Chapter 26 Maxim
MAXIM
“Isn’t this just one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen?”
A few miles from her parents’ place, Hollie stands in front of me smiling from ear to ear and splaying her arms out underneath the swirling wooden sign welcoming everyone to the Christmas fair.
Just beyond her are countless stalls filled with an array of Christmas-themed goodies, with a sea of people moving between each one like the rising swell of the tide.
Three days ago, I agreed to come with her, and she made sure I kept my promise.
“What exactly do we do here?” I ask, closing the gap and stepping into Hollie’s space.
She stares up at me with a frown. “Damn, you weren’t kidding. You really haven’t ever been to a Christmas fair before?”
“I really haven’t.”
Her lips purse, then her gloved hand slides into mine and she pulls me under the sign.
“You don’t really do anything but experience it.
You breathe so deeply that the cold invades your lungs and stays there, you admire everyone’s handiwork and spend more money than you can afford on pretty items and good food, and then everything you buy ends up on the Christmas tree which, by the way…
” She turns and walks backward while still leading me.
“I searched that entire penthouse and didn’t find a single tree, so we should pick one. ”
“I can buy a tree from here?”
“Of course! There should be a stall at the far end where you can purchase a ticket that will let you go and look at the trees.”
“Hold on, I need to buy a ticket in order to look at the trees I might want to buy?”
“Mhm.”
“Sounds like a scam.”
Her eyes narrow and she turns back around. “You’re only saying that because you can’t fathom doing nice things for people.”
She’s got me there.
Hand in hand, we merge with the crowd and wander between the stalls while Toto, Stu, and the rest of my security team melt in like they belong here. There are a thousand important things I should be doing for the family right now, but none of them rise above spending time with Hollie.
She’s warming to me in ways I can only dream about, and part of me watches her with slight anticipation that this is part of some ploy, but a larger part of me simply enjoys it.
We pass an array of stalls carrying all sorts of items and treasures I never would have given a second glance if not for the way her face lights up.
She spends ten minutes talking to a woman who hand-weaves her own garlands, then buys a bunch and demands I put them up on all the doors.
At another stall, she studies and pores over handmade jewelry created by an elderly man swathed in more layers than I can count.
The wooden bracelets look carved from scratch and the beaded necklaces sparkle even more than the ring on Hollie’s finger.
The love and care poured into these crafts speak wonders.
I purchase both a bracelet and a necklace, and then three wooden bird brooches for my team.
The next stall sells mulled wine served in tiny cups and the sweet, berry warmth seeps right down to my frozen toes on the first sip. Hollie passes and orders a hot orange instead, reminding me faintly of the childhood drink my mother would give me when I was sick.
After that pit stop, we continue wandering.
Snow gathers in the air, but under the haze of lanterns lighting the way through the fair, it never quite seems to touch the ground.
Even the cold December air is kept at bay by the crowd moving around us, but Hollie’s hand permanently in mine is what warms me the most. The next stall sells wax artwork of various festive scenes, from the Nativity to falling stars, sheep, and Santa getting arrested.
Toto’s laughter reaches my ears from somewhere in the crowd at the sight and on our next loop past that stall, that particular painting has been purchased.
Several food stalls are the source of the sugary sweetness drifting through the air. They sell everything from meats and cheeses to Christmas cakes, puddings, and gingerbread men. Hollie purchases one and snaps the leg off, offering it to me while her lips seal around the head.
“I only get a leg?”
Hollie nods. “You’re lucky you’re getting anything. I love these things.”
“Noted.” Leaning down, I gently bite the gingerbread and take it from her gloved fingers.
Her eyes reflect the countless lights streaming above us between each stall, and I swear the pink flush on her cheeks darkens. Crunching the cookie, our eyes remained locked until a swell in the crowd spikes my protectiveness and I draw her closer to me.
“Where to next?”
She eats happily and looks around while stretching on her tiptoes, then points in one direction. “The trees should be down there, although we passed a ceramic stall that had a bowl my mom would love.” She seems torn so I squeeze her hand.
“Let’s get the bowl, then the tree.”
“Do we have time?” Her attention dips to her phone.
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
She nods, glancing up at me. “Tiffany wanted to call me about the engagement party this weekend with that new client.”
“Problems?”
“No, she’s just overly cautious when it gets this close to Christmas.
You’ve no idea how many people try to scrimp out on paying the entertainers because they don’t deem us as important.
Honestly, no one ever notices good music.
They take it for granted. But bad music?
” She rolls her eyes and stuffs her phone back into her pocket.
“That’ll get you struck off everyone’s booking list.”
“I’ve heard you play,” I say, thinking back to the alliance party she ended up playing at. “It was beautiful.” Never has a meeting between myself and the Italians been cut short because of music before, but something about Hollie’s playing put everyone in a good mood that night.
Her cheeks flush and she ducks her head away from my gaze. “I try.”
“If it’s just a call, you have time. Come on, we can get you that bowl.”
Hollie spins around and grins at me, but I barely see it.
I see him first.
His dark eyes.
His pale face.
The twist of his lips as he steels himself and pushes the last person out of his way. The knife in his hand glints like the last sparkle of a falling star, and our eyes meet as he lunges forward.
The hatred in his eyes is smothering. Rage that smolders like I’m being held over the lingering embers of a fire.
He lunges. I grab Hollie by the shoulders and throw her out of his line of attack, spinning at the same time.
The blade tears into the fabric of my thick sweater and sharp, hot pain flares up across my ribs.
Hollie’s gasp of alarm turns into a scream of fear when she spots the crazed attacker. Keeping her safe is my only concern so the pain becomes second to ensuring I’m fully between her and the attacker.
“Maxim!” She yells and clutches at me, only for Stu to leap out of the crowd, sweep his arm around her waist, and scoop her away.
The second he has her, I spin around and block the next slash with my forearm against the man’s wrist. He yells in rage, grunting as he grabs the hilt with both hands and tries to drive the knife down into my shoulder.
I lash out, punching across his face, and he stumbles right to the ground.
More and more of the crowd catch on to what’s happening, and various screams mix with cries of alarm.
“Die!” He bellows as he climbs back to his feet, his arm swinging like it’s on some kind of trigger. My hands and forearms block each rapid swing and slash of the knife. The blade catches on my clothes, nicks my skin, and sends splatters of blood across the snow with each frantic swing.
On his next lunge, I sidestep and punch him hard in the gut, grab his wrist, and drag his arm across my body as he stumbles.
Kicking his knee, he goes down hard while I twist his wrist and force him to drop the knife.
Then he’s face down on the ground with his arm still in my grasp and wrenched up his back.
“Boss!” Toto’s by my shoulder in a second with his gun aimed at the assailant, but before he pulls the trigger, I grab his wrist and lower it.
“Don’t. Take him home.”
“What?” Confusion melts across Toto’s face until he peers over my shoulder and glimpses the face of the man swearing and cursing my existence. That confusion turns into understanding and he nods, holstering his weapon.
“On it.”
Toto takes over pinning the man down as Rex appears and glances at me, concern knitting across his brows, but before he can speak, I’m scanning the crowd for Hollie.
“Where is she?”
“Stu has her by the wreaths,” Rex replies. “We need to get you out of here.”
His words barely reach me as I charge through the crowd toward the wreath stall several feet away.
As the crowd finally parts, I glimpse Hollie in Stu’s arms fighting him much like she did the first time we met.
Her crimson hair flies about her face as she beats him with both her fists, though her blows are barely impactful if the look on his face is anything to go by.
They both spot me at the same time. Relief flashes across Stu’s face while Hollie’s mouth drops open and tears invade her beautiful eyes.
“Maxim!”
“Hollie, I’m alright.”
“No, look at you!” She wrenches herself out of Stu’s now relaxed grip and stumbles toward me. “What happened? What the hell was that?”
“I’m okay.” My words mean nothing to her as she grabs both my arms and skims her eyes over me, then she whimpers.
“You’re bleeding!”
“Boss,” Stu warns. “We gotta go.”
“I know. I know.”
“Go? We have to take you to the hospital, oh my God!” She clutches at me repeatedly, trying to lift my arm to examine the wound, but I don’t let her.
Instead, I take her by the arm and we start hurrying back through the fair to where we parked.
“This is insane,” Hollie gasps. “Who was that? Was he trying to kill you? How did that even happen? Maxim, you’re bleeding! Oh God, it looks so bad!”
Her frantic flurry of desperate pleas warms my heart as adrenaline pours through me like molten metal. My heart’s pounding, my body’s so hot that the winter chill is a distant thought, and as we approach my car parked in the vacant lot, I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Hollie, I’m fine.”
“Don’t give me that!” She pushes against me, a single tear escaping her eye as she shoves me again. “I can see you’re bleeding! You’re hurt, and that man could have killed you. What even was that? How can that happen? Why did everyone just stand around and—”
The only way to calm her, the only way to end her tirade, is to kiss her.
So I do.
As soon as we reach the car, I shove her against it, cup the side of her neck, and kiss her deeply while my heart pounds like a drum in my ears. I’m trembling. Pain doesn’t exist right now. Only relief that I spotted him before he could do any real damage to me or her.
“Maxim—” Hollie groans against my lips, then her gloved hands land on either side of my neck.
She’s safe.
She’s fine.
Nothing else matters.