Page 129 of Where Sinners Repent

“Maybe for everyone else,” Maddy explains. “But with things so up in the air, I’m worried we might miss Christmas. I convinced Ash to let me throw it tonight! Just Devils family. If we make it to Christmas, we’ll throw a party for everyone.”

“You are making it sound like we’ll all be dead in two weeks,” I choke out, my throat feeling dry all of a sudden.

Maddy goes quiet for a second. “Of course not. Anyway, are you in?”

I chew on my lip. Why does everything around here feel so heavy and doomsday-ish?

“Just us, presents and food and drinks,” she pleads. “We desperately need some fun around here.”

Sighing, I smile. She’s not wrong about that. “Long Island ice teas?”

I swear I can hear her smiling on the other end. “Long fucking Island iced Teas!”

I giggle. “I’m so in.”

“Good,” she replies. “Because I’m at the twin’s door now. We’re going Christmas shopping!”

Maddy had to call Ash for Kai to let us go. Yes, she literally dobbed on him to Daddy. Of course, he’s following us like a little dark storm cloud, but here we are.

“Do you really need this much stuff?” I gape at her trolley full of red and white decorations.

She eyes me sidelong, reaching for a dancing Santa toy and throwing it into the already loaded trolley.

“How many people are coming to this?”

“Let’s see,” she thinks out loud. “You and the twins, of course. Me and Ash. Leon, Griff, Matty, ummm Xavier is busy, I think.”

I give her an incredulous look. “So, eight people? You don’t need half of this shit.”

She shrugs, pushing the huge trolley down the aisle. Kai follows behind us, and I can’t help but keep glancing at him over my shoulder. He looks totally out of place, with his leather cut, tattooed skin and dark eyes, strolling down this Christmas-themed shop.

It’s adorable.

“I haven’t really ever had a Christmas,” she murmurs, quietly enough that I’m the only one to hear her. “I used to watch movies with these families that had fully decorated houses and presents under the trees. They’d even have flashing lights line the table. I never thought I’d be able to have one until I met Ash. He gave me the family to celebrate with.”

Moments like this remind me why she’s my best friend. While we are complete opposites, her with her short blonde hair and my long black. Her with her brown eyes and mine with my light blue. She’s long and lanky; I’m short and curvy. She grew up with money, and I grew up with none.

But at the end of the day, neither of us has ever gotten to experience a Christmas.

“Me either,” I murmur. Her sad eyes land on mine, and my heart swells. I love her. Reaching for the shelves, I grab a spool of ridiculous snowflake lights and throw them in the trolley. “For the table.”

She squeals and we continue our over the top Christmas shopping. I glance over my shoulder again. Dressed in all black, his body is rigid and his face expressionless. Standing beneath a glittering sign that says SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER.

The snort that falls out of me is completely unlady like, my laughter coming out in gasping bursts.

"What?" Maddy jumps, following my gaze.

She bends at the waist, howling at a now scowling Kai. We laugh until tears fall and our stomachs ache. Maddy grabs my arm and drags me around the corner before we piss him off enough to throw me over his shoulder and drag me home.

“Have you gotten them anything?” She gasps between her giggles.

“Who?”

She gives me a look. “Your two terrifying boyfriends.”

I scoff, rolling my eyes. “They’re not my boyfriends.”

Her dark eyes give me a pointed look. “Riggghhttt...”