Bought By Santa (Seasonal Obsessions #1)

Chapter 32

The Santa

T he elevator ride down to the garage is steeped in tension, the silence so thick it’s almost suffocating. I grip the steering wheel hard, knuckles white against the leather, while my other hand holds Carolina’s tightly. Her fingers tremble slightly, but she doesn’t let go. Marco, Sergei, Lee, and Dominic are stone-faced, their eyes forward, minds set on the task ahead. This isn’t just a mission. It’s personal.

As we drive through the dark streets, the city blurs past us, the only sound is the low hum of the engine. I can feel the fury simmering inside me, a deadly calm before the storm. Dad’s going to pay for his betrayal.

When we finally reach the estate, the air feels heavier, thick with the promise of violence. As soon as the car stops, we’re out, weapons drawn. Carolina is right beside me, her eyes wide with fear but resolute. She isn’t a fighter, not like the rest of us, but she holds the gun with a grip that betrays her determination. She’s scared, but she’s here. With me.

We kick down the front door, and hell explodes around us. Gunfire erupts, the sharp crack of bullets splitting the air. Men rush at us from every corner, Dad’s soldiers, desperate to protect their boss. But they’re no match for us. We move like a well-oiled machine, every action precise, every shot lethal.

Marco is a force of nature, his knife flashing as he cuts down two men with brutal efficiency. Sergei and Lee cover our flanks, a deadly combination of fists and bullets that leaves a trail of bodies in their wake. Dominic is right behind them, his shots precise, every pull of the trigger a death sentence.

I’m in the center of it all, the chaos fueling my rage, pushing me forward. A man lunges at me, but I’m faster. I block his attack, driving my elbow into his throat before slamming him into the wall. He crumples, and I’m already moving on, focused on the next threat. Carolina stays close, her breath ragged, eyes darting around as she tries to keep up.

Despite the fear in her eyes, she doesn’t look away. Her blue eyes scan the room, taking in every movement as she holds the gun in her hand, her knuckles pale, but she’s ready to do what needs to be done.

I do my best to protect her, making sure she doesn’t need to use it. I refuse to let my world taint her beautiful soul more than it already has.

We fight our way through the mansion, every room a battlefield. The sound of gunfire and screams reverberates through the halls, the stench of blood and sweat filling the air. It’s a warzone, but we thrive in this chaos. We were born for it.

A man charges at Carolina, his knife gleaming under the dim lights. She freezes, eyes wide, and my heart lurches. But before he can reach her, I’m there. I grab him, spinning him around. The fucker’s quick, and before I can secure his arm, I feel the knife slive along my upper arm.

Roaring in anger more than pain, I grab hold of his arm, twisting it until I hear the satisfying crack of bone, then slam him to the ground. He doesn’t get up.

“Nick… oh my God! Are you okay?” Carolina wraps her delicate fingers around the cut.

I already know it’s shallow. “I’m fine,” I promise. As I glance at her, she nods. “Just a scratch.”

We push forward, the opposition thinning as we cut through Dad’s men. Finally, we reach the basement door, reinforced but not enough to stop us. I kick it open, the wood splintering under the force, and we descend into the darkness.

The basement is colder, the air damp and stale. Shadows cling to the walls, but there’s no mistaking the figure at the far end. Dad. He’s standing with his back to us, hands clasped behind him, as if he’s been waiting, expecting this confrontation.

The room is silent, the chaos above fading into a distant hum. I can feel the tension rolling off my men, their eyes locked on him, waiting for my signal.

“Dad,” I say, my voice echoing in the dim space.

He turns slowly, a cruel smile on his lips, as if this is all some twisted game. “Nicklas,” he replies, his tone almost mocking. “I knew you’d come, son.”

The sight of him, the man who’s caused so much pain, ignites a fire in me, hotter than before. This is it. The final confrontation. Carolina steps closer, her hand brushing against mine, a silent reminder that we’re in this together.

Dad glances at her, his smile widening. “Ah, the lovely Carolina. I see you’ve dragged her into this too. How predictable.”

The Breeder

Caspian’s eyes land on me, and the way his lips curl into a sneer makes my skin crawl. His voice drips with disdain as he says my name, as if even acknowledging me is beneath him. I can’t help it—I hiss in disgust, the sound escaping before I can stop it.

My hatred for this man, for everything he’s done, burns hot inside me, almost choking me with its intensity. “Why?” I demand, my voice sharp, cutting through the thick air of the basement. “Why did you have Willow killed?”

Even though the guy back at the penthouse swore that my sister’s death was an accident, I need to hear it from Caspian.

He tilts his head slightly, as if pondering how to best twist the proverbial knife. “Willow?” he repeats, mockingly. “Oh, that was an unfortunate mistake. The hit wasn’t meant for your dear sister, Carolina. It was meant for you.”

The words hit me like a blow to the chest, knocking the breath from my lungs. I stagger back, my hand instinctively clutching at my heart as if I can physically hold it together. My mind reels, struggling to process what he’s saying.

Will… she died because of me. Because someone thought she was me. The room spins, and I feel like I’m falling, spiraling down into a pit of despair.

Caspian watches me, and I see a flicker of something dark and cruel in his eyes—a twisted satisfaction in my pain. “You were wearing that ridiculous hat, hiding your hair,” he continues, his tone cold and devoid of any remorse. “My men were confused. They thought she was you. Fools, the lot of them.”

His words are like shards of glass, slicing through me, leaving me raw and bleeding. Will’s face flashes in my mind, her smile, her laughter—memories that are now tainted with the knowledge that she died because of me.

My sister, who was everything good and pure in my life, taken away because I didn’t want to wash my hair. The guilt is overwhelming, a suffocating weight that crushes me from the inside out. I can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t do anything but drown in this sea of sorrow and guilt.

“But really, Nicklas, this is all your fault.” Caspian’s voice drags me back to the present, and I force myself to focus on the man before me—the man responsible for all this pain. “You’ve been neglecting your duties. You’ve become pussy-whipped and weak.” He spits out the last words like a curse.

My head snaps in Nicklas’ direction, but I shouldn’t have worried. His face is showing less emotion than a stone. I guess his dad’s words aren’t hitting the way they were intended.

“At first, I thought it was your brother’s influence. So naturally, I tried to have him taken out. But like the damn pest he is, he proved harder to kill than I’d anticipated.”

“What the fuck?” Nick roars.

Caspian nods. “First I had to find someone who could be the scapegoat for the theft. But when you insisted on going with Jack, I had to call off my best men. I couldn’t risk losing my only worthy heir.” He lets out a scathing laugh. “If I’d known just how unworthy you really were, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

I look at Nick, and the expression on his face tells me he knows exactly what Caspian is talking about. “You betrayed Jack and Sergei,” Nick says, his tone cold.

“Indeed,” Caspian replies easily. “Well, betrayal is such a distasteful word. I did what I had to.”

“Why?” I ask when Nick looks like he’s frozen, unable to ask more questions. “Why would you want Jack dead?”

Caspian shrugs like it’s no big deal. “He’s a waste of space, not worthy of the family name. When Nicklas went with Jack to catch the thief, I thought my cover would be blown. Thankfully, none of the people I hired sang. I guess that means they weren’t entirely useless.”

The fuck.

I don’t know if Nick’s dad can see the confusion on my face, or if he just likes hearing himself talk. Either way, he continues.

“After you left my home with your useless brother, I had to improvise. The guy I’d hired to take Jack out offered up one of his own men as a fall guy. That’s the one you tortured for information, son. And I dare say I was impressed with your technique when I saw the body—”

“Why the fuck would you do any of this?” Nick roars.

When Caspian steps closer, Nick moves so his body is angled in front of mine. His dad’s eyes narrow as he regards me with pure contempt. “It’s all because of you, Carolina. You’re nothing but a distraction, a pretty little thing that led my son astray. I had such high hopes for him, but he’s thrown it all away for you.” He sighs deeply.

As he stops talking it’s quiet, the only sound to be heard is the shuffling of feet and our breathing.

“You ask why, Nicklas. But there’s no why, only what had to be done. As I’ve already stated, you were neglecting your duties. Too busy playing house to take the Knight business seriously. Hell, you didn’t even notice the Russian spy I planted in your territory. One of your men did.”

He takes a deep breath, straightening to his full height and widens his stance.

“You trusted your useless brother with jobs he had no business even knowing about.” Caspian turns his cold eyes on me again. “And because of your choices, your sister ended up as collateral damage.”

His words are venomous, each one striking with deadly precision. I feel them sink into my skin, poisoning me with doubt and despair.

Nick lets out a vicious snarl. “Don’t talk to her,” he warns. Taking my hand, he squeezes it, and I think I fall even more in love with him at his show of support.

My heart breaks all over again, shattering into a thousand pieces. The pain is unbearable, but I can’t let it show. Not here, not in front of this man. I force myself to stand tall, to keep my voice steady as I say, “You’re wrong. Nick is stronger than you’ll ever know. And he’s not yours to control.”

Caspian’s laugh is cold and hollow, echoing off the walls of the basement. “You think you know him, girl? You don’t. You’re just a temporary distraction, something he’ll toss aside when you’re no longer useful.”

I bite down on my lip to stop the tremble that threatens to expose my fear. Caspian’s words are meant to hurt, to break me, but I refuse to let him win. “You’re the one who’s weak, Caspian,” I spit, my voice trembling with suppressed emotion. Tempted as I am to lash out, to mention some of the things I read about this man in Sienna’s diary, I keep my mouth shut.

His expression darkens, and for a moment, I see a flash of rage in his eyes. But then it’s gone, replaced by that same cold indifference. “Believe what you want,” he says dismissively. “It won’t change anything. Nicklas will realize soon enough that you’re nothing but a liability.”

I clench my fists, squeezing Nick’s hand harder with one hand while my nails dig into my palm on the other as I fight the urge to spew some truths of my own. But before I can say anything, Nick takes a step forward. His eyes are locked on his father, a storm brewing in their depths.

“Say what you want about me, Dad,” he spits. “But to try to have your own son killed is low.”

Caspian just shrugs. “He’s weak as well. All my children turned out to be a disappointment.”

“If all the apples are rotten, maybe it’s the tree that’s the problem,” Nick volleys, his voice low and dangerous. “Not that it matters now. You’re done.” There’s no hesitation, no doubt. He’s made his decision.

A sneer twists Caspian’s lips. “Finally ready to do what needs to be done, son?”

Nick doesn’t respond. He raises the gun, his hand steady as he takes aim. For a moment, time seems to freeze. The air is thick with tension, the silence deafening. I can’t breathe, can’t move, as I watch the man I love prepare to pull the trigger.

Caspian smirks, his eyes gleaming with twisted pride. “Go on, then. Do it.”

And then, in a heartbeat, it’s over. The sound of the gunshot echoes through the room, loud and final. Caspian crumples to the ground, his lifeless body hitting the cold concrete with a dull thud.

The silence that follows is suffocating, heavy with the weight of what’s just happened. My heart is pounding in my chest, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I can’t take my eyes off his body, can’t shake the feeling that something inside me has been irrevocably changed.

Nicklas lowers the gun, his hand trembling ever so slightly. Is it wrong that when he turns to me, I hope to see the same pain and turmoil I feel being reflected back at me?

Regardless, it isn’t there. All I find in the depth of Nick’s eyes is cold determination.

I collapse against him, burying my face in his chest, letting the tears I’ve been holding back finally fall. Willow is gone, and nothing will ever bring her back. But Caspian is gone too, silenced forever. And maybe, just maybe, we can finally start to heal.