Page 77 of Ice Cold Christmas

“I’m sure they will be paying me a visit at the first opportunity.” He’d be ready for them. “Appreciate the update.” He lowered the phone.

It was the second update he’d gotten that night. The first had been from Hunter McQueen, a call that came during Angus’s unfortunate interrogation session. It had been short.

The fingerprints match. Used one of Declan’s new tech systems, it’s five times more accurate than a human expert. The woman with you is Melody Mage. Ninety-nine percent accuracy. That is your missing fiancée.

As if he hadn’t already known that fact.

He’d been balls deep inside of her. He’d heard her moan. He’d felt her come. There were some things that could not be faked in this world. The way Melody acted and the way she looked when she broke apart for him?

I know her. Inside. Out. I know my Melody.

Even as he gripped the phone in his hand, it rang again. A soft peal followed by a quick vibration. He glanced down at the screen. Sure, why not take another late-night call? Victor put the phone to his ear.

“You were supposed to check back in with me,” Hunter chided him. “This is my call to confirm that you are still in the land of the living. Doing my due diligence and what-not.”

Victor had to unclench his jaw. “Sorry.” Clipped. “Had a situation to handle.”

“What kind of situation?” Then, harder, “Is Melody all right?”

He looked upward. Was she crawling into bed? Already sleeping? Or wide-awake as she replayed the events of the day and night? “We were ambushed.”

“What?”

“When we left the police station, the bastard was waiting. My tires were slashed. This kid, Benny Turner, was waiting with his knife. He swung at Melody.”

“You stopped him?” A pause. Then, with certainty, “You stopped him.”

“He’s dead.”

Hunter cleared his throat. “Yeah, you stopped him.”

“He was running away. He ran straight into the path of a van. Died before he could tell me anything.”

“And Melody?”

“She’s upstairs.”

“Damn.” Softer, “Damn.” He cleared his throat. “Tell me about the attacker. Every detail you’ve got.”

“Benny was a former foster kid who was in and out of trouble for years.” Like that could not be a description of himself. Hadn’t Victor bounced around? Only to wind up taking care of himself? And, yeah, he’d crossed the line and broken the law a few times.

But that sonofabitch Colton Crane, he’d truly deserved what he got. Don’t think about him. Not right now. Victor forced his grip to ease on the phone. “Benny was a repeat offender. One who was apparently good at boosting cars.”

“This a random attack?” Doubt filled Hunter’s voice.

“He went for her, not for me. There was nothing random about it.”

A low whistle. “Someone definitely wants Melody Mage to stay gone.”

Too fucking bad. “I need you to dig into Benny’s life. See who his contacts were.”

“I’ll do more than dig. I’ll rip his life apart.” A pause. “Next time, remember to call when there’s an ambush. Think you can handle that? You’re not flying solo on this one.”

Yeah, he got it. “I wanted to kill him.” There. Done. Said. “As soon as he swung at her with the knife, he was a dead man.”

“You didn’t kill him.” Maybe a faint question underscored those words. Or maybe not.

“I was chasing him. Me and the detective—Angus Clinton. The perp had on a ski mask. He didn’t stop when he burst out of the alley we were in. He just ran right into the road.”