Page 63 of Wintertime Heat (Holiday 1)

“Abby?” The child clinging to me sounded scared and I put my hand over his head, pressing his face to my stomach, “It’s going to be fine. Don’t look.”

“We just want the child.” One of the men says.

I widen my eyes, mockingly, “Oh, is that all?”

“Give us the brat, bitch.”

“No.” I bare my teeth at them. “Not happening.”

The man on my side twists his face in an ugly smirk, “Then we’ll just shoot you.”

I raise a brow, sweat pouring down my neck in fear, as I feel Aaron’s arms tighten around my waist, “Not in the centre of Christmas Market. Even you couldn’t be that stupid.”

As I take a step back, I feel a sudden burning in arm.

Blood was seeping from my white coat.

Aaron’s cry makes me pull him closer, my words harsh with pain, “Don’t look!”

“Does that reassure you? It’s an automatic. It won’t make a sound. Maybe I should shoot you in the heart next?” He raises his gun, and I press my lips together to keep myself from screaming in pain.

Before he could shoot, I force myself to take a step closer and lift my wounded arm, gritting my teeth, and spraying his eyes with the pepper spray. Taking advantage of the sudden attack, I knee him in the balls, making him fall. The man howls in pain and I stumble forward, another burning sensation rips through my abdomen.

“Abby!” I hear the howl. But I didn’t know whose throat it came from, as two men charge at me, hurling frightened shoppers out of the way.

“Run, Aaron! Go!” I scream at him, turning to stall the men.

The terrified boy’s eyes widen as he sees someone behind me and cries, “Daddy!”

And sure enough, Steven was hustling through the crowd, fury on his face as he jumps one of the men, punching him with such force that he falls on to the concrete with a loud cracking noise.

I hear him roar my name, fear and fury, an odd mixture in his eyes.

Feeling faint, I collapse onto my knees, my eyes following Steven’s form as he quickly dispatches the other man as well.

The third one tries to crawl away, but I push the blinding pain to a corner, lifting the pepper spray, and spraying him in the face again.

I could hear the sirens in the distance and I felt Aaron’s whimpering against my throat as he flung his arms around my neck. I raise my uninjured arm, “It’s fine. You’re okay. You’re okay.”

I see Steven’s white face swim in my vision.

I couldn’t believe I had messed this up so badly.

“I-I’m sorry…”

My mouth formed the words but there was something wrong with me. I was struggling to hold on, trying not to give in but my body was weakening with each breath.

Were those tears in his eyes?

What was wrong with me?

It burned.

It burned so much.

I tried to lift my hand to calm that crazed look in those eyes, but I had no strength left.

His mouth was moving but I heard nothing, and then the lights turned off.

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