The song ended, and Josh lifted his head from Katie's shoulder. The fear was still visible in his eyes, but she was determined not to let Braden intimidate her. Not that she wasn't afraid— she totally was—but she wasn't going to let that dictate her actions.
"Let's get a drink," she suggested.
They found a spot at a table near the stage, and Josh ordered another beer while Katie got water. She wasn't worried anymore if it would upset her stomach. Her mouth was dry and her throat was scratchy. She needed to hydrate. She also needed to stay focused on why they were there and not worry about Braden until she had to. The guitar player kept glancing in her direction and smiling when she looked at him. The situation seemed odd to her. The man could clearly see that she was with Josh, so what was he doing trying to catch her eye? On one hand, it was incredibly flattering. There were a ton of attractive women at the bar, but he seemed to single her out. On the other hand, she also felt like she was putting Josh and this guy in an awkward position. What if they got into a fight over her?
The thought made Katie laugh out loud. What in the world was she thinking? There was nothing awkward about the situation at all. If anything, it was the perfect setup. If this guy did desire her, Josh would use that to get exactly what he wanted. Josh never had to be jealous because he didn't have anything to worry about. Katie wasn't going anywhere, and he would get the souls he wanted.
"What's so funny?" Josh took a long drink of his beer.
Katie leaned forward and spoke into his ear. "The guitar player. He keeps looking at me."
Josh turned and blatantly stared at the guy for several long moments. He turned back and smiled. "He likes you. That's good. He's our target."
Katie sat up and looked at the guy again. He had his back to her, and she assumed it was in response to Josh's glance. Yep, it was just as she suspected, and that probably explained the tingling sensations she had felt earlier. It probably also explained why he seemed familiar. Somewhere deep in her soul she must have known he was the target. Where had that come from? Maybe it was because she had been hanging out with Josh for so long and knew what was expected of her. She didn't know. But she wasn't going to dwell on it. She had a job to do. She was about to ask what the plan was, but before the words could come out, Braden stood between them. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. He stared directly at her.
"Let's dance, Katie," he said loudly.
Josh sat forward abruptly, but shied back when Braden turned his narrowed eyes to him.
"I don't believe I was asking," Braden growled.
Katie watched Josh tense across the table. He wanted to lash out at the other demon, and she couldn't blame him. Who did Braden think he was ordering them around? She wasn't one of his minions, and she wasn't going to be treated like that. She didn't blame Josh for not doing more. He couldn't. He tried before and was punished for it. She set her jaw and stared at Braden. She watched Josh grip the arms of his chair until his knuckles were white and mentally congratulated him on keeping his cool. The tension was thick. Despite herself, she reached out and touched Braden's hand. Something had to be done before Josh exploded and caused a scene.
"I believe you were asking," she said calmly, even though she really didn't feel it. "And I'd be happy to."
Josh sat back in his chair and downed his beer.
Katie was thankful the song had a faster tempo. She wasn't sure she could stomach a slow dance with Braden. His touch was like ice, and it made her skin crawl. He spun her onto the dance floor. Katie tried to keep herself as far away from him as possible without being obvious about it, but after the first spin, Braden grabbed her hand roughly and pulled her into his body. His arm was tight around her waist. Nausea settled into her stomach. Being that close to him sickened her. Katie pushed against him to gain some distance, but it was a losing battle. His grip only tightened, making it slightly difficult to breathe.

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Dealing with Devils (Book 2 in the Road to Salvation Series)
Teen FictionDating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what? Katie's world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh--despite the fact that he's a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convin...