Page 38 of Noel Secrets

“Okay, so who was Veronica to Albert?” Michael withdrew his phone and searched for something.

“If she went into witness protection, we’ll never know who she is now.”

“What if she didn’t?” He scrolled, eyeing her above the phone.

Jayda’s grip on the ribbon tightened. “If she’s not in witness protection, then she’s on the run.”

Michael’s brows knit. “And that means?”

“It means she doesn’t know she’s being hunted—by them—and that we’re in the way. Whichever of us reaches her first decides her fate.”

He studied her face, his voice softening. “Why does this matter so much to you, Jayda? Besides your own safety?”

Her throat went dry. For a moment she considered brushing it off with a joke or a quick answer. But the weight of his striking eyes pressed against her defenses. But then hadn’t they always? Hadn’t those blues always read too much into her? She inhaled, steadying herself.

“Because I know what it feels like,” she whispered.

He didn’t speak. He waited.

Jayda set down the ribbon. Her voice trembled, but she forced herself forward. “I know what it’s like to be forgotten. To be left out in the cold, trying to fend for yourself, wondering if anyone even remembers you exist. I lived on the streets. I lived in fear, not knowing who to trust. And no one was there to speak for me.”

Michael’s expression flickered with pain, but she pressed on.

“That’s why I chose family law. There are kids out there—people—just like me, waiting for someone to fight for them. To be a voice for them. Veronica…she used her voice to put a monster behind bars. And now? She’s on her own. And I can’t let her stand alone.”

The silence that followed was thick, charged with emotion. Michael reached for her hand, covering it with both of his. His touch was warm, grounding.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered with a frown and remorse in his eyes. “I’m sorry I made you feel forgotten. If it takes the rest of my life, I’ll make it up to you.”

Jayda’s chest ached, a mix of grief and longing colliding inside her. She pulled her hands back just slightly. “Michael…what are we doing? What’s going on between us?”

His eyes softened, but his voice was steady. “Does it bother you? Us being close instead of fighting each other?”

She hesitated, searching his face. “Does it bother you?”

For a moment, neither spoke. Then Michael raised the twig mistletoe above their heads, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“This,” he whispered, leaning closer, “feels right. Doesn’t it feel right to you?”

Jayda’s breath caught as his lips brushed against hers. The world tilted, her resistance crumbling with frightening ease.

“Yes,” she murmured against his mouth. And then she deepened the kiss, her arms sliding around his neck, her fingers tangling through his hair.

The warmth, the safety, the hunger—it was dizzying.

And then?—

A sharp gasp split the air.

Jayda’s eyes flew open just as Michael pulled back, his expression stunned.

There, standing at the doorway of the dining car, was Ginny. Her hands clutched the twins close, the boys already giggling behind their palms, but Ginny’s face was thunderous, her fury blazing even in the dim light.

The sliding door at the other end of the car opened at the same moment, and in walked the two men who had chased Jayda back in New Haven.

Looking from one end of the car to the other, from an irate Ginny to deadly mobsters, Jayda didn’t know which was worse.

Michael stayed rooted to his spot, his body angled protectively toward Jayda. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t let her get hurt again, but the twothick-shouldered men who stepped into the car didn’t come for breakfast.