Page 32 of Snowed Inn For Christmas

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I growled, gently getting up off the couch so I didn’t wake Daisy.I shook my head and stalked over to the front door, flinging it open as their heads all whipped in my direction.

Gage smiled warmly while my dad looked confused.My mother sat on the couch, covering her mouth with her hands as Patrick’s eyes went straight to her.

I stepped into the cold, not caring that I didn’t have a coat on.Thanks to my anger, I was burning up and didn’t need one.I pulled the door closed and turned to Patrick, my eyes burning into his.

“What the fuck were you doing at my apartment yesterday?”I snarled, poking my finger into his chest as I stepped closer to him.

“I was handling what needed to be handled,” he replied easily, tilting his head to the side as he studied me.

“I didn’t need anything handled.Do younotremember our conversation about how dangerous this guy is?I don’t need you putting yourself in danger!”

“I wasn’t in danger.”

I inhaled deeply, trying to force the oxygen to my brain so I could think clearly.

“You said it yourself that he was dangerous.What could you have possibly needed to handle by going there?You knew that Daisy and I were safehere!”I threw my hands up.

He stood straight, pulling his shoulders back as he cocked his head to the side and studied me.I hated it when he did this, always having to make sure I knew just how much bigger than me he was.

“I went to make a point,” he said softly.

“A point?A point?Who were you making a point to?Me?Was this all some sort of power play that you needed to show up against Gage so he’d think you’re tough and manly?”

“No.I went because I knew he was watching your apartment, and I wanted him to seeexactlywho he was going up against.No one—and I repeatno one—” he paused, looking at Gage, “fucks with my family.I walked out of the middle of a multi-million-dollar deal in New York, just to catch the first flight to Seattle so I could take care of things.You might be safe right now, but I won’t rest until he’s dealt with.”

I pulled back, startled by his words as my lower lip trembled.

“What are you going to do?”I whispered, all of the anger from a few minutes ago rushing out of me.

“Whatever I have to.Make no mistake, I don’t fuck around when it comes to my family, Jules.I don’t care whose blood I have on my hands as long as you and Daisy are taken care of.”

Nineteen

Gage

Iknew Patrick hadn’ttold Julie what they'd found when they went to her apartment, which put me in an awkward spot, having to keep that secret from her.But we all agreed that it wasn’t the right time to tell her and create more worry on top of everything else she had going on.Daisy had started not to feel well this morning, but on top of that, we’d discovered that someone had cut the lock off the shed out back.I hadn’t had a chance to get to the shed since I’d arrived, so I had no way of knowing how recent it had happened.The wind was blowing constantly, making it impossible to find footprints in the snow.But something deep in my gut told me that trouble was on the way.