Callie’s POV
The music was too loud for the corner I’d been dragged into.
It thudded through the walls, through the floor, and even through my bones, a deep bass that rattled my chest as much as my nerves did.
Red and green lights flickered overhead, casting strange shadows across the narrow hallway behind the bar. It felt too dim, too crowded, and too intimate.
I hadn’t expected Santa to pull me aside. I definitely hadn’t expected him to do it with a grip firm enough to stop me but careful enough not to hurt me.
“Hey,” I said, my voice sharp as I tried to twist my wrist free. “I need to get back to my…”
Immediately, the hand released me before I could complete my sentence.
Santa stepped back, lifting both gloved hands slightly, as if to show he wasn’t a threat. And then he reached
