Page 29 of Ice Cold Christmas

“He isn’t the man you knew.” But then again, if she was telling the truth, Melody didn’t know Sebastian Mage at all. “Look, he’s just—he’s not the same.” Serious understatement. And when one of Sebastian’s rages came on him… “I want you to lock the door. Only let me inside, understand?” Actually, he wanted her the hell out of that house. Until he could figure out what was happening…

Someone just tried to kill her. That’s what is happening. And I will not allow Melody to be hurt.

“You don’t even have on a shirt,” she muttered.

“That’s because you’re wearing it,” he returned.

“Oh.” She looked down at the shirt. “Your blood is on it. That, uh, seems to happen pretty often with your shirts.”

His fingers slid beneath her chin. He tilted her head back up. “Promise you will lock the door after me. Drag the chair over to secure it if you have to, but do not let anyone but me inside, understand?”

“I’m supposed to trust you?” She swallowed. “You know I don’t remember you.”

“Yeah, got that.” They’d deal with that problem. “But I was also standing right in front of you when the first shot was fired, and you know I didn’t just try to kill you, so there’s that.”

“Th-the shot wasn’t intended for me!”

He stared at her. Just stared. Then, “You stepped back. I reached for you. My arm was in the exact spot you’d just been in seconds before.”

Her breath came harder. Faster.

“I think you have to realize, sweetheart…” Yeah, he kept dropping endearments. So what? “Not everyone is thrilled to have you home.”

She wet her lips.

“But I sure as hell am.” His mouth took hers. Quick. Hard. Possessively. “Lock the fucking door.”

“I fucking will.”

He backed away. Stormed out. Yanked the door closed behind him. He stood there a moment, shivers racking his own body and then…

He heard the grating of a heavy chair being hauled toward the door. A savage smile curled his lips.

He turned away from the den.

Olivia waited a few feet away. She shifted from foot to foot. “Did, ah, did someone really shoot into the study?”

“No, the bullet holes in the wall are just for fun.” He strode past her because he didn’t have time to waste.

She caught his arm. Gripped the damn graze.

He hissed out a breath.

She let go.

“Why the hell does Dario have wet hair?” Victor demanded.

Olivia blinked. Several times. “He…ran outside after Melody. But I was worried, so I pulled him back. It must be wet from the snow.”

Her hair wasn’t wet.

She looked toward the closed den door. “Could have just been a hunter, you know.” A low whisper. “A shot fired by mistake.”

“You don’t shoot five times by mistake.”

She backed up a step.

“Was Dario in bed with you when you heard the first shot?”