Hitman’s Pet (Book 3): A Knife to the Heart Hitman Romance, #3

By Heather West

This is book 3 and the finale of A Knife to the Heart Hitman Romance trilogy!

Buying her was wrong. But I did it anyways.

A good man might have let her go.

But I'm not a good man – I'm a hitman.

So I'm going to do what only a very bad man would do:

Chain her down and break her.

MAGGIE

I always thought I'd be scared when I hit rock bottom.

But now that I'm finally here, all I feel is…

Nothing.

Empty.

Numb.

But there's no denying that things are as bad as they could possibly be.

I'm out on the streets in the middle of the winter.

Dumped and kicked out by an abusive, scumbag, drug-dealing boyfriend.

No money. No friends. No hope.

And then – somehow, someway – things get even worse.

BLADE

Have you ever been unable to stop yourself from doing something?

Like your body is moving without you controlling it?

Your mouth is saying things without your consent?

That's what I felt that night.

Like an out-of-body experience.

Maybe it was fate.

Maybe it was karma.

Or maybe it was the fact that the girl on the stage was the most perfect thing I'd ever laid eyes on.

In all my time running the auctions, I'd never once intervened.

The men around me who bought the girls on display were pigs, animals, savages.

But with one raised hand, one fist full of cash…

I became one of them.

I still don't know what came over me.

But now that I'm here, alone with her, with not a stitch of clothing to keep my hands off her glowing skin…

I'm glad I did it.

I'm glad I bought her.

Because even though she's perfect and flawless, innocent and pure…

I'm about to break her to pieces.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sopris Page Press
• Release date: May 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393073314

Book preview

Hitman’s Pet: A Mafia Hitman Romance (Book 3)

By Heather West

Buying her was wrong. But I did it anyways.

A GOOD MAN MIGHT HAVE let her go.

But I’m not a good man – I’m a hitman.

So I’m going to do what only a very bad man would do:

Chain her down and break her.

MAGGIE

I always thought I’d be scared when I hit rock bottom.

But now that I’m finally here, all I feel is...

Nothing.

Empty.

Numb.

But there’s no denying that things are as bad as they could possibly be.

I’m out on the streets in the middle of the winter.

Dumped and kicked out by an abusive, scumbag, drug-dealing boyfriend.

No money. No friends. No hope.

And then – somehow, someway – things get even worse.

BLADE

Have you ever been unable to stop yourself from doing something?

Like your body is moving without you controlling it?

Your mouth is saying things without your consent?

That’s what I felt that night.

Like an out-of-body experience.

Maybe it was fate.

Maybe it was karma.

Or maybe it was the fact that the girl on the stage was the most perfect thing I’d ever laid eyes on.

In all my time running the auctions, I’d never once intervened.

The men around me who bought the girls on display were pigs, animals, savages.

But with one raised hand, one fist full of cash...

I became one of them.

I still don’t know what came over me.

But now that I’m here, alone with her, with not a stitch of clothing to keep my hands off her glowing skin...

I’m glad I did it.

I’m glad I bought her.

Because even though she’s perfect and flawless, innocent and pure...

I’m about to break her to pieces.

Chapter 1

Blade

H ey, you, Maggie said sleepily. She looked up at me from where she’d curled up beside me in the bed. She rested her chin against my chest, right by her hands. She smiled with her beautiful eyes and her red hair.

She fit perfectly beside me in the bed. She made me want to forget everything else that was going on around us, everything that was happening in our lives beyond the walls of the safehouse. Holding her close to me and sharing her warmth, suddenly it was about more than just protecting her. It was about the connection between us.

I kissed her soft lips and reluctantly pulled mine way. I ran a hand through her hair while I re-read the text message that had woken me up in the first place. I wanted to make sure I was reading it right.

The Special Auction is tonight. Meet us at the auction house.

What’s wrong? Maggie asked, sitting up in the bed, pulling herself out of my arms.

Nothing, I groaned. I just have a job to do tonight, I said as I rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed.

Maggie positioned herself behind me, draping her arms over my shoulders and kissing the back of my neck. Her body pressed against my back. Her legs ran along beside mine. Her heat spoke to me, called me back to her. Her energy begged me not to leave the bed, but I had to. Something told me this auction was going to be more important than Vlad realized in solving the problems that were threatening to take everyone down.

It’s another sex slave auction, isn’t it? she asked, and I felt her body sag with disappointment behind me. Her weight shifted as she turned away from me. Her arms and legs pulled away from my body.

It’s not what you think, I told her, turning to try to comfort her.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and pulled the covers up around her. She stared at the bed, just beyond her feet. Her arms were wrapped around her covered legs. What did she expect? She’d met me at one of these things. It wasn’t like they were still new to her.

You know this is what I do. You know I’m the hired muscle. So, even when one is called suddenly, I’m expected to be available, I explained.

Let me guess. You’re going so you can save another helpless young girl who has been unfairly sent to the auction block, she said scathingly.

No, that’s not why I’m going tonight, I said. I didn’t have the energy to fight with her or to fully explain what was happening. I’m going tonight to protect everyone involved, because I have a feeling things are going to get ugly.

I got up and pulled my pants from the floor. I carried them with me to the bathroom, where I used tissues to wipe the memory of her mouth and tongue from my cock before getting dressed. I would have loved to have had more time to enjoy the rest of her body, but time wasn’t on my side.

Another text came in as I walked back into the bedroom.

You’ll be there, yes?

On my way now, I texted back.

Look, I’m going to post someone at your door while I’m gone. They don’t need to know where I am, just that I’m handling some personal business. Stay in the safehouse until I get back. If anything happens, you know how to reach me, I told her, placing a finger under her chin to lift her face so our eyes met.

Yes, I know how to get ahold of you. Good luck tonight, she said in a cold, hard tone. She turned her face back toward the bed, looking away from me again.

I sighed. I couldn’t apologize for what I was doing. I still owed a pretty big debt to Vlad. I was needed at this particular auction more than others, and not just to help the auction run. I was going to be there to keep everyone safe. If someone was planning to make a move against Vlad, this auction was the perfect cover for it.

Downstairs in the front room, I called one of my prospects, a young guy named Danny. He’d been trying to get into the Marauders for a few months. He rode with us, but he hadn’t had a chance to really prove himself yet.

Hey, Danny, I said when he answered the phone. I have a job for you, kid.

Great. What do you need me to do? he asked.

I need you to watch somebody for me. It’s up here at the safehouse at the corner of Eastman and Larkin, I told him.

Now?

Yeah, now. Come on, kid. This is your chance. I’ll be waiting downstairs. I hung up and slid the phone in my pocket.

You know, we’ve got people all over the house, Lydia said from behind the desk across from the stairs leading up to the guestrooms.

I know, but I want eyes almost directly on her, I explained. There’s a lot going on surrounding her.

Ah, got it.

A moment later, we heard Danny’s motorcycle pulling up outside. He came through the door in a rush. I got here as quickly as I could, he said, winded.

Kid, even if you physically ran here, you don’t ever let anyone see you like this. Come on, man. You’re supposed to be tough, I teased him. The room’s up here.

I led him up to the room where Maggie was staying and planted him right by the door.

"Stay here. Do not leave for any reason. If she has to leave the room, I want you to follow her. Check