Page 27 of The Hitman’s Obsession

“That doesn’t mean you get to decide whether my father lives or dies!”

She’s trying to hold back, but I see the tears starting to well up in her eyes. All it does is make me more protective.

“And you don’t get to decide to throw your life away!” My voice belts out louder than I’d meant it to.

“I’m not throwing my life away!” she snaps back. “You’re going with me. And you’re a big, strong, lethal man, aren’t you? You’ll protect me, right?”

She’s right, but her tone digs right into me. It’s like she’s using my own strength against me. A growl rips up through my chest, and I step right up so we’re only inches apart. The anger in my eyes burns viciously, but Annie just stares right back at me.

She’s provoking me. Forcing me to act on who I am.

The killer. The hitman.

There has to be another way, but I don’t see one. I can’t lose Annie, and Annie can’t lose her father, even if he is the reason we’re in this mess to begin with.

“Fine,” I rumble. “But we do this my way. Got it?”

She nods, gnashing her teeth at me. “Fine!”

She turns to her clothes, but I grab her by the arm and pull her back to me. I can’t believe I’m about to do this, but the urge has been welling up inside me for a while now. I woke up twice during the night and just stared at her, thinking about how and when to say it.

But now I know there will never be a perfect time. Hell, I might not even get another chance. So I give in. I let go.

“I love you, Annie.”

Those words should feel so foreign on my lips, but saying them to Annie feels more natural than breathing. Her beautiful face softens. Her soft pink lips part, and she falls into my arms. I cradle her like the treasure she is, pressed against my chest, and run my fingers through her hair.

“I love you too, Roman,” she cries. “I love you.”

Words I never thought I’d say or hear. Fate brought us together; now I have to keep us alive. And I will. No matter what it takes.

“I won’t lose you, Annie. I promise.”

Thirty minutes later, we’re pulling into the back of an old rug shipping warehouse. I park at the end of the lot, keeping our distance. Jimmy is a shifty son of a bitch. I’ve worked for him long enough to know not to trust him. So I do a scan of the area before even thinking about getting out.

The roof looks clean. No dense cover for snipers. No extra cars anywhere. Just Jimmy’s SUV and a black sedan that belongs to another one of his guys. Frank the Tank, they call him. He’s a big bastard. A little bit crazy too.

“Remember. Stay behind me,” I tell Annie, my hand on her thighs. “And if I tell you to run, you run. As fast as you can into the trees. And you don’t stop until your legs don’t work anymore. Understand?”

“I understand.” She nods. “But, Roman. What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. This is what I do. I’ll be fine.”

It’s a lie, and she’s smart enough to know it, but it’s what she needs to hear. What we both need to hear. We need to see ourselves getting out of this shit unharmed and walking off into the sunset together. Nothing good ever happened from envisioning your own death.

I check the Glock in my waistband. Safety off. Three shots fired back at the cabin. That leaves twelve in the magazine. If everything goes right, that should be more than enough.

But I sure wouldn’t mind a machine gun right now.

Jimmy emerges from behind his truck and raises a hand from across the lot. There’s a man with him. He shoves him down into the dirt, kicks him, and aims a pistol at his head. I’ve never seen the guy before, but there’s no doubt who he is.

“Dad…” Annie whimpers.

“Time to go,” I reply, squeezing her thigh. “Remember. Stay behind me.”

I half expect to be dodging bullets as we step out of the truck, but Jimmy just keeps his eyes on us as Annie takes her position and we walk over to him. Frank the Tank comes around from behind the SUV. He’s holding a pistol in one hand and has a strange smile on his face.

“Annie!” Chuck cries out when he sees her. “I’m so sorry, honey—”