Page 104 of Ice Cold Christmas

Olivia’s eyes doubled in size. “It was all his idea!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “He’s the one—it was all Angus! Don’t shoot me! Don’t shoot, I am begging!”

More footsteps. Rushing into the boardroom. Only…the detective’s slumped body blocked the doorway. Hunter and Calista had to jump over him to get fully inside.

Calista knelt, her hands going to the detective’s chest. “Damn.” She started trying to cover his wounds. Apply pressure.

Hunter took in the scene, his gaze going from the detective’s prone body…to Olivia’s crying form…to Victor, who still held the gun. Who was bloody and armed and when Melody looked at him, she saw that Victor’s face was twisted with rage and hate.

Hunter had his own weapon drawn.

He’s taking in the scene. Victor looks guilty. Victor looks like the villain.

“No!” Melody lunged in front of Victor. “Victor needs help! Get an ambulance! Get help!”

Hunter stared at her a moment longer, a muscle jerked along his jaw and then…he nodded. Hunter lowered his weapon and yanked out his phone. A moment later, “I need an ambulance…”

Melody’s breath choked from her as she looked back at Victor. But rage didn’t twist his face any longer. He’d sagged back onto the floor. His facial features had gone slack. His eyes closed. “Victor?” She grabbed for him. “Victor!”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Somewhere, Christmas music was playing.

He could hear the music, could even name the song. “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

Darkness surrounded him. The music kept playing.

“I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams…”

He wanted to be home for Christmas. Home—to him, home was Melody. Melody and her dimpled smile and her green eyes. And the sweet, sweet sound of her laughter. He thought that, maybe, her laughter had been what he missed most over the last year. Her laughter had always been the best damn gift.

He’d wanted to spend his life making her happy. Making her smile. Making her laugh.

He’d wanted a Christmas tree. Wanted decorations and stockings hung by the chimney and kids who laughed and baked chocolate chip cookies with him and Melody. He’d wanted all the joy that everyone else seemed to get so easily.

While he’d had such coldness in his life.

He’d wanted…

Melody.

“I don’t know why you think you get to sleep all day, but it’s just got to stop. I believe you’re the one being Sleeping Beauty right now, so when I kiss you, I fully expect you to wake up, stare straight into my eyes, and vow to love me forever.”

Her soft lips pressed to his.

Not a dream. A dream had never felt so real. He should know. After all, he’d had plenty of dreams about Melody over the last year.

“Wake up,” she pleaded. “Stare straight into my eyes. Vow to love me forever.”

His lashes slowly lifted. The darkness faded. The music kept playing. A light blinked, on and off, from somewhere nearby. And Melody—his Melody—leaned over him.

She smiled. A slow smile that stretched her full, unpainted lips, that made her dimple flash at him, and that lit her gorgeous, green eyes. “Hello, Sleeping Beauty,” she told him.

He jerked. Reached for Melody. Hauled her down onto him even as his mouth crashed into hers.

“Victor! Victor, no! You had a bullet lodged in your back! You had way too much blood loss!” She pushed at him. Kissed him a bit longer but then pushed again and broke free. “Victor.” Her cheeks flushed. Her eyes gleamed with what could have been both tears and joy. “You scared the hell out of me.”

He stared straight into her eyes. “I will love you forever.”

Her breath caught. “Heard that part, did you?” A nod. “I thought you were waking up. Your breathing changed. And, well, you also whispered my name.” Her smile came and went again. Came and…went.