Downstairs the house is lit up bright. Drake painted a hasty coat of whitewash over the blackened wall where Tad ignited like a Roman candle so it looks mostly presentable again. Mom has the tree lit, sans a single candle in the vicinity, and to my surprise there are a handful of guests already milling around, laughing, swinging their hips to the music Mom has pumping from the speakers in the family room. Mom and Tad don’t have many friends, so I don’t expect things to get out of control, but it’s nice seeing them expanding their social wings abit.
“Skyla. You look fantastic!” Mom beams while fluffing my hair with her fingers. “Gage is going to drop dead when he seesyou!”
Oddly I feel rather ambivalent at the thought of Gage dropping dead, and a dull smile comes to me. Of course, I myself would die if he died. It would be a parental disaster for the boys, but in theory I wouldn’t mind stopping Gage Oliver’s heart for once. Honestly, I think it’s in need of areboot.
“Now”—she adjusts my dress around the hips, her affect growing quickly serious—“it’s time to let go of the past and dive into a brand new future—together. Emma and I both agree this cold shoulder nonsense needs to end right this minute. You hear me, young lady?” Her eyes needle into mine as if a ripe punishment waited for me at the other end of thisthreat.
“Well, if you and Emma insist.” I glance down at my phone and check on the boys. “Where is the wicked witch,anyway?”
“Skyla!”
Tad waltzes in with his arm extended because obviously Dr. Frankenstein isn’t quite through with him justyet.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, hopeful that his fleshly torment is over. “I don’t know what the hell Marshall was thinking,” I say under my breath. God knows I understand completely where Demetri’s evil headwas.
“Don’t be too hard on Mr. Dudley.” Mom waves off the quite literal gas lighting of her husband. “His heart was in the rightplace.”
“What are you talking about? He lit him up like a birthdaycandle.”
Mom inches back as if I just backhanded her. “What areyoutalking about? He donated the suit. It was his idea we have Santa show up for the boys. He said it was his gift toyou.”
“Oh.” Now I’m the one inching back. So, Marshall’s gift wasn’t the Tad-based bonfire? Oh! It was the suit! Of course, it was. Marshall would never set a human ablaze in front of their family on Christmas of all days. What kind of monster would ever dothat?
“Demetri’s here.” Tad gruffs, and just like that, I have my answer. “And he’s brought a date.” Tad jumps as if this somehow pleases him. It should totally please him because we both know damn well my mother has the hots for the flame-wieldingdemon.
“A date?” Mom forces a laugh. “You mean his niece. He mentioned something about her traveling to Greece soon.” She narrows in on Tad with a look of smug satisfaction. “Unfortunately, you won’t see the likes of her for a while now. Althorpe is shipping her off to help with its Europeanbranch.”
“Oh dear God.” I suck in a quick breath and look to Tad in horror. “You don’t think they’re going to ship you off to the European branch, do you?” Please, God, anything but that. Demetri and my mother will be coiled around one another before Tad’s ferry ever gets toSeattle.
Tad staggers forward with his arm swinging wildly. “You bet your sweet patootie they won’t! It looks like Mee-Maw here didn’t give you the memo. I’ve beencanned! I’m done. I’m toast. Stick a fork in me. I’m deader than a Thanksgiving Day turkey basted in formaldehyde. I’m eating gravel. Sucking up exhaust. Taking a dirt nap. Becoming a root inspector. Livingchallenged—”
“Enough already.” Mom tosses both hands in the air as the demon of darkness enters the room with a lady friend by his side who is neither his breasty niece, Isis, nor is it Brielle’s mother, Darla Johnson. Nope, this new and slightly improved slut-alicious skank is six feet of redheaded glory with a face that can set sail to a thousand European ships, high cheekbones cut in marble, perfectly pouty blood red lips, and a distinguished, sexy as all hell mole between her lip and left cheek—and hair, oh dear God, that glorious hair, how even I crave to touch it. My mother had better hope this is a new relation of his or else some serious competition just swooped intotown.
And an unemployed Tad?Gah! Althorpe has clearly gone off the government watch-list rails. Who else are they going to pin all their otherworldly shenaniganson?
Come to think of it—most likelyme.
“Why, who is this?” Mom walks past Tad, clipping his limb extension and sending him moaning with agony. I’d offer to soothe him, but I can’t seem to look away from this redheaded train wreck about to crash right through my mother’s rockin’ New Year’sEve.
Demetri sheds his signature hellish grin and nods with a slight bow. Dear God, it’s as if he’s constantly performing. Figures. Demetri’s entire existence is one, long, wicked performancepiece.
“Let me introduce to you the lovely, most beautiful Mrs. Dominique Winters.” Most beautiful? My mother is seeing red—and most likely black and blue from the offensive she’s ready to divvy up. “Dom and I are old acquaintances. Dominique, this is my first true love, Lizbeth.” He set the record straight pretty quick. Figures. “And her darling daughter, Skyla.” He preens my way with that demonic grin. “Skyla is married to my most treasured son.” Wow, I bet Wes would love to have heard that. “They’ve just gifted me two of the world’s best grandchildren a man could ever ask for. Twins.” PoorTobie.
“Children?” She smacks her crimson stained lips when she says it. Either she likens them to a late-night snack or she’s truly repulsed by the idea. Her gaze sharpens over me, revealing pools of lavender, an eye color not anywhere in nature, and already I’m doubting her human standing. And back up the train. There were so many things wrong with Demetri’s intro. For one, he has more than one son, but per usual, Wesley gets the shaft. And secondly, I didn’t pump out two beautiful babies just to give Demetri a gift, and third—hello, hot mama. What grave did he dig this stunner out of? And what kind of a spell did he cast to make her pretend to likehim?
My mother’s jaw roots to the floor as she examines her potentialreplacement.
“Lizbeth.” Demetri nods to her with a smug smile of satisfaction, but before he has a chance to rub in his redheaded hussy, Tad grunts and hops his way over. He maneuvers his extended splint wide to the left and whacks my mother on the side of the head with an audiblethump.
“Shit!” I hiss under my breath as Mom blinks back the stars in hereyes.
“Tad Landon.” My bumbling stepfather offers an awkward handshake to Demetri’sfemmefetale, and this time nearly takes out the king of pain himself, but Demetri wisely ducks. Darn. Tad will just have to try harder next time. “Welcome to my estate!Mecasayoucasa. I’ve got a butt roast heating just for you and enough beer over at the refreshment table to make this a night to remember. Please feel free to help yourself to whatever I might have to offer. Anything for a beautifulwoman.”
As if the thought of Tad offering up the questionable hindquarters of a pig’s behind and warm beer weren’t appetizing enough, I think he’s just thrown himself into the unappetizingmix.
Tad offers up an awkward bow and manages to poke her in the chest with his petrified arm. Oh my dear God. Tad just stole second base in front of God and Demetri—not that my mother cares. But, wow. Copping a feel of Demetri’s date? I’m guessing that butt roast isn’t the only thing that will be burning tonight. If Tad and his wandering fingers aren’t careful Demetri will finish him off beforemidnight.
I glance to my poor mother who is presently nursing both a bruised heart and a shattered skull—from two differentmen.
