Page 96 of Bought By Santa

I don’t know if Nick’s dad can see the confusion on my face, or if he just likes hearing himself talk. Either way, he continues.

“After you left my home with your useless brother, I had to improvise. The guy I’d hired to take Jack out offered up one of his own men as a fall guy. That’s the one you tortured for information, son. And I dare say I was impressed with your technique when I saw the body—”

“Why the fuck would you do any of this?” Nick roars.

When Caspian steps closer, Nick moves so his body is angled in front of mine. His dad’s eyes narrow as he regards me with pure contempt. “It’s all because of you, Carolina. You’re nothing but a distraction, a pretty little thing that led my son astray. I had such high hopes for him, but he’s thrown it all away for you.” He sighs deeply.

As he stops talking it’s quiet, the only sound to be heard is the shuffling of feet and our breathing.

“You ask why, Nicklas. But there’s no why, only what had to be done. As I’ve already stated, you were neglecting your duties. Too busy playing house to take the Knight business seriously. Hell, you didn’t even notice the Russian spy I planted in your territory. One of your men did.”

He takes a deep breath, straightening to his full height and widens his stance.

“You trusted your useless brother with jobs he had no business even knowing about.” Caspian turns his cold eyes on me again. “And because ofyourchoices, your sister ended up as collateral damage.”

His words are venomous, each one striking with deadly precision. I feel them sink into my skin, poisoning me with doubt and despair.

Nick lets out a vicious snarl. “Don’t talk to her,” he warns. Taking my hand, he squeezes it, and I think I fall even more in love with him at his show of support.

My heart breaks all over again, shattering into a thousand pieces. The pain is unbearable, but I can’t let it show. Not here, not in front of this man. I force myself to stand tall, to keep my voice steady as I say, “You’re wrong. Nick is stronger than you’ll ever know. And he’s not yours to control.”

Caspian’s laugh is cold and hollow, echoing off the walls of the basement. “You think you know him, girl? You don’t. You’re just a temporary distraction, something he’ll toss aside when you’re no longer useful.”

I bite down on my lip to stop the tremble that threatens to expose my fear. Caspian’s words are meant to hurt, to break me, but I refuse to let him win. “You’re the one who’s weak, Caspian,” I spit, my voice trembling with suppressed emotion. Tempted as I am to lash out, to mention some of the things I read about this man in Sienna’s diary, I keep my mouth shut.

His expression darkens, and for a moment, I see a flash of rage in his eyes. But then it’s gone, replaced by that same cold indifference. “Believe what you want,” he says dismissively. “It won’t change anything. Nicklas will realize soon enough that you’re nothing but a liability.”

I clench my fists, squeezing Nick’s hand harder with one hand while my nails dig into my palm on the other as I fight the urge to spew some truths of my own. But before I can say anything, Nick takes a step forward. His eyes are locked on his father, a storm brewing in their depths.

“Say what you want about me, Dad,” he spits. “But to try to have your own son killed is low.”

Caspian just shrugs. “He’s weak as well. All my children turned out to be a disappointment.”

“If all the apples are rotten, maybe it’s the tree that’s the problem,” Nick volleys, his voice low and dangerous. “Not that it matters now. You’re done.” There’s no hesitation, no doubt. He’s made his decision.

A sneer twists Caspian’s lips. “Finally ready to do what needs to be done, son?”

Nick doesn’t respond. He raises the gun, his hand steady as he takes aim. For a moment, time seems to freeze. The air is thick with tension, the silence deafening. I can’t breathe, can’t move, as I watch the man I love prepare to pull the trigger.

Caspian smirks, his eyes gleaming with twisted pride. “Go on, then. Do it.”

And then, in a heartbeat, it’s over. The sound of the gunshot echoes through the room, loud and final. Caspian crumples to the ground, his lifeless body hitting the cold concrete with a dull thud.

The silence that follows is suffocating, heavy with the weight of what’s just happened. My heart is pounding in my chest, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I can’t take my eyes off hisbody, can’t shake the feeling that something inside me has been irrevocably changed.

Nicklas lowers the gun, his hand trembling ever so slightly. Is it wrong that when he turns to me, I hope to see the same pain and turmoil I feel being reflected back at me?

Regardless, it isn’t there. All I find in the depth of Nick’s eyes is cold determination.

I collapse against him, burying my face in his chest, letting the tears I’ve been holding back finally fall. Willow is gone, and nothing will ever bring her back. But Caspian is gone too, silenced forever. And maybe, just maybe, we can finally start to heal.

Chapter 33

The Breeder

The early morning sun, weak and pale against the gray December sky, barely penetrates the thick clouds as we step out of Caspian’s house. The cold air bites at my skin, but I barely notice it. Nick’s hand grips mine tightly, his warmth a stark contrast to the numbness that’s settled deep within me. I feel disconnected, like I’m floating outside my body, watching everything unfold as if it’s happening to someone else.

Nick murmurs something to his men, and they nod, understanding the unspoken orders. They stay behind to deal with the aftermath—the blood, the bodies, the evidence of what we’ve done. But Nick doesn’t linger. He’s already guiding me toward the car, his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders, pulling me close. I can feel the tension in his body, the anger simmering just beneath the surface. But all I can do is follow, my legs moving on autopilot, my mind too overwhelmed to process anything.

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