All I Want for Christmas Is Revenge (Murder and Mistletoe, #1)

by K.A. Merikan

“I don’t know what it is about Christmas time, but it always makes loneliness feel more pronounced. People go pick trees together, drink hot chocolate in cafes, and frantically buy last-minute gifts. The irony, right? All this money I saved up over the years, and no one to buy a present for.”

As I read the first sentence, the melody of a new cover of ‘All I want for Christmas is You’ worms its way into my brain. Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is revenge…

“You don’t know me yet. Care for a ride?” Saint asks, stepping closer, close enough for his scent to make my head spin. Even my ears get hot. Yeah, I’d fucking ride him in more ways than one. I think.

I could hardly believe it when he shot at me through the door. The excitement of finding out he had the guts to do that was a close second to seeing him naked. So much passion lay dormant in that compact body raked with scars, and I now long to unearth it all. So. Damn. Much.

Because now I’m determined to make him mine, and I will grant him the kind of revenge he’s never even dreamed of. But my prey is skittish and needs to become acquainted with me first. By the time we develop enough trust for me to reveal my true self, he will be ready to accept me as I am. He doesn’t need to know that he’s mine already.

“I want a partner who won’t leave.” ‘Whatever I do’ seems to be the rest of that sentence. “I want access to you, be it for a cuddle, or to fuck your brains out.”

And since he desires me, I know without a doubt he will protect me with everything he has. With a man like him at my side, I will never have to be afraid again.

But caring about someone awakens feelings I’ve long buried, along with my family. Because if you love someone, they become a part of you, and the possibility of losing them is a threat to your very being.

It’s not that revenge doesn’t matter anymore, I still want to get Otto, but Saint’s affection, his need for me, has created a buffer around my heart. It soaks up the blood from the many cuts my soul has suffered and softens the jagged edges that pushed people away. He embraces me as I am, and I’m ready to always be that for him too.