Page 171 of Sinning for Santa

“Was the hood really necessary?” Warrick barks, blinking quickly as his eyes adjust to the bright sun.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Devon deadpans. “Your wife has mad torture skills. I wouldn’t put it past her to torture the whereabouts of Marilda and Damon out of you.”

“Fuck you. I’d never give them up.”

Even though their words to each other are harsh, I can’t help but smile, and as soon as Liam closes the car door, I rush forward and throw my arms around Devon’s brother.

“Thank you for helping to save my life.”

A hesitant awkward pat lands on my back before I pull back to see the eyes so similar to Devon’s.

“I guess you’re bomb girl?”

I giggle and Devon snarls.

“Do not call her that. Her name is Jaxcen.”

Warrick does a bow at me like he’s greeting royalty right before he flips his older brother off. “Now where’s my fucking kid?”

“He’s right here,” Marilda’s voice startles Warrick, our gazes darting to the path where she stands, her son Damon sitting in the stroller, playing with a toy. “But if you say another foul word in front of our son, Warrick, so help me God, I will remove your tongue from your mouth.”

Warrick’s eyes soften in an instant, his temperament changing, and the harsh glare he wore moments ago falls away.

He strides towards them, and I think he’s about to say hi to his son, but he rounds the stroller, taking Marilda by surprise, lifting her off her feet and smacking his lips to hers.

The stroller, now long forgotten, starts to roll on the path towards the gutter, but Devon hurries forward, saving his nephew as Marilda wraps her legs around Warrick’s waist and moans into their kiss.

“Allegra!” Devon calls over his shoulder, and she comes running over from the table where she was pretending todo something, but really she was just gawking at the scene playing out before us.

“Yes?” she asks as she nears.

“Please take Damon for a walk so these two can gosomewhere else,” Devon says pointedly, “to have some privacy.”

“Of course.” Allegra hurries to take the stroller, pushing it up the street away from the near fornication that’s currently unravelling before our eyes.

“Damn. I should have brought popcorn,” Liam mutters from beside us, and when I smile up at him, he winks.

I like Liam. He’s playful.

“Dev, I could have taken Damon for a walk,” I say quietly, and he drags his eyes from his brother to me.

“Nope. I need you here. For your present.”

I frown, watching as Devon nods to Liam, who then opens the back car door and helps a woman out.

I know before he even takes the black bag from her head that it’s my sister. I’d know her dainty frame anywhere.

She’s blinking, trying to adjust to the daylight even as I throw myself at her, wrapping my arms around her neck as I start to sob.

“Hey, sis,” Presley says into my hair, weaving her arms around me and running her hands up and down my back soothingly. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’m here.”

I can hear Devon and Liam chatting quietly somewhere behind me, but I can’t let go of my sister. I just can’t.

“Hey, Jax. It’s alright.” She pulls back looking into my eyes, her blue ones matching mine. “I’m so sorry about everything that happened. I didn’t want you to hand yourself over to them.”

I shake my head, batting at my tears. “There’s no way I’d ever let them hurt you, Pres. No way in hell.”

“Come on you two. No tears on Christmas Day.” Liam grins coming up to stand next to us, and my sister shoots daggers his way.

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