Page 16 of Painfully Merry

“Shut up, Toto. I have to finish this off, or it’s worse for him. Do you want that?”

Rushing to the kitchen, I open drawer after drawer, trying to find a sharp knife. Why can’t people have them by the dishwasher? That makes sense. I finally manage to find one that will have to work. Hopefully, it’s sharp enough.

“Sorry, Murp. No hard feelings, but I don’t need you snooping around next door. We have business that’s more important than you. Say hi to your wife for me. She owes me.”

I hold his hair back, exposing his throat with a quick, deep slice. The skin folds away from itself, and blood runs down like a river. I breathe intensely, filling my lungs with the coppery smell. Shivers race down my spine, and my inner demons are calm once more.

“Let’s go, Toto, you can come back with me. You can be a peace offering to Sabby.” She better like her gift. I could leave him here so he can eat his owner.

I’m trying to be nice. I missed breakfast for her.

8

Sabrina

I want to yell at myself. How stupid can I be for allowing Chaos to fuck me? I can’t even blame it on being half asleep, and I knew what I was doing. What I wasn’t expecting was for Parker to fly off the handle. He acts like I’m his worst enemy, yet he wants to protect me from Chaos.

I don’t understand him.

“Parker?”

He slowly drifted his eyes to mine. “What, Black?” he said, exhausted.

“When are you going to talk to me? I’m getting tired of the runaround.”

He quirked a black eyebrow in amusement. “The runaround? You think this is the runaround?” He motions between us with his finger. “I’ll tell you what it is. The bullshit that went down last month, where you couldn’t even stand up for your employee, you let the board run him over tenfold. Do you even care about the people who work for you? Of course, you don’t. You didn’t even want to work there. I knew the minute you walked in there. Even your Grandpa knew you didn’t want it. He just didn’t want to give the company to your brother. You wanna know about a runaround? Dig deeper into your precious company before you start firing good employees.” He threw back forcefully.

“I wasn’t to blame for you being fired. If that’s what this is all about. There was a system I had to follow. Just because I’m the boss doesn’t mean anything. If it’s revenge you are after I have nothing to give,” I objected.

His deep green eyes were suddenly cold as ice. “There’s where you’re wrong. Sabrina. I lost so much when you fired me, and I’ll never be able to get it back. What did you lose?”

I flex my fingers around the headboard; what I wouldn’t give to punch this asshole in the face. If he only knew what was at stake.

“Parker, you have no idea, do you?”

“Fuck you, Sabrina.” He storms to the bed, his jaw clenching hard. “You have no idea.”

“Why, because I’m the boss?”

He turns around, tilting his head back. “You don’t get it, do you?” Turning to face me. He spoke through gritted teeth. “You fired me without fighting. That’s what pisses me off.”

“The board members won’t listen to me. All they saw was you, the youngest member of the financial team, and they went after you. They wouldn’t listen to me. All they see is a female working in a male dominated business and think they can run over anything I say. I tried so hard to fight for you.”

He shakes his head. “Don’t give me some bullshit lie. You live in this golden bubble where nothing can touch you—living a cushy lifestyle, never having to worry about anything.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks, he’s lucky he tied me to this bed. A cushy lifestyle. If he only knew what I had to sacrifice to get here. Of course, I didn’t want to take over the family company, but I didn’t want to leave it to my brother. There would be nothing left of Chocolate Halo.

“Don’t you dare tell me I have nothing to worry about. I had to give up on my dream when Grandpa died, but nobody ever asks about that.” I snarl, growing angrier by the second.

I watch the vein on the side of his head pop out. How he can be angry with me is still questionable. I didn’t do anything wrong, so why couldn’t he see that? My hands were tied when it went to a vote. I asked him to prove me wrong, and he didn’t. So he’s to blame, too.

“Well, only one person in this room is still employed, and I have a problem with that.”

“I guess you should’ve found the person responsible for embezzling,” I snapped back.

With one fluid motion, he’s on top of me, warm fingers wrapping around my throat, squeezing slightly. Goosebumps prickled along my nape at the predatory smirk that settled on his face.

“What I wouldn’t give to hear you begging right now, Sabrina. How stupid do you think I am?”

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