Synching With the Devil's Son

Chapter 125

Lucien's P.O.V.

Bella thinks this dog likes me? I look down at her and she does seem to be following me with her eyes. I've never had a pet before. I wanted one when I was little, but I was always shot down by my father. Lately, I've been too selfish to think about anything except where the next party was...but a dog...the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. I turn to my father. "I bet Mom would love having a dog around."

"What about what your father would like?" he replies, shaking his head, and I hear Bella snicker beside me.

"You'd be surprised what an animal can bring to a household. Dogs love you unconditionally, they are always happy to see you, and they cannot talk your ear off," she tells him. "Besides, this is a sweet dog, and she's already past her annoying puppy stage."

He looks at her and narrows his eyes. "You're quite the sales woman, aren't you?" I cannot believe how quickly Bella has him eating out of her hands. My father, the Devil, is practically agreeing to have a pet in the house.

"How about this," Bella suggests. "Give her a chance and if she doesn't work out, you can bring her to us and we will find a suitable home for her."

My father looks at me, looks at the dog, looks at Bella, then back to me and nods once. I smile broadly. Having a dog around suddenly sounds like a great idea. "Come on girl," I cajole it, hopping into the open hatchback and patting the floor. "Come up here with me." To everyone's utter surprise, she jumps in next to me and puts her head in my lap.

"A match made in Heaven," Bella says with a wink, closing the door on us. Then she scrambles into the front seat while my Dad gets behind the wheel, and we head back to Pigeon Forge. Bella calls her father on the way to tell him she will be home later tonight.

"What kind of dog is that, do you know?" my father asks Bella.

"Looks like a Redbone Coonhound to me, but you should ask the vet when you take her in," she tells him, turning to look at me over her shoulder. "That is one of the friendliest breeds out there. She'll make a great addition to your family."

The dog does seem very friendly. Her head is in my lap and she's looking at me with her brown expressive eyes. I continue to pet her, thinking about names. As if she's reading my mind, Bella asks, "Have you thought about what you're going to call her?"

"Something that doesn't sound like any of our names...she looks like a JoJo to me," I tell her.

Bella nods, "I like it. Mr. Amon, what do you think?"

My Dad shrugs his shoulders, but Bella isn't going to let him off the hook. "Come on, you must have an opinion. Do you like the name JoJo?" she asks, smiling broadly because she knows she has him convinced adopting this dog is a good thing.

He glances at her sharply, but she's looking at him with a big smile on her face. Her smile must be contagious because I can see his lips quirk. "If Lucien wants to name that dog JoJo, it's fine with me." Holy shit! How does she get him to be so amenable? I pet JoJo the rest of the way home, murmuring her name to her over and over while she thumps her tail against the side of the car.

We pull into our driveway, and I wait for them to let us out of the hatchback. When the door lifts open, I crawl out of the car and tell the animal to stay. She looks at me expectantly, but doesn't move an inch. When I'm on my feet, I reach into the car for her leash and say, "Okay" and she jumps out of the car. Hmm, pretty well trained. We walk toward the house to discover my mother standing by the front door, looking at us expectantly. When she sees the dog, she kneels on the ground and starts talking to it, telling JoJo what a pretty girl she is and how nice it is to meet her. "See Dad?" I tell my father. "I told you Mom would like having a dog around."

My Mom looks at us in surprise. "Is this our newest family member?"

"As long as she behaves and fits in here, then yes," I tell her, and my Mom smiles broadly at me. "I named her JoJo," My Mom looks at my father, who only shrugs his shoulders, and pats JoJo on the head, calling her by her new name. JoJo whines her hello, thumping her tail on the ground. We all smile, including my father. "I've already fed her tonight, but she's going to need water," I say, heading toward the kitchen to get a bowl. JoJo follows me without instruction, and we all head into the house.

Bella grabs a piece of paper and starts writing down all the necessities I have to purchase to make sure JoJo has everything she needs to adjust in her new home. "I'll bring you to our pet supply store after my final tomorrow if you want," she tells me and my Mom asks if she can accompany us. "Of course you can," Bella tells her, "I would love for you to meet my family," she says, smiling at my mother. They seem to be becoming fast friends, and I'm grateful to Bella for it, my Mom still isn't quite in her element here. I put my arm around Bella and say, "Come on JoJo," and the three of us trod upstairs to my room.

JoJo sniffs around while I lay Bella on my bed, covering her with my body. I kiss her soundly and she wraps her legs around my legs. I lean back and smile down on her. "Hi," I murmur softly.

"Hi," she says quietly, running her fingers through my hair.

Now that I'm home the reality of what I did this afternoon starts to settle over me. Bella is looking at me with concern in her gorgeous hazel eyes, stroking the side of my face and hair. I'm not sorry they're dead, I'm not contrite or remorseful, but a little knot of anxiety forms deep in my gut. "I killed four people today," I whisper softly. She nods her head, her eyes luminous and full of love. "They deserved everything I dished out to them, but I wish I didn't have to do it," I murmur and the knot in my gut blossoms, making my arms shake as if a small earthquake took over my central nervous system.

"I know," she whispers, kissing me softly.

I lean off to the side of her and pull her into my chest. I am suddenly so exhausted I can hardly keep my eyes open. I feel JoJo jump on the bed and lie against my back. I snort gently and murmur, "My two girls making a sandwich out of me," and I feel Bella chuckle softly. "I love you, baby," I tell Bella quietly and close my eyes, asleep before Bella gets a chance to respond.