Holiday Second Chance Romance (Clarice and Trevor) novel Chapter 76

76 It is Possible

Loretta POV

This can’t be happening. She had to have given me something when we were in the bathroom. shot of something that is warping my reality. That has to be it. I’m having a drug–induced hallucination. “What crime has the human committed that you want her locked up in the cells, Mona,” the man that was behind the desk seconds ago asks. I hold my nose, trying to stop the bleeding. “She attempted to kill my beloved and hurt my new sister,” she says. Kill, what the hell is she talking about? I haven’t tried to kill anybody. Sister, I don’t even know this woman. Why the hell

would I hurt her sister?

The man turns and glares at me before he turns back toward the woman and Trevor. “You can’t imprison me without a trial. I never tried to hurt anyone.” “You must have a very short memory, Loretta. I already told you that we know you forced me off the road the day I ended up in the hospital. That’s actually how I met the woman that was always meant to be mine,” he says, smiling at the b**ch standing next to him. He turns back to me all warmth gone from his eyes. How can he be so cold to me? He loves me. “Had it not been for Chris Kringle I would have been severely hurt or killed,” Trevor says. What the hell is he saying? There is no way he knows I’m the reason he had

the accident.

Did he just say he was saved by Chris Kringle? Is he talking about Santa Claus? Now I know I’m on a very bad trip. “You know you don’t need my permission to put her in the cells Mona. You have as much power here as I do. Are you sure you simply don’t want to end her? I promise you that is what will be happening when I find out who tried to hurt Noreen. There will be no mercy,” the man says. “I’m sure Jared. I’ll decide her fate after I’ve had time to think. For now, I just want her in the cells being treated like any other prisoner,” she says.

“You can’t do that to me. I am not sure what this is, but none of this is real. Any minute, whatever you gave me is going to work its way out of my system, and I’m going to be back in the diner.” I manage to scramble to my feet. My nose still hurts but at least the bleeding has stopped. “You still think this isn’t real even after the punch you took to the face. Maybe I should give you a few more to assure you that this is real. This is really happening,” she says, taking a step toward me.

I back up until my back hits the wall. “You hurt the wrong people, Loretta. I love Trevor. He is the other half of my soul, and you tried to take him from me because, in your delusional brain, you think he is yours. Not only that, but you betrayed a woman that thought of you as a sister. Thought of you as her family. For those two reasons, you are going to suffer and wish every day that you were a better person,” she says.

I can’t stop the lump that forms in my throat. Fear washes over me when the door to the office opens and two large men step inside. Their expressions are unreadable as they stand still like statues. “Take this woman to the cells,” the man says. “No, you can’t do this to me. I have rights.

You can’t just imprison someone without proof of what I’ve done. A trial to prove my guilt or innocence.”

“Fine, I’ll be right back,” she says and disappears. I say a silent prayer to wake up from this craziness, but it’s interrupted when she reappears. She isn’t alone and my mouth goes dry looking at the man standing next to her. A man that looks like Santa Claus on steroids is scowling “Loretta, I’d say it was good to see you, but that would be a lie,” the man says.

Jared POV

I’ve never met him, but we all know his legend and power. He turns to face me along with Mona and her beloved. “Jared, this is Chris Kringle and this is my beloved Trevor Banister,” she says. Chris narrows his eyes at Mona and my sister giggles. “Chris and Anya, his wife, have become family to me. He insists I call him dad,” she says. I’m happy for Simone that she is surrounded by per love her, but hearing that is going to kill dad. Not that he has any right to be upset. These a consequences of his actions. We both need to face them.

“Will you be joining us, King Christopher? I can have the servants bring us refreshments?” “No, I must get back and assure my wife that Simone is safe. As she said, we consider her our daughter even if we don’t share blood. I’m glad the two of you are going to talk, and I hope that you will listen. I hope you will realize the mistakes you have made and try to make amends. I also hope that you know that, despite my reputation with the children of the world, I am fiercely protective of the people I love. Do not make an enemy of me, King Jared,” he says.

“I have no intention of hurting my sister again, King Christopher. I plan to beg her for her forgiveness that I plan to earn.” “That’s good to hear,” he says before he presses a kiss on my sister’s forehead. He hugs her beloved and disappears. “Shall we sit and talk?” She nods and they both take a seat in front of my desk. “How is Noreen and the baby,” she asks. “She and the baby are very well, thanks to you, Mona? I can never thank you enough for what you did for them.”

“I don’t need the thanks. They are both innocent. I hope you have them guarded. Based on what you said earlier, you haven’t found out who poisoned her,” she says. “I haven’t, but I won’t rest until we do. Phillip is guarding her. He is the head warrior now.” Her nose scrunches up like it did when we were kids when she thought something was gross. “Why make that face when I mention Phillip?”

“I just don’t think it is smart of you to assign a fairy to guard your wife that is in love with you. Hell, he should be your prime suspect if I’m being honest,” she says. What the hell is she saying? Phillip doesn’t love me. He doesn’t love anyone. That’s what makes him a great warrior. “Mona, I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Had you said his sister, I might agree, but Phillip is loyal and has never been interested in men or women since I’ve known him.”

Even as the words leave my mouth, it sounds strange. “He hasn’t been interested in anyone but you. That is why he probably made sure he became head warrior so he could be close to you. He was always watching you. I don’t know if anyone else saw it, but I did. You really never noticed,” she asks. Panic rushes through my body. Could he really be the one that tried to hurt my beloved and child? Without a word, I am out of my seat and rushing toward our wing of the castle. Goddess, I pray my sister is wrong.