Page 135 of Where Sinners Repent

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.”