How the Hitman Stole Christmas - Sam Mariano Page 0,95

shouldn’t feel compelled to act while I’m asleep. If they see my eyes open, that could change.

My heart thumps in my ears, making it harder to concentrate. I don’t know how to stay calm. I don’t know why anyone could possibly be in my apartment, but I know it can’t be good.

If I scream, the neighbor downstairs should hear me. I hear his alarm clock most mornings, so I know that… I just don’t know if I’d be endangering him if I did. I don’t have any particular fondness for my neighbor, but I don’t want to get him killed.

It’s absurd that I’m even able to think about that so calmly.

I wouldn’t have been before Jasper, but now I’ve brushed closely enough to a dangerous man… well, I just don’t feel as much like an unwitting bystander in that world as I would have before.

I decide what I’m going to do before I open my eyes.

“What do you want?” I ask calmly.

No answer.

I swallow convulsively, but I keep my tone nice and even to reassure the intruder we can handle this calmly, without all the messy dramatics.

If it’s anyone associated with Jasper, they should be calmed by that.

If it’s some local methhead who broke in to steal my electronics—well, then I’m probably fucked.

“Are you from Chicago?”

Still, the intruder doesn’t speak.

“You’re from Chicago,” I say, to see where this goes. “All right. We probably have a mutual friend. I have a friend who lives there. Maybe you know him.”

Silence.

“If you do know him, then you probably know… You really don’t want to hurt me. I’m not sure why you’re here or what you think I can help you with, but it would be a bad idea to cross my friend. He’s a very good friend. He would take it personally, and… Just take my word for it. It’s a really bad idea to get on the wrong side of him.”

Still nothing.

“So, I think the best thing for both of us right now is for you to leave. I won’t even open my eyes. I haven’t seen you. You can slip right back out the way you came, and I promise I won’t chase you. I won’t try to figure out who you are so I can tell him. We can just pretend this whole thing never happened. It’ll work out better for both of us that way.”

I take several slow breaths while I wait for the other person to respond, or even acknowledge that I’ve spoken.

When he stands, I determine the intruder must have been sitting in the chair along the wall, in front of my bedroom window. I hold my breath, my heart rate speeding up. I can hear his deliberately soft footsteps as he crosses the small stretch of floor to stand beside my bed.

My heart feels as if it will beat a hole in my chest any moment. I’ve gambled everything on the intruder listening to reason and not hurting me, but in doing so, I’ve made myself vulnerable. I can feel him standing over me now, and I have nothing to defend myself with. Nothing but my mind, my body, my mouth. Nothing but my words wielded as strategically as possible when I don’t know a single thing about who I’m playing against.

I exhale shakily when I feel a hand moving into the empty space above my face.

I don’t know if they’re going to kill me or hurt me some other way, but I don’t think they’ve been convinced to leave.

My chest feels like it’s caving in as I open my eyes.

I see a black leather glove just before it comes into contact with my skin. I gasp loudly, every nerve in my body coming alive with fear. I grab the arm of my assailant, but as both of my hands lock around his forearm, I realize…

He’s not trying to strangle me or otherwise harm me.

He’s running the cool, soft leather along my jawline, caressing my face.

Relief pours through me a split second before I hear his voice.

“Not bad, snowflake. If someone had sent me to kill you, I’d feel mighty bad for that employer, ’cause I’d be convinced to switch sides.” My mattress sinks as Jasper sits down on the edge of it. I see his handsome face now, bathed in moonlight as he gives me a little smile. “Of course, I’m a little biased.”

“Jasper,” I breathe with relief, dropping my hands and sinking into the mattress, all the fear and tension leaving my body. “You