Page 103 of Ice Cold Christmas

No. Two gunshots had been fired from Olivia’s gun. She knew one had hit him, in the back, but what about the other bullet? And just where exactly had that first one hit? Melody tried to peer around him.

“The room is…soundproof,” Victor bit out. “No one will have heard the shots. You…you need to go get help, Melody. Find the security guards. Call…cops.” He weaved a bit. Almost dropped fully back to the floor. “Shit.” He caught himself.

Olivia laughed. “Yes, yes, call the cops! I’ll say?—”

Melody ignored her. One hand gripped the gun and the other feathered over Victor’s shoulder. “Victor?”

His head turned toward her. “Go get help.” His breath rasped out. “One bullet is in my back, about…ah, maybe two inches from my spine? Can feel the bastard. Hurts like a mother.” Sweat dotted his forehead. “The second just…went through my arm. Or, hell, could still be in it.”

His right arm. It hung limply at his side. Covered in blood. When he’d grabbed Olivia, he’d caught her kicking foot with his left hand.

Tears stung Melody’s eyes. She shoved the gun into his left hand. “You can still fire, right?”

A nod.

She rushed to the boardroom door and swung it open. “Help!” Melody yelled. “I need help in here!”

Footsteps rushed toward her.

She spun away and looked at Victor. He had the gun aimed at Olivia. Melody darted back toward him.

Just as he slumped onto the floor.

“Victor!” She flew to crouch beside him. “Victor!”

Olivia laughed.

“What in the hell is happening here?” Detective Angus Clinton demanded as he raced inside the boardroom.

Melody whipped her head toward him. She opened her mouth?—

“Shoot them!” Olivia screamed. “They attacked me! Shoot. Them!”

Horror flooded through Melody. Frantically, she shook her head. “No, no, Olivia is the one?—”

The detective smiled. Smiled. Melody didn’t even get to finish speaking because he was hauling out his weapon and aiming it at her. “Stand down!” he shouted loudly.

They were down. They were. Victor was on the floor, bleeding, and Melody wasn’t armed.

“Hey, Melody,” Angus taunted. “Victor sends his regards.”

A gun against my temple. A man’s rasping voice in my backseat. “No?—”

A gun fired.

The detective’s body jerked.

The gun fired again. Again.

The detective stumbled back even as blood bloomed on his chest.

“Yeah,” Victor rasped as he held the gun in his blood-stained grip. “Sure do…send my regards…Hope you…enjoy hell, you sonofabitch.”

The detective fell.

Olivia screamed.

Victor turned the gun on her.