Page 98 of Ice Cold Christmas

Tread carefully. Because the events in this room would send her running. Either to him or away from him.

Run to me, baby. Always, to me. He pulled in a long, deep breath. “Nothing ever goes according to plan.” He’d told her that before, one year ago. Because he’d had such great plans in place for his proposal. Only she’d stood in that boardroom and said they were done.

We can’t be done. I need you too much.

“I don’t have a ring with me this time.” He looked at her left hand. The one that still rubbed her temple. No ring there.

But…she lowered that hand. Frowned at it. “He took my ring away,” she whispered. “He yanked it off my finger when he tied me to the chair.”

Footsteps clattered. Victor’s gaze darted to the door. Olivia had just rushed away. She’d shoved past Calista and Luis.

“I was wearing my engagement ring when he took me.” Not a whisper. Stronger.

She had been wearing it. An engagement ring with three diamonds. Two matching square cuts on the side of a large oval. He’d picked out those diamonds for her. Been so nervous to propose, but he’d had his plans in place. He’d been intending to propose on Christmas Eve, beneath the Christmas tree at his house because she loved the holiday so much.

Only she’d been breaking up with him in the boardroom. He’d had to prove that he loved her.

I never gave her those damn words last year. Because he hadn’t said “I love you” to anyone back then. He hadn’t said those words since he’d been taken away from his mother. Even though she’d been in a drugged haze when the ladies from DHR and the cops came to get him, he’d still raged and begged and…

“Mom, Mom, don’t let them take me! Please! I love you, Mom! It’s going to be better! I can make it better!”

But she’d looked right through him. Muttered something about a cousin who could take him.

Saying I love you hadn’t changed a single thing that day.

He hadn’t been sure that he could actually love anyone. Not until Melody.

I told her this time. I told her at my house, I told her that I loved her.

But she’d just found out about the secrets he’d worked so hard to keep. Maybe love wouldn’t matter.

It hadn’t mattered before.

She crept closer to him even as Dario wrapped his hands around her shoulders. Victor couldn’t control the growl that broke from him. If Dario didn’t move those fingers soon, Victor would be removing them for the prick.

Stay focused. Melody matters. Melody. “I have the Mage company.” He shook his head. “But I will sign it over to you right the fuck now if you want.”

“Yes!” An excited shout from Dario. “It’s what she wants. Do it. Do?—”

Hunter shoved Dario away from Melody. “You need to settle your ass down.”

Victor hated having eyes on them. This moment was for him and Melody alone. “Everyone but Melody, out. Now.”

Hunter hauled a protesting Dario to the door.

“No, no, Melody wants me here?—”

But Melody turned to frown at her stepbrother. “I want to talk with Victor. Alone.”

He broke from Hunter and lunged toward Victor and Melody. “You can’t trust him., Melody! What if he is the one who took?—”

“No.” Certainty. “Victor didn’t have anything to do with my abduction. He loves me.” Simple. Like she was stating a fact that she knew with complete certainty. “Please leave, Dario.”

His jaw dropped. “But—but?—”

Victor surged to his full height. “You heard the lady.” He grabbed Dario and shoved his ass toward the door—then through the doorway and into the hall. “Don’t let the door hit you.” Because it was about to be slamming. A snap of his teeth. “Get your ass out of the building. Now.”

“You sonofabitch!”