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“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.”
