a Beautiful Christmas: A Pride and Honor Christmas

by Ember-Raine Winters

  “He made bail.”

  KENZIE

  Tara found this awesome little lingerie shop inside the hotel. After we spent two hours there shopping, we headed to the bar. My hackles were up and I needed a drink to calm my nerves.

  “Do you feel like we’re being watched?” I asked no one in particular.

  “I kind of had a weird feeling a minute ago, why?” Kaylee asked looking around at the crowded bar.

  “I don’t know, but the hair on the back of my neck is standing up.”

  “Do you want to go back to the room? There’s a full bar in there. You can get your drinks there,” Marcy suggested warily.

  “No!” Kaylee and Tara yelled at the same time and I looked at them funny.

  “Come on, it’s fine. It’s just a hazard of the job, I’m sure it’s fine.” Kelly smiled reassuringly and I relaxed a bit.

  We sat at the bar with our drinks but my mind never fully cleared. After a few minutes of zoning out at whatever football game was on the TV, two big men came up to us.

  “Ladies, there’s been an incident and we need you to come with us.”

  I recognized the guy from the night before. He was the security guard who patched me up after I got shot. “What’s this about?”

  “The man who attacked you last night got out on bail. We need to take you back to your room.”

  “Shit,” I cursed. “Is he in the building?”

  “No ma’am, not that I’m aware of, but we need you to come with us.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  MAC

  After Eric walked in and gave us the news, I tried desperately to get Marcy on the phone. She must have had it on silent because she wasn’t answering.

  “I can’t get Pix on the phone.”

  “Yeah, Kaylee isn’t answering either,” Griffin added.

  “Kenzie has her phone shut off. What the fuck is happening here?” Trey grumbled.

  “How did he get back in the hotel?” I asked Eric.

  “I don’t think he’s in the hotel. I have been watching security footage from my phone. The girls got in the elevator with two of my guys three minutes ago.”

  “Is there a parking garage attached?” I was freaking the fuck out, pacing like a caged animal. What the fuck happened to the girls? Why were they not answering their phones? I was about to lose my fucking mind when the door flew open and the girls came strolling through… alone.

  “You have a mess to clean up.”

  MARCY

  I knew something was up the minute I saw that idiot hit the P button on the elevator. Looking over at Kenzie, I nodded towards the panel. Her eyes got wide and she glared at the back of the idiot’s head.

  “I thought we were going back to our room?” she questioned.

  “Change of plans,” the one, I think his name was Tony, said shortly.

  Kenzie and I looked at each other and nodded once before we pounced. I knew Mac would kill me when he found out I jumped on yet another guy’s back in a twenty-four-hour period, but it was that or be taken God knew where by the goon squad.

  I would rather not find out where they were taking us if I could help it. It wasn’t easy climbing up a tree trunk of a man when I’m only five-foot-two, but I tried it anyway. I got my forearm locked around his neck and cut off his air supply, squeezing the best I could. Kaylee was screaming at me to get down and let her handle it, but if I let him go, any element of surprise we had was gone.

  He tried to fling me off of him, but his movements were getting more and more sluggish. At one point he backed up and squished me between his big body and the wall of the elevator and I cried out in pain as my stomach clenched.

  “You scumbag!” Kelly shouted and then stomped on his foot with her stiletto, to which he screamed like a girl. Tara walked up in front of him and kneed him in the balls, and when he doubled over, she brought her knee up into his face and knocked him out cold.

  “Well, that was fun.” I grinned as I attempted to catch my breath.

  “You seriously gotta stop jumping on people like that,” Kenzie wheezed. “It took forever for him to pass out.”

  The doors started to open, and I realized that we were in the parking garage and started pushing the button frantically. I saw a man walking over, but when he saw what was happening he started to run directly toward us.

  The doors closed only a second before he got there, and I sighed in relief and pushed the button for our floor.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  KAYLEE

  I laughed at Marcy’s theatrics. We moved the bodies of the two security guards who tried to kidnap us in the way of the doors so they wouldn’t close when we left them. I sat next to Griffin. He put a comforting arm around me and I melted into him.

  “What happened?” he asked a little on edge.

  I didn’t want to get into it. It was like trouble just followed us around everywhere. How could I ever have thought the guys were bored with life? I’d had enough excitement for one weekend and was more than ready to go home to my babies.

  “Nothing we couldn’t handle.” Tara smirked and I giggled.

  “They might be waking up at any minute out there, so you may want to go take care of it,” Marcy said to Eric. He nodded to the guys he brought with him and they took off out the still open door.

  Kenzie walked in smiling. “There was another guy in the parking garage. I think they were attempting a hand off.” She flopped down next to Trey. He put him arm around her and pulled her close. I smiled, glad they were getting through her hang ups.

  “How exactly did a couple of women take down two of my security guys?” Eric asked and we all glared at him. “I meant that in the least sexist way possible. I just meant most of my security team is former military.”

  “I’m former military,” Marcy informed him and all the guys nodded.

  “We just took down an entire illegal operation along with the dirty politician they were backing,” Griffin said and I couldn’t help but laugh at the look Eric gave us.

  “That was you?” he sputtered.

  “We had some help, but yeah.” Kenzie grinned.

  “I don’t need to know how you took my guys down. You probably dealt with way worse than a couple of thugs.” He shook his head. “I thought you looked familiar.”

  “Me?” I asked quizzically.

  “You were on the plane that disappeared, right?”

  “Oh, yeah that was me.”

  Eric shook his head again in disbelief. “Well, I won’t take up any more of your time. I wanted to offer you security detail while you’re here, but I can see that you don’t need it.” He chuckled and left.

  GRIFFIN

  “So, how did you all get away?” I asked eyeing the girls.

  “It’s no big deal, babe.” Kaylee’s smile was strained. There was a reason they didn’t want to tell us, and I had a feeling it had to do with a pregnant Pixie.

  “Pix? What did you do?” Mac growled picking up on the same hesitation I did.

  “I did what I had to do to get out alive,” she said hesitantly.

  “There were five of you! Why didn’t you let someone else do it?” he boomed.

  “It happened so fast that I just reacted without thinking.” She shrugged.

  “I stomped on his foot with this,” Kelly said and we all laughed. We joked all the time about Kelly’s damn shoes being weapons. Trey flinched, knowing full well what that felt like, and I laughed even harder. Those two had a tumultuous relationship in the office.

  “That’s brutal,” Trey groaned.

  “I kneed him in the nuts and then the face. He’ll have one hell of a headache when he wakes up.” Tara grinned evilly. Trey looked like he was gonna be sick.

  “What did you do?” he asked Kenzie.

  “I jumped on the other guy’s back and put him in a chokehold until he passed out.”

  Hoping to diffuse Mac from going apeshit crazy, I quick
ly said, “Okay then, let’s all get ready to go to dinner, yeah?”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  TREY

  Dinner went off without a hitch and Mac decided he wanted to go for a walk down the strip. Marcy had never been to Vegas before, so we decided to show her the strip at night, which was the best time to see it, in all its lit up glory.

  When we got to the Bellagio, Mac stopped and waited for the fountains. Marcy looked at them in awe and never even noticed Mac getting down on one knee.

  KENZIE

  Damn tears. They started the second I watched Mac drop to his knee. Kaylee walked over to a guy selling water out of a cooler on the street and asked him a question. The man handed her a bouquet of roses and she walked back to the group and handed them to Johnny.

  “Give these to your mom when your dad’s done.”

  I went over to Kaylee, and leaned down to ask, “You were in on this, weren’t you?”

  She just winked at me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  MARCY

  I stared, mesmerized by the fountain. I’d seen pictures before but they didn’t really do it justice. Turning to where Mac had just been standing, my smile was from ear to ear, but he wasn’t there. A throat cleared and I looked down.

  Shock. That was going through my brain. I couldn’t even think.

  “Mac? What are you doing?” I bent down to see what was happening, but he shook his head smiling adoringly at me.

  I looked around and saw everyone watching us. It took me a minute to realize what was happening and tears started to fall.

  “Pix, I have loved you my whole life. Even when we weren’t together, and I acted like an ass I couldn’t bear to see you cry or struggle. I want to do my best so that you will never cry again. I want to make it my mission to make sure that every day we have together is a happy one.” He paused and reached into his pocket. Opening the box, he took a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”

  I was speechless. Tears were falling down my cheeks in rivers. Thank God my head was working as I nodded it excitedly.

  “Words Marcy. We need to hear the words.” Kaylee yelled, laughing.

  “Yes,” I yelled laughing through my tears and threw my arms around Mac’s neck as he stood. The kiss was deep and desperate. We were consuming each other’s mouths. A throat cleared and I looked wide eyed at our son, Johnny.

  “Uh, sorry, bud.” I smiled sheepishly.

  “It’s okay. I’m so glad we’re gonna be a real family. These are for you.” He handed me a bouquet of roses that I knew he didn’t have before. I hugged my little man, who had to bend down so I could kiss the top of his head.

  We walked back arm in arm to the cheering from our friends. I noticed Tara’s phone was out and she was recording. “What?” she said. “I’m sure Tasha and Twitch wanna see it.”

  “You were in on it, weren’t you?” I asked Kaylee as we walked back to the hotel.

  “I heard you knew before Griff proposed.” She smiled conspiratorially. “Turnabouts fair play.”

  I laughed and hugged my friend. She was right, but I didn’t help Griffin keep her busy while he planned it.

  “So let’s see what the fuss was all about.” Kaylee grinned and I showed her the two-carat flawless solitaire diamond on my finger. All the girls circled me and I was suddenly so glad that I had all my friends around me for this amazing moment in my life.

  MAC

  I was so nervous. I mean I knew that she would say yes, but it didn’t stop the nerves from taking flight. I was the happiest man on the planet right then.

  When we got back to the room, Eric was standing outside our door. “What’s up?” I said warily. This was my perfect night. I wanted nothing to interrupt my time with Marcy.

  “Thought you would want to know we caught the guy on the property again and charged him with trespassing, so his bail has been revoked.”

  “That’s great news,” Kenzie sighed.

  I knew she was the most worried, since the whole thing started with her knocking the guy on his ass on the dance floor.

  “Thank you,” Trey said and held out his hand. Eric shook it.

  “No problem. You all have a good night.” He smiled and walked down the hall to the elevators. The rest of the group went off to their own rooms, thankfully Griffin and Kaylee taking Johnny with them.

  Pulling Marcy into a new room I got just for tonight, I watched her eyes brighten as she took in the ambience. Kaylee had helped me with ideas for how to make that night special, and as I watched her take in the bed and champagne bucket, I was glad I had enlisted her help.

  “What’s t-this,” she stammered and turned to me with glistening eyes.

  Moving in behind her, I kissed her neck lightly and reached for the bottle of champagne. I poured us each a glass and set it back down in the bucket and wrapped my hands around her growing belly. Something bumped my hand and my heart swelled. “She knows her daddy’s here.”

  “She? We haven’t found out the sex yet. What makes you think it’s a girl?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I just always assumed it was a girl, since we already have our amazing boy.” I slid my tongue down her neck to her shoulder. “No more talking, wife. I need to be inside you, now.”

  “Yes, please,” she moaned as I slid my hands down her front and gripped the hem of her silky dress. I pulled it off slowly and watched as her body was overcome with goosebumps.

  “You’re so fucking perfect,” I said as I sat there and stared at her naked body. Grabbing her hair, I leaned her head back so I could attack her mouth. It was such a fucking turn on to know that she was mine forever.

  I tweaked one nipple and she moaned into my mouth before breaking the kiss. Turning seductively, she bent over the side of the bed, spread her legs and looked at me over her shoulder with nothing but desire in her eyes. “Fuck me, husband.”

  I couldn’t help the animalistic sound that came from my throat or the savage way I thrust into her. I pulled her hair so I could plant a desperate kiss on her lips as we both came. Curling my body around hers, breathing heavily, she stretched like a cat and crawled on the bed. “I love you.” She yawned and fell asleep in my arms.

  My life was perfect.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  KAYLEE

  I was so glad to be home. The kids were back from my mom’s house, and we decided it was time to decorate cookies. Lance loved to help me bake. The whole family came over when we did cookie baking. It was family tradition.

  I was turned around getting some bananas for the banana bread we were making as well when I heard a crash.

  “Lance, what did you do?” I turned around and he was covered in batter. I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of me as I watched him lick the batter from his fingers.

  “Don’t move.” Griffin laughed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and started snapping pictures.

  “This feels yucky,” Lance whined.

  “Yeah, you just ruined all the banana bread batter.” Leanne looked at him as if he stole her lunch money and in true Lance fashion, he walked over and slapped some on her head and she screamed.

  There was no stopping the mayhem that ensued after that. I was just glad we had tile floors because that stuff would never come out of carpet. Leanne picked up a glob of red icing with her hand and smooshed it over Lance’s head, laughing like a hyena. He grabbed some of the green and flung it at her splattering her face and smacking Griffin right in the chest. Griffin’s eyes lit up with happiness as they all started flinging icing all over the kitchen at each other.

  “Food fight!” Lance yelled.

  “Hey guys, I think Mom is a little too clean, don’t you?” Griffin smiled devilishly and I ran around the other side of the kitchen island screaming and laughing. It really wasn’t fair; there were three of them against one of me. They surrounded me. Griffin picked me up from behind and must have slipped on some icing because we went cra
shing to the ground. The kids jumped on the chance to slime me and started smearing icing all over my face and in my hair. I was laughing hysterically when the doorbell rang.

  “Okay, okay I gotta answer the door.” I laughed and Griff finally let me up. I knew I looked a mess but it was fun.

  Tara cracked up when I opened the door to her and Billy. “You had a frosting fight without us?” My brother, Billy deadpanned.

  “Uncle Billy,” the kids yelled and rushed him. Before he could get a word out of his mouth they both hugged him getting icing all over his white T-shirt.

  “You’re gonna pay for that.” He laughed, then added, “Aunt Tara wants a hug too.”

  “Oh no she doesn’t.” She started backing up and ran right into Mac who held her there.

  “She really does.” Mac was laughing along with the rest of us, and I thought Tara would murder him. “I thought we were decorating cookies, not children.”

  Tara groaned as the kids wiped icing on her face. If I knew my sister this was going to escalate with her in the mix.

  GRIFFIN

  I didn’t think I had ever had more fun in my life. The frosting fight was a blast, and I loved seeing the kids’ faces light up like that.

  “How’d you end up blue?” Mac chuckled.

  “Lance started a big icing fight,” I said grabbing a hand towel and wiping the goop from my face.

  From the sound of Mac’s chuckle, I was sure the only thing I succeeded at was rubbing it all in and making it worse. Marcy snorted when she saw me and I couldn’t help but grin. “Say what you want, but that was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  KENZIE

  I have no idea what I was so scared of. Trey was still himself. Caring, sweet, and funny. I could easily spend the rest of my life with him, and best part was that in the end it was Marcy getting engaged and not us, so I still could breathe, even though I knew after the incident with the idiot with the gun that Trey was it for me.