Chapter Twenty-One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

She pulled a face. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? He blames her for the torture he endured. He wants her to pay, but he’s not eager to endure another punishment, so he won’t confront her. Instead, he comes across as contrite and fearful, and he lets his brother do lots of smack talk so that people look more at Jasper. Really, Sefton’s the one after Piper.”

“What proof do you have that it’s him?”

Stretching out her arms, Celeste raised her shoulders. “Why would I need proof when, like I said, it’s obvious?”

Levi felt his face harden. Just as he’d suspected … “You didn’t really have anything to tell me. You didn’t even spout that lie in the simple hope of getting yourself out of this cell, or you’d have tried making a deal with Vin. You asked for me to come here, because this was about getting my attention.”

Her eyelids flickered.

“You wanted to make me come to you. And you think it makes you smart that it worked. You think it means you have power over me. That’s where you’re wrong. Because I didn’t come here for you. I came here for Piper. She’s what matters to me.”

Red spots stained her cheeks as she sneered. “And, what, you think I’m jealous? You think I truly meant it when I said I wanted you back?”

“Oh, I think both those things, yes. Whether or not you were truthful when you told her I have some hold over you I don’t know or care. But I am certain that you’d have me back if you could. Not for the right reason, though. It’s not really about me, even if you do feel something for me. It’s about Piper. About hurting Piper. It’s one of your favorite pastimes, from what I’ve observed. And I made it clear to you that I wouldn’t allow that to continue, didn’t I?”

“What goes on between me and my stepsister is none of your business.”

“You could not be more wrong. Everything to do with Piper is my business. Always will be. So you’re going to have to get over this issue you have with seeing her happy.”

“Happy with you, you mean.” Celeste’s hands locked into fists that were so tight her knuckles whitened. “She took my father from me. That should have been enough for her. But no. She wanted you. I saw that six years ago.”

“And you liked that you had something she wanted, did you?”

“What was even better was that you didn’t watch her when you thought I wasn’t looking. My other boyfriends all did. Some even flirted with her. She acted like it made her uncomfortable, but I knew she loved it. You, though … I was so sure you had no interest in her. So sure she’d never have you. But then bam, you were back on the scene and giving her everything I ever wanted from you. Why, Levi? You could have had any woman. They pretty much throw themselves at you. Why did you have to pick her?”

“Because she’s Piper. It’s as simple as that.”

Celeste scoffed. “Don’t give me that shit. You didn’t want a damn thing to do with her until you realized she was your anchor. She never had your attention until then.”

“Wrong. I’ve wanted her since the moment I met her.”

The banshee stiffened. “You lie.”

“No. That’s the God’s honest truth.”

Pain and bitterness rippled across her face. “I’d say you didn’t want her that much if you stayed with me … but you didn’t really stay with me, did you? I felt you pull away after I introduced you to my family. I thought you just got spooked because I wanted you to officially meet them, but it wasn’t that at all, was it? You pulled back from me because of her, didn’t you?” She barked a humorless laugh that dripped with self-pity. “I should have seen it. Tell me what’s so special about her, because I just don’t see it.”

“Celeste—”

“You think she’s good and pure and kind? Really? Then how come she doesn’t care that she’s the reason her stepsister’s mother hasn’t come back?”

“I’d ask if you truly stupidly believe Piper’s to blame for that, but I don’t give a moose’s last shit. I’m not here to give you a therapy session. I’m here to make a few things clear to you.” Levi took a step toward the cell. “I warned you to let her be.”

“And I did.”

“You went to Urban Ink. You tried filling her head with all kinds of crap. You wanted to drive a wedge between me and her.”

Flicking her hand in a dismissive gesture, Celeste gave him a look that called him dramatic. “I said some not-so-nice things, but it’s not like we argued or anything. I didn’t raise my voice. I didn’t touch her. I didn’t threaten her or refuse to leave. If you were that bothered about it, you’d have come pounding your fist on my front door.”

“That’s what you thought would happen. It’s maybe even what you wanted to happen. But I gave you no reaction, and indifference is the one thing you hate. So I’ll bet you were already furious before you even heard that she and I claimed each other as mates.”

“You don’t even know her!” Celeste burst out. “How can you commit yourself to a stranger?”

“It’s you who doesn’t know her. You don’t want to. You’ve made her into an evil villain in your head because it suits you. The only person you’re a victim of is you. You’re the cause of every bit of drama in your life. You create it. You sustain it. You dial it up when you feel like it, just as you did at the bar. You went too far last night, Celeste.”

She snorted. “Whatever I did can’t have been that bad.”

“You’re really going to play the ‘amnesia’ card?”

“It’s true, I don’t remember.”

“Well then, let me refresh your memory. There was the destruction of property, causing a disturbance, attempted assault, and actual assault.”

She sharply leaned back. “I didn’t lay a finger on anyone. I wouldn’t have. No way.”

“You threw glasses, bowls, and even a stool at people. You might not have touched those individuals with your hands, but you sure as hell still harmed them. Then there was the part where you spat at the bouncers. That’s classed as assault.

“You can bet your ass that Knox is going to be pissed. Don’t forget he and Harper own the Underground—if you disrespect the place, you disrespect them. You didn’t even stop at causing damage to the bar, no, you continued down that route by tearing up the cell. Do you really think he’ll take that well? Because I’m thinking no.”

As if it finally registered just how badly she’d messed up, the bluster bled from her system. “I-I was drunk.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’ll still pay. For all of it, Celeste. Not just what happened at the bar or what you did to the cell, but for what you said to Piper.”

“I made mistakes—”

“Understatement.”

“—but I don’t deserve to be held here.” She licked her lips. “I’ll apologize to Piper, Knox, and the bouncers. I’ll pay for the damage at the bar.”

“Yes, you’ll do both those things. Once Knox has decided and exacted your punishment.”

Her face drained of color. “I want to talk to my father, I—”

“You can talk to him all you want once you’ve been released from here. Which, I’m happy to say, won’t be for a while.”

“You can’t keep me here!” she yelled, panic edging her voice.

“Hmm, looks like we’re managing it just fine.” Levi’s demon surged to the surface and took over. “You did not listen to his warnings,” it said. “Perhaps you will listen to mine. If you do not wish to befriend Piper, that is your choice. But you will not provoke her. You will not play mind games with her. You will not attempt to hurt her. And if you have any sense, you will also cease trying to get his attention. If you do it again, it will not be he who comes to you. It will be me. I can—and will—hurt you in ways you cannot imagine. I will think nothing of it. Are we clear on that?”

Her eyes wide, she gave a jerky nod.

The demon withdrew, and Levi cast her one last look of warning. He and Keenan then walked away.

Once they were on the other side of the sliding mechanical door, Keenan asked, “Do you think Piper will ask us to free Celeste?”

“No,” replied Levi, nodding at Omar as they passed the security desk. “I already explained that Celeste would be facing punishment. Piper’s got a big heart, but even she sees that the woman needs a wake-up call.”

“I hope you’re right,” began Keenan, “because I wouldn’t want something like this to cause friction between you and Piper. We can’t let this shit slide.”

“She won’t try appealing for leniency on Celeste’s behalf. Joe might, and I wouldn’t blame him. Celeste is his daughter. But I don’t think he’d expect his pleas to get him anywhere.”

“It’s got to be hard to watch your kid mess up their life. You’d blame yourself, wouldn’t you? You’d feel like you went wrong somewhere and that the fault lies with you. I think that’s part of why Joe defends her so much. It’s like …” Keenan trailed off as Omar began humming behind them.

Recognizing that tune, Levi tensed. Both he and Keenan slowly turned to face Omar, who was staring down at his phone. The man was definitely not their killer, considering Levi had never had a problem recalling his name or appearance. But the guard had heard that song somewhere, and just maybe he’d heard it recently.

Keenan exchanged a look with Levi, and they then casually made their way toward the guard. “Hey, Omar,” said the incubus. “What’s that song you’re humming?”

Omar’s brows met. “Don’t actually know what it’s called. The tune got stuck in my head.”

“Yeah?” asked Keenan. “Where’d you hear it?”

“Janelle is always either singing or humming it.”

“Janelle?” Levi echoed.

“Yeah, she said her man often sings it. It’s one of his favorite tunes.” Omar’s frown deepened. “Can’t for the life of me remember his name.”

Neither could Levi. He remembered seeing the man with Janelle in her front yard when Levi went to Diem’s place after she was murdered. He even remembered speaking to the guy. But Levi couldn’t recall his name or picture his face.

His heartbeat kicking up, he looked at Keenan, who was staring at him with his lips parted. “Fuck,” they both said at once.

“We have to get to Janelle’s place now,” added Levi.

Her heart still thumping hard and fast in her chest, Piper had no choice but to walk ahead of Clyde as they made their way into the living room. Everything in her bristled, balked, and recoiled at her actions, but there seemed to be no way to take back control of herself.

It was like she was a prisoner inside her own mind. A mere presence that had been forced into a corner, where it had no say or influence. She couldn’t crawl out of that corner … as if a large weight held her there. Her demon couldn’t help, because it was trapped inside her.

No matter how much Piper psychically shoved at that weight, she couldn’t get it to budge. No matter how hard her demon fought her supremacy, it couldn’t surface. Even its scream of rage was trapped, much like the multiple curses that Piper wanted to sling at this sicko. Again, she tried telepathically reaching out for aid. Again, she failed.

Hot tears of frustration stung her eyes. Typically, anyone who entered the mind of a nightmare would find themselves facing their very own nightmare … unless they themselves were of the same breed. Clyde was clearly the same kind of demon as Piper. Worse, he was a fucking nutjob who’d murdered countless women, and she was currently defenseless against him.

Her heart bashed against her ribcage. Her face heated. Her palms grew hot. She tried again to shove off that psychic weight holding her in a corner, straining so hard her temples began to ache.

Nothing. It didn’t work.

As much as she wished Levi would return, she also feared that he would. Clyde could be here to kill him. Or maybe to kill her. Or maybe both. She had no clue, and she had no way to do anything about the situation.

As they sat on the sofa, Clyde gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I know Janelle introduced us but it’s easy for names to slip out of our minds. I’m Clyde. Clyde Quincy.”

Like Piper gave a shit. But she felt an amiable smile shape her lips, heard the words, “I’m Piper Winslow” flow from her mouth.

“Yes, I remember,” he said … as if she’d spoken of her own accord. He really seemed to have convinced himself that this was a two-way conversation.

Jesus, this fucker was a total fruit loop.

She’d already known that, of course, after seeing Missy’s experience for herself. But this here and now was different—so much more intense and frightening. Because there was always a small degree of separation for Piper when she walked through another person’s memories. Now there was none.

“Pretty name,” he told her, wearing a friendly yet creepy smile that sent chills fluttering down her spine.

“Thank you,” she said, her tone ever so pleasant. God, she wanted to scream.

He inclined his head and then glanced around the room. “Nice place. Very Levi. I don’t know him well, but I feel as if I do. You may or may not know that he and I are already acquainted. He was only an infant back then, but we connected. Babies do that. They bond with their carers.”

Anger lashed her insides. He considered himself a carer of the children he used as props when playing happy families? Seriously?

“The person Levi’s become … He’s a good man, by all accounts. But you’ll know that better than most, won’t you? It’s good to see him settled and happy. I’m proud of him.”

He had no right to feel any pride in Levi. They were nothing to each other, no matter what this weirdo wanted to believe.

“I’ve always liked children,” Clyde went on. “Not in a perverse way. I’m not a monster.”

She would have gaped if she could have. He’d taken God knew how many lives over the years. He might not have harmed any children but he’d made them motherless. And he might not have physically tortured the women he killed, but this—taking their free will, forcing them to do his bidding, rendering them into a state of pure terror and helplessness—was a whole other form of torture.

Those women wouldn’t have only feared for their own lives, they’d have feared for the lives of the children under their care. And he hadn’t given a single flying, measly fuck. Similarly, he didn’t give two shits how Piper felt right now. So, yeah, he was a monster all right.

“I simply prefer their company to that of adults,” he added. “Children are uncomplicated. They don’t have agendas. They don’t play games. They’re accepting and eager to approve of the people they meet. I like to be around them, which is why—no matter where I’ve lived over the years—I’ve often visited local parks.”

She inwardly snorted. He didn’t go to parks to observe children. No, those places were his hunting grounds. He went there looking for single mothers. Piper would have said as much if she could have spoken.

Just then, Levi’s mind touched hers. I’ll be a little longer than I first thought, he told her, all business. Call me if you need me.

She pushed against the mental weight trapping her, desperate to reach him, but nothing happened. And she heard herself telepathically reply, No worries, see you soon.

Her heart sank and her ribs tightened to the point that it hurt to breathe.

“It seems we’ll have more time to talk than I initially expected,” said Clyde. “Excellent. You know, Levi was such a cute kid. Not that his aunt appreciated him whatsoever. Moira was a horrid woman. Very bitter. She wasn’t gentle with him at all. Didn’t play with him or kiss him or cuddle him. She often left him in his crib to cry. Or she’d leave him home alone.”

For Clyde to know all of that, he must have observed them for days.

“I didn’t initially realize she wasn’t his mother. Not until I first came to her home and entered her mind. That was a mistake on my part. I considered instantly backing off, but being inside her head and seeing what a mess it was … I thought I could change that she resented having to take care of him. I thought I could help rid her of all that bitterness. Parenting and juggling responsibilities can be hard, especially if you have no one to help. I wanted to give her that assistance and support. I thought maybe we could all be a family.” His brow pinched. “That didn’t work out as I’d hoped.”

He was a plain psycho for thinking differently.

“She didn’t want to be a better person. She didn’t want to accept the help I offered, nor was she grateful for it. She wouldn’t open her heart to me even a little. Sadly, Moira wasn’t what I was looking for. And there was no way I could leave poor Levi with such a cold, uncaring woman, so I took him to the local home for demonic children. Ending her life was a kindness, really. It gave her peace she never would have found while alive.”

It chilled Piper how he could rationalize his actions in such a way. The man really saw no wrong in anything he did.

“I couldn’t believe it when I first saw him again as an adult. I recognized his energy signature straight away. It was sad that he didn’t remember me … but nobody ever does. You already know that, though, don’t you? You’ve already guessed who I am.”

She felt a push for an honest answer. “Yes.”

“I’m going to allow you to talk freely—only aloud, not telepathically. But if you try to scream, I will cut you off.”

Excitement bubbled in her blood. She wouldn’t scream now—the walls were soundproof, so it would do her no good. But if Levi came strolling into the apartment, she’d be able to yell out a warning.

“There. Now you can speak.”

She blinked, surprised that she didn’t feel any different than she had before. The mental weight trapping her hadn’t lifted or anything. She experimentally tried to speak, and out popped her question. “Why are you here?”

“I have an … understanding with another member of your lair. The very one who has caused you so much trouble lately.”

Her gut tightened. Wait, what?

“Not nice of me, I know. Levi will no doubt be furious.”

That weirdly seemed to please him. “Why would you do that?”

“I needed to get into this building. Needed to get to you. Because unless I’m a lethal threat to the one person he cares about, Levi will never kill me. He’ll instead lock me up somewhere and have me tortured for centuries. I would have simply taken over the mind of a resident and had them bring me inside, but measures were taken to ensure such a thing couldn’t happen. The demons in the security office see every visitor via the cameras. They only permit entrance to people on the pre-approved list. I’m not on it. I needed an ‘inside man’ to distract them and allow me to enter.”

“If you want to die, why not end your own life?”

“My demon would never permit it. It’s very angry. It hasn’t had a chance to make any sort of mark on the world. No one remembers it. No one cares for it. Demons aren’t built to be alone. It’s why we come in pairs. Maybe our anchor would have remembered us. We never found her. We looked and looked, but it came to nothing.”

“Surely you could still have a relationship with someone. Like you do with Janelle. You’d just explain that they won’t remember you clearly when you’re apart.”

He shook his head. “Oh, it works that way at first, yes. But part of my curse is that the longer you know a person and the more time you spend with them, the quicker they forget you when you’re apart. Eventually, it’s no longer a case of them merely forgetting your name and appearance. They forget you were ever around. It gets to a point where they don’t recognize you anymore. They see you, but they don’t know you. They don’t trust you. They can’t love you because they have no clue who you are. Imagine Levi always looking at you like you’re a stranger. Imagine having to constantly try and fail to convince him that you’re his mate. He’d brand you crazy. He’d order you to stay away. He’d begin relationships with others because he’d feel no love or loyalty toward you.”

Her heart hurt merely imagining it. It would be a form of hell. “Who cursed you?”

“A witch. A woman who once claimed to love me. They say there’s a fine line between love and hate. It’s true. I … I cheated on Beth. With her sister. It wasn’t planned. I loved Kathryn, who loved me in turn. In a moment of weakness, we acted on it. I don’t know if Beth wanted to believe her sister would never be party to such a thing, or if she simply wished to smear my name, but she falsely accused me of taking Kathryn against her will. As if I’d ever do something so utterly horrific.”

Well, Piper wasn’t so certain he hadn’t. The man believed his own lies, seemed able to justify anything he did to himself, and blamed everyone else for his actions. Could he have convinced himself that Kathryn loved him? Could he have ignored her objections, telling himself they weren’t real? Could he have taken her will using his gift and forced her to go along with what he wanted, all the while convincing himself that she was willing? Yes. Yes, Piper believed he could have done any of those things.

“More, Beth ensured that her sister and I couldn’t be together. She came between us out of pure spite by ensuring that Kathryn would forget me—eventually, she didn’t only forget my appearance but my very existence. She called me crazy when I insisted we loved each other. And then her parents hid her from me, so I didn’t even have a chance to convince her of the truth.”

“What happened to Beth?”

“She killed herself, tired of suffering the same curse. And me … I’m ready to leave this world, too. I’ve tried to undo the curse but nothing has ever worked. It’s time for me to make it end. And you’re going to help me do that.”

Inside, she went utterly still. “What?”

“I don’t want to see any harm befall you. You seem like a very nice young lady. And anything that hurt you would hurt Levi—pain isn’t something I’d ordinarily want for him. But he needs the right motivation to take me down. I’ve done everything to get his attention. He’s too focused on you. I want it to be him who puts an end to this for me; I want us to come full circle. But like I said, he’d prefer to imprison me. You and I both know that he’ll only end my life if he’s insane with grief and rage. And that means his mate must die.”

Her heartbeat stuttered. “You won’t need to go that far.”

“I don’t intend to. At least not personally. Someone else will be doing that. I’ll simply take the blame for it.” He paused as a rhythmic knock came at the door. “Ah, here they are now. I’ll let them in.”

The moment Clyde left the room, she resumed her mental fight to free herself of his control. Fought so hard tears once more stung her eyes. But nothing—

The newcomer came into view, and Piper felt her stomach drop. “No.”

“Yes, actually,” he said.

A cold burn sharply sliced across her cheek, cutting through skin. She felt blood pool to the surface of the wound. Smelled it.

The bastard smiled.

In the front passenger seat of Keenan’s car, Levi telepathically reached out to Knox. Janelle’s partner is the one who’s been killing single mothers. Keenan and I are on our way to her place now.

The incubus was driving at top speed.

Knox cursed. I need a few moments to wrap up this meeting. Larkin and I will meet you at Janelle’s house shortly.

Levi then gave Tanner a telepathic heads-up, assuring the hellhound that he should stay home with Devon, who wasn’t feeling well.

Mere minutes later, Keenan pulled up outside Janelle’s house so abruptly the tires screeched. “Only her car’s in the driveway,” he pointed out.

They leaped out of the vehicle and rushed to the front door. Their knocks went ignored, as did the call Keenan made to her cell phone.

Levi telekinetically blasted the door lock and then pushed his way inside with Keenan close behind him. The moment he stepped into Janelle’s living room, Levi knew … “She’s dead.” Her body wasn’t in sight, and her soul hadn’t lingered. But emotional echoes of her death pulsed wildly through the air.

Devastation. Terror. Helplessness.

Keenan swore and raked a hand through his hair.

Fire roared to life a few feet away. The flames quickly died, revealing Knox and Larkin.

“She’s dead,” Levi told them.

Knox clenched his jaw. “Let’s find her body.”

It was Keenan who uncovered Janelle’s corpse. She’d been dumped in a bedroom closet, her neck broken.

“She’s been dead a few days,” said Levi.

“There’s no X on her forehead,” Larkin commented.

“She wasn’t what the other women were to him,” Knox pointed out. “He’d wanted to be close to the lair. Close to you, Levi. Janelle was a mere tool he’d used. A tool he apparently decided he no longer needed.”

“How could she have had a relationship with a guy she didn’t properly remember when they were away from each other?” asked Keenan.

Levi twisted his mouth. “He might have fed her some spiel about why she wouldn’t remember him. A sob story of some kind that would make her feel sorry for him. Janelle was the type to guard a person’s secrets if she cared for them. But she would have at some point learned that the man who kept Missy captive couldn’t be remembered, and then Janelle would have suspected her partner.”

Keenan frowned. “And yet, she didn’t tell us.”

“He’s probably been controlling her ever since,” Levi mused.

Keenan’s brows lifted. “Never thought of that. Why do you think he killed her?”

“Going by the lack of male anger in the air, it wasn’t a case of him losing his temper,” replied Levi. “There’s determination, resolve, and regret.”

Knox hummed. “He’d decided he didn’t need her anymore, so he disposed of her despite that he didn’t feel good about it. But why?”

“It would suggest he’s chosen another single mother,” said Larkin. “He probably can’t control both her and Janelle at the same time.”

Knox nodded. “I want every member of the Force who’s monitoring the home of a single mother to go inside her house and check things out.”

“I’m on it.” Keenan whipped out his cell phone. “They might not necessarily know if the woman is being controlled.”

“Missy said she cried,” said Knox. “I would say they’ll see in the mother’s eyes if something is wrong.”

Keenan crossed to the corner of the room to take the call.

Levi looked down at Janelle’s body and then glanced around. “Where’s her cell? If we’re lucky, she’ll have taken pictures of her and her partner. She may even have his number logged in her phone. We could track him that way.”

“It’s here.” Larkin nabbed it from the nightstand and pressed a button at the side of the phone, causing the screen to light up. A picture of a smiling couple stared back at them. “That’s him. Clyde. His name is Clyde Quincy. I know it now that I’m looking at him. He’s a nightmare, like Piper.”

“We need his number,” Knox reminded the harpy.

“I’ll need Janette’s fingerprint to unlock the phone.” Larkin bent down and very gently placed Janelle’s thumb on the cell’s screen. “Done.” She scrolled through the contact log. “Yep, got his number.”

“Get tracking his cell,” said Knox.

“I’ll need my laptop for that,” Larkin told him.

“Then let’s get to your apartment.” Knox sighed at Janelle’s body. “I’ll have someone come here and take care of her body.” The Prime pyroported them all to Larkin’s apartment.

They waited impatiently while she used her computer software to track the male nightmare, her fingers flying over the laptop keys. Levi had already forgotten the bastard’s name and face again—both felt just out of his reach.

Report after report came in from members of the Force who’d checked in on the single mothers. All said the coast was clear.

Keenan rubbed at his nape. “He could have gone after two sisters again, although I doubt it. Last time, he deemed it a mistake. Maybe he picked a single mother outside of our lair instead. Or it could be that he simply hasn’t made his move yet.”

“There’s no saying he’s hunting anyone,” said Levi.

Larkin cursed, her body going still. “He’s here.”

Knox’s brows snapped together. “What?”

“He’s in this building somewhere,” she replied.

Levi blinked. “That’s impossible.”

“Not according to the tracking software,” she said. “He found some way to get past the security measures.”

Levi shook his head. “There’d be no point in him even doing that. No single mothers live here. There’s no one he could possibly want …” Levi trailed off, his gut filling with dread as a thought occurred to him. “He could have come here to see me. If he did, if he’s at my place right now, he has Piper.”