“Clowns have been spotted all over the country, terrorizing adults and children alike. Authorities are looking to question these individuals, one of which was seen brandishing a gun.” The camera zooms in on one of the demonic creatures with its misshapen head, that pale skin, a blood stroke of a wicked grin. I’ve seen that haunted face before. This is no Halloween mask. That’s a Fem. “If you spot anyone suspicious, the authorities caution you to stay away and call thepolice.”
Long svelte fingers pick up the remote and turn the channel to a bunch of people sitting around on a group date naked, and I look to find those long svelte fingers connected to none other than the demonherself.
“Chloe?” I take a step back, still dazed from the trance of that clown’s face. “What are you doing here?” I glance behind her to find Mom and Tad both red-faced—Tad with petroleum jelly smeared all over his skin, his left arm extended in its splint to keep the skin from contracting. To say the least, his burns were serious. Demetri is most certainly not off the hook. There are plenty of other gifts he could have given me, and lighting Tad on fire wasn’t anywhere near my list. Ditto for Marshall. I expect more from my favorite Sector, and I don’t mean more burns. That was a barbaric act I’d expect from the Fems, certainly not from him. Just the thought of Demetri and Marshall teaming up to gift me a well-roasted Tad sets my teeth onedge.
“I’m here foryou.” Chloe offers up a friendly shoulder bump. “Sleeping until noon, Skyla? Really? The Olivers showed up an entire hour ago. How could you keep your man waiting like that?” Her lips curve into a sinister smile when she saysyour man, and I groan. I’d give anything to be back in bed with my boys curled around me like puppies. My favorite part of the day is feeling their naked flesh warming mine while I nurse. There is nothing more bonding than flesh against flesh. Speaking ofwhich…
“Where’s Tobie?” I can feel my milk coming in again just thinking about that pink little cherub. God knows I’ve nursed Chloe’s child more than shehas.
Chloe scoffs. “With Ezrina? Wesley maybe? Who the hell gives ashit.”
“Watch your language.” I study the dark-haired devil before me who has brought so much heartbreak into my world. Dear God, what have I gotten myself into? “We don’t do that anymore at this house.” I clamp my hands over little Misty’s ears before carefully removing her from myleg.
Tad lets out a yelp, and I turn to find my mother detangling him from his armbrace.
“Of all the shit, shitty shitshitthings to happen!” he rages as the two of them spin into a tornado ofhowls.
“Enough!” Chloe barks over at them as the room falls strangely silent. “Watch your language.” Her voice hacks through the air like a throwing star. “We don’t do that anymore in thishouse.”
Slowly the melee of the Landon home grinds to life again as Chloe turns to me with a sinistersmile.
“Your wish is my command, master.” She gives a sly wink. This is precisely why teaming up with Chloe is a piss-poor idea. She’s a loosecannon.
“For one, I did not command you to holler like a drill sergeant. Andsecondly—”
“She’s right!” Mom hacks over Tad’s incessant verbal tirade. “This is a house of proper manners, and we willnottolerate such verbaloutbursts.”
“Mee-Maw!” Beau shouts from the hall. “I made poo poo on thestairs!”
“All of them?” My mother’s voice warbles inhorror.
“I wassliding!”
Drake and Brielle slap one another five as if their son just managed to cross something major off their bucket list, and, knowing the two of them, gliding down a feces-covered stairwell just might be onit.
Mom dashes out of the room with a roll of paper towels and manages to snatch Drake on her wayout.
Good move. It’s about time at least one of Beau’s parents is held responsible for his potty shenanigans. Lord knows I’ve found brown mounds ontopof the toilet seat, in the bathroom sink, in the kitchen sink, on the doorstep, and in the pantry—and all of that was just lastweek.
Chloe leans in. “I’m sure Gage and Emma are quite entertained.” She lifts a sharp angled brow. “Especially since shitty shenanigans are theirspecialty.”
“Right.” I scoff at the idea. “I’m sure they’ll have an entire swat team of social services crawling all over this feces-infested place within an hour.” I glare at her a moment. “Why am I talking to you?” I grit through my teeth. “Why am Ilookingat you? This is not your home, Chloe. Don’t get too comfortable. I’m not looking for a bestie. That position isfilled.”
“Byme.” Brielle wraps me in a hug from behind. “Big party at Ellis’ tonight, and I expect to see both you bitches there.” She leans over and pinches Chloe’s cheek as if she were a three-year-old, but Chloegrowls.
“No using theBword, Bree.” She gives a sly wink myway.
Brielle is quick to brush her off. “God, it’s so nice to see you both in the same room and not clawing one another’s eyes out. Isn’t this crazy? Back at West I could never have predicted this. I thought for sure one of you would have ended up dead bynow.”
A small laugh trembles through me. Chloe is all but dead. Ezrina’s body is well over three hundred years old. But apparently well-preserved, considering she looks twenty and was able to birth a child a few months back. I’m guessing every valve and chamber is in good working condition. Just myluck.
“Of course, we’ll be there.” Chloe blinks over to me with those dark bat caves she calls eyes. “Skyla and I will be at all of the important parties that Paragon has to offer—together. But make no mistake about it. We are the importantones.”
We. I shudder as she says it. As much as I hate the thought of being so intricately connected to Chloe, we’ve become just that. Oh hell, we’ve always been intricately connected, long before I killed her and long before she killed my father. In the celestial mother of all ironies, the only thing we really have in common is the fact we’re both killers—that and our Celestralineage.
“Dear God.” Mom stalks back in, retching with her hand over her mouth. “Brielle, help Drake call out a carpet cleaningservice.”
Tad groans so loud you would think he were ready to blow tobits.
