The Hitman's Heart - Benak

He was sent to end her life. Instead, he became her only chance at survival.

Viktor Kozlov is not a man; he is an instrument of death. A master assassin for the Volkov syndicate, he has spent eighteen years refining the art of the "clean kill." With forty-three successful contracts behind him, his soul is a fortress of cold discipline and lethal efficiency. When his powerful employer, Konstantin Volkov, hands him a new file, the mission seems routine: eliminate Elena Marchetti, a quiet art conservator who has unknowingly inherited a dangerous secret hidden within a Renaissance painting.

But from the moment Viktor begins his surveillance, the "perfect machine" begins to malfunction.

Elena Marchetti lives a life of light and restoration. She spends her days in the hushed halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, breathing life back into centuries-old masterpieces. She is a woman who notices the small stories of strangers, who trusts too easily, and who views the world with a warmth Viktor forgot existed. When she smiles at him-a nameless stranger in a museum gallery-the rusted locks on Viktor's heart begin to turn.

For the first time in his brutal career, the weapon refuses to fire.

When Volkov sends a cleanup crew to finish the job Viktor hesitated to start, the hitman makes a choice that shatters his world. He saves Elena from a bloody ambush, transforming from her predator into her protector. Now, they are both on the run through the shadows of New York and the industrial landscapes of Brooklyn, hunted by a ruthless organization that doesn't allow its "acquisitions" to walk away.

TheHitman's Heart is a gripping dark romance novella that explores the thin, blood-stained line between redemption and ruin. As Viktor and Elena navigate a landscape of high-stakes danger and simmering tension, they must face a terrifying truth: can a man who has spent his life destroying things ever learn how to love? And can a woman who cherishes the past forgive a man with a history as dark as his?

Filled with pulse-pounding action, emotional depth, and a slow-burn romance that defies the odds, this story is perfect for fans of "He falls first," "Protector/Bodyguard," and "Redemption" tropes.

Content Warning: This book contains explicit adult material, including scenes of graphic violence, strong language...