32. Roxy
Roxy
If I can be totally honest... having Kai latched onto me every minute is a dream come true. Sure, using the bathroom while he waits at the door was as embarrassing as it sounds. But I think at this point, there is nothing Kai hasn’t seen. Nothing that bothers him.
He still doesn’t trust me not to see my brothers. And he’s not wrong for that. Because even I’m not sure what I would have done if I wasn’t being watched twenty-four-seven. To have the choice stripped from me has been the biggest blessing. Words I never thought would cross my mind.
Kai holds me on his lap. A huge plate of pancakes waits in front of me.
My stomach is already sore, but it seems that Kai won’t let me go until he thinks I’ve eaten enough.
This morning, I realised it had been nearly twenty hours since I last ate.
I woke up with an empty stomach; the thing rumbling in protest.
Kai’s eyes shot to the noise, an angry look crossing his face. An hour later, here we are.
It seems he forgot to feed and water his captive. And now he’s gone to the other end of the spectrum and is force-feeding me until I’m sick.
“No more,” I groan, melting into his chest. “I’m going to be sick.”
His chest vibrates with a rumble.
“More,” is all he says.
With a grimace, I reach for the fork. Luckily, my phone ringing gives me an excuse to drop it. Kai grabs my phone before I can get to it, answering and putting it on speaker.
“Maddy babyyyy,” I yell.
“Merry Christmas!” She sings back.
Looking back over my shoulder at Kai, my face scrunches. It’s only the ninth of December.
He just blinks back at me.
“Merry Christmas? Sister, you’re a few weeks early.”
My hand rubs slow circles over my full stomach for a few seconds before Kai bats my hand away and starts rubbing it for me. It’s so ridiculous, I have to bite back my laugh.
“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...”
My hands twist in front of me. There was something that I was working on for them. In my sketchbook, I’ve been drawing a picture of them. Their two strong bodies, with me intertwined between them.
I wanted to frame it and give it to them, but I wasn’t totally prepared since this Christmas was sprung on me.
“Do we have time to stop into my studio for one sec afterwards?”
Maddy smiles. “Of course.”
We continue down the aisle, and I stop with a gasp. “And these. I’m totally getting them these.”
Snatching the two mugs from the shelf, I lift them to show her. She chokes on her laughter.
One says, MY GIRLFRIEND HAS A BETTER ASS THAN YOURS.
The next says, SO DOES MINE.
“Perfect,” she giggles.
I tuck them into the trolley under everything else so that Kai doesn’t see them.
Twenty minutes later, the boot is barely able to close around Maddy’s shopping. I make sure the mugs are buried behind the stacks of wrapping paper, and Kai flinches when the dancing Santa starts moving obnoxiously. He shoves it extra hard before slamming the trunk shut.
Me and Maddy bite our lips to stop from laughing before following him into the car.
When we pull up to the studio, I can’t stop fidgeting. Seeing the building waiting for me, completely paid for, is a dream come true. I’m dying to open again and beg my clients for forgiveness.
“I’ll be right back,” I murmur, opening the door.
“I’m coming,” Kai grunts.
“No,” I snap. “Kai, you can’t follow me everywhere. You’re acting crazy! My Christmas present for you is in there, and the wall is literally glass!”
He stares at me.
“Five minutes,” I bargain. “You can literally wait by the front door and watch me.”
His jaw works, and for a second I think he’s going to argue.
“Two minutes.”
I was right. “Five!” I sigh dramatically. “I need to get your present sorted, and I really don’t want you to see it. Please.” I pout at him.
He gives me a single nod, and I jump out of the ute. The bell chimes when I open the door, just like old times. It sparks a yearning like never before.
Aware that I’m on a time limit, I run to my office. I have stacks of frames in there, all ready to be hung up when I’m finished a design. My office is different. The makeshift bed is gone, replaced by a brand new couch.
Everything feels new.
Kai really outdid himself.
I find a simple black frame that is a perfect size for the charcoal drawing. Perfect for them.
Dropping it onto my desk, I open the bottom drawer and rifle through it. My old one is full. Full of Kai’s carved body. Of Kaleb’s sharp jaw. Their hands.
Who knew hands could be so fucking sexy?
My throat tightens. Fuck. When did this happen?
When did two men I should be terrified of become the two people I feel safest around.
I shake my head. I’m never this sappy.
“Get a grip, girl,” I chide myself.
The sound of a car door slamming outside makes me jump. Sticking my head out of the office, Kai is still there, glaring at the studio and most likely counting every damn second.
I lift my hand in a wave. He doesn’t, obviously.
I hold up a finger, signalling give me a minute.
His dark eyes narrow. Bossy fucker.
Smiling to myself, I collect my things, looking around the office one last time.
“Soon,” I murmur. Soon everything will be back to normal.
A soft click makes my body go taut. I freeze, my ears listening for what just made the sound, but nothing else comes. I turn and glance around my studio, but see nothing.
I’m being paranoid.
I shake my head and return to my things. Another click sounds, and every hair on my arm rises.
I know that sound. The rear fucking door, right behind me.
“Don’t make a sound,” a voice from my nightmares drawls softly.
I spin, turning just in time for Ethan to pounce. My scream is muffled by a hand clamping over my mouth, and he traps me against his chest.
His palm pushes hard against my mouth, enough to draw blood.
I forget how to breathe. Raging fear knocks the air from my lungs. Every horrible memory sings through my mind like a sick fucking movie.
My body reacts while my brain lags, and I reach for the knife in my pocket. I’m too slow. Behind me, Ethan grabs both of my wrists, twisting my shoulders until they are locked behind my back.
The frame crashes to the floor, as Isaac saunters through the door, looking around the office with a smug smile.
His icy eyes land on mine. “Fancy,” he murmurs.
I glare at him with tear-filled eyes.
“It’s been hard to get a moment with you, little sis,” he croons, falling onto the new couch and crossing his legs.