HIS BABY: A Bad Boy Hitman Romance

by April Lust

  Will she ever forgive me? Evan couldn’t help but wonder as he climbed uphill, his lungs working harder to compensate for the extra effort of his legs. The silhouette of Salvatore’s mansion was clear on the skyline now. Evan followed it like the North Star, as if it were guiding him home rather than to his probable death. So it didn’t matter, really, if Hannah forgave him, because more likely than not he was going to die tonight.

  But somehow it still shook him to his core, thinking about Hannah hating him, even while dead. Even after he switched off the ringer on his phone, he couldn’t help but picture her spitting on his corpse. I abandoned her, he thought. I deserve it. Even though it’s all for her, I will deserve any and all of the hatred she sends my way. But still, he didn’t stop moving, the mansion getting closer and closer with each passing second.

  Soon enough, he was on the property itself. He kept to the trees, careful not to step on any fallen branches or make any unnecessary noise. There were a few guards out front, but not a lot around the perimeter. In the back of his mind, Evan worried that Salvatore wasn’t even home tonight. It was possible he was out partying, maybe living it up at a strip club while his lieutenants hunted for Hannah and Alex.

  Doesn’t matter, he decided, quickly crossing the flat empty space between the house and the trees, walking around the side of the building to find a back entrance. I’ll just lie in wait for him, then. Surprise him when he comes home.

  But when he approached one of the back doors, he felt another wave of guilt crash over him, this time more powerful than any other he’d ever felt. Turn back, a voice in his head insisted as he squatted down next to the door. She cares about you, when you don’t even deserve it. Do you know what a miracle that is, that someone so beautiful and wonderful and strong has chosen you? Turn back. Don’t betray her. Turn back.

  The words hung heavy in Evan’s mind. He couldn’t quite dislodge them or push them away like he had before. I can’t turn back, he tried to argue, but the voice just shouted over him. Turn back, turn back, turn back! He sighed deeply and reached into his pocket for his phone, seeing that she’d called over twenty times at this point.

  But…there was a text message, too, this one directly from Hannah’s phone rather than an unknown number. Evan’s heart stuttered in his chest, fear clogging up his throat as he unlocked his phone. What could make her text him with her own phone? She knew the dangers.

  Evan opened the message and read it, and his blood froze in his veins, turning to ice all at once, all throughout his body. They took Alex. That was all she said, but it was enough. Evan swallowed heavily and put his phone away, straightening his body and tensing up his muscles. He had no choice now. There was no turning back.

  Right when he lifted his head, something cold and hard pushed against the back of his skull, sending chills rocketing through Evan’s body. Somebody was holding a gun to his head.

  “Get up,” the voice behind him spat, shoving the gun a bit harder into the back of his head.

  Evan slowly complied, feeling his heart stutter and then slow within his chest. It was like his flight or fight instinct had immediately switched off, all the adrenaline in his body abandoning him. The man behind him shoved an elbow into his side, urging him forward. Evan walked stiffly to the back door. This place used to be a hotel, Evan thought distantly as the man behind him opened the door and shoved him inside. It’s beautiful, really. A beautiful place to die.

  If only I had gotten rid of Salvatore first, he thought silently as the man behind him pushed him more and more deeply into the golden hallway just inside the converted hotel.

  Maybe it’s not too late, another inner voice argued back. If I get Salvatore out to see me, I could steal the gun from the guard and shoot him. It’d be suicide, for sure, but at least a useful one.

  Evan cleared his throat and addressed the man behind him. “Let me speak to the boss.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” the guard replied in between menacing chuckles. “He’s been waiting to talk to you. Did you really think you could double-cross the man and get away with it?”

  “I didn’t double-cross shit,” Evan said reflexively. There was really no point in keeping his mouth shut now. It’s not like he was going to walk out of here alive anyway. “Your boss is the piece of shit here. If you knew who you were obeying…”

  Maybe I can convince him to drop the gun and walk away, Evan thought. He straightened his spine and cleared his throat again, trying to sound as calm and convincing as possible. “He’ll kill you, you know. As soon as you stop being useful. Why do you think he sent people after me right away? He didn’t want to have to pay me for the job.”

  “A job you didn’t fucking do,” the henchman retorted, stabbing the butt of the gun into Evan’s spine painfully hard. “Save it, asshole. You’re going to die tonight.”

  Evan nodded, more to himself than to the guard behind him. He inwardly debated his options. He could try to grab the gun from the guy now and shoot his way out, but it was too risky. The guard might see it coming and shoot him before he even got the chance. Better to be compliant and calm until the opportunity to hurt Salvatore arose.

  Even if I don’t kill the bastard, I’m going to leave some scars. That much is for sure, Evan swore to himself.

  The guard behind him shoved him to one side of the hall, pushing him in the direction of the last door on the right. Evan did as he was wordlessly instructed, walking through the open doorway and finally plopping down on the chair in the center of the room, clearly designated for him. As soon as the guard pulled the gun back from his head, Evan turned and looked around, trying to gather as much information about the location as possible.

  Back when this place was a real hotel, this had been a luxury room for guests, obviously, with a huge canopy bed opposite the chair and an ornate mirror hanging above a set of drawers on the right wall. On the other side, however, there was a crib in the far corner. Evan’s blood ran as cold as the air outside. This is their old room. This is where he hit Hannah. This is where he hurt Alex.

  There was only one door, only one way in or out, and the guard was standing on the threshold right now, still brandishing the gun. Images flicked through Evan’s mind, images of Hannah planning her escape. How had she done it? She had to have been in this exact position, terrified out of her mind, needing to get past guards with guns in order to save her son. She managed somehow, so Evan had to do the same thing.

  Come on, think, he ordered himself, but it was no use. His brain was slowing down, accepting defeat, shutting off entirely, all of his neurons waving white flags of surrender. It was like he was slipping into a coma, but instead he was conscious and aware through the entire horrible ordeal, just frozen in place, waiting for death to come.

  A second later, voices approached the room, on the other side of the huge hulking guard, who moved aside after a moment to allow someone to walk in. Salvatore, holding Alex. “Who’s a good little boy? Who’s Daddy’s little boy? Hmm? Are you Daddy’s little boy?” he cooed with a sneer on his face.

  Every cell in Evan’s body sprung back to life again all at once. He leapt out of the chair and launched himself across the room at Salvatore, but a second later the guard interceded, knocking him back against the wall with two punches to the stomach. Evan saw another guard, then another enter the room, holding rope. Meanwhile, Salvatore didn’t even look a little frightened or disturbed by Evan’s display of anger. “I’m gonna fucking kill you, you shit,” Evan swore as the two new guards approached him and bound his hands behind his back. Next, they turned to his feet and tied them together, making it virtually impossible for Evan to move.

  “Sure you are,” Sal said, chuckling a little as he stared down at Alex. “Just like you killed Hannah.” Evan strained against the rope binding him, hoping he could bust out with a combination of his muscles and force of will, but it was futile. They were tied way too tightly. But why hasn’t he killed me already? Evan wondered. He’s had me here for too long if he was j
ust going to execute me for my failure. What’s his game plan?

  “I don’t blame you, you know,” Salvatore continued. “She’s a real feisty one, my Hannah. It’s always been hard to keep her in check. I tried to love her, give her nice things, give her everything she wanted. But it still wasn’t enough. And now….now she thinks she’ll find the answer in you? Oh, no, don’t deny it,” Salvatore said, as if Evan had interjected, even though he made no movement to do so. “I can tell. It’s written all over your face. Plus, the only reason you’d come back here to kill me is if you….cared about her,” he said in a mocking tone of voice. “Silly, stupid Evan. You always were just a hired gun, you know, no brains, all muscle. Silly, silly, silly. You should have just run off when you had the chance. Now you’re going to pay.”

  Evan just glared at him, watching as Alex squirmed uncomfortably in his arms. “He’ll never love you, you know,” Evan said, his voice calm and restrained, anger boiling under the surface. “You’ll try for years to control him, just like you did for Hannah, but it won’t work. He’s her son. He’s not yours, not really.”

  That finally wiped the smile off Salvatore’s broad face. He snarled at Evan, stepping closer until he stood right over him. “What would you know about my son?”

  Evan gave a half shrug in his restraints. “Take it from the son of another shitty father. You’ll never find what you’re looking for. You’ll never be happy, Sal.”

  “What, and you are?” Salvatore shot back. “Tied up like a little bitch? You feeling pretty fucking happy now, huh?” He used the arm not wrapped around Alex to slam into Evan’s face, causing Alex to start wailing sharply, piercing the air with his cries.

  “It’s okay, buddy, I’m okay,” Evan said soothingly, trying to calm the little boy.

  “Don’t—fucking—talk—to—my—son!” Salvatore shouted, slapping Evan’s face from side to side in between every word. “Ever!”

  Evan’s face stung with the impact of Salvatore’s blows, but he felt another sensation buzzing around in his head for the first time in years: pity. He actually felt sorry for the sick piece of shit beating him up. He’s never known Hannah. Not really, not deeply, not truly. He’s never known Alex. He’s never known their love, Evan realized. I have. It’s worth dying for. It’s worth it.

  But that one bright spot of happiness started to fade as Salvatore backed away from him and cuddled Alex closer. “I’m so sorry,” Evan whispered out loud.

  “What’s that?” Sal said, stepping forward a little bit again, but not as close as before.

  “I’m not talking to you,” Evan said as rudely as he could. “Alex. I know you can’t understand me, but please forgive me. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I didn’t save you.” The weight of it all crashed down around Evan at once. He’d failed, really and truly this time. He’d failed to keep Alex safe.

  At least Hannah can escape…maybe one day Alex will find her and they’ll be together again, but not me. It ends tonight for me. It’s what I deserve, really, after all these years, Evan thought, a quiet cloud of acceptance sinking down around his head and then dissipating throughout his whole body.

  “Hit him,” Salvatore said to his guards before moving to the back corner of the room to watch.

  Evan barely had a second to brace himself, going limp as one of the guards grabbed him by the chin and punched him directly in the center of his face. He heard something on his face crunch, lines of pain shooting out in every direction. The man smacked him again on the side of his face, then again on the other side. Evan let his head hang down, blood dripping from his nose down onto the floor. Out of nowhere, the second guard kicked the leg of the chair, sending it flying to the ground. Evan’s head smacked against the hardwood floor, the throbbing reverberating throughout his skull.

  “Bring out the knives,” Salvatore directed from the back of the room. Evan could hear Alex crying, but softer now, like the baby’s panic had given way to sadness and resignation. No mark on Evan’s body, no matter how agonizing, could hurt him as much at that.

  The guards pulled the chair back up, taking small knives out of their pockets and waving them in front of Evan’s face. He just blinked at them, refusing to show any fear. So what, Salvatore liked to play with his food before he ate it. Evan wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of screaming.

  “Get his phone out of his pocket,” Salvatore said, and the guards rushed to comply, but then they walked back around the chair and used the knives to cut his hands free, handing him the phone. Evan was so surprised he almost dropped it. What are you playing at, Sal? Evan wondered.

  “You’re gonna call that bitch and tell her where she can see her son,” Sal said.

  Oh. So that’s what this whole thing is about. Hannah. He wants me to bring Hannah here so she can die, too. No fucking way.

  Evan just stared at Salvatore, locking eyes with the evil bastard to show him he wasn’t intimidated. Salvatore’s upper lip curled as he pointed at the guards and snapped his fingers, wordlessly telling them to continue the torture.

  Evan inhaled deeply and shut his eyes, awaiting the sharp ends of the knives. “Fucking traitor,” one of the guards said as he sliced into Evan’s cheek. Evan grinded his teeth together firmly to make it through the pain, trying desperately to avoid whimpering or crying out. At the same time, another knife slid against his knee, cutting through his pants and then into his skin, deeply and jaggedly. A moment later Evan felt thick streams blood slide down his calves and disappear into his shoes.

  “Call her, Evan,” Salvatore said again.

  “Fuck you,” Evan muttered as steadily as he could, speaking through clenched teeth.

  “Do it!” Salvatore screamed, making Alex whimper in response.

  There was silence for a moment, all of the guards evidently waiting for Evan’s reaction, but he just set his jaw and kept his eyes screwed shut, staring as hard as he could at the blank blackness of his own eyelids. Salvatore snapped again, and the cold slickness of the knives appeared on Evan’s wrists. His own lungs betrayed him, sucking in air in preparation for the pain to come. He almost winced as the knives pierced his skin, carving up his arms. I can do this. I can be strong. For Hannah.

  “You can make it stop, Evan,” Sal said. “It’s all up to you. The pain can stop in a second if you want it to.”

  “Fuck. Off,” Evan whispered, his breathing becoming too labored to speak any louder.

  “All right,” Salvatore said. “If that’s the way you want it. I guess we’re doing this the hard way.”

  One of the guards slammed his fist against Evan’s face, once, twice, three, four times while the knives kept digging into his arms. As time went on, Evan’s pants became drenched, sticking to his legs with a mixture of sweat and blood, while his face went numb, barely buzzing with pain with every subsequent punch that occurred. The longer the torture continued, the easier it became, all sensation leaving Evan’s body as he hid deep inside his mind. I’m somewhere else. I’m somewhere warm, with Hannah and Alex. We’re on a beach somewhere. We’re together. We’re safe.

  Outside, in the real world, the blows and cuts and punches became increasingly frequent as Salvatore kept snapping his fingers. But somewhere in the world, Hannah was safe, and that was all that mattered to Evan, at least for the time being.

  “Boss, it’s not working,” one of the guards murmured next to his ear.

  “Fuck it, fine, give me his phone,” Salvatore’s distant voice said from somewhere in the room.

  A moment later, Evan heard a distinct clicking noise and the sound of footsteps before the entire room fell silent. The guards and Salvatore must have left him alone. He struggled to open his eyes, but they were practically sealed shut by the swelling of his nose and forehead and eyelids. Evan sighed deeply, accepting his fate. There was no way out of here, even if the guards did stay gone for longer than a few minutes.

  I tried, Hannah, he thought as the grip of sleep threatened to overtake his mind. Please forgive me. Plea
se. I love you.

  ***

  Hannah

  Hannah stared down at her phone. No response. She didn’t know what she had expected, seeing as Evan hadn’t answered any of her calls either, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from it. At the same time, she felt numb, her entire body feeling blank and neutral and empty. This must be what it’s like to lose everything, Hannah thought. You don’t get sad. You just become an empty vessel, full of nothing.

  She swallowed around a lump in her throat and pressed her head down harder into the pillow. Her head was pounding, but she didn’t really care enough to ask for pills, even though she was still in the hospital. There was no point in making the discomfort stop. The pain would never stop now.