Page 20 of Christmas Souls

"Are you going to tell him, sweetheart? Or do I get the pleasure of doing it myself?"

"Mayor…Gene, there's nothing to tell, really. You promised no one would have to know."

"That was when I thought you'd keep my deadline. You're several days past it, and I'm here to collect."

"Like hell you are," Michael shouts and swings at the mayor's head. He misses, though, and I've just realized this horrible man is going to ruin what little I have of my life.

Chapter 9

Michael

Mayor Douchebag does not know what he's getting into, baiting us like this. He might know some of Mandy's secrets, but he's unreliable at best. Whatever trash he spews, I'm sure there's an explanation. I try and shut his mouth with my fist, but he's learned how to duck since my brother Ben broke his nose this past Christmas.

"Stay away from Mandy, Gene. I'll only tell you once."

"You wouldn't be so keen to defend her if you knew what she had to do to keep herself fed back in New York. I've seen you the past few weeks following her like a lost puppy. You're pathetic."

I don't care what this stupid man says about me, but I look next to me, and Mandy's face is a waterfall of tears. I turn to her and cup my palms on her face.

"Whatever it is, Mandy, we'll deal with it together. Don't listen to this jackass. He's a bad man, and soon he'll be run out of office. You'll see."

"He knows the truth about me, Michael."

"Those are crocodile tears, Hoffer. Don't let her grab at your heartstrings. She owes a lot of money to a very powerful man back in New York. If she doesn't agree to be my mistress, he'll come for her and take everything she owns. She'll be indebted to him forever."

My vision is practically red when I hear the word 'mistress,' and I jump on top of Gene Mitchell and start swinging. One of my punches gets his nose again, and he starts bleeding like a stuck pig, but I don't stop punching him.

Mandy is screaming behind me, but this man has said the last bad word about the woman I love. So I punch and punch until I feel strong hands pulling me off him. I still see red, but Mandy's and my brother Ben's voices reach me somehow.

The mayor is knocked out on the snow-covered ground—at least, I hope he's only knocked out—and there are sirens coming our way. I'm breathing heavily, and my hands are all bloody. I can't touch Mandy like this, but I need to calm her down.

She looks so defeated, a look I never thought to see on her face. The sirens finally come close enough that I know the Sheriff is here. He gets out of his car, kneels, and checks the mayor's vitals.

"What happened here, Hoffer?"

"Mitchell came here trying to blackmail Mandy. Said he knew all her secrets. When he accused her one time too many times, I got so enraged that I just started throwing punches. I only stopped once my brother pulled me off him. He's scum, Sheriff. He's not fit to be this town's mayor."

"Miss Schmidt, are you okay?"

"I…"

"Ben, maybe you can put Miss Schmidt in your car, where it's warm."

"Sure thing, Sheriff."

I watch as my brother takes Mandy by the arm and leads her to his car. She's visibly shaking, but I don't think it's the cold. She owes money? Was she going to be the mayor's mistress? I can't wrap my head around all the garbage Mitchell spewed and the things that could be true.

Is this why Mandy has been keeping me at arm's length emotion-wise? She's got debts that tie her back to New York? Will she have to go back to repay those debts? I'm still all up in my head when I feel cold metal around my wrists.

I guess I'm going to jail.

You know what, I regret nothing, but I need to have a deep and honest conversation with the woman I love, because I'm not letting her go back to New York, especially if there's danger waiting back there for her.

"Come on, Michael. You'll have to wait until they get the mayor stabilized at the hospital. This doesn't look good, son."

I follow the Sheriff into his car, and he drives me to jail. It's not until later that Ben visits me in the cell and tells me he's lost track of Mandy. I'm going out of my mind, but I can't really do anything from behind bars. My brother's got my back, though. They've been looking for her everywhere, and finally, there's something to report.

"She's at the hospital, waiting for word on the mayor," Danny says.