Page 56 of Another Christmas from Hell

Payback’s a bitch.

-read the text message letting her know that the big jerk had stolen her bag in a sad attempt at revenge. Shaking her head in disgust, Cayley stood up as she pointed out, “You do realize that Jess will let me put my lunch on a tab, right?”

That was followed by a muttered, “Shit!” as Sean shoved the rest of her chips in his mouth, jumped to his feet and blocked the door. After clearing his throat, Sean folded his arms over his chest as he returned to glaring at her while Cayley stood there, debating which window she was going to crawl out of. There was the one that led to the back parking lot or…the one that led to the back parking lot.

Deciding to go with the first option, Cayley started to turn around only to decide that it would probably be for the best if she stepped out of the way when she spotted Bryce standing behind Sean and-

“He’s right behind me, isn’t he?” Sean asked on a resigned sigh as Bryce grabbed hold of him by the back of his neck and dragged him out of her office.

“This will not be forgotten!” Sean yelled as he was dragged towards the stairs and handed over to his brothers, who all lookedreallyhappy to see him for some reason.

That was followed by Sean realizing that he was in deep shit, turning to run only to get tackled by Brian and Johnny as Craig, who looked seriously pissed off, took his time selecting a roll of duct tape. At her questioning look, Bryce said, “He got them a one-day ban from your cousin’s diner this morning before they could order breakfast.”

“That would explain the text message that Jess sent this morning letting me know that today was going to be the day that she beat the shit out of Sean,” Cayley murmured absently as she watched Craig reach down and-

Quickly looked away when the screams for mercy began.

“You ready?” Bryce asked as he grabbed her jacket off the hook and handed it to her.

“Where are we going?” Cayley asked as she forced herself to look straight ahead, knowing that if she glanced back at her best friend to find out why he was making those disturbing sounds that she would regret it for the rest of her life.

“Well, since the little asshole got us banned from your cousin’s diner, I thought I’d show you something instead,” Bryce said as he held the door for her.

“Wait. How did I get banned?” Cayley found herself asking, which even she had to admit was a stupid question.

“He pissed her off,” Bryce said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal as he took her hand in his as his thumb absently caressed the back of her hand, sending goosebumps racing up her arm and had her hoping that whatever he wanted to show her involved spending the rest of the day in his bed.

CHAPTER30

“Are you pouting?” Bryce found himself asking as the small woman sitting next to him released a shuddering sigh as she looked from him back to Thomas House.

“No,” Cayley mumbled sadly, looking so fucking adorable that he couldn’t help but chuckle as he turned off his truck and opened his door.

“Is there a reason that you’re pouting?” Bryce asked teasingly as he reached for her.

With a forlorn sigh, Cayley mumbled, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Because…” Bryce asked as he placed her down on the driveway covered in snow and took her hand in his simply because he couldn’t seem to be around her and not touch her.

It was as simple as that.

“I don’t want you to think less of me,” Cayley said with an adorable sniffle as he laced his fingers with hers and led her to the front door of the large, two-story nineteenth-century Victorian house that he’d been dying to get his hands on for a long time.

“And why would I think less of you?” Bryce asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled the keys out that Rory gave him, even as he couldn’t help but wonder why he was bringing her here.

“Because I was hoping that you were taking me home so that you could do really naughty things to me to help pass the time, but this works too,” Cayley mumbled absently as she looked around, taking in the old oak tree in the large front yard, noting the collection of old ropes tangled around the largest branch hanging over the yard where countless tire swings had been hung over the years before focusing on the large house in front of them. “Why are we standing in front of Thomas House?”

“You know this house?” Bryce managed to ask as his mind shifted to what she’d said and was forced to bite back a groan.

God, she was fucking killing him.

Nodding, Cayley reached over and plucked the keys out of his hands and focused her attention on opening the door. “Sean heard that it was haunted and was determined to find out, so he dragged me over here one night when we were ten, handed me a flashlight, a half-eaten candy bar, and his old sleeping bag before he shoved me inside and told me not to come out until morning with proof that it was haunted or he’d send me back in there,” Cayley explained as she searched for the right key.

“That does sound like something the little bastard would do,” Bryce said as he reached over and plucked the keys out of her hands and found the right key before handing it back to her. “How did it go?”

With an absently murmured, “Thank you,” Cayley slid the key into the temporary padlock that one of his brothers installed and unlocked it before handing the lock to him. “It actually wasn’t that bad,” she said as she opened the door with a satisfied sigh, revealing a house that had been neglected over the years. “Around two in the morning, I gave up trying to escape and was able to find a lovely spot in the kitchen to cower and wait for morning when your brother came back to retrieve my body.”

“And when he finally came back?” Bryce asked as they walked into the large house that he’d been waiting most of his life to get his hands on.

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