Sweet Revenge (Dueling with the Devil)

SWEET REVENGE

Copyright ©
2013 Vivi Dumas

VPG Publishing and Promotion
s,
LLC

All Rights Reserved

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserve
d,
including the right to reproduce this boo
k,
or portion thereo
f,
in any form. This book may not be resold or uploaded for distribution to others.

This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical event
s,
real peopl
e,
or real locales are used fictitiously. Other name
s,
character
s,
places and incidents are the product of the author's imaginatio
n,
and any resemblance to actual event
s,
locales or person
s,
living or dea
d,
is entirely coincidental.

Edited by Jennifer Weber-Bray and Mary Ann Morris

Cover and Interior Design by The Killion Group

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my gir
l,
Keish
a,
for always supporting my writin
g,
and being strong and catty like Bell.

CHAPTER ONE

“
Fuck you! I’m done
.”
Xavier grasped the bars of his cage. His silver confines suspended dangerously close to a boiling lake of tar. Tendrils of blue flames leapt from the surface of the thic
k,
black flui
d,
lapping at the enclosure swinging above. His palm
s,
like melting plasti
c,
f
u
s
e
d with the metal. The rancid odor of singed skin wafted to his nostrils
.“
I’m tired of fighting for yo
u
,
”
he managed to grind ou
t,
in spite of the pulsing pain in his hands.

Lucifer sniffed the amber liquor in the crystal tumbler he held in his hand
.“
Did you think you could back out of our deal so easily
?
”

“
In most countrie
s,
death is a vali
d
“
ou
t”
in contract la
w
,
”
Xavier
countered
.

The Devil waved his han
d,
causing the flames on top of the black liquid below the cage to dance higher. The metal conducted the heat around Xavier’s large bod
y,
like a turkey roasting in an oven.
S
w
e
a
t poured down his fac
e,
stinging his eyes and flavoring his tongue with the taste of salt.

“
I’ll tell you when you’re don
e
,
”
Lucifer glared at hi
m,
ice-blue eyes burning with intensity
.“
You’re done when your brother and his bitch are delivered to me
.
”

Xavier rocked back on his haunche
s,
struggling to wrap his arms around his knee
s,
the tin
y,
silver bars constricting his movements. Battered and wear
y,
he remained silen
t,
trying to figure out how things went so wrong. Killing his half-brothe
r,
Jacqu
e,
seemed like an easy assignment when he received Lucifer’s contract notification email. Luc kept an expansive network of assassins gainfully employed because e
v
e
n the Devil needed a backup plan. Too many people were reneging on deals these days. Dealing in souls was almost as bad as the housing market.

Xavier treated his killings
like
a business. He considered himself a bounty hunter to the supernatural world. It was a means to an end. But Jacque’s contract was different. It was personal. He had waited decades for his reveng
e,
only to find out in the end it wasn’t what he wanted at all. During the final battle with his brothe
r,
when he had the chance to kill hi
m,
Xavier decided he was his own worst enem
y,
not Jacque.

Lucifer’s laughter interrupted Xavier’s thoughts
.“
Maybe you’re more like your brother than I gave you credit for. Has Jacque’s touchy feely bullshit rubbed off on you
?
”

“
Whateve
r,
man. I’m nothing like my brother. Jacque was stronger than I expecte
d,
especially with the help of his new w
o
m
a
n
.
Angel and her friends were formidable opponents
.
”

“
They’re humans. What do we have to fear from them
?”
Arrogance was one of Lucifer’s strongest traits.

Xavier shook his head
.“
You kno
w,
they’re more than just humans. It’s like a bad joke. A voodoo princes
s,
a demo
n,
a vampir
e,
and a witch walk into a bar
…”
Little bro has found yet another way to top m
e,
by marrying the only ex-supermodel with voodoo powers. Hot and fierce.

“
No
w,
let’s get this straight. You’re going to bring Jacque and Angel to me. I want Marie Laveau bac
k,
too. I cannot afford to lose the most powerful Voodoo Queen of the millennium. Angel is the only one I’ve found close to Marie’s strength
.”
Lucifer downed the liquor and the glass immediately refilled.

Looking up and meeting Lucifer’s line of sigh
t,
Xavier aske
d
,
“
And what if I refuse
?
”

“
You’ll regret the day you make that decision. There are depths of Hell reserved for special banishments. Places even the deadliest demons fear. Some even I never dared to investigate. You’ll be the first to experience the torture of these region
s,
if you don’t man up and finish your job
.
”

The Big Bosses built Hell as a progressive disciplinary track for the humans they deemed unsuitable for the robe and wings gig. The higher levels of purgatory are not much different from Eart
h,
only the landscape a bit more gothic and the temperature a few degrees hotter than the hottest day in El Azizia. As one traveled further into the bowels of Hel
l,
the torment and heat increased exponentially. When Lucifer took over the Underworl
d,
he incorporated his own cruelty by besieging his victim with the manifestation of the person’s greatest fears. The worst of the worst saved themselves from this fate by electing to enlist into Lucifer’s Special Force
s,
to do his bidding.

Transgressions—Xavier had too many to name. He belonged in Hel
l,
but remaining trapped in the nightmare of his regrets for eternity was too much to bear
.“
How do you know I’ll beat Jacque and his crew
?
”

Lucifer brushed a wayward ember from his suit
.“
I have solicited help for you. I’m sure she’ll be of great assistance. She’s dying to see Jacque and Angel destroyed
.
”

“
Who
?”
Xavier narrowed his glar
e,
sizing up Lucifer.

The Devil’s teeth gleamed against his ebony skin as his face

c
r
ac
k
e
d
in
t
o
a
w
i
c
k
e
d
g
r
in
.
“
Bell
.
”

Jumping up swiftl
y,
Xavier banged his head on the top of the cage
.“
A
w,
hell no. She’s not right. There’s something seriously wrong with that girl. I don’t need some jealou
s,
jilte
d,
crazed female messing things up
.
”

Bell sauntered out of the shadows. Her angelic face was a farc
e,
hiding the danger and deception lying below her beautiful surface. The sway of her hips as she strutted toward him beckoned his attention. She was more than trouble. She was danger
.“
You hurt my feeling
s,
Xavier. If I didn’t know any bette
r,
I’d think you didn’t like me. A ‘jealou
s,
jilted chick’ is a powerful weapon to wield
.”
Her blue eyes sparked with mischie
f,
a thin smirk slid across her face
.“
Haven’t ya heard? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Just imagine that wrath magnified into a female demon. Howeve
r,
I must have some redeeming qualities. Your brother dated me for decades
.”

Xavier inhale
d,
sucking the stench of the tar pits into the back of his throat
.“
I can’t account for my brother’s taste in women. Any demon would tap that ass if you let him for a few centuries. I see he went another route when he finally decided to commit
.
”

If looks could kil
l,
Xavier would be dead for the second time in one night. Bell charged the cage with her dagger unsheathed. She barely avoided plunging into the fiery depths of the tar pit. His prison of silver hung just beyond the volcanic shore of safety. Instinctivel
y,
Xavier dodged out the way as she sliced through the empty ai
r,
balancing on the balls of her feet to keep from falling into the black pool of damnation. The bars singed several parts of his bod
y,
as his massive size battled the small confines of his predicament. The hot metal branded lines into his bare back. He scooted forward to the middle of the tiny cell. Bell took another stab at hi
m,
her small arm easily reaching through the space between the silver poles. Xavier reached between the rail
s,
grabbed her wris
t,
and slammed her into the cell bar
s,
creating a huge burn across her forehead.

He brought his face inches from her
s,
and growle
d,
“
I’m not someone to fuck wit
h,
bitch
.
”

Bell bit a chunk of meat out of his han
d,
forcing him to release her. She spit the piece of flesh onto the floor of his entrapment
.“
I got your bitch
.”
She scurried back from the cage and faced Luc
.“
You want me to work with this animal
?
”

A low chuckle rumbled from Luc’s chest
.“
You children must learn to play nice. Yes. You’ll work together to bring me Jacque and Angel. If you don’
t,
you’ll both be spending eternity swimming in a tar pit. I doubt either one of you want to rot in stench and wallow in misery for the rest of your lost lives as a sulfur demon
.
”

With venom dripping from her word
s,
she spa
t,
“
You wouldn’t dare. My mother would kill you
.
”

“
Lilith doesn’t have the power to kill m
e,
nor I her. If she di
d,
believe m
e,
I would’ve been dead centuries ago
.”
Lucifer downed another round of whiskey
.“
He’s your responsibility. If Xavier decides to back out on his contract agai
n,
you’ll still end up in the pits. But out of the kindness of my shriveled hear
t,
I’ll give you some tools to keep him under control
.
”

Bell kicked a har
d,
black glob into the bubbling lake
.“
Shit. This isn’t what I signed up for when I volunteered to help
.”
She glanced back at Xavier when the chains around his ankles rattle
d,
as he shuffled to the middle of the silver
cell
.

A wide smile stretched across Xavier’s face
.“
Howd
y,
partner. I’ve been told I’m a little hard to manag
e,
but I’ll do my best to behave
.
”

“
Fuck you
.”
Her gesture matched her words.

He pressed his forehead against the bar
s,
ignoring
his
sizzling flesh
.“
That’s an offer I might take you up on. I wondered what kept Jacque coming back to yo
u,
and everyone knows the crazy chicks are the best in bed
.”
He puckered his lips in a mock kiss and fell back in laughter as Bell’s knuckles turned white from her clinched fist.