Hitman's Lies: A Bound to the Hitman Romance, #2

By Heather West

Hitman's Lies is book 2 of A Bound to the Hitman Romance trilogy. Book 3, Hitman's Wife, is available everywhere now!

He had my name on his hit list.
But I couldn't leave my baby without a mother.
So I made him a deal:
Take my body. Leave my baby.
And to my horrified surprise… he accepted.

I always knew my ex was a crazy S.O.B.
But hiring an assassin to murder me in my sleep?
That's more than insane. That's downright evil.

But there's no stopping it now.
And when the hitman kicks down my door, I know I'll do whatever it takes to protect my little angel.

The only problem is, I have no bargaining chips.
Except for one thing…

My body.

I can tell by the way the killer looks at me that he wants a taste.
I've sworn off men since my ex abused me.
But I'll break any promise if it means my baby survives.

The sickest thing of all is that part of me WANTS the hitman to take me.
Those hands have done dirty things.
And I want to see what they can do to me.

Submitting to him is the sweetest sin I've ever committed.
But Evan's employer doesn't take kindly to a failed job.
And just as soon as I fall into the hitman's arms, we have to go running for our lives.

It would be cute if it wasn't so terrifying.
Like a little family on the road – me, my man, and my baby.

But if his employer's men catch up to us…

There will be hell to pay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sopris Page Press
• Release date: Nov 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781393278559

Book preview

HITMAN’S LIES: A Bound to the Hitman Romance (Book 2)

By Heather West

I’LL GIVE HIM MY BODY IF IT WILL PROTECT MY BABY.

HE HAD MY NAME ON HIS hit list.

But I couldn’t leave my baby without a mother.

So I made him a deal:

Take my body. Leave my baby.

And to my horrified surprise... he accepted.

I always knew my ex was a crazy S.O.B.

But hiring an assassin to murder me in my sleep?

That’s more than insane. That’s downright evil.

But there’s no stopping it now.

And when the hitman kicks down my door, I know I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my little angel.

The only problem is, I have no bargaining chips.

Except for one thing...

My body.

I can tell by the way the killer looks at me that he wants a taste.

I’ve sworn off men since my ex abused me.

But I’ll break any promise if it means my baby survives.

The sickest thing of all is that part of me WANTS the hitman to take me.

Those hands have done dirty things.

And I want to see what they can do to me.

Submitting to him is the sweetest sin I’ve ever committed.

But Evan’s employer doesn’t take kindly to a failed job.

And just as soon as I fall into the hitman’s arms, we have to go running for our lives.

It would be cute if it wasn’t so terrifying.

Like a little family on the road – me, my man, and my baby.

But if his employer’s men catch up to us...

There will be hell to pay.

Chapter 1

Hannah

I hate to ask this , Hannah said as she pulled her hair down from the big bun on the top of her head. But could you just...make sure he doesn’t touch any of the guns while I shower really quick?

Evan looked up from the week-old newspaper. He liked to play the Sudoku and crossword puzzles. They helped organize his thoughts, and God knows he needed clarity if he was going to carry out his plan. He just nodded and smiled at Hannah, who quickly ran to the bathroom to shower. The baby was asleep in a pile of blankets on the floor, breathing loudly but evenly.

He heard the sound of the shower turning on, and his mind involuntarily conjured up an image of Hannah out of her clothes. Evan immediately berated himself inwardly for the mental transgression. She’s been through enough without you being sleazy and gross, he told himself. But still, it was hard not to think about it. Her tight, young body under the water, getting wet...

Okay, clearly he needed to focus on other things. He couldn’t exactly innocently explain away a boner if Hannah suddenly walked back into the room without warning. Evan got up and started walking around, careful not to make too much noise and wake the baby. But inside, his thoughts were running a marathon, going ninety miles per hour. He needed to make a decision. Do I tell Hannah about my plan, or do I just keep it to myself until it’s done?

He needed to stay with Hannah until she left the country with the baby, that much was obvious. Was there a way he could sneak off with an excuse while she and Alex stayed here? Maybe they could remain safe, without anybody knowing where they were, while Evan went back to Salvatore’s and killed him. Then they could all make for South America and...

And then part ways, he thought. The notion made him feel a sinking sensation deep in his stomach, but it was what was going to happen, right? That was probably what Hannah wanted, to be free of any and all reminders of her time with Salvatore. It was what she deserved.

In any case, Evan figured, he needed to kill Salvatore as soon as possible. It was the best thing to do to make sure Hannah and Alex were safe. As long as he’s alive, he’ll never stop hunting them, Evan thought. But inside he was aware that it wasn’t just a matter of expediency. He wanted to do it. That was a new feeling for him. In the past, whenever he carried out a hit, it was strictly business. Get in, get out, finish the job as best you can. He’d never enjoyed it, not really. But with Salvatore, he knew it would bring him a level of satisfaction that he’d never known, to wipe at least one piece of disgusting scum off the planet.

Can you teach me to shoot today? Hannah asked as she reentered the living room, squeezing her hair with a towel to get the moisture out.

Evan jumped a little, surprised that she’d finished her shower so quickly. That was fast, he commented.

Mothers do everything faster than normal people, Hannah said by way of explanation. She stepped closer to Evan before shaking her head like a dog, hitting him in the face with water. Sorry, she said, but the grin on her face told him that she wasn’t feeling particularly apologetic.

He smiled back at her, and he could feel his mood changing from serious to light-hearted again. Somehow, despite everything Hannah had been through, she had a way of doing that, making him feel lighter. You want to practice shooting? he asked.

Hannah nodded. In case something happens, you know. It’d be useful if I knew what I was doing. If I tried to shoot anybody right now I’d probably just end up hurting myself.

We don’t want that, Evan said without thinking. Okay. Um. Maybe we’ll do it on the back patio. That way we can watch the baby while we’re practicing.

Hannah nodded and picked Alex up, swaddling him more securely in the blankets that cushioned his small body. They crossed the length of the house, passing through the kitchen to get through the back door. Evan undid all of the locks and chains before grabbing the kitchen gun, a long, thin rifle with a layer of dust on it. He really needed to clean up around the cabin more often.

Evan gestured at one of the deck chairs, and Hannah put Alex down, making sure the chair was far enough away for the noise not to harm the baby, and that it was secure and wouldn’t rock or fall over. Okay, Hannah said. What first?

First, you just watch me, Evan said.

Hannah’s nose scrunched up in frustration. I’ve seen people shoot before.

He almost laughed at how eager she seemed to shoot, but he held himself back, not wanting to offend her. Just watch me do it once, and then we’ll give you a shot.

Hannah sighed and nodded, a serious look spreading over her face as Evan lifted the gun and pointed it at a tree near the house. Evan slowly placed his finger on the trigger, pausing in between each step so that Hannah could get a good look at what he was doing. Then, he fired, knocking a branch off the tree with a loud bang.

Evan was sure the noise was going to wake the baby, but he merely shifted in his blankets and smacked his lips. He wondered whether Alex was used to loud noises at this point in his life, and he felt waves of sadness crash over him at the thought. Over the next few minutes, Evan went over basic gun fundamentals with Hannah before handing her the weapon. Safety was first. He taught her how to pick out a target space that wasn’t likely to bounce the bullet back off and ricochet in her direction.

After a half hour or so of lecturing and demonstration, Hannah was beginning to get impatient. Is it my turn yet? she asked.

Evan smiled at that. He couldn’t help himself. Yes, it’s your turn. You ready for it?

Oh, yeah. Born ready, Hannah said. Well, maybe not born ready. But, I’ve been ready for a really long time.

Okay, next rule of shooting, Evan said as he handed the gun off to her carefully. Don’t overthink things. Just act.

Hannah blew out her breath and pointed the gun at the nearest tree. That’s a bit difficult for me, man.

I know, Evan said, as if he’d known her forever. But you can do it. Just exhale and pull the trigger.

Hannah did as instructed, but the bullet missed the tree entirely, whipping past it into the woods and hitting something else out of sight. Shit, she muttered under her breath.

Evan rushed to reassure her. No, no, that’s okay. That was really good for a first try.

Hannah shook her head at him but didn’t say anything in response, lifting her gun again to fire at the tree a second time. This time it hit, but it mostly skimmed the side of the trunk rather than hitting it in the middle. Fuck! she cursed, immediately squeezing the trigger again to try to do better. But this time, it missed the tree entirely again. Shit, shit, shit.

Evan could see how tense she