Page 82 of Snowbound with the Santas

Nick holds up his hands. “I just want to make sure we’re considering everything here and not being blinded by… feelings.”

“I’m not blinded,” Archer remarks. “Are you?”

“Of course I am,” Nick snaps. “Rayne is…” He sucks in air through his teeth. “Everything about her blinds me. I know we all would have pounded on Ashton and left him in the snow to rot because of how we feel about her, but we have to consider everything.”

“What have we not considered?” I ask, trying to ignore how true Nick’s words are. What I feel for her, what we all feel for her in such a short time, is almost too intense to talk about.

“What if sheisthe danger?” Nick looks each of us in the eye. “What if she is, as she says, a murderer, and she is the threat?”

I can’t hold in the scoff that rises. “Come on. She’s the sweetest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Remember how sweet Amanda was? Now she’s the fucking devil incarnate. All I’m saying is we have to consider it.”

“I can’t judge her,” Archer remarks. “I’ve got more than two people’s blood on my hands.”

“That’s different,” Nick remarks. “You’re a soldier.”

“Different?” He rolls his eyes. “Depends who you ask.”

“Okay, so you’re saying she’s a cold-blooded killer, and this is a case ofshe’s not locked in with us, we’re locked in with her?” I add some jazz hands to emphasize how dumb this sounds.

Nick narrows his eyes. “Listen. I’m notsayingthat, but we have to consider it, okay? Just like we have to consider all the options. I’m not saying we don’t help her. I’m just saying we need to make sure we understand everything before we settle on that decision.”

No matter how I play it out in my head, Rayne being a killer for fun just doesn’t sit with me. Then again, maybe Nick is right. Maybe she really is just a talented liar and she’s been waiting out these weeks to decide whom to kill first.

“I’ve considered it,” Archer says finally. “And I say bullshit. I understand why you’re asking, though. You’ve got a kid to think about.”

Oh.

In all the chaos, Freida had slipped my mind. Of course, Nick would think things through more thoroughly. Whatever choice we make here doesn’t just affect us. It affects Nick and his entire battle to get his daughter back.

“Shit,” I murmur. “Sorry. I didn’t even think.”

Nick shrugs. “It’s fine. I did.”

“So?” Archer looks around at us. “Even if she is the killer, do we help her?” No one has an answer until Archer chuckles. “I’m kidding. Look, we can’t jump to conclusions until we know more. So… we keep that on ice until she gives us details, okay?”

Suddenly, a sharp beep echoes through the cabin and Archer lunges forward. “Shit! I forgot I was on a call with Colin.”

Nick snorts. “I’ll get it.” He hurries out of the room, leaving Archer and me to soak in the revelation.

“How’s your hand?” I ask.

Archer glances down at it, then flexes his fingers. “Had worse.”

“Come on.” Tilting my head, I head into the kitchen, and Archer follows after a minute or so.

“I don’t need you to patch me up.”

“Sit the fuck down and let me. I feel like I’m losing control, so just let me, okay?” I slam the medical kit down on the table harder than I intend, but it helps emphasize my point.

Archer sits across from me and holds out his hand. “Are you okay?”

“None of us are,” I reply, pouring some antiseptic onto a cotton pad. “We’re all scarred, secluded men in love with a woman we found in the snow who may or may not be a serial killer.”

“Not a serial killer.” Archer snorts. “She only killed two.”

“Well, whatever.” As I dab at the scrape on Archer’s knuckles, my shoulders drop. “Is it weird that I still feel insanely protective over her?”

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