A Snow Covered Nightmare: Refuge Series Book Two by Debbie Zello (28)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Aiden stood out on the balcony leaning against the black wrought iron railing, as he looked at the snow-covered mountains. It was very early Christmas morning. The very first Christmas morning, after the worst Christmas night of his life. Shortly after that night, he’d been whisked out of the country and deposited here, in Switzerland, for his own protection.

He was watching one of the birds picking at something in the bushes below his balcony as his mind drifted back to the terrible night a whole year ago…

“Would you guys do me a favor and watch out the front windows. Let me know when you see a car that looks lost? The car will be driving very slowly and looking for the house numbers,” Aiden asked Pete’s kids.

“Sure, Uncle Aiden,” Pete’s oldest son, Pete Jr. said. The three kids took up their positions in front of the window arguing about who would see the car first.

“I’m sure we’ll be sorry soon that you did that,” Clair said listening to her children arguing.

“They have been good all day. It was bound to end sometime,” Pete quipped. The three adults were involved in finishing the preparation of the dinner. Pete was making cocktails. Clair was tossing the salad and Aiden was setting the table.

The opened presents from Santa were all strewn around the living room. There were still a few unopened presents left. Most of them were for Aiden and Briah. “I probably should ask you, what do we call her? Briah or Cherie?” Clair asked.

“I call her Briah unless someone is around. Luckily it was only when her friend stopped by. If we stay here, I should get used to Cherie. I’m bound to slip up with Briah if I don’t.”

“This will probably be the last time we see her, so I don’t think that’s a problem for us,” Pete said, as he tasted his concoction. “Mmm, that’s good.”

“I see a car coming real slow down the hill, Uncle Aiden. It’s turning in the street. It’s stopping. It’s pulling into the driveway. It’s stopping,” Pete Jr. said, giving a blow-by-blow description.

“Thanks Pete. Wave out the window and let her know she is at the right house, please,” Aiden said, glad that she finally made it safely there.

“We’re waving but I don’t think she sees us.”

“You should go out through the garage, Aiden. Those front steps are probably frozen over by now. I don’t want you or Briah to fall. That’s no way to start a marriage, in a cast,” Clair said from the kitchen.

“Will do, thanks. I’m going to get my coat. It’s damn cold out there. I know she had a few things to bring in,” Aiden said. He walked to the closet to retrieve his coat. As he stuck his arms in the coat, he walked to the garage door and opened it.

Aiden could barely see into the darkened driveway. A small light from Briah’s open trunk held little light as the trunk was wide open and blocking his view. As he walked past Pete’s rental car he thought he heard a man’s voice. He stopped to listen more closely to what was being said.

He couldn’t make out the words but something in Briah’s voice told him she was afraid. He took one-step and went for his shoulder harness where his gun usually was. Shit, he didn’t have it. Who would need a gun on Christmas?

The driver’s window was down on Pete’s car. Please, Pete, please have your gun in the side pouch like you always do. Aiden kept thinking in his head. He inched his hand through the open window. Sticking his head in to give himself a longer reach, he felt the side pouch. Sure enough, his hand felt the cold metal of Pete’s gun.

Having no idea if it was loaded or not, and having no way to noiselessly check it, Aiden silently walked out of the garage and onto the driveway. He walked in the darkness towards the two voices.

Approximately thirty feet in front of him, Aiden could make out the silhouette of a tall man. But it was what he heard that made him frightened… “You’re actually a nice lady. It’s a damn shame I have to waste you.”

“What are you doing out here in the cold? Come back to bed, baby,” Briah said shivering under the blanket, she had wrapped around herself.

“I was just thinking about our last Christmas. I’m hoping this one is far less exciting,” he said placing his arm around her shoulder.

“I certainly hope so. It isn’t every day a crazy hit man finds you, holds a gun on you and your Knight-In-Shining-Armor shows up and saves you,” she said kissing him.

“I wouldn’t go that far. It was a lucky shot. If Pete hadn’t accidentally left his gun in the car, loaded, both of us would probably be dead.”

“I guess baby Jesus was watching out for us,” Briah said taking his hand to walk back inside. She climbed back in the bed and snuggled under the covers while Aiden locked the balcony door behind them. He turned to look at his lovely wife all burrowed under the quilts.

“Is there room for me in there?”

“Always,” she said throwing back the covers for him. He got in next to her and covered up.

“I find it so funny, what he said as he lay dying in my arms,” Aiden said.

“What did he say? With all the commotion of Pete coming out and calling the police and ambulance, I don’t think you ever told me that he said anything.”

“He said, “I see the angels. Rapture. The rapture begins when the pain finally stops.” And then he died. I found it so strange that a man who’d killed so many would believe in the hereafter.”

“Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, my love,” Aiden said tightening his arm around her.

“I’m glad the whole investigation was over so we could get married on New Year’s Eve. It was funny having Brice and Blain there.”

“And Chief Wesson and Ernie March. It was our small wedding that turned into a much larger one once everyone found out where we were.”

“That was funny. Now we’re here under yet another name and life. Still running from David Slater and his family of murderers.”

“We’re out of the country. They’ll never find us here. You’re safe with me forever…