Page 75 of The Bratva's Christmas Bump
“Let’s get the bowl, then the tree.”
“Do we have time?” Her attention dips to her phone.
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
She nods, glancing up at me. “Tiffany wanted to call me about the engagement party this weekend with that new client.”
“Problems?”
“No, she’s just overly cautious when it gets this close to Christmas. You’ve no idea how many people try to scrimp out on paying the entertainers because they don’t deem us as important. Honestly, no one ever notices good music. They take it for granted. But bad music?” She rolls her eyes and stuffs her phone back into her pocket. “That’ll get you struck off everyone’s booking list.”
“I’ve heard you play,” I say, thinking back to the alliance party she ended up playing at. “It was beautiful.” Never has a meeting between myself and the Italians been cut short because of music before, but something about Hollie’s playing put everyone in a good mood that night.
Her cheeks flush and she ducks her head away from my gaze. “I try.”
“If it’s just a call, you have time. Come on, we can get you that bowl.”
Hollie spins around and grins at me, but I barely see it.
I see him first.
His dark eyes.
His pale face.
The twist of his lips as he steels himself and pushes the last person out of his way. The knife in his hand glints like the last sparkle of a falling star, and our eyes meet as he lunges forward.
The hatred in his eyes is smothering. Rage that smolders like I’m being held over the lingering embers of a fire. He lunges. I grab Hollie by the shoulders and throw her out of his line of attack, spinning at the same time. The blade tears into the fabric of my thick sweater and sharp, hot pain flares up across my ribs.
Hollie’s gasp of alarm turns into a scream of fear when she spots the crazed attacker. Keeping her safe is my only concern so the pain becomes second to ensuring I’m fully between her and the attacker.
“Maxim!” She yells and clutches at me, only for Stu to leap out of the crowd, sweep his arm around her waist, and scoop her away.
The second he has her, I spin around and block the next slash with my forearm against the man’s wrist. He yells in rage, grunting as he grabs the hilt with both hands and tries to drive the knife down into my shoulder. I lash out, punching across his face, and he stumbles right to the ground. More and more of the crowd catch on to what’s happening, and various screams mix with cries of alarm.
“Die!” He bellows as he climbs back to his feet, his arm swinging like it’s on some kind of trigger. My hands and forearms block each rapid swing and slash of the knife. The blade catches on my clothes, nicks my skin, and sends splatters of blood across the snow with each frantic swing.
On his next lunge, I sidestep and punch him hard in the gut, grab his wrist, and drag his arm across my body as he stumbles. Kicking his knee, he goes down hard while I twist his wrist and force him to drop the knife. Then he’s face down on the ground with his arm still in my grasp and wrenched up his back.
“Boss!” Toto’s by my shoulder in a second with his gun aimed at the assailant, but before he pulls the trigger, I grab his wrist and lower it.
“Don’t. Take him home.”
“What?” Confusion melts across Toto’s face until he peers over my shoulder and glimpses the face of the man swearing and cursing my existence. That confusion turns into understanding and he nods, holstering his weapon.
“On it.”
Toto takes over pinning the man down as Rex appears and glances at me, concern knitting across his brows, but before he can speak, I’m scanning the crowd for Hollie.
“Where is she?”
“Stu has her by the wreaths,” Rex replies. “We need to get you out of here.”
His words barely reach me as I charge through the crowd toward the wreath stall several feet away. As the crowd finally parts, I glimpse Hollie in Stu’s arms fighting him much like she did the first time we met. Her crimson hair flies about her face as she beats him with both her fists, though her blows are barely impactful if the look on his face is anything to go by.
They both spot me at the same time. Relief flashes across Stu’s face while Hollie’s mouth drops open and tears invade her beautiful eyes.
“Maxim!”
