Staying Alive by Maggie Walsh

Nikita is the hitman to one of Chicago’s most notorious Russian families. He has a reputation for being the second deadliest man in the city. One day when sent on an errand, below his station in the family, Nikita is not happy, but he knows he must follow his bosses orders.
He is entrusted to go to a local bistro to make contact with a messenger from the other Russian family that rules over Chicago’s south side and deliver a briefcase to an over the top twink. Nikita is also instructed to make sure the case is cuffed to the twinks wrist so he doesn’t lose it.
Already being annoyed by the assignment, Nikita is not thrilled when he spots his contact and notices the man is sitting with another twink. He takes up position away from the pair but still close enough to hear their conversation and discovers that the man he had originally thought was his contact may not be the right man. When Nikita suddenly awakens flat on his back in an alley with the briefcase cuffed to his own wrist, he is confused, but also realizes he may be in trouble.

A dark shadow appears out of the night, taunting him and admitting to be the one who drugged Nikita and dropped his ass in the alley. This Ninja wannabe, who Nikita can not see due to the clothing covering the man except for his stunning eyes, seems familiar to him but he doesn’t know why. When the Ninja man turns to leave he gives Nikita a clue as who he is and what kind of trouble Nikita is truly in. When the man claims to be the notorious Hunter, Chicago’s number one hitman, and his sights are set on Nikita, he knows he must act fast and figure out what is going on and how to stop the Hunter from coming for him before it’s too late.
The hunted now becomes the hunter, and when Nikita finds his prey he is not prepared for the rabbit hole he is about to fall into. Learning who The Hunter truly is and what he does actually frightens Nikita, but his overwhelming desire for the man begins to control his actions and Nikita and the Hunter join forces to find out who is setting them both up.
Will their building desire for one another be the beginning of something special or the end of them both?