A Very Merry Hitman (Holiday With a Hitman #2)

19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Dear Santa, I regret nothing.

“So…have you talked to Dante since yesterday?” Elli didn’t look over from the driver’s seat as she pulled into the parking lot of the year-round Christmas store they’d chosen for their sting operation.

Aileen shook her head. “Nope.”

This place was popular, but it wasn’t connected to other stores and didn’t have many exits. They’d recruited half a dozen hitmen from the neighborhood to help out with recon and security. Aileen wasn’t sure who’d come up with this as the final place, but it was the one Elli and Theo had told her to include in the video she’d dropped last night.

One way or another, they’d find out if her stalker or whoever was watching. She’d mentioned this place eight times in her whispers and made it clear she’d be here.

“I’m not trying to defend him or anything, but men can be dumb sometimes when they’re in love.”

She glanced over at Elli in horror. “He doesn’t…love me!” She stuttered over the last two words. “That’s not what this is about. He’s being controlling and acting totally out of character.”

“Well, maybe.” Elli’s tone was annoyingly calm.

“What do you mean, maybe ? You heard him. ”

“Eh, yeah, but Theo kidnapped me when he was worried about keeping me safe.”

“And you tried to choke him out because of it so don’t pretend like you weren’t pissed.” She’d only found out those details much later—Aileen hadn’t even known about the kidnapping when it happened. And she wanted to say she couldn’t believe her brother had kidnapped Elliana, but those two were into some weird stuff so…she wasn’t exactly surprised.

“True. But I still banged him and things worked out.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that,” she murmured, glancing out the tinted window of Elli’s vehicle.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know you’ve got a lot to deal with, but Dante isn’t your enemy. He just wants to keep you safe and he has a stupid way of showing it. I just don’t want you to forget that when emotions are high.”

“I can’t believe you of all people are standing up for him.”

“Why me of all people?” Elli sounded indignant.

She glanced at the blonde bombshell, eyebrows raised. “You act like you hate him sometimes. You two literally compete over giving Nessa gifts.” And the trash talk between the two of them was wild.

“I don’t understand why people are saying that. I like Dante… I just really, really like to win stuff too. And being number one for Nessa’s affection is an honorable goal.”

Despite the turmoil churning inside her, Aileen snort-laughed. “You’re such a weirdo.”

“I know.” Elli grinned, then handed over a little earpiece. “Your earpiece is muted on your end, but everyone else will be able to hear you. That way you don’t get distracted by people talking. You want to go over everything before we head inside?”

“No… Maybe. Fine, yes. Okay, so you and I head in together, then after a few minutes we go our separate ways to ‘shop’ and then I take my time in the outdoor section since it’s pretty open. And Hudson and Sarah will be on the exits out there so no one can kidnap me or whatever.”

“Yes. Also, Dante will be moving around independently from everyone else. He won’t be making eye contact or anything, but he’ll be there in the background, keeping you safe, along with the others. We’re all going to be close.”

Aileen didn’t say anything one way or another, but she was grateful he was there even if she was annoyed with him. He’d texted her last night wanting to talk, but she hadn’t been ready. Maybe…maaaaybe she understood him being overprotective. But they couldn’t start a relationship on unequal footing. That way lay madness. “Okay, let’s do this,” she said as she slipped the earpiece in. “Testing.”

“I hear you,” Elli said, giving her a thumbs-up.

“And I can’t hear anything on my end.”

“Good, it’s working. Let’s go.”

Once they were inside the Christmas wonderland (which felt more like Christmas on cocaine) she and Elli “shopped” before Elli went to look at stocking stuffers and Aileen headed toward the outdoor displays of realistic-looking Christmas trees. Despite it being so close to Christmas, people were milling about, buying all sizes of trees.

After two hours of no weird interaction and no Santa sightings other than the solo Santa who worked at the shop, she was starting to wonder if they’d made a mistake.

Then a scream rent the air.

As panic punched through her, she turned, ready to defend herself or someone else, but found a four-year-old screaming at the top of her lungs as she raced past Aileen that she wasn’t taking a picture with “a bearded weirdo stranger!”, her mother in tow behind her.

Aileen snort-laughed to herself as she came up to a giant rack of ornaments. When she spotted a couple soccer-themed ones, she snagged them, figuring she could add them to the little tree in Nessa’s room.

“Hey, Nessa’s mom.” A semi-familiar sounding voice made her turn.

She blinked, gave a cautious smile to Calvin True, the soccer dad she’d seen at the gala the other night. “Hey. ”

He was a lot more casual now than he’d been the other night, his smile welcoming. “Fancy running into you again. Last-minute shopping?”

Smiling, she held up one of the sparkly soccer ornaments. “She doesn’t need anything else but I can’t help myself. What about you?’

“Yeah, my wife and I are grabbing a couple last-minute things for her parents who decided to visit a couple days ago.” His expression was dry, but charming. “Look, I’m sorry about the other night. I know your name is Aileen, it was just seeing you out of context that threw me off, if that makes sense.”

“Oh, I don’t care if you don’t remember my name, it’s fine.” She waved it off. She couldn’t remember all of the parents from the soccer teams either.

He rubbed the back of his neck, almost absently. “I know, but my… I feel like maybe my wife was a little rude and I’m sorry. We were dealing with some stuff and you happened to walk by at that time.”

She nodded slightly. “I get it. The holidays are tough sometimes. We pile too much on ourselves.”

“Yes,” he said on a laugh. “I’m ready for Christmas to be over.” Wincing, he looked around as he said it. “Probably shouldn’t admit that in here. I’ll end up with coal in my stocking.”

She snickered at his dumb joke, then nodded politely as he continued on past her, grabbing one of the soccer ornaments for himself.

Briefly she wondered if he could be behind the Santa muggings, but no, seeing him at the gala had been a fluke and not the first of its kind. She hadn’t mentioned it in any of her videos either so that was out.

Wondering if she should start looking for Elli, she jolted when Calvin’s wife stepped in front of her little cart. “I know who you are, whore. Stay away from my husband!” the pretty brunette hissed, her tone low.

Startled, she took a step back even as she was glad for the barrier of the cart. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She glanced around the various display racks, but there wasn’t anyone close enough to overhear them. Though she spotted one of her neighbors who was part of this sting and he simply nodded so she knew he was keeping an eye out.

Thankfully the woman didn’t take another step forward. She just raised a huge garlic and herb cheese log, according to the packaging, and shook it slightly at Aileen. “Lie all you want, I know the truth. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll end things. If not…” The dark look she sliced at Aileen sent a chill down her spine.

Before she could think of a response—other than running from the wild-eyed woman—the brunette turned and stomped away, clutching her cheese.

Elli was suddenly there, then she saw Dante and Theo behind a rack of ugly Christmas sweaters and she could breathe again.

Elli slid up next to her and linked her arm with hers. “We’re going to check out and act like everything is normal, but Sarah is going to tail that woman just in case.”

“That was so weird,” she murmured, more to herself than Elli. And incredibly stressful.

“Yeah, that woman isn’t playing with a full deck.” Elli kept her expression neutral as she basically guided Aileen to the checkout. “And we’ve got some weird Santa movement out in the parking lot. A guy dressed as Santa is sitting in a beater near the front of the store just watching people come and go. It’s creepy o’clock.”

“You think it’s a mugger?”

“I don’t know, but we’re going to see if he follows you. If he does, he won’t get close to you. Don’t worry.”

Aileen nodded as they got in line, resisting the urge to turn around and look for Dante. She needed to act normal in case anyone was watching. After she’d paid for her few things and they headed for the exit doors, Elli murmured, “Leave your purse in the cart.”

“What?”

“Your mom is going to grab yours and leave a fake. This is all on the fly but Dante thinks that if you pop the trunk and leave your purse in the cart, it’ll give any would-be mugger a perfect opportunity to snag it and run. And then we can follow him that way.”

Oh, that was really smart. Aileen set her black purse in the cart next to her red and white shopping bags, and as they walked out the doors, her mom smoothly picked up Aileen’s purse and replaced it with a dark brown one.

“God, she’s good.” There was awe in Elli’s voice as they kept going, Aileen pushing the cart behind a big cluster of senior citizens wearing sparkly red fanny packs.

“Right?” One of her mom’s greatest skills was getting into places unseen and unheard. And lifting things right under people’s noses. She’d taught Aileen some of it growing up, but Aileen would never be as smooth as Lorna, a woman who’d grown up on the streets.

“Oh, I see him,” Aileen said as she slid her sunglasses on.

Sure enough there was a Santa sitting in a dusty green truck with a handicap tag, staring at people as they moved in and around him.

“Yeah, he’s not very subtle. Most people are on their phones. Maybe that’s why he stands out so much.”

Aileen didn’t glance in his direction as they walked directly by his truck, scooting to the side to let a teenage couple past them.

“Ooh, he’s following,” Elli said. “Dante and Theo are behind us, said he got out right after us.” Her voice was so low Aileen could barely hear it above the pounding in her ears.

She knew this had been her idea, but she was still nervous because anything could happen. But no, she had this.

“I’ll get in the driver’s side, then you pop the trunk, leave the cart and head to the front seat as if you’re putting the bag in.”

“Got it.” Heart still pounding as they made their way through the packed parking lot, she left her fake purse in the cart and did exactly what Elli had said. And as Aileen headed up to the front door to put her smallest bag in, the Santa made his move.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him dart out from the other row of cars and grab her purse and run.

“Stop, thief!” she yelled halfheartedly even as the guy darted down another row of cars. She saw him duck down out of sight, then slide into another car and peel out. It all happened so damn fast.

“Oh my god, did that guy steal your purse?” A dark-haired woman with two elementary school-aged kids asked as she popped her own trunk.

“I’ve already called the police.” Elli said, holding up her phone.

“Oh, okay. Sorry, that sucks,” the woman said as she continued loading up her bags. “People are such jerks. Don’t forget to cancel all your cards, even before the cops get here.”

“I will, thanks,” she said even as Elli grabbed the cart and shoved it into the nearby cart holder.

As the woman drove off, Aileen slid into the passenger seat, and moments later Elli was in the driver’s seat. “I don’t think anyone else saw so we’re going to casually get out of here.”

“Are we following the guy?”

“Nope. Dante and Theo are handling that and you and I are headed home to see that sweet girl of yours.”

Part of Aileen wanted to chase the jerk down, but that wasn’t realistic. The pros could handle following her mugger. And hopefully this time they’d figure out what the hell was going on and who was after her.