Dark Christmas: Chapter 33

I throw on my jacket and rush downstairs, practically tripping over my own feet.

Melor’s already by the door, looking calm and collected, of course. Meanwhile, I’m buzzing with excitement. Duke is perched on a shelf in the hallway, watching us. I give him a quick scratch behind the ears.

“We’ll be back,” I tell him, like he’s a little person who needs reassurance.

As soon as we step outside, Mashkov’s men are there, approaching the house. One of them steps up and asks, “Heading out?”

Melor nods. “Her friend’s in labor. We’re going to the hospital.”

“Need an escort?” the other guy asks, like we’re heading into enemy territory instead of a maternity ward.

Before Melor has the chance to think about it I answer. “No.”

Melor shoots me a look, one that clearly says we’re not discussing this here. But I don’t care. Claire’s having a baby, and the last thing she needs is to see a couple of Russian bodyguards hovering around the hospital.

I can tell Melor wants to push back but after a long sigh he turns to the guys. “Keep an eye on the house while we’re gone. And top off Duke’s food and water.”

The men nod, and I swear one of them smiles when they see Duke sitting there like he owns the place.

We jump in the car, but before we can pull out onto the street, a fancy sports car pulls up beside us, tires barely making a sound on the pavement. I tense up immediately, my heart thumping in my chest. “Who’s that?”

Melor, totally unfazed, glances over. “That’s Sasha.”

I blink. “Sasha?”

“My close friend. The one I met in the middle of the night. He’s coming with us.”

I’m about to protest but Melor cuts me off. “It’s a compromise. No hulking bodyguards, just my friend. He’ll make sure things are safe, but he’ll keep a low profile doing it.”

I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. “Okay, but Claire cannot get stressed out. We’re supposed to be supporting her, not turning her delivery room into an action movie set.”

“He’ll stay back. She won’t even notice.”

Sasha, a massive guy with a shaved head, expensive clothes, and flashy shoes, approaches the car. He taps on the window, and Melor rolls it down.

“Hop in,” Melor tells him as he nods over his shoulder.

Sasha slides into the backseat, filling up the whole damn space with his presence. He looks at me. “Sasha,” he says, grinning as if we’re old friends. “You must be Amelia.”

I’m a bit wary. This guy looks like he could pick me up with one hand. “Yeah. Nice to meet you.”

We pull out onto the street, and Sasha leans forward between the seats like he’s settling in for a casual road trip, not a potentially dangerous escort mission.

‘So,’ he starts, ‘Melor tells me you’ve got yourself a kitten now. What’s his name? ‘

‘Duke.’

Sasha chuckles. ‘Ah, a regal name. Fitting for Melor’s place. I can already picture him lounging on one of those fancy couches like he owns the joint.’

Melor glances at Sasha in the rearview mirror. “You’re not far off.”

‘Smart cat,’ Sasha replies, his grin widening. “And I bet you’re already wrapped around his little paw, huh?” He nudges Melor’s seat playfully.

I can’t help but laugh at the thought of Melor being bossed around by a kitten. ‘Wouldn’t quite say that. But he’s a nice addition.”

Sasha shakes his head as he leans back in his seat. ‘Never thought I’d see the day. Melor, feared ex-Bratva badass, taking orders from a kitten.’

Melor doesn’t say a word, but I catch the tiniest smirk on his face.

As we drive, Sasha leans forward again, all casual and chatty. ‘You know,’ he says, grinning, ‘this VIP hospital visit is a total first for me. Usually, when Melor and I are heading somewhere, it’s… let’s just say, not about babies and kittens.’

Melor raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say a word, eyes fixed on the road.

I snicker, and Sasha winks at me. ‘I gotta say, Amelia, it’s kinda wild seeing my old buddy here doing something normal. When he first told me about you, I knew I had to meet the woman who’s managed to make him less… well, less Melor. Do you know how rare that is?’

I glance at Melor, noticing how tightly he’s gripping the steering wheel. I can tell he’s not entirely comfortable with the conversation.

‘Seriously, though,’ Sasha continues, smirking. ‘This guy’s always been a solo act. Didn’t think anyone could get through that concrete wall of his. But then you come along, and boom—now he’s got a kitten, and he’s playing house. You must be something special.’

I feel my face heat up. ‘I don’t know about that.’

‘Oh, don’t even start,” Sasha retorts, totally teasing. “I’ve known this guy for ages, and he doesn’t keep people around for no reason. If he’s holding onto you, it’s because you knocked him flat on his ass.”

Melor finally chimes in, voice low and serious. ‘She’s done more than that.’

Sasha bursts out laughing. ‘See? That’s what I’m talking about! He’s a goner, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier.’

I glance at Melor, half-expecting him to brush it off, but he doesn’t. For a guy who’s always kept his guard up, this is different in a good way.

Sasha slaps Melor’s shoulder, clearly loving this. ‘Took you long enough, man. You deserve a good woman.’

“And I’ve got one,” Melor replies. Sasha leans back, eyes twinkling with that mischievous grin of his. ‘You know, I’ve got a story for you, Amelia. Picture this: Melor and me, back in the day, trying to be all serious and intimidating, right? But we were young and stupid. One night, we were supposed to meet this dude. And Melor here, tough guy that he is, decides to lead us through a shortcut.’

I raise an eyebrow, already intrigued. ‘A shortcut?’

‘Yep. Through someone’s backyard. What he didn’t know was that the yard belonged to an old lady with a massive Doberman.’

I can’t help but laugh at the mental image. ‘Oh no.’

‘Oh yes,’ Sasha continues, laughing. ‘The dog, Satan—and yes, that was its actual name—comes barreling out of nowhere. The always cool, calm, and collected Melor freaks out and starts scaling the fence like he’s in the Olympics, leaving me behind to deal with the dog. Luckily, I had some beef jerky in my pocket, and I had to bribe it with that to stop it from eating me.’

I glance over at Melor, who’s shaking his head, clearly annoyed but also slightly amused. ‘It wasn’t that bad.’

‘Not that bad?’ Sasha scoffs. ‘I still have nightmares about that dog. And you just stood there, laughing from the other side of the fence once you were safe.’

I burst out laughing. ‘I can’t picture Melor running from a dog.’

Sasha glances at me again, curiosity all over his face. ‘So, tell me more about this bakery of yours. Claire’s your bestie, right? You two run the place together?’

I nod, smiling. ‘Yeah, it’s called Sweet Talk. We make cupcakes, cookies, all the usual pastries but with a twist.’

Sasha raises an eyebrow. ‘A twist, huh? Like what? You hiding something spicy in those cupcakes?’

I laugh. ‘No, no, although that’s not a bad idea. We do fun flavors. Like, for Christmas, we have peppermint mocha cupcakes that are insanely good. They sell out quickly every year.’

‘Sounds dangerous,’ Sasha says, grinning. ‘You must have a cult following.’

I shrug. ‘It’s definitely picking up. Claire’s got all these plans for expansion, too. We’ve been talking about opening up a second location.’

Sasha gives me an impressed nod. ‘That’s legit. You two sound like you’ve got it figured out. Is this her first kid?’

‘Yes, and she’s been a total trouper throughout her pregnancy. Still working up until last week. I don’t know how she does it.’

‘Well, you’ll have to bring me one of those cupcakes sometime. I’m a sucker for sweets.’ Sasha winks. ‘I’ll even pay full price.’

Melor, who’s been quietly focused on driving, finally cuts in with a small smirk. ‘He’s lying. He’ll try to bargain you down for at least half off.’

Sasha clutches his chest, mock offended. ‘Come on, man, I’ve got some dignity. Not a lot, but some.’

As we pull into the hospital’s underground parking garage, my laughter fades into nervous excitement. The reality of it hits me—Claire’s about to have her baby. ‘This is really happening,’ I mumble, mostly to myself.

A noise catches my attention. I glance at the sideview mirror and see a car turning in behind us, but I immediately disregard it when my phone buzzes. It’s a text from David.

‘Contractions are getting closer,’ I read the message out loud. ‘They’re thinking it’s gonna be soon. Like, really soon.’

Melor gives me a small smile. ‘I’ll find a parking spot fast. We’ll get there in time.’

I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to be this calm when I’m the one in labor. The thought hits me like a freight train, and my stomach does a flip. I really need to tell him about this baby sooner than later.

We circle the garage, and I watch Melor scan for an open spot, still cool as a cucumber. Sasha cracks a joke from the back about how all hospital parking garages are mazes and I laugh, but my mind’s wandering again.

Melor parks in a spot with no other cars around, and I’m practically bouncing in my seat, ready to jump out the second the wheels stop moving. I throw the door open, but before I can take a step, Melor’s firm voice cuts through the air.

‘Wait.” He’s already hurrying around the side of the car, but I’m so excited to get to Claire, I can barely stand still.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the car I noticed earlier drive past us and stop a few spaces away. I frown, my instincts flaring. It’s probably nothing but something about it sticks with me.

“What?” Melor asks, instantly picking up on my hesitation.

‘I’m sure it’s no big deal,’ I say, “but that car followed us into the garage.’

Before I realize what’s happening, the back doors of the car swing open, and two men step out. I freeze, eyes widening as I take in the guns pointed right at us.

‘Get down!’ Melor yells, his voice filled with an urgency I’ve never heard before.

Everything happens in a blur. I drop to the ground, my heart pounding in my chest as the unmistakable sound of gunfire rings out.