Page 28 of Silent Nights and Vampire Lights

CHAPTER 13

NICHOLAS

We drove the last few hours in silence, without even Christmas music to break it. Neither of us wanted to listen to anything cheerful when everything was ending. We were about an hour from Grimm Mawr when I saw the rest area where my contact was meeting us.

“Pull into the next rest stop.”

Holly didn’t even question me. She changed lanes and drove into the darkened rest stop and parked where I directed her, next to the black SUV. My contact got out of the car, a middle-aged man name Michael Solomon.

I’d known Michael for years. He helped me get IDs when I needed them, along with helping me disappear some humans who needed to find a new place to live. Not unlike Holly. I trusted him, as far as I trusted anyone. Yet a part of me didn’t want to hand Holly over to him.

Holly eyed the man from the driver’s seat, clear suspicion in her gaze. “So, this is the guy who created Kate Morgan?”

I nodded. “He’ll take you to Ithaca and get you settled.”

She turned big eyes on me. “You trust him?”

I shrugged negligently. “As much as I trust anyone. He’ll be able to contact me if you need anything.”

She slumped against the seat. “So that’s it. We’re done. No contact between us. Everything is through a middleman? Do you hate me that much?”

Tears threatened in her eyes, and I steeled myself against them. “We discussed this. It’s safer for you to go with Michael.”

“Will I see you again?” Her voice was small, tentative, and my gut clenched.

That was the question. I was going home, uncertain of my welcome. Sure, my mother had invited me, but I didn’t know if my father or cousin even knew I was coming. I was technically still under exile, so I might not have a place to stay beyond Yule. But if I could stay, I needed the break Grimm Mawr offered. I was tired of being alone. And maybe I could eventually bring Holly there with me. Ithaca wasn’t that far away. I could visit her, make sure she was okay, and, once everything has settled, we could be together. If she still wanted me.

“Of course you will. For now, I need you to be safe. Michael will help you.”

She stared out the front window, her fingers still clenching the steering wheel. Then she eased her grip and balled them in her lap. “Fine. But don’t expect me to be waiting for you.”

We got out of the car and joined the balding, older man leaning against his car. He gave me a quick nod. “Heard you ran into trouble at the diner.”

“We handled it.”

“They won’t stop. A new identity won’t be enough.”

I was aware of that. I had already put steps in place to manage the mafia boss who had put the hit out, reaching out to a few contacts who were already moving in. “I’ll handle it.”

Michael studied me for a moment while Holly’s wide gaze darted between us. “What does this mean?”

“It means that you need to listen to everything Michael tells you, Kate,” I said firmly.

She wrinkled her nose. “I still don’t like that name.”

Michael grinned. “Sorry. I only had so many options on hand.” He glanced at me. “Are you ready to leave?”

She sighed and looked at me. “I guess?”

I jerked my chin to Michael, who stepped away, giving us some semblance of privacy. I pulled Holly close. “I’m sorry that it couldn’t be any different. But this really is for the best.”

She tilted her head. “For whom? For you? Someday, you’ll realize what you lost, and you’ll be all alone. You need to open yourself up, Nick. You’re not tired from being on the road. You’re tired from being alone. You could have been with someone who loves you. Instead, you chose to protect yourself and retreat.”

She turned away, then paused. “I hope you don’t regret it someday.”

She walked towards Michael, who opened the passenger door. “Can I pick the music?”

“Only if you like Christmas music.”

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