Page 228 of Screwged for Christmas

Chills ran over her body. “We have to warn them.”

Ivy turned on her heel, dashed over to where her coat hung and pulled it on.

Damon quickly tugged on her elbow. “Wait, hold up, angel. Warn who?”

She wrapped her scarf around her neck and pulled on her matching black gloves. “The locals, silly. Reapers family. They need to know they have backup. Support. Your family here in town. Everyone! If the lines are down then there has to be radios, right? Or we go door to door.”

“They already know, sweetheart.”

Her heart hammered. Jin stood and took her hands in his larger ones. “But thank you.”

“For what—I haven’t done anything.”

“For caring. That means a lot more than you think.”

Oh. She thought on that for a solid heartbeat and realized one thing. Maybe her heart wasn’t as dead inside as she thought. But that didn’t change anything. It just meant her heart hadn’t turned solid black yet. And that one little trigger brought her thoughts back around to Houston and why she wouldn’t be graduating come spring. And why staying here with Damon, as good as he felt, would not work either. How could she take on the responsibility of a relationship when she felt so broken inside?

“I think she has a point, though.” Rebel turned on his stool and stretched his long legs out. His statement bringing her out of her dark thoughts.

“Maybe we should make more rounds, head out there and keep an eye on things. Radio in if anything pings on the radar.”

Damon helped her out of the coat and pulled up a chair for her from a nearby table. With the windows at their back now, both cousins had to turn. Morning quickly faded to late afternoon.

She knew there was a bigger story behind all this drug trafficking and the group behind it and the Russian tattoos on his chest made a little more sense now but the way his mouth hardened into a thin line told her not to ask any questions. And she wouldn’t. His past was his to keep or share. Either way, he didn’t owe her anything.

“I’m so sorry all this is happening. Isn’t Christmas supposed to be a time of reflection and love? Peace?”

“You have such a tender heart, angel.” Damon raked a hand through his hair and the frustrated sigh he let out sounded more like a growl.

Jin smiled and if she’d met him on the street with no introduction in that instant, she’d be able to peg him as a Savage. That damn sexy half smile. She had no idea a smile could be genetic but the proof stood out from every Savage man’s lips she’d met in this small mountainside town.

“I like you. You’re going to be good for this man.”

And he liked to wink. A lot.

Damon growled. He liked to do that a lot.

She smiled. She didn't know what was up with Damon and all the possessive behavior toward her, but she liked the little possessiveness he played over her. It was nice. Even if for a short while.

“So what does this have to do with Savage Ridge? Why would these people come back here if they already know you will fight against them again?”

“Angel, who the fuck would miss a community as small as ours in the Arctic Circle? They can re-establish their dominance over this territory and take out revenge for what I did undercover in one swoop.”

Her heart nearly dropped to the floor along with her chin.

She stood and Damon followed. He wrapped an arm around her center and pulled her flush to his front. As he answered her question, his chest vibrated along her back and she loved the soothing effect.

“These people do not forgive or forget. I’m surprised it took them so long, frankly.”

What the heck did she get herself into?

Another fact took root in that instant. She was in some real deep crap.

CHAPTER 7

Damon flicked the lights over the bar off, leaving only a few spotlights on by the bar. Faceted beams of lights cut through the darkened room in every shade. Reds, blues, yellows.

“When did you hang Christmas lights in the front windows?”

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