Page 25 of Snowed in with Scrooge

Cole manages to connect with Fraser’s arm, and I let out a gasp. Fraser smirks as if he’s happy Cole got him.

“Beauty, don’t,” Fraser snaps at me.

It’s then I realize I’m pointing the handgun at Cole. I grabbed it out of the safe without thinking, and now I’ve got it trained on him. Blue lights flood in from the outside of the house, and I can see multiple cop cars. Taking a breath, I lower the handgun and try not to shake.

“I’m not going to prison if that’s what you think,” Cole grits out. “But you are going to die.” He charges Fraser again, and once more Fraser swings the rifle like a baseball bat, holding it by the muzzle. I close my eyes when it makes contact with the side of Cole’s head. The sound of crunching bone seems to echo through my ears.

When I open my eyes, Cole is lying on the floor, and there’s blood pooling around his head. Fraser pops the bullets out of the rifle and puts them into his pocket before he places the gun on the table.

“Fraser!” I hear a woman shout from outside.

“I’m all right,” he shouts back as he comes over to me. He pulls the gun out of my hand and sets it down next to the rifle. “Go into the bedroom. Check on Mina,” Fraser orders and kisses my forehead.

“What about your arm?”

“It’s fine. Go on now. Don’t come out till I come for you. Got it?” I nod and do as I’m told.

Mina is somehow still fast asleep, but she had a big day. I sit on the edge of the bed with her as my mind swirls around what comes next. The rush of adrenaline starts to fade, and my body goes heavy on me.

“Nyah.” My eyes fly open, and I see Fraser’s mom standing next to the bed. “Why don’t you go to the dining room, honey. I’ll keep an eye on Mina.”

“Is Fraser okay?”

“He’s just fine.” She gives me a reassuring smile.

I hurry out to find a few police officers standing around. There’s also someone taking pictures while another is at the back door inspecting the lock. Cole isn’t anywhere to be seen.

“Come here,” Fraser says and pushes back from the table.

He motions for me to come to him, and I do without hesitation. There's a bandage on his arm, but he still manages to pull me into his lap. A woman in a sheriff’s uniform sits across from him and smiles at us.

“This is Sheriff Angela. She’s got to ask you a few questions.”

“Okay,” I agree.

“Just a couple of things for my notes. We have most of what we need from the call that dispatch recorded. Fraser filled in the rest of the information for us.”

I nod, wanting to get this done and then answer all of her questions. It only takes a few minutes, and in the end, I find out Cole is dead. He was alive when the ambulance arrived, but they pronounced him dead on arrival. I search my heart to find any kind of emotion, but all I can feel is overwhelming relief.

“That should do it for now.” Angela puts her pen in the pocket on her shirt as she stands. “We’ll meet back up after Christmas. This is a clear case of self-defense.”

Fraser puts me on my feet to see everyone out of the house. As soon as law enforcement is gone, I let out a deep breath.

“He’s dead?” My eyes fill with tears, and Fraser nods.

“I wish I could tell you I’m sorry, but I’m not.” He cups my cheek, wiping away one of my tears.

“Sorry?” I laugh. “Thank you, Fraser.” I lift up on my tiptoes and smile at him. “We’re free.”

“No you’re not.” He wraps his arm around me, lifting me so that I can wrap my legs around his waist. “You’ll never be free of me.”

I kiss him, knowing fate, and maybe a bit of magic, brought us the perfect Christmas.

EPILOGUE

FRASER

Ten years later…

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