But this….
The little boy covered his mouth in an attempt to hold back his giggles as he crouched lower in his hiding spot behind the fur coats.
They’d told me that the target had a severe peanut allergy. What they’d failed to inform me was that I was supposed to kill a fuckingchild.
“Alisa,” Kiril’s voice was more urgent in my ear. He was aware that the consequences would be deadly if I didn’t succeed on this mission. “Just brush the peanut residue against his sippy cup, and then get the fuck out of there.”
Sippy cup.
The boy wasn’t even old enough to have a normal cup, and yet the Pakhan had ordered me to kill him. How was this supposed to be okay? How could I even live with myself if I killed a defenseless child?
The boy’s big blue eyes met my own, and his lips swelled into a mischievous smile that showed off more of his baby teeth. What kind of person orders someone dead when they haven’t even been given the chance to grow adult teeth?
His eyes stayed locked on my own, a curious glint shining now.
“Do it, Alisa!” Kiril’s agitation was apparent.
But I couldn’t stop staring at those eyes, because it was like looking into a mirror from my childhood. Before my father had started beating me, before I knew what it was to fear everyone around me, before my innocence had been shattered.
In that moment, I knew beyond a doubt I could lure him over, and stage it so that it looked like he’d gotten into some peanuts. With his mom still engrossed in her phone I could get away before anyone noticed.
Instead I walked away, knowing with each step out of the department store that my life would now be forfeit.
I’d had no idea my brother would be the one to pay the ultimate price.
Tears were streaking down my cheeks as I blinked away the memories. Even as the room came into focus, those big blue eyes still haunted me.
I bit down hard on my cheek as I scrubbed at the trail of liquid winding down my face. If I failed this mission to kill Selene, I’d never see Dmitri again. I’d never nestle into his arms again while he whispered absolutely filthy things in my ear. I’d never be able to tell him how much I loved him, how he changed my life.
Footsteps padded into the bedroom, and two voices drifted towards me.
“How are you feeling, Selene?” I recognized the voice of Sebastiano Amato.
“I don’t know,” Selene responded, and I prayed that her pregnant body didn’t need the bathroom.
If anyone saw my tear-streaked face, there’d be questions that I couldn’t afford to answer. I swallowed, and discreetly double checked the bathroom door was locked.
“Come here, baby.”
Moments later, a bed creaked.
Oh for fuck’s sake. If one of the last things I ever heard before I died was the sounds of their fuck fest, I’d haunt them for the rest of my existence.
Instead, the soft sound of a sob creeped towards me.
“I’m so scared, Sebastian,” Selene said. “I don’t know the first thing about raising a child. All I’m good at is killing people, not-”
“Selene,” he interrupted her in a soothing voice. “It’s going to be okay.”
“How do you know that?” her voice was hysterical.
“Because I know you.” He took a deep breath.“Better than I know myself.”
Selene sniffled, and it sounded like Sebastian drew her further into his arms.
“So I know how protective you are of the ones you care about,” Sebastian said. “Like if someone ever tried to hurt our baby-”
“I’d die before I let that happen,” Selene snarled.
