Lance: A Hitman Romance (Santa Espera #2) (18 page)

I smile. “I’m saying I want to do this with you, Lance. I want to do this work too.”

But Lance is shaking his head.

“No, Katie …”

“No, listen. Look, you were right. When you said that I’m a liar. I
am
a liar, Lance. I lie about being happy with my job, with my life. But I’m not happy. I feel stuck, just like you. And I want to help people. I just want to do it … differently. More hands-on.”

“Katie,” Lance says. “You don’t know what you’re saying. What I do is dangerous.”

“I know that,” I say to him. “I’ve seen it. And I’ve done some of it too — hitting those guys with your car. That was like nothing else I’d ever done before. It was terrifying, but it felt good. And I did it without thinking, without judging myself and wondering if it was the best, or the most professional thing to do. I did it knowing they were going to kill you, so I made a decision and it felt so right.”

Lance is staring at me. “Jesus,” he finally says, dropping his gaze to the ground. But I reach over and hook a finger under his chin, pulling his eyes back to mine.

“Look,” I say to him. “I know what I want. All right? And I want this to happen with you. Now do you want it too? Because if you don’t, then you’d better say so right now so we can end this all and go our separate ways.”

Lance’s eyes are dry now, and the bright blue in them burn into mine. He nods, and I feel a smile come over my face.

“Yes,” he says. “I want it too.”

Happiness fills me to bursting, and before I know it our arms are wrapped around one another and we’re kissing. Hot, heavy passion connects us as our hands roam all over each other. It only lasts for a few seconds before we both pull away from each other, and it feels like a million volts is pumping through me, I feel so alive. Lance is breathing hard, and he gives me an impassioned look, wiping his face with his hand.

“Okay,” he says, getting up from the bench as I follow. “We need to go. We’re still being followed, so we need to get out of here.”

“Where are we going?” I ask as we start towards the car. Our hands link together.

“Out of this city, for starters,” he says. “Maybe the country too. Where have you always wanted to go?”

I falter for a second, thinking. The image of a bright, sandy beach comes to mind.

“Someplace warm,” I say. “Tropical.”

“How about Thailand?” he says. “I hear there’s no shortage of bad things going on there.”

I smile.
Thailand.
I’ve never been there, but it’s always looked like a dream.

“Yes,” I say, giving his hand a squeeze. “Let’s go to Thailand.”

We keep walking, and as we do my mind has a chance to catch up with itself.

“Wait,” I say, pulling Lance to a stop and getting him to turn around. “What about Amanda? I have to say goodbye to her before we go.”

“What?” he says. “Katie-”

“Besides, I need my passport.” The connection pops into my head. “It’s at Amanda’s house. We have to go there anyways to get it. It’s perfect.”

I see Lance’s jaw working but I smile at him.

“Look, you need your passport too, right? Or, is it in that bag?”

“No,” Lance admits. “It’s in a safety deposit box.”

“Okay, well,” I say, “You can drop me off at Amanda’s house, and then go and get your passport and come back to pick me up. And then after that we’ll go. It’ll just be nice to say a proper goodbye.”

He stares at me. I try to suppress my smile as I look up at him.

“How do you know she’s at home?” he asks.

“She’s a stay-at-home mom,” I say. “Doug, her husband, he should be at work. She should be home with Tyler. The baby you saw us with at the restaurant.”

Recognition comes over his eyes. And then, “You can’t be long,” he says, and my heart leaps in my chest. “Half an hour, no more.”

I nod vigorously. “Half an hour, got it.”

And then I lean up, giving Lance a quick kiss on the lips before the two of us walk the rest of the way to the car.

When we get in, this time Lance brushes the broken glass down off the seat before sitting down. Both doors close behind us as he starts the car again, then puts it into Drive and rolls away.

“Where does your sister live?” Lance asks me, and when I give him her address he nods. Then I settle down into my seat, looking out the window as I think.

Thailand.
I’ve never done much traveling, but this is going to be so much more than a trip. Lance and I are going to start a life together, fighting crime and spending time on the beaches. It sounds like a fantasy, one completely the opposite to how I’ve normally lived. Part of me wonders if all of this is just some big dream.

We drive into familiar territory and I look around, recognizing the landmarks of Santa Espera I would have passed while driving to Amanda’s house. It feels familiar and yet detached from me now. I realize I’m already saying my goodbyes. This change in my life has been a long time coming, and now that it’s starting I can’t wait to get it done.

We pull onto Amanda’s street. I point ahead, showing Lance her house. He pulls up to the sidewalk a few houses down and just before a side street. Then he parks the car.

“Okay,” he says, looking at me. “Remember, you have half an hour. I’ll be back to pick you up right here, and then we’re going straight to the airport. Got it?”

I nod, excitement coursing through my veins.

“Got it,” I say, and I lean forward and kiss him, my lips pressing too hard into his. Then I pull back and let out a shaky breath. “Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.”

I open up the passenger door and get out of the car, but before I close it I lean over and look in.

“Lance?” I say, and he looks at me. “I’m really glad that I’ve met you. You’ve changed my life.”

Lance smiles, and he looks absolutely gorgeous when he does.

“Me too, Katie,” he says. “Me too. Half an hour.”

“Okay, see you then.”

I close the door and cross the street in front of the car, Lance pulling away and turning down the side street just before I reach the other side. I take calming breaths as I walk towards Amanda’s house. The sun is shining down, making this a beautiful day.

Ah, this is insane! What’s Amanda going to say? I can’t believe this is happening. I actually feel excited about something, and happy too! Ever since Zach left … this is the first time since Zach left that I’ve actually felt happy.

I smile at the realization and shake my head, amazed at myself. How could it have gotten this bad? Sometimes you never see the truth until it’s laid out right in front of you.

A car door shuts some ways behind me as I keep walking, a light spring in my step. Amanda’s house is coming up. I turn off the sidewalk and start up the pathway. Shoes scuffling. Behind me … too close. Too close. My instincts kick in a moment too late and I try to run, but I’m caught in place when the bag goes over my head.

And the last thing I see before it all goes dark is Amanda’s front door, my heart breaking in two with the knowledge that she’s just on the other side.

Lance

My mind is going a mile a minute as I drive down the street away from Katie and her sister’s house.

I turn at the next street, heading back out to the main road. It’s just a ten minute drive to my bank and there I’ll pick up my passport, maybe grab the couple thousand I have stored in the safety box too. And why not? It’s not like I’ll need it there anymore. Not like I’m coming back here any time soon.

Thailand.
I’ve never been, but I’ve always wanted to go. I feel full of energy, like I’m a kid again. This is what I needed. To get out of this city and to get out of here
with somebody.
It’s funny, I never would have imagined feeling this way about another woman. Something in Katie draws me to her. It’s incredible. I feel a calm come over me whenever I’m with her. I feel relaxed, and focused. Even when we argue it’s invigorating. She doesn’t back down. She stands on her own and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Switching lanes, I speed up a little, but keep myself under the limit. This isn’t the time to draw any undue attention to myself, especially with a broken window. That’s the last thing I need. I just want to stay under the radar for the next few hours until Katie and I fly off to start our whole new life together.

Because that’s what we’ll be doing. Starting a new life together. I’m not usually an impulsive guy, but there’s something about her … something that tells me that she’s the one for me. I think this will be good for me. For us. It sounds like what both of us need are complete overhauls in our lives.

Ah, and no more killing. I can’t help but smile. I honestly thought I’d be doing this for the rest of my life. But it’s proven to be too much. Katie’s right. I’ve done what I needed to do, and now it’s time to do something else. It’s not like I need the money, anyways. I have more money than I could spend in three lifetimes. What type of work will we do instead? Protection? Persuasion? Katie and I will have to talk about that. And I have the entire rest of my life to figure that out. No … we have the entire rest of
our lives.

By the time I pull into the parking lot I’m still smiling, feeling happier than I have all month. I park the car and reach underneath the steering wheel to pull the wires apart. The engine shuts off and I get out, leaving my duffel bag in the back. Walking up to the bank, I go inside and see one of the tellers behind the desk, writing something down. I step up to the desk and she finishes what she was writing and then smiles when she sees me.

“Hello,” she says. “How can I help you today?”

It’s not a difficult process, and the entire thing takes less than ten minutes. When it’s done I walk out of the bank with my passport tucked in my inside pocket, and two thousand dollars nestled right beside it.

Getting back in the car, I reach underneath the wheel and start it up again, then leave the parking lot and drive away from the bank. As I start back up the main road my mind flies through thoughts of what needs to happen when I pick Katie back up. Going to the airport, getting rid of the car, buying tickets, checking in. We’ll fly to Thailand, get a cab to a hotel, check in there, and then I plan on spending the next two days fucking the living daylights out of Katie before we actually start looking for someplace to live.

The day seems even more bright and beautiful than before as I drive back to Katie’s sister’s house.

I’ll have to do something about my apartment, and all my things. Maybe Willy would want them?

The thought of leaving Willy stabs a pain through my heart. Katie was onto something, demanding to say goodbye to her sister. Amanda. Say goodbye to Amanda. It’ll be sad not to work with Willy anymore, but we’ve parted ways before and we’ve gotten back together too. Maybe I can convince him to come to Thailand with us. Lord knows he would like it there. He would like it anywhere.

I reach the street and turn onto it, driving up and pulling into the same spot I had before. I park the car and leave it running as I check the clock on the dashboard. I’m a bit early. Still five minutes to go.

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, anxious to get to the airport.
Maybe I should give Willy a call, just to let him know what’s going on. To say goodbye. He would appreciate that.
I take out my cell phone and dial his number, then bring the phone to my ear, watching the house in the distance as I listen to it ring.

I wonder what Katie’s going to look like when she comes back out. Will she be happy? Or maybe crying, after saying goodbye to her sister? If I had to say goodbye to Danny like this I might cry too. Either way, I’m glad she convinced me to let her see her sister. I don’t blame her for wanting to-

The ringing in my ear stops as Willy’s phone goes to voice mail.

I blink and furrow my brow, listening as Willy’s recorded voice tells me to leave a message. It’s followed by a beep, but I take the phone away and hang up without saying anything. I look down at the device in my hand.

Willy didn’t pick up my call. Willy’s never not picked up my call. Rain or shine, he’s always been there for me. It was one of the things we promised. One of the ways we’d always be together.

Well … I guess he might be in the bathroom. Or his phone died. Something. I’ll try again later.

I put the phone down on the passenger seat and look at the dashboard clock again. One minute left. I watch the front door again, chewing my lip as I wait for her.

Katie’d better not be late. I understand wanting to say goodbye to your sister, but we’re not out of the deep water just yet. Gil is still pissed off at me. He’s still sending guys. I’ll let him know when Katie and I land that he can call off his search. But I’ll wait until we get there. If I tell him ahead of time he might try to blow up the plane for all I know. I just need a few hours. Just a few more hours and then we’ll be gone.

I glance around the neighborhood. It’s quiet out. There are no cars, no children playing. Nobody going for a walk. My fingers drum against the steering wheel again. I glance at the clock and it tells me that Katie’s one minute late already.

Come on Katie … don’t do this to me now …

I could always go in. Risk being seen. Just a quick knock on the door. Katie would let me in. She’s had to have told her sister about me, it wouldn’t be an unwelcome surprise. But the thought of leaving this car on this quiet street. It makes me nervous. Exposed. That’s how I’d feel. I just wish Katie would hurry up and get out here.

I glance at the clock. She’s three minutes late.

Hurry up, Katie! What the fuck is taking you so long?

Finally the front door to the house opens and my body relaxes, but only for a moment. It’s not Katie stepping out, but another woman. A woman holding a baby carrier.

My mouth is open. I watch as this woman — who looks a lot like Katie — locks the door behind her and walks over to her car. She opens up the back door, puts the carrier in, then closes the door and gets in the front. The headlights turn on as I hear the faint sound of the engine starting, and then she turns out of the driveway and passes me by, not even looking in my direction.

Now my heart is pounding. I stare at the house, silent now, unmoving. The door is locked. I just saw her lock it.
Where’s Katie?

My cell phone rings. I look down at where it’s sitting. The screen is lit, and I can see a familiar name and number. I reach down and pick it up, bringing it closer to my face, my phone still ringing as Gil calls from the other line.

Now my heart is really pounding. I swipe to answer the call and lift the phone to my ear. But I don’t say anything. On the other end all I hear is breathing, and something in the background … something that sounds like men talking, and behind it, a muffled yell.

“Lance,” I hear Gil’s slimy voice say. “I’ve been looking for you.”

My mouth stays closed. My jaw is clenched. I can almost feel Gil smiling his devil’s smile through the phone.

“You’ve been a slippery eel to catch, Lance,” he says. “But now I’ve got something that’ll help me to find you. Bring you here. The woman … the therapist. Jackson says she hit him in the head and you two ran away. Uh uh uh. She’s going to have to pay for doing that.”

“What do you want?” I snarl. I can feel my blood boiling.

“What do I want?” Gil repeats, a little titter coming through in his voice. “What do I want? Hee hee, oh, the man asks me what I want!” I hear the phone being taken away as others, in the background, give up strange, forced laughter. And then Gil’s voice appears again, yelling. “What do I
want?
What I
want
was for you to
do your fucking job!
I
want
you to be a good employee!”

I’m breathing heavily.

“I
was
a good employee,” I say to him. “I did
everything
you asked of me! For years I’ve worked for you.”

“Yes, but you haven’t been
good
,” he says, straining the last word. “You never came in and just played some pool with me. You never came to my parties, you didn’t hang out with us. I wanted us to be friends, Lance! I wanted you to install that Clapper, but I had to get Jackson to do it instead. And do you know why? It’s because Jackson
is
my friend! Jackson is my best friend!”

More titters of laughter, and I cringe as I listen to him.

“Hee hee hee! And now you fucking guy! You
ask
me … what I
want?!
” Heavy breathing, and behind it I can still hear Katie’s yells. “I
want
you to come
here!
” Gil shouts at me. “I want you here, in front of me, so I can look you in your fucking face when I fucking kill you!!”

My upper lip curls and I feel sick as I hear Gil pant heavily into the phone.

“Get here in twenty minutes,” he says. “Or else your lady friend is going to die.”

And with that, the call ends.

I lower the phone down away from my face and I stare at it. Then I look up, out the front windshield at the peaceful and empty neighborhood before me. The sun is still shining brightly down, but it’s no longer beautiful. Nothing is beautiful right now. I breathe deeply, trying to control the anger that’s bubbling inside of me.

That fucker,
I think.
That complete and total fuck.

Gil has kidnapped Katie. Jackson’s there with him. Fuck knows how they got her … maybe they tailed us. I can’t be sure. I was distracted. Thinking about Thailand. Thinking about leaving all of this and starting my life over with Katie.

Well, I’m not going to be distracted anymore. Now I know what I want, and nothing is going to get in my way of it. I told Katie I was done with killing. Well … it seems I was a little premature with that declaration.

Dropping my phone back on the passenger seat, I put the car into Drive and pull away from the curb. Already knowing the directions, I feel the blood pound in my ears as I drive, making my way to go save Katie.