Hell's Revenge by Eve Langlais Page B

love me, were ones I wanted to deal with head on—by myself.
    Auric might not trust her, but she didn’t scare me. It was probably dumb of me, but given she wanted the child I carried, I didn’t think she’d hurt me, not until after the birth anyway. Then I’d wager all bets would be off.
    “Don’t you dare.” Auric’s voice so close to my ear made me shiver. Why was it I could never sense him approaching?
    “What are you talking about?” I asked, a tad too brightly. I didn’t turn to face him certain my guilty thoughts would show in the color of my cheeks.
    “Any idiot with half a brain can see the smoke coming from your ears as you think up some stupidly dangerous plot.” His arms braced themselves on the windows, penning me in, not that I minded, especially when he pressed himself up against my back.
    I sighed. “You know this whole soulmate thing sucks sometimes. Can’t a girl have a secret?”
    “Yes, my soulmate sucks and rather well, too. But, let’s not get off track. You plus a secret equals danger times a billion. So spill it before I cut you off from this.” He grabbed my hand and placed it on his crotch.
    I whirled and faced him with wide eyes. “You wouldn’t dare? You know I need sex.”
    “And I need you to not go off halfcocked on some mad scheme that will get you in trouble. So again, spill it.”
    “I’d rather not.” Auric had my father beat when it came to giving ‘the look’ and I fidgeted, avoiding his gaze. I swear, for a fallen angel, he had some wicked mojo powers.
    One look in his eyes and I tended to promise things I had no intention of doing. Like doing the dishes and picking up after myself.
    “Lucifer, I’m going to beat your daughter,” Auric said in a tight voice.
    “Go ahead. Stubborn chit never did listen to me.”
    “Dad!” I couldn’t believe my own father had thrown me under the bus, especially considering who I’d inherited the pigheaded gene from.
    “What? The boy has a point. You’re stubborn. Don’t know where you get that from.” I flicked a finger at my father, to no effect. My dad grinned at me and I stuck out my tongue in a mature comeback.
    Auric crossed his arms and continued to glare at me. With a sigh, I gave in. “Fine. I was thinking of going to see my mother.”
    Auric arched a brow. “Is it me, or didn’t you, like just a minute ago, swear you wouldn’t?”
    “I’m a girl. It’s my prerogative to change my mind as many times as I like.” I smiled sweetly and batted my lashes.
    “And I’m a man so it’s my right to say you are not going unless both David and I are with you.”
    “And me,” my dad interjected. “Gaia is not as weak as you’d like to believe, Muriel.
    Some parts of my past with her are still fuzzy, but I do remember enough to know you don’t want to cross her. She has a nasty temper. Just ask Pompeii.” My dad’s statement distracted me from the men who needed lessons in the whole women-can-stand-on-their-own-two-feet situation. “Who the heck is Pompeii?”
    “Not who, where. Forget it. The point is while I’m proud you’ve decided to face her and get some answers, the fact remains she’s very dangerous and you shouldn’t go alone.”
    “Gee, Daddy, are you going to start holding my hand when I cross the road again too?” My sarcastic comeback made David, who was watching the verbal sparring with interest, hide a grin behind his hand.

    “I’m going to ground you if you keep lipping me, girl.” My father’s eyes began to burn in that special way only my family has the right to. Like the coals of Hell, we were like freaking Rudolph with eyes instead of noses.
    “And if you keep pissing me off I won’t name the baby after you,” I retorted.
    I slapped a hand over my mouth as I slipped up on my surprise, too late. My father heard and the expression on his face was priceless. Actually, it kind of matched the look on my lovers’ faces, too.
    “Hey, don’t look at me like that. Ever since I