"You would think a surgeon would be more careful with his hands," I said as Jack's father punched another one of the Santas in the face. It might have been Eddie, but at this point, I didn't even know which was which.
Dr. Frost disentangled himself from the fight. Eddie was wavering slightly, but he was still standing. I watched him take a swig from the flask in his pocket, and he flashed me a thumbs-up sign. Dr. Frost straightened his Santa suit and strode over to me. Jack stepped in front of me.
"Don't touch her," Eddie hollered.
One of the Santas grabbed him around the ankles, and he crashed to the sidewalk.
Dr. Frost looked down his nose at them then turned back to Jack.
"Step aside, son," he said. "That girl is carrying my grandchild, and she is walking around with no shoes on. She needs to come home with me so that she’s safe."
"No, she doesn't," Jack yelled.
"She shouldn't come with you, I should!" screamed Hartleigh as she ran towards the fighting. Because of course that was exactly what the situation required.
"I am the mother of Jack's child," Hartleigh said, latching onto Jack’s arm.
"She's not!" Jack said, turning to me, his eyes begging me to believe him.
"I know," I said, disgusted. I pulled at Hartleigh, trying to drag her off of him.
"You don't love her, Jack," Hartleigh pleaded. "She drugged you or put a spell on you. She was seducing you. She is only after you for your money."
"Chloe, don't you see Jack Frost isn't worthy of you?" Herbert the stalker Santa told me. "You belong with me. I sent you all those nice presents."
My cousin was out cold on the ground next to his junkie friend and my stalker. Jack's father was standing over them. He was watching Hartleigh and me fight over Jack in mild amusement.
"Jack," he said, "I'm going to take Chloe home with me. You and Hartleigh can work things out on your own. How does that sound?"
"That is not going to work," Jack growled. His father stepped up and latched onto my upper arm.
"Let go of her," Jack said, straining to escape Hartleigh's grasp. His stalker had her fingers twisted on his shirt collar and in his hair. I had heard stories about people being so strung out on drugs that they had superhuman strength, but I didn't know it could happen if you were just plain crazy.
"Jack, you're mine!" she shrieked. I could see little pricks of blood on his neck from where her nails had sunk into him.
Jack’s brothers came running out of the tower towards us. But before they could reach Hartleigh, a black town car pulled up. We all turned to see who it was.
A woman stepped out. She was tall, with toned arms. They were bare in the cold. She had piercing blue eyes and platinum white hair in a thick braid down her back. She looked like something out ofGame of Thrones—she just needed the dragons and a direwolf.
Traffic had stopped due to drivers rubbernecking to watch the Santa Claus brawl. Belle—that was who I assumed the woman was—slowly made her way across the street, ignoring the honking.
The police chose that moment to show up. Sirens blaring, they hustled over to us.
Belle reached us first.
"I thought you were gone," Hartleigh said, eyes wide. Belle didn't say a word.
Hartleigh started babbling. "I’m sorry, I just wanted a family, I just wanted—"
Belle reached out and grabbed two of Hartleigh's fingers, twisting her arm. Hartleigh screamed, and Belle made some sort of Jedi motion and Hartleigh was on the ground, clutching her side in pain.
"Let go of her," Belle said to Dr. Frost, her voice icy.
"I thought you were… I thought you were gone for good," Jack's father said.
"Hardly," Belle said coldly.
Dr. Frost released me and slowly stepped away.
