Hitman Daddy by Aster Rae

30

Christian

I kickand scream as the man drags me down the hall.

He leads me outside and thrusts me against something hard.

"Get inside."

I try to get away but it's no use.

He thrusts a blindfold over my eyes and slams a gag in my mouth.

He rams my head against a hard surface and lifts my body into what I presume is the trunk of a car.

Something hisses in the darkness.

A pungent odor fills my nose.

I choke but it's no use and the world fades to black.

***

It's like I've been sleeping for a fucking eternity when the noxious gas wears off.

Firm hands remove my blindfold and two men haul me out of the back of a stretch limo and into a mansion.

I attempt to cry through the gag but the words come out garbled.

The men don't understand me.

Or so I think.

The truth is probably that they don't want to help me.

They're thugs hired to do the Italian man's bidding.

I'm alone.

This is the danger Nikolai warned me about at Michael's wedding.

Didn't Nikolai put me under his father's protection for this?

Either I’m missing part of the equation or Nikolai's family doesn't want to help me at all.

Heaving me into their arms, the two men drag me into a room and strap me to a chair.

A sharp slamming sound fills the air as they shut the door and leave.

I sob into the gag and struggle with my bonds but I can't shimmy the rope loose.

The door opens and the man from earlier walks in.

The Italian.

My stomach sinks.

He smirks as he approaches me and runs his freezing thumb across my cheek.

"Little Christian." His voice is a whisper.

"Let me go," I try to scream. He doesn't understand me through the gag.

"So this is what the fuss is all about. The reason Nikolai threw his life away."

I inhale lungfuls of air the second he rips off my gag.

My heart hurts.

What does he mean I'm the reason Nikolai threw his life away?

"Let me out of here," I growl.

The man laughs devilishly. "I don't think so."

"You have no right to do this to me."

"You're the reason the Antonov family is in danger. I needed to see Nikolai's weakness up close."

Chills course through me as his dark green eyes analyze me.

He's trying to fit me into some preconceived notion of who he thought I was before he abducted me.

Rage grabs me by the throat.

This man is a monster. A criminal.

What the hell does he mean by weakness?

"Nikolai chose me," I spit out. "I'm not making anyone vulnerable."

"That's what you think."

The man retreats to the far end of the dark room and pulls out a tray from the darkness.

He wheels it close to me, brandishing various knives.

The knives are sharp as fuck and I have no doubt they inflict pain.

A shudder of terror pangs through me.

"Tell me what's going on."

My voice shakes but I force confidence.

"That's proprietary,” he says.

He's bluffing.

"I don't care," I growl. "I need to know why you brought me here."

The man laughs. Dark green eyes lock on mine like a venomous serpent.

"Do you even know what Nikolai does for a living?" he asks.

"He's a businessman."

A beat passes.

The man picks up a knife. He hurls it towards my head.

I scream as the blade slices through the air and slams into the wall behind me.

"What the fuck?" I shout.

"Mistake number one. Do not lie to Luca Ricci."

Luca.

Anxiety sinks talons into me.

His name is scary as hell.

But it sounds so familiar.

Has Nikolai mentioned this man around me?

"Next time I'll throw the knife straight into your fucking heart."

I believe him.

"Tell me about Nikolai,” I mumble.

Maybe this will distract him. Maybe changing the subject will give me time to escape.

"Why?"

"I want to know."

"I doubt I have new information,” Luca says. “I imagine he's told you everything about himself by now since you are romantically involved."

"I know he's Mafia," I spit out. My eyes start to sting. "He told me that at his cousin's wedding. But I don't know much else."

This is true.

Nikolai never brought up the details of his profession.

He's done some dark shit but he doesn't share the specifics with me.

The man's eyes lock on mine. "You don't?"

"I barely know him."

I pray my attempt to stall for time works.

"Nikolai's a hitman."

"A hitman?"

"Yes. He's the best hitman in New York City. But you've taken him off his game."

I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood. "Nikolai's not a hitman."

I don't believe a word this man's saying.

Nikolai isn't a hitman.

He wouldn't do that to me.

He wouldn't trick me into being with someone so evil.

Because if this man's telling the truth, I'm in deep shit.

"He killed my brother," Luca says softly.

"You're lying."

"Nikolai's hunted my family for years. He tried to kill me at Crave. He would've succeeded if you hadn't showed up. But Nikolai overlooked one thing. I'm not his only enemy. Nikolai has enemies within his own family."

"How?"

Asking questions is the only way to distract him.

It's the only way to save my life and plan an escape.

"Nikolai's father is sick of his gay son making a mockery of the family name. That's why he sabotaged Nikolai's plans to take me out. He paid me to hunt you down and put an end to this shit so he can get Nikolai back. You can't beg your way out of this one."

Terror chills me. "Why?"

"I've been paid too much money to kill you.”