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Having heard some of the stories of just what sort of punishments the male demon liked to dish out, Piper felt sorry for Celeste. Kind of. Well … only a little, to be truthful. It was hard to truly feel bad for someone who’d invested a lot of energy in pissing her off over the years and would have come between her and Levi if she could have.
Really, the person Piper felt most sorry for was Joe. It would pain him to know that his daughter was not only locked up in a cell but also due a harsh punishment. He’d tried so hard over the years to save her from herself, and Piper knew he felt that he’d failed Celeste. In reality, Celeste had failed herself.
Standing, Piper crossed to the dresser and retrieved both her hairbrush and cell. As she dragged the brush through her damp hair, she pressed the button on the side of her phone to light up the screen so she could check the time. Levi hadn’t been gone long. He should be back some—
A knock at the front door made her brow wrinkle. It definitely wasn’t Levi. He wouldn’t need to knock.
She set the cell back on the dresser, padded through the apartment, and then glanced through the door’s peephole. Dez. Piper opened the door. “Hi,” she said with a half-smile.
A tall figure slid behind him. One she recognized. She frowned. Why was he—
A force punched into her mind just as he snapped Dez’s neck. Snapped it. Like it was a mere twig.
Oh, fuck.
She wanted to lob an orb of hellfire in this bastard’s face. Wanted to slam the door shut and lock it. Wanted to call out to Levi. But she couldn’t move—not physically, not psychically. He’d effortlessly seized control of her in an instant, and no amount of struggling from her enraged demon had any effect.
Piper’s heart began to pound in her chest as panic raced through her. This man … he was the person who’d killed Diem and Emma, the man who’d come close to killing Missy. More, he was the son of a bitch who murdered Levi’s aunt and made him an orphan.
“Hello, Piper. I was hoping you’d be home. I understand that Levi isn’t here right now. I’d say that’s a shame, but I was hoping we could talk in private, if that’s okay with you.”
Her panic amped up as she found herself stepping back and opening the door wider in invitation. Shit, shit, shit.
“Thank you,” he said with a placid smile, crossing the threshold and then literally dumping Dez’s dead body on the floor.
Horror filling her, she dropped her gaze to the Force member, wondering if Enzo had suffered the same fate.
Her visitor closed the door, still smiling, the image of friendliness. “Sorry to barge in on you like this. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.” The weirdo actually spoke as if she had willingly invited him inside, as if she’d had any choice in the matter. “Let’s go into the living room, shall we?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Sefton, you say?” Levi strode back to Celeste’s cell. “And how is it you know this?”
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?”
