CHAPTER 22 - BRYNN
“Explain it to me again,” I say breathlessly, as the group of us make our way into town from the clubhouse. “I really thought Christmas was meant to be about the old jolly guy in red and Mariah Carey.”
Mac chuckles, taking a sip of the beer in his hand.
“Krampus was really just another legend created to keep kids in line. He’s like Santa, but instead of getting coal if you’re naughty, a Krampus snatches you up and takes you to the underworld to eat you,” he explains, nudging Jovie, who hits him with a dark glare.
“Scary looking dudes. Tall, hairy, and horny.”
“Like Axel,” Hades comments under his breath.
Jovie glances around.
“Is Axel not coming?” she asks, looking up at Grizz while she holds his hand in a death grip.
Despite the smile that’s been plastered on her face all day, the kid is still unsure how she feels about large hairy monsters who snatch children, so not only has she glued herself to Grizz, but she convinced Hades and the other boys from the club to join us.
“He’s gonna meet us there,” Grizz assures her, lifting her into the air to help her skip over a puddle.
“I’m surprised Victoria lets this kind of stuff happen in her town,” I comment, already catching sight of some of the decorations up ahead. The street is already thick with people, some who apparently come into town just for this parade.
“Actually, this one is all Victoria,” Hades answers with a huff, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “For someone who walks around here like her shit don’t stink, she sure does get some kind of joy out of scaring it out of tourists.”
“Anything to bring in money to a town where she has her fingers in half the businesses,” Grizz agrees with a shrug. “But who are we to complain? She brings people in, and we make money too. People gotta eat.”
Right, Victoria is essentially a business woman, and one who knows everything and anything about Hallowed Springs. She wants it to highlight its beauty, and for it to be successful, which is why I imagine she has never protested too much about the boys owning and running The Gallows.
She’s aware of how important a part they play in her master plan.
She may be a bitch, but she's an intelligent one.
The snow crunches beneath our boots as we get closer to the parade route down Main Street, where Hallowed Springs’ joyful and cliché Christmas décor has been replaced.
Instead of twinkling fairy lights, strings of red lanterns hang between lampposts and buildings, casting an eerie glow over the street.
Heavy chains hang between waist-high metal poles in the way velvet ropes would usually line the red carpet at a fancy event.
But if you take in the large human-sized cages that are staged along the road, the soft, haunting piano melody playing in the distance, and the mysterious fog rolling in from god knows where—it’s obvious that this is anything but the Christmas parade from hell.
Jovie steps right up to the chain barrier, gripping it tightly, while Grizz stands behind her for support, his hands on her shoulders.
She’s determined to be brave and face these so-called monsters head on, while I’m perfectly okay with admitting that all it would take was one of them to say boo and I’d probably pee myself, so I’m only too happy to take a few steps back and allow Grizz to be the parent in this moment.
Let Grizz be the parent.
Something in my stomach flutters as I watch the two of them stand there together.
Since we showed up in Hallowed Springs, I’ve watched Jovie and Grizz’s relationship bloom, and since we moved into his cabin, it’s become something I never could have imagined before.
I used to think I was unlucky, and that family is something you either have or you don’t.
My dad left.
My mom loved her addictions more than she loved me.
And Jovie’s father didn’t even stick around long enough to see her come into the world.
I got content with our family only ever being me and her, and always made sure I showed her the kind of love that would fill that empty space so she would never feel like she was missing out.
So she would never feel like I did.
Not knowing where I belonged.
But watching her and Grizz hold tight to each other, watching Hades handing her Christmas candy from his pocket like a drug dealer, and watching Mac crouch down beside her to explain everything that’s happening… I feel like maybe we need to make more space.
Because I never considered that family could be found.
And that this kind of love could come from people who were once strangers.
Suddenly, the music shifts and drums begin to pound.
They start slow at first and the crowd hushes, holding their breath in anticipation, but when a distant horn blows, echoing through the streets, the drumming picks up, as if it’s beating in time with a racing heart.
My racing heart.
I hate this shit.
Who wants to be scared? Who really enjoys this?
Jovie glances back at me with a grin on her face and can’t help but choke out a laugh.
Oh right.
My kid does.
She’s always been a little bit of a dare devil, but now she had a whole MC behind her, I could only imagine what she’ll be emboldened to do.
The streetlights flicker and a sharp, collective scream comes from the crowd as the outline of a large figure stands within the thick fog at the end of the street. It steps forward, his tall horns leading the way, the chains wrapped around them clanging and clinking as it moves into the light.
The crowd cheers and the Krampus throws it’s arms in the air, celebrating with them for a short second before darting off to the side and lunging at a few small children who cry immediately.
One after another, they emerge from the fog, some carrying large sticks that are on fire, others dragging chains behind them with shackles, eyeing the children in the crowd like they’re trying to decide who’s been naughty and who’s been nice.
The drums continue to pound as what seems like an endless number of monsters work their way down the street.
Some whip at people's legs with a handful of thin branches, others are less dramatic, but far more intimidating as they simply lean into people’s faces with their demonic eyes and their sharp teeth spread wide.
A cold shudder shoots up my spine as one Krampus creeps toward us, low and hunched over, right in Jovie’s eyeline. My stomach twists, and my instincts scream at me to get to her.
To remind her they aren’t real.
To make sure she feels safe.
But before I can even flinch, Grizz gives Jovie’s shoulder a squeeze and I hear him murmur, “I got you, Jon Bon.”
She nods once and doesn't shy away.
Because she knows she's safe.
And I know she’s safe.
Because Grizz has proven time after time that I’m no longer the only one ready to stand between her and the rest of the world.
He’s got her.
No matter what.
Suddenly, the bastard leaps at Jovie, and her entire body jerks in fright.
It reaches under the chain fence, grasping at her legs, but she kicks at it, forcing it back far enough to let her breathe. I hold my breath, watching the two seem to stare each other down and a few seconds later, Jovie stands a little taller, her smile growing again.
“That’s not funny, Axel!” she says, laughing as she pushes at the Krampus’ chest, making him fall back dramatically.
A couple of them coming up behind help him to his feet, all three shaking their heads and holding their hands up like they’re admitting defeat.
Jovie narrows her eyes at them. “Yeah, you better run!”
I chuckle to myself as she high fives Grizz, and he looks back at me, hitting me with a panty dropping wink before turning his attention back to the parade.
This man.
This damn man.
“Brynn.” A hand lands on my shoulder, and I about leap out of my skin.
I spin around, my heart pounding in my chest—this time in perfect time with the creep Krampus drum. “Holy shit, Victoria,” I say breathlessly, finding the older woman right in my space. “This is probably not the best night to be sneaking up on people.”
She glances around like she’d forgotten what was happening tonight, which is crazy given I know she organises every event.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” she apologizes, sounding almost genuine. “I’ve just been looking for you, that’s all.”
“Oh?”
She takes my hand, pulling me a little further from the crowd and dipping her head toward me. “I really need your help with something,” she says, seeming like she’s a little out of breath. “It’s very urgent, and if it doesn’t get done now, everything might fall apart.”
Of course, it’s not that she forgot about the parade, but she probably is planning a million other things for this Christmas festival.
“Sarah can’t help?” I ask with a raised brow, and her face instantly falls into an angry frown.
“Sarah is the one who has caused this problem,” she says sharply. “And now I have to try and fix another of her mistakes.”
Oh shit.
Poor Sarah.
“Okay, no problem,” I say, patting her arm gently. “Let’s go see if we can fix things.”
And hopefully check on Sarah and make sure she’s okay.
“Thank goodness,” Victoria says with a sigh. “Let’s go to The Gallows, we can go over it there.”
I glance back at Grizz, who’s watching the two of us intensely with Jovie now resting in his arms.
I smile and mouth the word Gallows before rolling my eyes dramatically.
His heavy expression doesn’t change, not even a little.
He’s annoyed, his jaw ticking when Victoria tugs on my arm and clears her throat.
“Brynn…”
I try one more time, holding up ten fingers.
Grizz’s eyes narrow, but finally he gives me a nod and shuffles Jovie in his arms so he can hold up nine fingers—letting me know the clock’s already ticking before he comes to check on me.
I give him a reassuring smile and blow a quick kiss before turning and stepping back into the crowd, Victoria tugging at my wrist to make me move faster.
When we finally break through the people and make it to the side street that runs parallel, she lets me go, but she doesn’t stop moving.
Her heels click sharp and steady against the sidewalk and I have to almost jog to keep up—her legs a lot longer than mine.
“You want to tell me—”
“When we get inside,” she snaps, just as we reach The Gallows, making our way through the back door and loading bay.
Since everything is open and Sarah is the other person with a key, I expect to find her inside, but she’s not.
The bar is empty.
The lights are off.
And it’s cold.
Not winter cold, another kind of cold.
I turn around slowly, finding Victoria just standing there, shaking her head. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this, Brynn.”
Every nerve ending in my body suddenly comes alive.
Something bad is coming.
And my mind is trying to make sure I’m ready.
That I’m prepared to fight.
“Victoria,” I say quietly, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “Don’t do this.”
Her face hardens and she lifts her chin.
“You’ve left me no choice.”