Page 164 of Sinning for Santa

“Ding dong, looks like I have found you.” Frankie sings, finishing the end of the song, “Ding dong, pay the consequence.”

She slices the knife slowly across his throat, and it’s then that I have to close my eyes, not able to stomach the rest.

I can hear his gurgles, like he is drowning in his own blood, and then when he falls quiet, Frankie’s laugh fills the air.

“Fuck,” Devon whispers against my ear, and I hear Finn next to me.

“Well, looks like I’m about to find out what maiming feels like.”

Frankie’s eyes dart over her shoulder, her head shaking as she stands to face us.

My gasp gets lodged in my throat, and Devon must feel me stiffen because he gives me a squeeze.

Frankie is painted in red. Her face. Her hands. Her hair dripping.

“You’ll keep,” Frankie murmurs to Finn, tossing the knife to the ground before walking past and bumping his shoulder with hers.

“Fuck, man. You wanna stay at mine?” Miles asks, and I can see by Finn’s expression that he’s considering it, but he shakes his head.

“No. I was the one that wanted to save her. I’ll pay the consequences.”

Chapter thirty-six

Devon

Leaving the guards to clean up, I keep my grip firm on Jaxcen’s hand as I lead her back to town. My mind is fucking racing. So many different outcomes could have taken place tonight, and in none did we consider a possibility, when we went over our plans meticulously, that Jaxcen would be turned into a human explosive. In none did we consider Mr V would be knowledgeable enough to dress as a Santa, blending in with my fucking men.

The possibility that my little mouse could be dead right now makes me want to fucking hurl.

“Dev?” Jaxcen’s sweet voice drags my gaze to hers as we walk up the path of Main Street, twinkling Christmas lights illuminating the way. “What’s wrong?”

I take in her big blue eyes, and the concern emanating from them. I take in her cheeks, still flushed on the apples, making her appear even younger and innocent than I know she is. Her skin has a luminescent glow to it, so smooth and creamy, and there’s just so much perfection to her that I fear, if I touch her, she’ll shatter into a million pieces and I’ll never see her again.

I’ve never thought like this before.

I’ve never felt like this before.

And fuck, I don’t know how or what to do with it.

Because I can’t keep her. Look at the danger I’ve brought into her life since we crossed paths.

No. I can never keep something so precious no matter how much I want it.

“Dev?” she asks again, her brow puckering, and I blink a few times, realising that we’ve stopped walking, and I’m just staring at her. “Please tell me what’s going on inside your head,” she whispers.

There’s a plea in her tone. It’s laced with pain.

How can I tell her what I’m feeling when I simply can’t keep her?

I decide to go with the half truth, because I need her to know how important she is.

“He got too close to taking you,” I rasp, my voice cracking slightly. And what I don’t say is, he got too close from taking youfrom me.

“But he didn’t.” She reaches up, her dainty hand cupping the side of my face. “I’m still here. You saved me.”

“Warrick saved you. Not me,” I say bluntly, still annoyed that I had to call my little brother for help. Now I have to deal with that bullshit, which Marilda will likely have my balls for.

Her hand leaves my face to slap my shoulder. “Stop it. You had his help, yes, but it was you who found me. It was you who kept me calm. It was you who knew the right person to call. And it was you that disabled and removed the bomb from me.”

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