Page 21 of Painfully Merry

I snatch a pair of leggings off my shelf and tug them on with force. I don’t like being bossed around, especially by men. I do the bossing around, and this is irritating. Parker stands in the doorway, grinning.

“Wear a Christmas sweater, it’ll make Chaos happy.”

“Who the fuck cares what he thinks.” I reach for a beige sweater, and Parker grabs my wrist.

“I said a Christmas one, and I meant it.” With his other hand, he grabs my only ugly sweater. “I’ll wait while you change.”

I go to move around him, and he blocks me. “I need a bra. Excuse me.”

“I think you can go braless, don’t be shy. I’ve already seen them.”

I rip my pyjama shirt off, and his eyes land on my chest. I tug the sweater over my head, and the scratchy material rubs over my sensitive nipples. I’m thankful you can’t see them through the thick fabric. But the grin on Parker's face tells me otherwise. His hand reaches out and tugs on my nipple. I bit my lip, holding back my moan.

“You can’t hide anything from me, Sabrina.”

“Apparently, I can because you still don’t have a name.” I push past him, leaving him alone in the closet.

If only I had that notebook, I would be well on my way to destroying him. I’m halfway down the stairs when Honey runs to meet me. Fucking Chaos. I pick her up and march into the kitchen, pissed off.

“Chaos, if you’re going to kill somebody for a dog, maybe you should get the dog some food and the essentials.”

His back straightens and turns slowly. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You killed the owner. You take care of the dog. Welcome to your new responsibility.” I set Honey down and wait.

He sets the spatula down on the counter and steps toward me like a predator heading for his prey. I never move an inch.

“No one has ever talked to me like that before, Sabrina, and I don’t think I like it very much.”

“Get used to it. Welcome to being responsible for your mistakes. Feed the dog.”

His blue eyes drill into mine, a standoff between the wills, and I’m not backing down. His lips curl into a small smile.

“I can’t wait for you to fall back to sleep. I love dream sex the best. Do you know why?”

My heart skips a beat at the memories of this morning. “Why?”

“Because in my dreams, I can’t tell if I killed you for real or only in my dreams. Am I fucking a corpse or a real person? It’s the best high of all time. I suggest you sleep someplace safe tonight, Sabby. I might not strike now, but I will strike. How many waffles did you want?”

Is this guy for real? How can he go from talking about killing to eating in seconds? I don’t care what Parker says, Chaos is a psycho. If they think I’m sleeping in the same bed with them tonight, they are fucking wrong. They would have to tie me down again to make that happen.

“What’s the matter with Sabrina?” Parker asks when he enters the kitchen.

“Oh, I was telling her the difference between dream sex and real sex.”

Parker groans. “Chaos, how many times do I have to tell you? Don’t scare people like that.”

He shrugs. “It’s funny this way. Look at her. She doesn’t know what to think, and it’s the best. Come on, breakfast is ready, and it’s getting cold.”

I watch them work together like a team, like best friends. Chaos grins when he sets a plate in front of Parker.

“Chaos, I said normal waffles.”

“And I said you suck. Nothing wrong with chocolate chips, right Sabstar?” He looks at me, nodding.

I don’t know what to think. It’s like watching a child having a mood swing. One second, he’s happy, and the next, he’s talking about killing. I can’t keep up with it.

“I guess chocolate chips are better than boring old nothing.”

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