Page 52 of My Secret Santa Mason

“I’m sorry,” she choked out, her voice muffled against my chest. “Mason, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

I pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, my hands on either side of her face. She looked up at me with so much pain in her eyes.

“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “None of this is your fault, Cami. You hear me? This is on Viktor, on Wallace… and whoever else is involved in this. Not you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Her eyes filled with tears, her bottom lip trembling.

“Dylan, my ex… Viktor said he’d been involved. He wanted to know what I knew, but I swear I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know—”

“Hush,” I said gently. She was racked with guilt, but I wasn’t going to let her carry that burden.

It was all over. Not just for her but for the first time in a decade for me, too.

“They would have found a way to come after me and after you no matter what,” I said in a gentle voice. “You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And if your ex was involved, it’s just a very long series of very unfortunate events. But it’s over now. You’re safe, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you ever again.”

She nodded, still in shock after what had happened. I knew it would take a moment for the adrenaline to fade and for her to realize the danger was really over.

Behind us, Tanner had Wallace restrained, his hands tied behind his back with a piece of rope Tanner had stashed in his coat. Wallace looked like shit—bloodied and beaten, his face swollen from the hits Tanner had landed. Tanner looked a little worse for wear but not nearly as bad as Wallace did.

I didn’t feel an ounce of pity for the bastard.

“What now?” Tanner asked, his voice gruff as he dragged Wallace closer. “You want me to call the sheriff, or are we handling this ourselves?”

I glanced down at Viktor, who was still lying on the ground, groaning in pain. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to end him right here and now—to make sure he never came after us again.

But I wasn’t going to do it that way.

I’d stopped him, and his men were hurt and unconscious, but I wasn’t going to kill unless it was absolutely necessary. I wasn’t that man anymore.

“Call the sheriff,” I muttered, my voice low. “Let him handle the cleanup.”

Tanner nodded, pulling out his phone as he dragged Wallace off to the side, keeping him out of sight of the parade. I could hear the sounds of kids laughing nearby, oblivious to the chaos that had just unfolded only a few feet away.

I let out a long breath, glancing down at Viktor one last time before turning my attention back to Cami. She was still trembling, still gripping my coat like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

“Let’s get you out of here,” I whispered, slipping my arm around her waist and leading her away from the crowd. “You’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

She nodded silently, leaning into me as we walked away from the parade, leaving the sounds of Christmas cheer behind us.

We made our way down a side street, far from the bustling crowd, the air growing quieter as we moved further from the celebration. The snow pressed under our feet, the cold driving into the shitty Santa suit I wore, but I barely felt it. All I could think about was her—keeping her safe and getting her home.

When we reached her cottage, I paused at the door, turning to look down at her. Her face was pale, her eyes still wide with lingering fear. She was so strong, but right now, she was fragile. I just wanted to hold her.

“You okay?” I asked softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

She nodded, though her voice was still shaky. “I will be,” she whispered, her eyes meeting mine. “As long as you’re here.”

I felt something inside me shift at her words, and I knew that whoever I’d been in the past, thanks to her, I was a changed man. I didn’t just feel the need to protect her—it was something much deeper, something I hadn’t allowed myself to eventhinkabout feeling for someone.

I wanted her in my life. I wanted to be there for her, to make sure she never had to go through anything like this again. I wanted to be the man she could rely on, no matter what.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, my voice gruff.

“Thank you,” she whispered, and the last of the tension bled out of her body when she let out a shuddering breath.

I leaned down, pressing my forehead against hers, closing my eyes for a moment. This woman was everything I didn’t know I needed. And I wasn’t going to let anything take her away from me again.

“I’ll always be here,” I murmured, brushing my lips against hers softly.

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