Broken: A Bad Boy Hitman Romance (Guns and Glory Book 3) Page 23

  That was okay. I couldn’t deny her that, too.

  Next, I turned to Joshua. Part of me wished he would be conscious for this. That he would see me, the very last thing he would ever see, as I raised the gun to his head and got ready to pull the trigger.

  The rest of me didn’t care. I had made him suffer, made him bleed, and that was enough. Enough only because now he would be dead. Neither he, nor Logan, could ever hurt anyone ever again.

  I fired. Madeline flinched again. Then it was done, and we were left standing in the eerie, echoing silence of the place. I was aware of how much she’d been through tonight, and I commended her silently for her bravery. Lesser women would not have fared so well.

  She was strong, though, and it made me cling to her all the tighter.

  ***

  We drove back to the motel first. I was going to take her home, but acknowledged that there was cleanup to be taken care of. Mickey had guys for that, though I rarely required them. I was usually very clean, efficient, but this particular job had turned out to be messier and much more complicated than I ever could have predicted.

  Madeline dozed on and off during the drive. I had the heat turned up full blast, making sure she stayed as warm and as comfortable as possible. She’d been shivering as we left the warehouse, though it was impossible to say if it was due to cold or lingering aftershocks of her endeavor. It was likely the latter, I admitted to myself.

  I made a point to stop a couple of different times to allow her breaks—for the bathroom, to get drinks or snacks, or even just to walk around and stretch her legs—since we were so far from the city. She likely just wanted to go home, but there were things I had to take care of and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable anyway.

  We pulled into the driveway of the Market Town Inn. As far as I could tell, nothing had changed since the last time I’d been there. I peeked into the lobby and saw the same attendant was there, but now his head was tipped back, his magazine slipping off his lap, and his mouth hanging open. He was snoring, fast asleep.

  I shook my head, and ignored him. Madeline followed close behind me as I made my way down the row of doors towards Room #102 where I’d left Shawn tied up and gagged.

  I had told her to wait in the car, but she’d protested. She said she didn’t want to leave me alone, but I sensed it was that she didn’t want to be left alone. She wasn’t thrilled with being in this place, and was probably even less thrilled with finding Shawn. I couldn’t blame her, and I wouldn’t tell her I’d wanted her to stay so I could put a bullet between his eyes, too.

  There had been a lot of bloodshed tonight and I didn’t want her to see any more. So with her at my side, I wasn’t sure I’d go through with it, but it turned out that it didn’t matter what my decision would have been.

  When we reached the room, we saw the door was hanging open again, still attached by only one hinge. I’d closed it—as best I could anyway—and the fact that it was open again meant someone had been in there. Motioning for Madeline to be quiet, I stepped into the room, searching the place.

  The bathroom door was open and I could see already Shawn was gone.

  The gag lay on the floor next to the cord I’d used to tie him up. I sighed a little in disappointment, but found myself not too concerned with the whole thing. He wouldn’t be back. Not ever. And if he did show up, well, I’d just kill him like I should have before.

  “He’s gone,” Madeline whispered, and I couldn’t tell if there was fright or relief in her voice. Maybe she knew what my intentions had been the entire time.

  I put my arms around her shoulders and held her close. “It’s all right. He won’t be back. He’ll never show his face in the city again, not so long as I’m there.”

  She said nothing after that, just let me hold her.

  Chapter 33

  Madeline

  It was only another hour’s drive back to the city, plus a little extra to get to Nikolai’s apartment. I would have maybe argued about going to his place instead of mine, but I was exhausted. It had been a long night, a long day, and a long week before that. Besides, if I were really being honest with myself, I didn’t want to argue.

  I wanted to go home with him.

  But as we headed towards his apartment, pulling into a lower level garage beneath the building, I found a little bit of dread and sadness working its way through me. I didn’t just want to come home with Nikolai tonight; I wanted to go home with him every night. I wanted more from him than just a one-night stand, and I was sure I had made myself pretty clear about that.

  I had told him I loved him, more than anything, and while he’d been sweet and held me—even as he killed Joshua and my brother—he hadn’t returned the sentiment. That knowledge burned inside me, twisting my insides, torturing me.

  I didn’t know what I would do when he tried to let me down gently, told me that, while he clearly wanted something to do with the baby, he didn’t feel that way about me.

  He parked his car and I let out a sigh of relief. I was ready to be out of the car and into bed. I closed my eyes for a moment, leaning my head back against the leather interior, just taking a moment to breathe in and out. A moment later, my door opened, Nikolai holding it and offering me his free hand.

  I blinked at him, but offered a shy smile as I let him help me up out of the car. Still holding my hand, he took me to the elevator that led to his floor. On the ride up, he kept his arm around me protectively—or possessively? —until the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Then he escorted me inside.

  Plopping me down on the comfortable couch, I thought I could sleep right then and there. As though sensing my thoughts, Nikolai told me, “Don’t go to sleep, not yet. We need to get you checked out, make sure you’re all right. Then you can lay down.”

  Though it was difficult, I forced myself to stay seated up right, waiting for him as he headed into the bathroom. My mind flashed to when he’d taken me in the shower. I’d still been a little sore from our first time together—my first time ever—but I’d relished his touch, been eager for it even. He’d been both demanding and sweetly tender.

  I didn’t know sex would feel like that, both rough and soft at the same time.

  Nikolai came back with peroxide, bandages, an ice pack, and a glass of water along with two little white pills. I eyed them suspiciously, but he only smirked at me.

  “Aspirin,” he explained.

  I laughed a little at myself, then remembered again how my throat was sore and scratchy. I gingerly touched my neck, wincing as I imagined how bad it must look. How there were probably marks where Joshua had tried to choke me.

  Nikolai’s eyes turned dark. “The aspirin will help. Here.”

  He gave me the water and the pills, and I swallowed, though it was difficult going down. Still, I knew he was right.

  “I’ll make you some tea in a little bit. The water’s boiling now. It’ll help with the soreness.”

  Before I could tell him I was fine or even try to protest, he fixed me with a pointed look as though letting me know that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not on this. So, I remained silent and did as he said.

  Using a cotton ball and peroxide, he cleaned up the small cuts I’d managed to get throughout the night. Mostly from my struggle with Shawn, I was sure, but I didn’t want to think about that. I looked down at my lap, my face burning. It had been a lot to take in and I wasn’t sure how I was going to cope when Nikolai was out of my life.

  When he finished, putting up the peroxide and the cotton balls, the teakettle whistled. He went up to get it and I knew it was time for me to go. He’d been so kind to me, but I couldn’t take this, not his sweetness and then him breaking my heart. It would just make it hurt all the more.

  So, I stood. I made it halfway to the door, telling him, “I should probably go. I’ll call a cab and—”

  But in what felt like two smooth strides he was in front of me, blocking the door. “Where do you think you’re going?”

 
; “Uh, home. You’ve been really kind, but I should—”

  Again, he interrupted me. “Madeline, you are home.”

  My eyebrows shot up at that, my eyes widening. “You mean...?”

  He let out a small sigh, but a smile tugged at his lips as he pulled me into his strong arms. “I mean I love you and I’m going to marry you, Madeline. You belong to me. I thought I told you that already.”

  I bit my lip, daring to hope. Could he really? Could he love me like that? And then I remembered, the baby. Was this really about me or did he just want to be a daddy bad enough to put up with a little extra baggage like the mother?

  Hesitant, not sure I wanted to know the answer, I let out a whoosh of air and asked the question that lingered on the tip of my tongue, “But…is it me you love? Or is this all just because of the baby?”

  I held my breath, worried, terrified of his answer, but when his eyes darkened and he jerked me to him tightly, pressing me solidly against his chest, I released that breath and a moment later, I couldn’t breathe at all.

  His lips were fused to mine, drinking me in. All the passion in the world was contained in that one kiss, fire shooting through me, embracing me, consuming me. My skin was alight with everything he was feeling—feelings that mirrored my own—and I knew without a doubt that he loved me. Loved me for me and nothing else.

  I felt as though I could drown in him, consumed by passion.

  This was it. Here was where I was meant to be, where I would spend the rest of my life. In Nikolai’s arms.

  THE END

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  Books by Nina Park

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  Bent: A Bad Boy Hitman Romance (Guns and Glory Book 2)

  Caught between a hitman and a hard place…

  Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

  Which one do I choose:

  The kingpin me who wants me dead?

  Or the hired killer wants me bent in his bed?

  TESS

  I take my job as an escort seriously.

  It may not be as glamorous as the movies make it look, but it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble.

  Besides, I’m d@mn good at it.

  After all, I learned long ago how to establish the proper walls to protect myself.

  But then Milo Sykes tore them all down.

  I thought the hitman with the brooding eyes and dangerous grace would be the one to deliver me to a happier life.

  But I was wrong.

  Instead, I find myself tossed around between two vicious drug lords...

  Two killers with very different ideas of what I might be good for.

  MILO

  I’ve got a job to finish.

  A payment to collect.

  I don’t have time to babysit the beautiful piece of a$$ that my mark threw in front of me as a distraction.

  And yet, I can’t resist her.

  After all, Tess is better off with me than with the other hitmen roaming this city.

  The job can wait for just a bit.

  Because, in exchange for her life, Tess has promised to be useful for me.

  And I plan to see just how far she’s willing to go.

  Sinful: A Bad Boy Hitman Romance (Guns and Glory Book 1)

  The mob boss’s daughter is about to learn her place—the hard way.

  A mafia killer, born with blood on his hands.

  The mob boss’s daughter, born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

  Too wrong to let it happen.

  Too perfect to say no.

  VINCENT

  Raised by the mob, I'm a protector, a bodyguard…

  And when I need to be, a ruthless weapon.

  But then I find myself assigned to Alina Costa—my boss's bratty daughter, and the forbidden little minx I would never allow myself to be tempted by.

  Too bad my latest mission throws us both in harm's way, and ensures we'll be spending a lot of quality time together…

  I won't be plied by emotion, and I won't give into the animal whims of my body.

  Alina's going to learn one way or another to respect my authority…

  And I'm prepared to do just about anything to stifle that protesting mouth of hers.

  ALINA

  I came to school to kiss boys and cut loose.

  If I happen to learn something along the way?

  More power to me.

  All I really care about is getting away from my overprotective father and his gorgeous, infuriating, dominating right-hand man, Vincent Russo…

  The man I've always had forbidden feelings for.

  I may have fantasized about Vincent taking me in the past, but I never thought it would happen in real life.

  Then he swoops in and takes me.

  He claims he's here to protect me – for my own good.

  But I'm determined to show him that innocent little Alina isn't so innocent anymore…

  Reckless: A Motorcycle Club Romance (Lucky Skulls MC) (Broken by the Biker Collection Book 3)

  Fate put her in my arms. Then I put her on her knees.

  She brought me back from death’s door.

  In return, I brought her body to the brink of shattering – over and over again.

  But our frozen paradise becomes an icy hell when my enemies discover I’ve survived their assault.

  And they’re coming to finish the job.

  CIARAN

  I would have died without her.

  Lying in a freezing, barren ditch on the side of the road, I felt the life slipping from my body.

  Warmth, feeling, thought – all was gone by the time she arrived.

  And when I looked into those sapphire eyes, I thought I was seeing an angel.

  But the patient nurse brings me back to life.

  All the things that I thought I lost came roaring back with a vengeance.

  Rage, for the men who tried to kill me and failed.

  Pride, knowing that I am not a man easily put to death.

  And lust – hot, burning lust – for the innocent girl locked in this cabin with me.

  A swirling blizzard has us trapped for days.

  As long as we’re stuck here, I’ve got big plans for my savior.

  For her luscious lips, her untouched curves, for the warmth emanating between her legs.

  The only sound I want to hear is her moaning.

  But news of my survival manages to travel beyond the walls of our little cabin oasis.

  The men who ordered the hit are determined to put me down for good.

  And this time, they know how to hit me where it really hurts.

  When they kidnap Elle, I know what I have to do, the one thing I do best.

  Take my gun in my hands and get ready to kill for what I love.

  My woman is coming back to me.

  No matter who I have to slaughter to get her.

  ELLE

  Maybe saving him was a mistake.

  That’s all I can think as I scream and struggle against the crushing hands of the men who are taking me.

  They’re used to violence, these men.

  Used to hurting and abusing women.

  My screams are music to their sick, twisted ears.

  Maybe I should just submit to their torture.

  Would that make it go faster?

  But I know that, no matter what happens next, Ciaran was worth it.

  The touch of his hands on my skin was a sensation worth dying for.

  And the heat of his love is worth fighting to feel again.

  I make up my mind: I won’t give in easily to these evil b*stards.

  I’ll make them sweat to keep me quiet.

  Because my hero is coming for me.

  With fire and fury, Ciaran will kick down the door and kill any man who lays a finger on me.
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  Deep in my heart, I know that’s true.

  I just have to hope he makes it in time.

  Hopeless: A Motorcycle Club Romance (Damned Devils MC) (Broken by the Biker Collection Book 2)

  Resisting me is hopeless.

  From the moment I saw her, I wanted more.

  But giving her a baby might have gone too far.

  Now, there are violent men eager to spill our blood.

  But they’re about to learn the hard way: I’ll do whatever it takes to protect what’s mine.

  BASTARD