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“You wouldn’t dare!” Katie said with a small gasp of outrage that had Chloe biting back a smile.

“Oh, but I would,” Chloe said, taking immense satisfaction in seeing the glare on her sister’s face, “I really would.”

Katie didn’t say anything for a minute, but then again, she didn’t have to, not when they both knew that she would never do anything to risk pissing off Santa Claus. She would–

“Then I better go make sure that it’s worth it!” came the announcement that had Chloe panicking as she watched her little sister suddenly disappear back behind the curtains.

“Katie?” Chloe said, licking her l

ips nervously as she shifted her attention to the other windows as she tried the front door again only to bite back a curse as she pushed away from the door and–

Got the wind knocked out of her when she ran into something solid. Before she fell back against the front door, a strong pair of hands wrapped around her arms to steady her. With a murmured, “Thank you,” Chloe moved to step back and…and…

“Where’s the little demon?” Cole Bradford, the boy that she’d rather avoid, asked, barely acknowledging her as he reached past her and knocked on the front door.

“Slowly destroying my will to live,” Chloe mumbled hollowly because this could not be happening.

“I know the feeling,” Cole said, slowly exhaling as he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck while she stood there, unable to help but wonder one thing…

“Umm, what are you doing here?” Chloe asked, glancing from the boy that she wanted nothing to do with to the window as the curtains parted so that Katie could press her small face against the glass with a murderous glare.

“Paying off the little demon,” Cole said, reaching into his pocket and pulled a five dollar bill out and held it up for Katie’s inspection.

After a moment, Katie slowly stepped back, allowing the curtains to fall back in place. When Chloe heard the telltale click of the lock being turned, she pushed past Cole, grabbed the door handle and shoved the front door open, and–

Wondered where her sister was.

Damn it!

“Katie?” Chloe called as she glanced around the front foyer, looking for the little girl that had gone too far this time.

“Where the hell did she go?” Cole asked as he closed the front door behind them.

“Into hiding,” Chloe said as she started up the stairs to check Katie’s usual hiding spots when the sound of a door opening on rusty hinges caught her attention.

She wouldn’t…

God, who was she kidding? Of course, she would, Chloe thought, shaking her head in disgust as she headed back down the stairs and made her way to the kitchen even as she was tempted to leave her sister down there until Uncle Nick came home, but…

Chloe couldn’t do that to her sister no matter how much she pissed her off.

Katie was terrified of the basement, not that Chloe could blame her since it wasn’t exactly her favorite room in the house either. Whenever Katie ventured down into the basement, which wasn’t very often, it usually ended with Chloe being forced to rescue her.

At least she wouldn’t have to tear the house apart to find her, Chloe thought as she headed for the basement door that had been left open. That was something at least, Chloe told herself as she paused by the door to flick on the basement light before forcing herself to go down the stairs and–

“What was that?” the teenage boy that she’d forgotten about asked as Chloe slowly turned around, telling herself that this day couldn’t possibly get any worse only to find herself trapped in the basement.

With Cole Bradford.

*-*-*-*

He was going to kill Jonathan, Sebastian decided as he followed Mikey’s curious gaze to find her watching his brother and–

“That explains so much,” Mikey said in a thoughtful tone, dragging his attention away from the little bastard hiding behind their mother.

“What explains so much?” Sebastian asked as he absently tapped his thumb against the book that he’d helped himself to from Aunt Haley’s and Uncle’s Jason’s bookshelf.

“Everything,” Mikey said on a wistful sigh as she continued to gaze dreamily at Jonathan. “God, our children are going to be so beautiful.”