glad. I want to protect you both.”

  She held his gaze and couldn’t get over the look of desire in his eyes. Her own expression must mirror his, because she was warm with wanting him.

  He leaned closer to her, slowly. Her heart raced. He was going to kiss her. It was really going to happen. She closed her eyes and waited. His lips, warm and smooth, pressed against hers. He slipped his mouth over hers, his tongue gently playing at the edge of her lips.

  It felt amazing kissing him. She hadn’t been really kissed in so long. Kissing Jeremy had been a chore, and never pleasurable. He used it as a tool of force, like everything else in their lives. But kissing Hunter was how kisses were meant to be. Soft and pleasant, building the desire in her with every pass of their tongues.

  She opened her eyes to look into his when he finally pulled back from her. Behind him, she caught sight of the clock.

  Vanessa gasped. “Oh no. I have to go.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I had no idea it was so late. I was supposed to pick Opal up an hour ago.” She scrambled to find her purse and her keys.

  Hunter stood where they had been embracing just a moment ago, watching her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have been watching more carefully. I don’t mean to just kiss you and run out, I—”

  “Vanessa.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers again. “It’s okay. I understand. You haven’t scared me off. It would take a lot more than that to keep from coming back.”

  “Thank you. And thank you for a lovely night.”

  “We will do it again sometime.” It wasn’t a question. He wasn’t taking the chance that she might say no.

  “Soon,” she said.

  He followed her out of the apartment and walked her to her car. When she got in, he gave her another brief kiss before closing her car door. She gave him one final smile before pulling away.

  In her rearview mirror, she glanced back as often as she could before she turned and he was out of sight. He had his eyes on her the whole time. Knowing he was looking out for them, especially now that he knew the truth, and knowing he would come back, all made her feel even more safe. If Hunter were around, Jeremy couldn’t harm her, couldn’t take Opal. So maybe she’d just have to make sure Hunter was around an awful lot.

  Chapter Nine

  Vanessa

  Vanessa knocked on Mari’s door, her apologetic expression already on her face. But Mari opened up with a huge smile and ushered her inside.

  “How was your date?”

  Vanessa couldn’t help grinning when she thought of Hunter. “Fantastic. I’m so sorry I’m late.”

  Mari waved her off. “She fell asleep two hours ago. She was so much fun, I’ll look after her anytime. Like maybe the next time you have a date?”

  The smile returned. “There will certainly be a next time with Hunter.”

  “Good. I’m so glad you found someone.”

  “I’ve never felt so safe in my life.”

  “Then I’m even more glad. You need to have that peace, and so does Opal. She seemed very happy to have me call her by her real name, even if she knows I still have to call her Katrin at school.”

  “It’s so good to be able to tell people the truth,” Vanessa said. “I told Hunter, too, and he wants to protect us. It’s strange to feel that, though. To have a man want to keep us safe instead of hurt us.”

  Mari pulled her mouth into a half smile. “Just be glad you’re able to trust like that. My lack of trust has ruined quite a lot of relationships. Probably why I’m still single.”

  “It’s a miracle, really. I have no reason to trust him. And Jeremy was really the only serious relationship I had. Maybe not having a lot of bad experiences has helped me, I don’t know.”

  “Maybe.”

  Vanessa scooped Opal up from the sofa and cradled her against her chest. “Thank you so much. It really means the world to me.”

  “Any time.”

  Vanessa drove home and got Opal tucked into bed, all the while feeling the absence of Hunter. He’d been there, so close to where she was now, and she wished he still was. She undressed slowly, wondering what it would be like to undress for him. The idea of it gave her delicious chills.

  She had just slipped between her cool sheets when her phone rang. A grin broke out across her face and she snatched up her phone from her bedside table, eager to hear Hunter’s voice.

  “Hello?”

  “Well, if it isn’t the little misses.”

  Vanessa’s heart stopped, and she sat up in bed. The room spun around her and a cold sweat broke out across her skin. “Jer
emy.”

  “That didn’t take long, now did it? I found you in under two months.”

  Vanessa’s mouth was dry and she couldn’t think. What did this mean? Where was he? What did he know?

  “You missed our little date, dear. You know how I hate to be stood up.”

  “What date?” Her voice sounded like a haunted version of what it was. Her tongue was thick and stubborn.

  “Our court date. The one where the judge would have given me full custody of my daughter. Convenient that you missed such an important occasion.”

  “You’ll never have her.”

  He laughed a cruel, hardy laugh. It was the laugh he made anytime she said something he didn’t agree with.

  “I know where you are. And I will send the police if you don’t hand her over.”

  She pressed “End” and jumped out of bed. She was shaking so badly, she almost couldn’t get the snap done on her jeans. In her closet was a bag. She’d packed it the day they moved in and hoped to never need it. It held everything they needed to run. Clothing, money, new identification.

  The bag was part one. Part two had only recently been added and she couldn’t believe that it had to be enacted so quickly. If she hadn’t had that conversation with Mari the other day, she would have nowhere to take Opal to keep her safe. She texted the code word to Mari and ran out the door.

  She dashed to Opal’s room and left the door open wide so the hallway light would fill the space. She shook her shoulder.

  “Opal, wake up, baby. Come on, we have to go.”

  “What?” Opal rubbed her eyes and sat up.

  She was about to tell her the truth. That Daddy had found them and was coming for them. But when she saw the look in her daughter’s eyes, the fearful expression, she changed her tactic. She broke into a smile, difficult as it was.

  “I have a super special surprise for you!”

  Her little eyes went wide again, but this time with wonder. “What it is?”

  “You get to have an overnight field trip with your teacher!”

  “Okay.” Opal climbed out of bed. “Are you coming, too?”

  “I’ll take you over there, but I can’t stay this time. Maybe next time we can all have a slumber party.”

  “Can I bring my bear?”

  “Of course you can.”

  “This will be so fun!” Opal was wide awake and running around her room, shoving stuffed animals and toys into her book bag.

  “Okay, baby, we need to go. You have enough.”

  She took Opal’s hand and grabbed her bag with the other, pulling her from the room.

  “Oh wait! I just need—”

  “Opal, no. We’re going NOW.”

  Vanessa failed to restrain the panic in her voice. Jeremy could be coming at any moment, and they didn’t have time to get another stupid stuffed animal. She didn’t mean to yell like that, but in her urgency, it had come out harsh.

  Opal’s lower lip shook and her eyes filled with tears.

  “I’m sorry, we’re going to be late if we don’t go right now, and you don’t want Miss Snyder to be waiting for us, do you?”

  She shook her head and sniffed. A tear dripped down her cheek, and Vanessa bent to give her a quick hug. “I’m sorry I yelled. We’re really late.” She slung the book bag over her shoulder and picked Opal up with her other arm. “Hold on, baby.”

  Opal held on tight and snuggled her nose into Vanessa’s neck. Her throat tightened. If anything happened to her daughter, she’d kill the bastard. Her mind went to Hunter. If she called him, would he come? Would he protect them?

  By the time they got to the car, Opal had recovered. “Maybe we can play Candy Land again. Last time, I won!”

  “That sounds great.” Vanessa threw the bags in beside Opal and jumped into the front seat, then jammed her key in and took off.

  They weren’t off their street yet when she saw the black van pull out behind her. She watched her mirrors, trying desperately to pay attention to what Opal was saying so that she wouldn’t upset her.

  “I’m sure you can play lots of games,” she said. Was there a way she could lose this van? How in the world did someone pull that off? In the movies, it involved lots of fast turns and crazy antics. Far too dangerous with a child in the backseat. Especially when that child didn’t know they were on the run.

  She glanced down as her phone buzzed. It was Mari responding to the text she had sent immediately after hanging up with Jeremy. She’d simply responded with, “I have some,” which was the plan. That response to Vanessa’s initial text of “Orange juice?” would make sense if someone read it, but no one would know what it meant.

  Now that she knew Mari was ready, she could focus on the more immediate problem, if there was one more pressing than another in this horrible situation. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw the van right behind her.

  She tried to think and make a plan. She stopped at the next stoplight and watched. She had her left turn signal on and watched the traffic coming the opposite direction. She waited for the right setup, then, when there was a car close enough, she stomped on the gas and turned right, pulling out in front of an oncoming vehicle. The car honked at her, but she smiled.

  The van couldn’t possibly get out behind her. She made a fast turn at the next road available, then turned several more times until even she didn’t know where she was. She popped in Mari’s address on her phone and took the directions to get there, checking constantly for the van to reappear.

  When she pulled up to Mari’s, she backed in. Maybe if her license plate was hidden, it would be less obvious that this black Honda Accord was hers and not one of the hundreds on the road. She tore open the car doors and got Opal out, then rushed her to the front door.

  Mari was waiting for them, the door already open. “Are you okay?”

  “So far.” Vanessa glanced to the road. No black van in sight. She handed the book bag to Mari and knelt down to hug Opal tight. “You do whatever Miss Snyder says and be real good, okay?”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  “I’ll see you real soon.” She kissed her forehead and held her tight, trying not to lose it. She stood and gave Mari a tight hug. “Thank you.”

  “Go. Be safe.”

  Vanessa dashed back to her car and was on the road in seconds. As she drove, a thought haunted her. She had just told Hunter everything about them. Right before Jeremy showed up. Maybe her previous suspicions of him were correct. Her blood turned cold as she thought that maybe he was the one who had told Jeremy where they were.

  # # #

  Hunter yawned and reached for his phone. Jeremy was calling. Again. How many updates could he give this guy?

  “Yeah?” he said, stretching out on the couch. He’d fallen asleep watching TV.

  “Well, I guess I can understand why you’d be sleeping. I’d be worn out, too, after a night with Vanessa.”

  Hunter sat up. So his suspicions were correct. Jeremy was having him followed. “It was nothing special.” He had planned to play this off as nothing more than part of the job. No ulterior motives whatsoever.

  “Is that how you treat all your dates?”

  “No, it’s how I treat all my jobs. Sometimes I have to use a romantic relationship to get closer to my mark. You don’t want to chance me hurting the child, do you?”

  “Enough of the bullshit! You spent hours with her alone, and Opal was out of the house. You had more than enough time. I’m through with your lies and manipulation. You’re not the only hit man I have on speed dial, you know.”

  “And you think your other man would be able to get the information I’m about to get from Vanessa? Believe what you want, but when she takes off, I’ll be the one she confides in.”

  “Why would she take off?”

  “If she suspects you’ve found her. Do you honestly think she doesn’t have a plan? What do you think I’ve been doing all this time, getting close to her? I don’t expect you to understand how a hit man works, but I do ex
pect you to let me do my job. Now do you want to scare her off and lose them again, or do you want to let me do it my way?” He let his voice be full of anger. That would make it seem more realistic.

  There was a long pause. “Actually, my men have already lost them.”

  “What? What did you do?”

  “I called her. She needed to know it was all over. But they took off. I had someone on them, but she managed to shake him somehow. Now I don’t know where either of them is.”