Sweet Revenge (Dueling with the Devil) Read Online Free PDF Page B

was coming tonight .“ He y, Bell. You can take my sea t , ” her brother offered.
    She tensed as they walked p a s t Jacque and Angel. Angel’s tight-lipped grin showed she wasn’t expecting this scenario either. The tension in the air was suffocating. Xavier nodded an acknowledgement to the others as he shuffled Bell to the back of the VIP section. He leaned on the ba r, eyeing the group cautiousl y, almost protectively.
    Bell tugged at her brother’s sleeve .“ Look. We’re gonna get out of here. It’s a little crowded for my taste . ”
    Laurent squeezed her to his side .“ Sorry. I didn’t know they were coming . ”
    “ I know. But you know I can’t stay . ”
    Laurent’s eyes dulled with sorrow .“ You can’t keep running away. We’re your family. Eventuall y, you have to deal with this . ”
    She placed a hand over her brother’s beating heart .“ There’s where you’re wrong. You’re my family. I owe nothing to the rest of those assholes . ”
    Laurent tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Bell shook her head at him. He always acted like the olde r, more responsible siblin g, cleaning up the destruction she left in her wake .“ He still cares about you. You two just weren’t meant to be together. He’s happy now. And you can b e, too . ”
    “ What makes you think I’m not happy? I have a replacement already. See .” She turned back to Xavie r, and smiled when he gave her a playful wink.
    Laurent’s expression showed he wasn’t convinced .“ Come d a n c e w i t h m e b e f o r e y o u l e a v e . ”
    “ Look. I just want to go. This isn’t cool. And if that bitch and her girls keep eyeing m e, I’m gonna snatch the hair out of their pretty little heads . ”
    “ Come on. Can’t we all just get along ?” her brother aske d, plastering a toothy grin on his face. She poked him hard in the side and laughed. He knew how to cheer her up on her most fucked up day.
    Bell took her brother’s hand and drug him toward the dance floor .“ Behave yourself while I’m gon e , ” she shouted to Xavier .“ And don’t none of y’all little humans try to push up on my man. I don’t want to have to stab one of you witches .” Laurent jerked her away from the dark-haired girl she directed her threat to.
    “ You have to learn to be more social. Mother should’ve sent you to those etiquette classe s, like she threatened . ”
    She batted her lashes and tilted her head to the side in question .“ What did I do ? ”
    The slo w, rhythmic beat of the music flowed through he r, like the blood humming in her veins. The lyrical sounds soothed her temperament. Her hips swayed to the smooth voice of Johnny Gill. Laurent held her close. He kept time with the song by tapping lightly on the small of her back. Dancing was never his strong suit. Bel l, on the other han d, lived to dance. I t ca m e s ec o n d o nly t o s e x . B o t h sex and dancing had sensual energies which s t r e n g t hened her.
    “ I’m worried about yo u , ” her brother whispered over the music.
    She chuckled .“ You always worry about me . ”
    Laurent spun her out and reeled her back into his arms .“ This is different. These are dangerous times for us . ”
    “ There’s no reason to concern yourself with m e, little brother. You’re the one who chose to side with Jacque and Angel against Lucifer. Only fools take on the Devil . ”
    “ Sometimes you have to do the right thin g, even if we’re demons. It’s time someone stands up to Luc . ”
    She placed her hand over her brother’s heart. Moisture filled her eyes .“ You can’t win. You’ll only end up dea d, or wors e, in one of Hades’ lower levels . ”
    He covered her hand with his .“ If it helps my family and friend s, it’s worth it . ”
    The song ended. An odd silence spread between them. She met Laurent’s gaze .“ Only fools and dead men say shit like t h a t . ”
    Her brother hugged her tight. Another slow jam began to play. They started to head