Sold to the Hitman by Logan Chance
Sixteen
Blue
The way Steeleand his men stare at me like I’m some piece of property to be claimed makes my skin crawl. The sight of Frank holding a gun to Titan confuses me. I want to shout at him and ask him what he’s doing, but I need to figure out what’s going on first.
It’s obvious I put my trust in the wrong man.
They plop Gunner down into the chair in the middle of the room, and my mind races. Why is Frank involved in this?
Steele circles the cage like a rabid beast waiting to be fed. “Let’s get down to business,” he pauses, “so I can have my pretty little plaything all to myself.”
My eyes meet Titan’s. It’s almost like he’s trying to tell me that won’t happen.
“Gunner, I’m tired of buying women at a huge markup. I’d much rather run the operation all on my own,” Steele says.
“Like you could. Where would you even get the women?” Gunner asks as the nameless men who kidnapped me bind his hands behind his back.
Steele scoffs. “Frank’s been bringing you women for years. And I just made him a better deal. That’s why we devised this little plan to get you in our grasp.”
Tears fill my eyes as I glance at Frank.
Titan pushes forward. “You asshole.”
“Hold him back,” Steele says to Frank. “You weren’t supposed to be involved.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Titan drawls out.
I’ll most likely be dead by the time the sun rises tomorrow morning, and I can’t help but want Titan to know that I’ve fallen for him. The thought of dying without Titan knowing how I feel is killing me slowly.
“Titan,” I call out.
Steele kicks the cage, the pain from it silencing me. “Shut up, you bitch.”
I want this all to end… quickly.
Titan mouths something to me. I concentrate on his lips, the contours of his mouth as he tries to communicate with me.
I shake my head, unable to make out what he’s trying to say.
“So, it was you who ordered the hit on me?” Gunner asks Steele.
Steele laughs. “Yes, but when it was clear Titan wouldn’t be fulfilling his duties, we decided to do the job ourselves.”
“Give me a gun and I’ll finish it right now,” Titan shouts.
Always the hero. But this is not the time or place to be that hero. We need to figure out a way out of here, and so far, I’ve got nothing.
I can barely even move.
“Stop talking now, Titan. You’re here to watch. I’m not stupid enough to give you a gun.” Steele stares at him.
Titan shakes his head. “You’re gonna have to kill me.”
Steele laughs. “That’s the plan.”
“Titan, no. Let me handle this,” Gunner’s gruff voice booms from the office chair.
All eyes are on him as Frank moves closer to my cage. I guess he feels Titan would be an idiot to make a move right now with all these people around.
“You were fun to manipulate,” Frank says with an evil snarl that makes my stomach churn with acid. “You believed every word I said.”
“You make me sick,” I spit out.
“If it weren’t for that man over there, you would have been sold to Steele. And there wouldn’t have been a damn thing you could have done about it.” He laughs.
Steele laughs along with him. “I have to thank you, Titan. Now I get her for free.”
Titan rushes forward, grabbing a knife from an ankle holster. He slices Frank’s neck right before my eyes and an involuntary scream escapes me. Before anyone even knows what’s going on, or can react to it, Titan’s got a hold of Frank’s gun and has already put two shots into Steele’s chest.
Another man enters the room, taking out the other men. Bullets fly through the air and I close my eyes, holding onto myself to stay safe.
The room goes silent as the man steps further into the room. “All clear, Titan?” the man shouts.
“All clear,” Titan says back, aiming his gun at Gunner, who is still tied to the chair in the center of the room.
“Listen,” Gunner tries to shift in his seat, “take the girl. I won’t say anything. You can live out your days with her.”
“And you go back to trafficking women?”
“What do you care?”
“No. There’s one thing you never got around to teaching me.”
“What’s that?” Gunner asks.
“Morals. There’s no way we’re letting you go.”
“Rogue, Titan, I’ll pay you.”
The man must be Rogue, Titan’s boss. Titan and Rogue laugh. “Money we’ve got,” Rogue says. “I can’t believe you went dirty.”
Gunner stares at the older man. “I can’t believe you think we’re that much different.”
Rogue steps closer to Gunner, leaning over to stare him directly in the eyes. “I’m nothing like you. I would never hurt an innocent soul.”
Rogue grabs his phone, putting in a call to someone.
Titan holsters his gun and moves over to the cage I’m trapped in and fiddles with the lock, then turns to look for a key in Frank’s pockets.
Titan kneels, unlocking the lock but glancing over his shoulder at Rogue. “What are you going to do with him?” He opens my cage and helps me out.
Rogue shrugs. “Not sure yet.”
“I never thought I’d see you again.” I wrap my arms around Titan’s waist and squeeze him as tight as I can. “You saved me. Thank you.”
His strong arms wrap around me in an instant, and he nearly lifts me off the floor. “I’d never let anything happen to you,” he says against my ear.
“Take her home,” Rogue says. “I’ll call some men to help me clean up this mess.”
“I’ve never been one to let someone clean up after me,” Titan says.
“Go. Take her out of here. She doesn’t need to see any more of this.”
I stand on my feet, letting my arms fall to my sides. “What about all the women? All the women Gunner was selling?”
Rogue rubs a hand along the back of his neck. “I promise you, we will get to the bottom of it all.” He tosses Titan a set of keys he grabbed from Gunner’s pockets.
Titan nods, lifting me off the ground like a bride he’s about to carry over the threshold. Instead of carrying me over the threshold of a new home, he carries me out of the warehouse and into the back of an SUV.
“Whose car is this?” I ask.
“Gunner’s. I’m sure he won’t mind if we borrow it.”
It’s been nearlya month since the night Titan saved me.
Since the night Titan saved us all. True to their word, Rogue and Titan got the information I needed to write up an article on the whole operation.
The station still can’t believe they ever trusted a man like Frank. Many people from my work have come forward with stories about him abusing his power.
I feel like a naïve idiot. All the clues I found were ones he set me up to find. I thought I always had a keen eye for reading people, but Frank pulled one over on me, promising me fame and glory if the story ever broke. Well, that’s one thing Frank didn’t lie about during his scheme.
Since publishing the article, I’ve received some national media attention, and there’s even mention of a book deal headed my way.
I have to thank Titan Henry, though. Without him, none of this would have ever been possible.
None of it.
“You home?” I ask as I shut the front door to Titan’s house.
“Back here,” he says.
I head in the direction of his voice, back near the kitchen where he’s preparing something that smells fantastic. Basil floats through the air and garlic entices my nose in a way that has me salivating over the pungent smell.
“What are you making?”
“I’m trying a simple pasta sauce with my herbs from the garden. I’m trying to get a good flavor profile for a new spice blend I’m working on.” He kisses me on the top of my head as I stare into the pot on the stove. “I see the key worked.”
I smile up at him. “Like a charm.” Titan gave me a key to his place, pleading for me to move in with him.
Obviously I’ll say yes, just haven’t told him yet.
“Did you bring the wine? Rogue and some of the guys will be here shortly.”
I hold up the bottle of Pinot Noir I spent a good thirty minutes searching the liquor store for because I’m nervous about having dinner with Titan’s friends and old co-workers. Basically, dinner with a bunch of hitmen.
I feel like I will be one of the safest women on the planet tonight, but still my nerves are all over the place.
Not for fear of these men, but fear of them not accepting me. Or liking me. I want to make a good impression.
So, while Titan tends to the meal, I step outside and survey his lush garden, looking for fresh flowers. I spot a rose bush in the corner and bring the clippers from the side table that holds all of Titan’s gardening supplies.
I snip off a few red buds and bring them inside.
“You didn’t need to get me flowers,” Titan says with a laugh.
“They’re not for you. They’re to spruce up the place.”
Titan grabs a crystal vase from under his sink and fills it with water. He sets it on the counter, and after I stuff it with roses, I carry the arrangement into the dining room, placing it in the center of the dark table already set with white dinnerware and lit candles.
It’s intimate and looks amazing.
The doorbell rings, and I smooth my hair in the mirror in the entryway, making sure I look presentable for the people I’m about to meet.
“You look perfect,” Titan says with a kiss to the top of my head.
He opens the door and the first face I see is Rogue’s. He has a wide smile, and enters with a kiss to my cheek. “How’re you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“This is Merrick and Cash.” Titan introduces two men standing with Rogue.
“Hi, how are you?” I extend my hand for them to shake.
Cash, with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen, takes my hand in his giant one. “Pleasure.”
“Please, come inside.” I lead them back to the living area as we wait for more men to arrive.
After a few more minutes, the house is filled with so much testosterone I can feel the effects wearing off on me as I drink my beer straight from the bottle. Normally, I’m not really a beer type of girl, but when bulky men hand you a beer, you take a beer.
Everyone has been so nice.
Everyone has been so normal.
“I like your friends,” I tell Titan.
He smiles. “Yeah, they all like you too.”
I beam with pride, knowing I’ve gained the approval of his friends. Not that Titan appears to be a man who cares about having their approval. But it helps.
We eat and drink. The men share stories about Titan, and I laugh the whole night away.
Later, when everyone has left, and it’s just me and Titan, I snuggle up close to him. He kisses the top of my head, which I’m learning is one of his favorite things to do.
“I’d like to live with you,” I tell him, giving him the answer he’s been waiting for.
“Actually, you waited too long to answer so I’ve taken back my request.”
I stare into his dark eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, now I want to know if you’ll marry me?” He moves from the couch, kneeling before me, producing a black ring box from his pants pocket. He opens it and shows off the biggest blue diamond I’ve ever seen. “Blue, I’m in love with you. There’s no point in trying to take things slowly when I know what I want. And what I want is you. As my wife.”
I grin wide. “Yes.”
“I mean, I paid a pretty penny for you. I guess you could say you kind of have to marry me.”
I pretend like I’m shocked at his words. “Hey, you do not own me.”
He smiles, his brow rising a bit. “I never got my refund, so I kind of think I do.”
I slap his bicep playfully. “Well, what are you going to do with your property tonight?”
“Oh, I have lots of naughty ideas.”
He stands and slides the ring on my finger.
I love the way it feels on my hand. He may not own me in a monetary sense, but he owns my heart and soul. I couldn’t have written a better ending myself.
Journalism's first obligation is to the truth.
And the truth is—I love him.
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