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“I’m pretty sure that was kind of the point of Knox taking him there,” said Piper. “And I don’t know why you repeatedly remind me Sefton was tortured when all that does is make me feel warm inside.” That bastard had trapped a pregnant woman in her personal nightmare, for Christ’s sake.
“Bitch,” hissed Jasper.
“With pride. You can believe your brother’s innocent if you want—”
“He is innocent, and you know it. You condemned him!”
“In your opinion. Is that why you slashed my tires?”
His head drew back. “I didn’t do shit to your car, I told Levi that already. But I’d shake the hand of whoever did it. You deserve worse.”
“So you thought you’d teach me a lesson at the deli?”
He squinted. “Oh, I get it, you want to pin it on me. Yeah, because whether or not people are actually guilty doesn’t fucking matter to you.”
“On the contrary, it very much does. But you—your beliefs, your behavior, your bullshit—don’t matter to me in the slightest. My care cup is all empty. These scenes you cause do nothing but bore me. Like, to tears.”
“Is that fucking so?” He planted his hands on the table and aggressively leaned toward her … which was when Larkin uncoiled from her seat like a snake. He stared at the harpy, his lips parted.
“I don’t know why one of your favorite pastimes is making a fool of yourself,” Larkin said to him. “But you’ve entertained us all enough for one night.”
Enzo and Dez tried coming up behind him, but Sefton and his pals blocked their path as they appealed with them to leave Jasper be, promising they’d take him out of the bar.
Jasper straightened, his gaze on Larkin. “It doesn’t matter to you if she accuses innocent people? She won’t be held accountable for shit because she’s the anchor of a sentinel? That how it is?”
“Funny how much you whine and bitch about innocence and guilt and people needing to be held accountable … when your daddy never holds you responsible for any damn thing,” said Larkin. “He never cares if you or your idiot brother fucks up. Neither do either of you. Too many times you’ve messed up, and every single time you’ve tried to lie your way out of trouble. So all this high and mighty crap … yeah, I don’t get it.”
“It’s because I’m a woman,” said Piper. “All three of them have a total hate-on for our gender, Larkin. Men are the superior species who can’t do any wrong in their world.”
“Misogyny at its finest,” said Larkin, her glare fixed on Jasper. “I really thought I’d proven that women aren’t ‘weak’ when you were last dragged before the sentinels to be punished, Jasper. I guess not, because here you are confronting a woman you were ordered to leave the fuck alone. That’s okay. My demon won’t mind having a little fun with you. Again.”
Jasper’s eyes flickered, his face losing some of its color.
“Take him,” she said, and then Enzo and Dez were roughly escorting him out of the bar.
Sefton looked from Piper to Larkin, his eyes pained. “He didn’t mean to upset anyone, he’s—”
“Blitzed, yeah,” said Larkin. “But I’ve never found that an excuse for anything. Now shoo.”
He rushed after his brother, his friends hot on his heels.
Piper looked at the harpy. “What did your demon do to Jasper?”
Larkin grinned, retaking her seat. “Plain terrified him, of course.”
Piper had heard that the harpy’s demon was something to be dearly feared. She’d spoken to people who’d been disciplined by Larkin, and none were forthcoming about what happened.
“You know, Lark,” Devon began, “I initially thought that the main reason Knox made you a sentinel is that you grew up together and stuff. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you have ‘badass’ written all over you. But Knox and the other sentinels are pretty protective of you. I thought that meant they thought you needed to be shielded. Then I realized they just act that way because you’re essentially their baby sister.
“And, on joining your lair, I also discovered that you have a reputation for being ruthless and unforgiving. Also, even the mention of your demon makes people nervous. Tanner said the entity would make even a pure psychopath uneasy. Why? What gives? Because he won’t expand.”
The harpy smiled. “Let’s just say it has some … issues.”
“How delightfully vague.”
Larkin snickered.
Just then, Khloë and Harper returned, apparently oblivious to all they’d missed. They handed out glasses and then sat.
Devon gaped as Khloë sipped at a particular drink. “How could you?”
The imp blinked. “What?”
“That’s my favorite alcoholic drink,” said the hellcat.
Khloë looked from side to side, seemingly baffled by Devon’s agitation. “I know.”
“And you’re going to drink it in front of me?”
“Well … yeah.”
“Knowing how hard it is for me to stick to freaking water?”
Khloë cocked her head. “I don’t see where you’re going with this.”
