33. Kai
Kai
Just as I thought, these decorations are preposterous. The Santa Claus standing in the middle of the table, which keeps dancing every time someone presses on its hand, makes me feel a little bit violent.
Roxy has been up here all afternoon with Ash and Maddy setting up.
I let her go alone. One, because I knew Ash would be here.
Two, I had her present to wrap. Kaleb is wrapping her other one as we speak.
I texted him that we were doing Christmas, and he barged into the apartment a few minutes later searching for the baseball bat.
Searching the room, I find Maddison and Roxy dancing in the kitchen, drinks in their hands and music blaring.
Already slurring. Cheap fucking dates.
Standing in the room, invisible to them, I can’t help but watch her. She looks so carefree. Smiling with her cheeks flushed, wearing a matching red oversized shirt with Maddison that says, ‘Tis the Season to Be a Hoe.
Her laugh makes my cock ache, and I curse the national holiday for stealing my alone time with her away. But seeing her happy is almost worth it.
Especially after today.
I want to cleave her skull open and lay her mind bare to me. Something happened today in her studio, and I don’t believe for a second that it was about the present. Pushing her on it just made her run upstairs with the excuse of needing to set up.
I decided I’d leave it.
For tonight.
I’ve never really had a Christmas. Not a real one with music playing and a tree with presents. And I heard what my girl said in the shops, although she didn’t intend me to. She’s never had one either. Neither has Maddison.
Turns out we are all a bunch of discarded people, who somehow found each other in this rotten fucking city.
So I’ll listen to the tacky songs and watch my girl dance like there isn’t a war on our doorstep. I’ll even ignore the dancing Santa. Because we need this. All of us.
I hear the door open and close, and I take my eyes off Roxy to peer at Kaleb, who has a very poorly wrapped present in his hands. He winks at me before putting it under the tree.
When he makes his way over to me, he freezes beside me. I already know he’s watching what I’m watching.
“Fuck, the potatoes!” Roxy gasps, and they rush the oven that has smoke steaming out of it.
Maddison squeals and starts wafting it with a tea towel, while Roxy twists the oven controls frantically.
A royal fucking mess is what they are. Two drunk girls trying to cook a Christmas dinner. My new favourite show.
“Shit, we’re never going to get this right, Maddy baby,” Roxy shakes her head, peering at the charcoal-black potatoes.
“Not with that attitude!” Maddison huffs. “I’ll serve up the chicken, and you try to scrape off the burnt bits. Quick, everyone will be here soon.”
A huff sounds from beside me. Even I feel my lips tugging into a smirk.
This is what normal must feel like.
Roxy knocks her drink over, ice and dark liquid spilling down the bench as she cries out. Her eyes lock on us, and she straightens, face going crimson. “You’re here,” she whispers.
“Yes, Black Cat,” Kaleb murmurs. “We’re here.”
Maddy groans, scrubbing a hand down her face. “Ash was right. We should have just ordered some takeaway and told everyone we made it.”
“Smells delic...” Ash saunters in, but his nose crinkles as soon as he actually smells it. “Fucking burnt.”
The girls’ mouths pop open, eyes widening at Ash. Even I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
Our formidable, menacing President in the flesh, wearing red fluffy Santa pants and a matching coat, opened to reveal his inked torso. And on his head, a Santa hat.
“Oh my God,” Maddy snorts, eyes glassy from one too many drinks. “You look so hot I can’t even deal.”
She and Roxy explode into a fit of giggles, and Ash turns to us.
“Ho, ho, ho, fuckers,” he booms, stretching his arms out.
He crashes into us, hugging us both into his arms. Even though we are stiff and don’t hug him back, he doesn’t let it bother him.
Pulling back, his smile is so wide that two dimples form in his cheeks. “Merry Christmas, Brothers,” he murmurs, before leaning his forehead on mine, then Kaleb’s.
It’s something he has always done, ever since his dad took us in.
“Thanks for giving her this,” he whispers, for only us to hear. The way his voice softens makes me feel sorry for my brother. Noone gives him enough credit for what he does for the Devils and how much it really affects him deep down. “We needed this.”
I nod at him, and he smiles wider.
“Let’s sit,” he motions to the table, decorated to the nines.
Lights glimmer around the plates, and bonbons are strewn haphazardly around the table.
“The others should be here soon,” his voice drops to a whisper, “and prepare to put your poker faces on. Those girls have no idea what they’re doing in the kitchen.
But if that chicken comes out raw, you fucking eat it and tell them how good it tastes, you hear me? ”
He drops to the head of the table, where two chairs wait, and Kaleb takes the one next to him. I leave a space for our girl and take the next one. From here, I can see her long dark hair, hanging by her round ass.
A view I could die watching.
The door opens and Leon saunters in, both hands lifting two bottles of tequila. “Merry Christmas, cunts!”
Ash cheers and Maddy yells out from the kitchen. He does the rounds, kissing everyone on the cheeks before folding himself into the chair opposite me.
His nose scrunches up. “Something is being fucking cremated in there.”
Ash glares at him. “Those girls went to a lot of effort to cook you dinner, asshole.”
Leon puts his hands up, backing down. “Smells great, girls!” he yells over his shoulders. “I’m salivating.”
“Better,” Ash grumbles.
Leon winks at me before pouring himself his Christmas present, then leans over and tops Ash’s glass up. Me and Kaleb decline, like usual.
“If you don’t have a drink, I’ll cry,” Roxy tiptoes into the room with a salad bowl in her hands. She leans between me and my brother to put it on the table, freezing me with those fucking eyes. “I’m already tipsy and you need to get on my level.”
Ash claps, goading her on.
“Shots!”
“Shots!” Leon parrots.
“Did someone say shots?” Matty grumbles, dropping his handful of presents by the tree and falling into the chair across from Kaleb.
“Matty!” Maddy squeals.
It’s fucking mayhem. My glass is filled, and I don’t give anyone the satisfaction of a carry-on. Holding her blue eyes, I lift the glass and shoot it, not giving her the reaction she was pushing for.
She rewards me with a sexy little smirk.
“Dinner’s almost ready,” Maddy calls out, bringing dishes to the table. “Where is Griff?”
“Here,” he grumbles, shoving open the door.
We all straighten when a familiar face hobbles in behind him.
“Mama Griff!” Leon cheers, pushing out of his chair to hug the older woman, and spinning her around. “Missed you.”
“Missed you, you fucker,” she laughs, her voice raspy from too many cigarettes.
Griff looks like he’s about to knock him out, but he stiffly nods at us instead. “Brought Mama. Hope that’s okay.”
Maddison’s smile is huge as she hugs the woman, introducing herself. The lady has been around the Devils longer than any of us.
Griff’s mama smacks Leon across the back of the head. “Put me down before you pull your back out.”
Leon gasps, but he lowers her to the ground. “You think I’m weak?”
“I think you’re a fucking idiot,” she scoffs.
Matt snorts into his drink. Griff’s mouth twitches, but he catches me looking and immediately wipes it off his face, replacing it with his familiar scowl.
“Sit down,” Ash orders, motioning to the remaining chairs. “Before the girls decide we need another fucking shot.”
“Too late!” Roxy yells from the kitchen, prancing back to the table with some very burnt potatoes.
Mama Griff settles beside Matt, which leaves one chair left.
Leon points to the empty chair beside him. “Your throne awaits, princess.”
“I’ll fucking stand,” Griff growls.
“You’ll fucking sit,” his mama snaps. “You’ve been miserable since the moment you came out of me. Be miserable sitting if you must.”
Everyone bites back laughter, as Griff is scolded by his mama and slides into his chair, muttering curses the entire time.
“Dig in!” Maddy yells.
We all eye the food. It’s very evident it wasn’t cooked by professional chefs. Everything is either slightly burnt or looks like it’s been hacked with a saw. I’ve cut the skin from bodies and it looked better prepared than this.
Ash catches all of our eyes, the warning shining in them loud and fucking clear.
When Roxy drops into the chair between me and Kaleb, both of our hands find a soft thigh.
Everyone digs in. As one big family, we share a meal.
Glasses clink and people talk over one another.
Roxy keeps stealing bites off my plate despite having the exact same food on hers, and every few minutes I catch her staring at me with a little line between her brows.
When I catch her, she smiles, but it’s clouded by something.
Kaleb notices, too.
By the time we are all full from what was a surprisingly good meal, Roxy is leaning on my shoulder, laughing at something Leon said. Ash’s chair squeals as he pushes himself back, with Maddison, who is now on his lap.
He lifts her easily and deposits her on Matty’s lap. She curls against him, and the older man wraps his arms around her. As much as he has a soft spot for her, she shares the fondness. I’ve seen it in little moments down in the club.
Ash bends down, pressing a kiss to her temple and whispers something in her ear. Her eyes soften and she catches the front of his ridiculous Santa coat and pulls him close enough to kiss him.
When he pulls back, she nuzzles into Matt’s neck. He kisses the space behind her ear.
It only takes a minute, but Ash returns carrying an armful of presents. For the next twenty minutes, the apartment turns into chaos. Leon keeps pressing the dancing Santa’s hand, and if he does it one more time, I’m gluing that hand to the table with my knife.