Sean considered this then laughed when he realised I was right, he knew just as well as I did that Justin would want to throw fists if I didn't get this done. "So go over to Neala's place and get it back."

That was a suicide mission.

I grunted. "I can't because she bought it... She'd probably attack me again and claim I broke into her apartment. I wouldn't put it past her to call the guards on me either."

Sean snickered. "I'd usually defend her and say she wouldn't do that, but she does change when you're around."

I'll say.

"It's because she likes me so much," I said my tone laced with sarcasm.

Sean's mouth curved in a sadistic smirk, and I didn't like it.

Not one bit.

"What are you smirking at me like that for?"

"No reason," he said, mimicking my early voice.

Dick.

"Well, stop."

Sean continued to smirk then after a moment of thought he snapped his fingers, and jumped up to his feet. "I have an idea, let's go over to Neala's and get that doll back for Dustin."

Was this clown serious?

I raised my eyebrow. "You want me to break into your sister's apartment, and steal the doll she just paid for to give to your daughter on Christmas day?"

Is that what he was saying?

Sean gleefully laughed. "No, and no. We won't break in - we'll be invited in. You also won't be stealing an item belonging to her - you will take back the item that belongs to you. Charli is covered on the present thing, she will be happy on Christmas morning. Trust me."

He was losing it, but I wasn’t about to question him because it meant I could possibly get the doll back from Neala if he helped.

That aside, I don’t know how he thought I owned the doll when I told him Neala paid for the bloody thing.

"Man, I've no idea what you smoked, but I didn't pay for-"

"Neala's debit card is on the coffee table," Sean cut me off smirking.

Was it?

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion then sat forward. I reached out and grabbed the card he was talking about, and thoroughly looked at it. Miss Neala Clarke, the name on the card read.

How did I end up with Neala's debit card?

"I don't understand," I muttered in confusion.

Sean sighed. "It's not that hard to realise what happened, man."

For him maybe.

I grunted, "Enlighten me then, oh wise one."

Sean cracked his knuckles and said, "I'm guessing you and me sister both tried to pay for the doll at the same time, and the person behind the till paid for the doll with your card, and gave it back to Neala then you took her card thinking it was yours. Simple mistake."

I stared at Sean then looked back to Neala's card.

Holy shite.

"I own the doll?"

Sean grinned. "You own the doll."

Oh, hell yes!

I smugly smiled as I let what Sean just said sink in. I owned the Princess doll. I fecking owned it, and all I had to do was get it back from Neala.

My smiled dropped when I thought about that particular task, but after I moment I brushed it aside. I could do this - harder things have been accomplished.

I'd have to be vigilant and guard my nipples, but other than that it'd be fun... right?

"Are you nervous?" Sean asked me as we walked down the hallway of Neala's apartment building.

I swear I could hear my heart beating against my ribcage with every step that took me closer to Neala's apartment door and this fool asked me if I was nervous? Try down right terrified.

"Nah, man," I lied. "This'll be easy."

I was well aware that I was visibly starting to bead sweat from my forehead, but if Sean noticed it he was being a good mate and not mentioning it. I could have hugged him for that, but being that I didn't want to deal with gay jokes from him for the rest of the day I refrained from showing any sign of gratifying emotion. I kept my face expressionless, it was extremely difficult, but I managed.

"Ah, here we are," Sean announced as we came to a stop in front of a door made from human skeletal remains.

Okay, it was oak wood, but it might have well been skeletons, Neala was the Devil after all.

My breathing picked up its pace, my heart pounded faster, and the sweat turned from beads to droplets as they fell from my forehead down to my cheeks. I was very aware of how much of a fucking bitch I was being, but I didn't care. I was on her territory, somewhere I have never been before. She could outsmart me here and I couldn't do a single thing about it.

This was the stuff nightmares were made of. My nightmares anyway. Neala was always the star of my nightmares... She was also the star of some of my nightly X-Rated dreams, I mean nightmares, too. I tried not to think about those though.

"You could at least try to not appear so terrified," Sean muttered to me as he lifted his hand and knocked three times on the door.

Each pound of his fist against the varnished wooden door made me flinch.

"I'm not scared," I said after clearing my throat... Twice.

Sean snorted. "Could've fooled me, man."

I scowled at him and straightened myself up to my full height of six feet three inches.

Stop being a bitch.

I repeated the thought over and over in my head until I was semi calm. The door to Neala's apartment opened seconds later, and the semi calm feeling that was previously upon me fled without a seconds warning. I was back to being a sweaty bucket of nerves.

Lovely.

"Hey little sister." Sean grinned to Neala who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

I wanted to laugh the moment her eyes slid to mine. Her whole demeanour changed once it hit home that I was standing in front of her. Her hands balled into fists, her slender body tensed, her lip curled in an oddly attractive snarl, and her eyes narrowed to slits.

Oh yeah, she was pissed.

"You," she growled.

The nervousness I felt moments ago disappeared, and my usual snarky attitude that came out when Neala was around was ready to play and I was grateful for it. Being a dick to her was something I could play well, anything else was out of my comfort zone.

I grinned as I said, "Me."

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

I blinked when a bad, deploring really, thought entered my head.

I momentarily thought that Neala was hot when she was mad and that was not cool, not cool at all. I only thought of things like dead puppies and homeless kittens when I thought of Neala, not her damn sex appeal.

I shook my head clear and said, "I'm with him," and jammed my thumb in Sean's direction. I felt like I suddenly couldn't speak, so putting the attention on Sean was all I could think of.

Neala switched her burning-mad gaze from me to her older brother.

"Explain," she growled.

Always straight to the point.

I hated to admit it, but I liked that about her. It was probably the only thing I liked about her, besides her body - Stop it! I blinked away the sudden internal battle inside my head and focused on Neala and her brother's conversation.

"It's Christmas next week, and I know it's been tried before, but I figured it was time to finally squash this bullshit you and Prince Charming here have had for the last twenty years. I'm not sitting through another Christmas dinner of awkwardness only for it to turn into an Irish remake of Gladiator." Sean glanced between both Neala and myself and shook his head. "The kids, your niece and your nephew, are old enough to understand the hate you have for one another, and I do not want it to rub off on them. Get your shite together and act like the adults you are."