Most people kept their distance once they got a good look at his face, which suited her fine.
Soon they had hot chocolates in hand as they walked along. When the crowds eased out, she took his hand in her good one and swung it back and forth. He sighed but didn’t protest.
“Do you think we could get more lights at home and do this? I mean, our outdoor lights are pretty good now but imagine if all the trees were lit up?”
“You’d be able to see us from space,” he said dryly.
“Well, Santa wouldn’t miss us that way, would he?” she said with a grin. Then her face dropped. “Oh no, I forgot to get some reindeer food from Mrs. Larsen.”
“Reindeer food?”
“Uh-huh. It’s special food that you scatter out on the lawn for the reindeer and it has glitter in it so that they can see where to land in the moonlight. Of course, you have to use special edible glitter. Don’t want to make the reindeer sick. Mrs. Larsen makes it to sell at the grotto. Where am I gonna get it from now?”
Tears filled her eyes at the thought of not having her reindeer food.
“We’ll get some. We can make it.”
“I guess so,” she said sadly.
“Come on, it’s time to head back to the hotel now.”
“Noo, just a bit longer, Daddy.”
“Nope.”
“But we haven’t seen over there.” She pointed to their right.
“Yes, we have. It’s late. Little girls need their sleep.”
“I’m not tired,” she said stubbornly.
“Yes, you are. You’re getting cranky.”
“I am not cranky!” she told him, offended. “I’m never cranky.”
“You are when you’re tired.”
“Daddy!”
He patted her bottom lightly. “We’ve seen everything. It’s cold. You’re tired.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “And I want to strip you naked and warm every inch of you with my tongue.”
Well. Why didn’t he lead with that?
* * *
Mille woke with a dry mouth, a full bladder, and a slight headache. Crap. They hadn’t gotten back to their room until close to midnight and then Spike had indeed tried to lick her entire body. Twice.
Her clit throbbed in memory.
She slid out of the bed, not wanting to wake him since it was still early. She tiptoed into the bathroom and took care of her bladder problem. Then she walked back into the bedroom and stared down at Spike who was still sprawled on the bed, sleeping.
He looked so innocent in his sleep. So cute.
She wouldn’t tell him that, though. Likely, he’d take offense. She didn’t know why. Men could be cute and still be badasses.
A cute little badass.
She grinned. Maybe she should’ve put that on the Christmas cards she’d sent out. Spike had refused to be in the photo. So instead, she’d dressed Mr. Fluffy in one of his Christmas outfits and taken a photo of him sleeping in front of the fire. He had five Christmas themed ensembles. He was definitely a clothes hog. He used up more closet space than Spike did.
What she needed was some caffeine to nip this headache in the butt. Last thing she needed was a migraine. She bit her lip, looking over at Spike. She should probably wake him. But he was obviously exhausted. He’d done all the heavy lifting this past week.
She’d stay in the hotel. They had free coffee downstairs. She didn’t want to wake him by using the machine in the room. Maybe she’d take her purse and get some danishes from the café.
Yum.
Quickly dressing, she pulled her hair back in a messy bun and left the room.
She’d be back before he woke up.
For sure.
* * *
Spike woke up and immediately knew something was wrong.
Sitting, he looked around, his heart racing. Where was she?
Easy, man. She’s likely in the bathroom. Except there was no noise coming from there. Everywhere she went, she made noise. She was constantly singing, humming, talking to herself.
“Millie?” he called out sharply. “Are you here? Answer me!”
Silence.
Fuck! Where could she have gone? Had someone taken her? Immediately he dismissed that idea as ridiculous. But where was she?
Maybe she’s just gone down for coffee.
That was likely it. He was still upset with her. And this time, he’d give her more than just a swat. Picking up his phone, he called her.
Immediately, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree started playing and he looked over to where her phone sat charging on her bedside table.
Ooh. That brat was in so much trouble when he got hold of her.
It was going to be a painful ride home in the truck for her.
* * *
She’d intended to grab some coffee, maybe a few danishes. That was it.
She’d really had no intention of leaving the hotel.
But then she’d seen the Christmas shop across the street and decided it wouldn’t take her too much longer to just step out and check if they had any reindeer food.
You couldn’t have Christmas Eve without putting out reindeer food, right?
As she’d approached the shop, she realized that it was dark inside. She checked the opening times. Drat. Another thirty minutes until it opened. Oh well, she was certain she could talk Spike into bringing her back here. She turned away when she heard someone cry out.
That didn’t sound good.
The streets were quiet. It was a Saturday morning and no doubt most people were sleeping in. Perhaps she should have stayed in bed as well. In fact, she’d best get back to the room before Spike woke up and she landed in a world of trouble.
Another cry had her hesitating and instead of heading back to the hotel, she walked towards the alley next to the shop. Nothing good ever came from going into alleyways, Millie.
As she stepped into the entrance to the alleyway, she heard another cry.
“Hello? Is anyone in here?”
“Help!” a muffled voice cried before there was a slapping sound. She stepped forward, knowing that she couldn’t leave them. She spotted an open door ahead of her and someone lying on the ground. A figure in black stood over them.
The person on the ground was a woman, far slighter than the person looming over them.
“Hey! Get away from her!” she yelled.
“Fuck off, lady! This has nothing to do with you.” The guy leaned down to grab the girl and Millie reached into her handbag, grateful she’d brought it with her.
Drat. No gun.
She guessed Spike hadn’t foreseen this happening.
Oh, he was going to be so mad at her. But she couldn’t think about that right now.
“Let her go, I have pepper spray and a taser.” She searched around in her bag. “Where are they?”
“Fuck off, bitch,” the guy snarled.
“Uh-huh!” She drew out what she thought was her pepper spray.
The guy dropped the girl who cried out in pain. Then he turned towards her. His face was hidden by his hood. But it was obvious he was angry by the set of his shoulders. He was tall and thin. Millie knew she’d be no match for him physically.
She brought up the object in her hand, but instead of pepper spray, she saw it was a small container of glitter. She popped the lid and chucked the contents at his face.
“What the fuck? You bitch! You got fucking glitter all the fuck over me.”
Oh, crap. That just seemed to make him angrier. She shuffled through her bag until she finally found her pepper spray. She really needed to keep that and her taser at the top of the bag. She’d gotten lax with Spike around to protect her.
“Bitch, you want to turn around and leave. This fucking slut has this coming to her. Fuck off, cunt, before I give you as good as what she’s getting.” He loomed closer and she brought the cylinder up, spraying it right in his eyes before quickly stepping back, away from the spray as he swore and threatened her some more. She stumbled into
a firm body and cried out.
“You want to repeat that?” a low voice said from behind her.
She tried to move away, but the man behind her gently took hold of her arm. Then he slid around in front of her.
Protecting her.
She didn’t get a good look at him. He was big, though. Bigger than the jerk still cursing at her.
“Mother-fucking bitch got pepper spray in my eyes. Gonna fucking kill her.”
“No, you’re not,” her rescuer said calmly.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Name’s Zander. Who the fuck are you?”
“Fuck off!”
“Weird name. Your mama must have really hated you, huh?”
“What? Fuck you!”
Zander sighed. “I really don’t have time for this.” He stepped forward and with one punch, knocked the guy unconscious. He slid to the ground with a thud. She stared at him in shock. He wasn’t moving.
“Is he still breathing?” she asked.
“Yes. He’s just unconscious.”
Zander turned to her. She got the impression of dark, cold eyes. Then he raised his head, looking out towards the entrance of the alleyway. “Got to go.” Then he left, walking in the opposite direction that he’d come. Just like that. What was he? Some sort of crime-fighting superhero?
A giggle escaped her and she slammed her hand over her mouth. What was wrong with her?
“Millie? Millie! Where are you?”
Spike. Oh, thank God. Relief flooded her.
“Spike! I’m back here.”
He raced into the alleyway and she could sense the fear emanating from him. She threw herself into his arms and he held her tight, running his hands over her as though searching for injury.
“Are you okay, baby doll? Please tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m all right. Oh no, the woman!”
She tried to turn, but he held her tight, his body stiffening. “What the fuck went on here? Why are there two unconscious people on the ground? And is that glitter?”
“Um, yeah. See, I left the hotel room in search of coffee then I saw the Christmas shop just across the street. So I walked over to find it was shut. Then I heard a woman cry out. When I walked into the alley, this asshole was accosting her.” She pointed at the man on the ground who was starting to wake up.
“I glittered him by accident. Then I pepper-sprayed him. Then some guy came into the alleyway and punched him out and left.”
“What the fuck? He just left?”
“Yeah, he was a little odd. Said his name was Zander.”
“Zander? Why is that familiar?” He shook his head. “No, that’s got to be a coincidence, plenty of guys with that name. Fuck. I want you to go back out on the street and call the cops.”
The guy was swearing and moaning while the girl was still. Unconscious? Or dead? Millie hoped she was all right.
“Millie, go!” Spike pressed his phone into her hand but didn’t take his eyes off the asshole on the ground. However, she heard the stern note in his voice. She took the phone and stumbled backwards towards the street. Quickly, she called 911 then she waited anxiously, unsure whether to stay here or go back to check on Spike. There were some scuffling noises, a thump and someone let out a yell of pain.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She had to know he was okay.
“Spike,” she yelled out, walking into the alley, her pepper spray still held in her hand.
Spike was standing over the guy who was lying on his front. He had a knee in the small of his back and was holding onto his wrists. “I’m all right. He thought he’d make a run for it. Stay where you are and watch for the cops.”
She swayed with relief, leaning against the wall.
“Millie! You okay?” Spike snapped.
“What? Yes. I was just so worried that you were hurt.”
Spike snorted. “This pissant couldn’t take me.”
The man in question started swearing and wriggling. “Fuck, he’s annoying. You got anything to gag him with?”
More than likely. She searched around in her bag. “Ooh, I’ve got electrical tape.”
“Perfect, rip some off and bring it here but don’t come too close.”
“Shouldn’t I check the girl?” she asked, handing it over to him then stepping around the man as Spike put the tape over his mouth.
“Yeah, okay. Might be a good idea. She still hasn’t moved.”
Sirens sounded in the distance and Millie quickly walked over to the girl. With a shaking hand, she checked her pulse. “She’s still alive. Just unconscious.”
“Good. Go wait for the cops. And Millie?”
“Yes?”
“You’re in a whole load of trouble, little girl.”
Yeah. She kind of figured that. And so close to Christmas too. That wasn’t going to go well for her.
16
Marisol and Linc
20th December
Harry pulled up outside the quaint police building. The whole town was quaint. What else could you expect from somewhere called Wishingbone?
Marisol and Linc weren’t expecting him until tomorrow, but he’d decided to surprise them a day early. He’d been doing some research into Sanctuary Ranch and JSI, which was located on the ranch. Most people seemed to respect the Jensen family. And his investigators, who were not the same ones he’d used to keep an eye on Marisol, had been looking into Rosalind and her case.
He wanted to ensure that there was no way that bitch could get off on a technicality.
Which had brought him to the sheriff. He’d been involved in Rosalind’s arrest. According to Marisol, the sheriff had handed Rosalind over to a task force looking into her money laundering. Although, he’d also heard that the task force wasn’t too happy about the fact that Saber, the Devil’s Sinner’s leader, had slipped through their fingers.
He had feelers out for that asshole as well.
Opening the door, the sound of Christmas carols hit him, making him raise his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected Christmas carols in a police department. Or for it to be decorated quite so professionally. In fact, it was gorgeous. So was the huge tree ahead of him, surrounded by wrapped packages.
Someone had really spent some time making sure everything looked beautiful.
“Hey there, cutie, you lost?”
He turned towards a stunning, dark-skinned woman with lots of black hair sitting behind a large wooden desk that was covered in Christmas gnomes. She stuffed a sucker back into her mouth as she stared up at him curiously.
“I didn’t know they made Christmas gnomes,” he commented, unsure what to say. He couldn’t remember the last time someone called him cutie. He also couldn’t remember the last time he saw an adult with a sucker in their mouth while they were working. Or while they weren’t working, for that matter.
Maybe it’s a Montana thing.
She drew the sucker back out. “They’re gonks. Aren’t they cute? They bring a bit of cheer to the place.”
“I’d say it’s pretty cheery in here already,” he said.
“Like it? I used to help create the window arrangement at Macy’s at Christmas, but I lost my job, moved back here, and now here I am.”
He frowned. “Do you think you should tell that much personal information to a stranger?”
She shrugged. “Not like I gave you my pin number. Not that that would get you much, I’m a shop-a-holic. Seriously, I have no self-control. That’s why I took up suckers. To try and keep my hands busy so I wouldn’t be online shopping all the time.”
“Is that working?”
“Eh, I have my good days. But what do they say, once a shop-a-holic always a shop-a-holic?”
“Um, I believe you have that confused with being a cheater.”
“You sure?”
“Fairly sure,” he told her.
“Are you a cheater?”
“No.” Was he really having this conversation or was he stuck in some weird dream?
“That’s
good. I don’t like cheaters.”
“Good to know,” he told her. “Also, you should be careful of how much candy you have, you’ll get holes in your teeth.”
“Good point. I don’t like the dentist.” She wrinkled her nose.
“You should visit at least once a year,” he told her sternly. Okay, what was wrong with him? She was a stranger. He didn’t even know her name.
“I’m here to see the sheriff.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You ain’t FBI, are you?”
“No.” He frowned.
“DEA?”
“No.” His head was starting to spin with her questions.
“Justice Department?”
“No. Why are you asking me that?”
“Oh, ‘cause Ed hates when those people turn up. They put him in a foul mood. I just wanted to know whether to prepare myself and lock up the good chocolate. Come on, then. Follow me.” She stood up and he got a good view of the knitted green sweater that she was wearing, which had a huge image of Rudolf the reindeer on the front. Complete with a red nose that actually lit up.
Good God.
“Don’t you have to check that he’s free?”
“Nah. It’s all good.” She started to glide towards an office at the back of the open room.
Actually glided.
Because she was wearing roller skates.
He had to be dreaming.
* * *
Marisol scrubbed at the bathroom floor frantically.
“Marisol? Mari-girl, are you in here?” Linc asked.
She froze. Shoot. Had she lost track of time?
“I’m in here,” she called out, turning as he appeared in the bathroom doorway.
He stared down at her. “What do you think you are doing?”
“Um, cleaning?” she asked hesitantly.
Clearly, that was the wrong answer as his face grew stern. Reaching down, he grabbed her under the arms, lifting her up. “And why are you cleaning?”
“Because it was dirty.”
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