“—wiped your gross, green-shitty ass when you were in nappies,” he continued, really laying it on thick. “I bought you My Little Pony plasters when you skinned your knee and screamed the place down when I tried to use a plain plaster—”
“Hey, we agreed we would never speak of that again,” I growled.
“You agreed. I did not,” he replied, unrepentant. “Do I need to remind you of that one time—”
“No,” I interrupted, eyeing Lynn as she lowered herself into the spare seat thatjust happenedto be in front of my monitor set-up.
Dad’s laugh was like a cackle—loud and devilish. “Aw, but it’s my favourite thing to reminisce about. You and Em looked so cute dressed up as Powerpuff Girls.”
I scowled, my jaw clenching, refusing to laugh. “I should have been Blossom,” I muttered.
“But you were such a cute Bubbles,” Dad said with that cackle again, his voice loud enough to wake the dead. “Your pigtails are the stuff of legend. I will never forget them.”
And he’d pinned the photographic evidence to the fridge for my entire life.Andhad copies made, so my attempts to destroy them failed each time.
“Dick,” I grumbled, casting a sideways glance at Lynn and finding her watching me through long, dark lashes. She was lessangry than three nights ago when she caught Leah leaving my room. “I’ve really gotta go.”
“Oh, fine,” he relented. “Be careful.”
He said the same thing each time we hung up. So did I. “I’m not an idiot.”
“And yet your behaviour says otherwise.”
I rolled my eyes and ended the call. He immediately texted:
**DAD
How dare you hang up on your giver of life.
I will hold this against you for all time.
COBRA:
I’ll live.**
“So,” I said, putting my phone away and glancing at Lynn. “Decided to return, did you?”
“Don’t make a big deal of it,” she muttered, peering at my main screen with interest. “I’d rather thrash you at Mario Kart than sit in my room bored as fuck, that’s all.”
“Understandable,” I agreed. “But I should warn you, you made a terrible mistake by waiting so long to come back.” I gave her a little smirk. “I’ve been practising, and I intend to win. Every. Single. Time.”
“Delusion,” she drawled, meeting my stare. Her brown eyes were dull, not the bright sparkling crystal from when she won game after game last time. Not even the fiery rage of the other night. The semi I’d gotten at her dark, sarcastic voice wilted, my dick turned all the way off at the haunted emptiness in her eyes.
“I’m going to destroy you, Cobra. By the time we finish playing, you’ll be so desperate to know how I’m beating you that you’llbegme to give up my secret. But the truth is there’s no secret.” She leaned closer, a dull canine bared by her grin, a little cruel, a lot smug. “I’m justbetter.”
And my erection was back, in full force this time. “Big words for a woman whose hands don’t work properly.”
“Oh, fuck you,” she spat, but her eyes turned crystal, glittering with dark humour. “And for your information, my fingers are healing. Behold.” She easily gave me the middle finger with both hands.
“Impressive,” I remarked, strangely at ease around her as I settled into the gaming chair. “I’m in awe, truly. Are there no limits to your wondrous dexterity? What other feats of remarkable human strength can those fingers perform?”
“I’ll shove one of these fingers up your ass if you don’t shut up,” she snarled.
I grinned. “Kinky.”
“Fucking truculent,” she muttered under her breath, crossing her arms over the tight black vest she wore. I pinned my attention to her face, even if her tits were calling my name.
“Did you just call me a succulent?” I laughed, baffled. “That’s a new one.”
