Page 26 of Ho Ho Homicidal Mania
“Yes,” I whisper as we stand still, intimately close, our eyes locked as if we were telling each other personal secrets. And while my plan for today included getting the hell out of his grasp, here I am, considering a reason to once again follow him down to his basement.
Maybe I’m one of those idiots who believe themselves to be way smarter than they are?
The tension between us thickens, and I wonder if he’s about to kiss me. We are standing so close, and Nico is openly gay in this town. He might do it. Would I be okay with that? A chaste little smooch at a wholesome Christmas market?
What’s happened to my brain? Am I really melting at the very idea?
“Eggnog, Nico?” a man yells from a nearby stall, and the moment is broken, yet I still ache down to my bones for a kiss. Before my fateful nightclub outing, I had no idea how starved my body is for touch, yet being in Nico’s presence makes that painfully clear.
Nico turns to the guy and pulls me along. “I can’t say no to that.”
I glance at a mobile coffee shop closing for the evening. It’s in the form of a small old-fashioned truck in shades of brown and navy, but as the owner gets in the driver’s seat, I join Nico on a bench under a wooden roofing. The burner in front of us has real flames inside, and the heat they produce feels delightful on my icy hands. Within moments, we’re holding a paper cup of eggnog each, and I dive in, showing the stall owner a thumbs up. The beverage is rich, and creamy, with notes of nutmeg and vanilla, and it’s either the best I’ve ever had, or just tastesexquisite at a Christmas market, with a handsome man at my side.
It feels so normal to do this, but then I spot a sheriff's deputy marching across the square, and my mouth dries. If I’m wrong about Nico’s intentions, I will think back to this moment when he squeezes my neck, but my mouth remains closed, and the officer enters her vehicle, out of reach.
A choir starts singing a jolly song and as I admire Nico’s beautiful profile illuminated by twinkling lights, the festive spirit gets to me. It’s not even Christmas yet, but I’m already feeling all gooey inside. Is it just because I’m not alone for once?
Nico takes another sip of eggnog and turns to me with a smile. “What?”
I swallow, torn about what I should say, but as I’m about to open my mouth, a strange creak tears through the air, followed by several shrieks. One glance toward the noise has me rooted to the ground, because the coffee truck has somehow backed into the main tree in the square, and while there are ropes meant to hold it vertical, the decorated fir is already starting to tip.
“Help! Let’s pull it up,” shouts someone.
Nico rises to his feet. “Wait here,” he says and darts toward the tree, which is on the brink of collapsing. Adrenaline sends me up as well, but as the deputy dashes out of the car alongside a colleague, I’m reminded that my situation is as unstable as that damn Christmas tree, and I can’t take any chances if I’m to survive.
“Your phone. Can I borrow it for a second?” I ask the gentleman who sold us the eggnog. He blinks, frowns, surprised that this is the moment I’ve chosen for my request. But he mumbles out a sure and unblocks his cell phone before handing it to me.
The device feels like a brick in my hand, but I need to call my brother before Nico remembers that I am in fact his prisoner.
Chapter 12
Nico
I’m huffing and puffingby the time the tree is stable, but I know we’re done when someone pats my shoulder, laughing.
“Way to go, Nico! Saving Christmas as usual.”
I glance back to spot an ex of mine. Though it’s hard to even call him that since we barely lasted two weeks. I’m pretty sure he just wanted to show me off to his family for Christmas last year. Still, we had a few nights of fun.
I smile, but my mind is already on Blake, and I secretly hope he was watching my feat. “You know me, anything to help,” I say.
“You wanna hang out tonight?” Miles smiles at me, but his dimples leave me cold, because I can only think of green eyes and dark curls.
“Sorry, I’ve got a boyfriend,” I say as my insides flutter with excitement. I hope Miles is jealous.
“Free grog on me to all who helped,” Denise says from her stall, prompting all the people who just won a tug of war against a massive tree to cheer.
I would gladly stay, but my feet are already heading back to my forgotten eggnog and the boy who—I stall, noticing that across the square, the bench in front of the burner, where we sat together moments ago, is vacant.
I swallow as I approach in nervous steps and a cold, slimy feeling spreads in my stomach. What if Blake was biding his time for an opportunity to run? Sure, I’ve got details about him paying a hacker and being up to no good, but if he’s scared of me, jail might still be preferable to my company. And deep down, I know my crimes and his are not equivalent. I’ve got much more on the line. If he reports me, I’ll spend the rest of my life behind bars.
I get to the bench and rise to my toes, looking around the crowds for a black hat with a red pom-pom, but it’s gone. Gone along with the prettiest, most interesting boy I’ve ever met and my trust in humanity.
Because of course he’d run.
What have I been thinking? That he actually found my jokes funny? That a great kiss can make him forget I’m a serial killer? I’m a joke. I deserve prison for being a dumb fuck, and as the sheriff’s deputy starts walking my way, rubbing her hands on her jacket, I’m frozen, because there’s nowhere to flee. If Blake used my moment of distraction to his advantage and told the cops about me, I cannot run, not when I’m not even armed.
I steady myself and try to calm down. Maybe there is a way I can play dumb for long enough to disappear, but as my heart is about to stop, deputy Harris shakes my hand. “Thank you, Nico. I think the whole town deserves to pat itself on the back tonight.”
