“Well, it doesn’t really matter anyway,” I interrupt, absentmindedly feeding Piper another bite of food, which butts against her closed lips. “I don’t think anyone would bother me anyway. People in the building suspect what I do for a living. It would take a lot for them to come up and bother me.”
“Quill!” insists Piper. “What thehellare you talking about?”
“No swearing, cricket.”
“Sohellis a swear word now? Stop deflecting and tell me what you’re talking about!”
“I’m talking about the items on my to-do list,” I say, clenching my jaw. “I need to check them off. That’s my second item. Now for my third—»
“If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about,” intervenes Josh, “Logan said he dealt with it.”
I flash an angry glance in his direction. “What do you mean?”
If Logan killed Liam and Dane, so help me…
“He said he’d gotten rid of the bodies. And had made arrangements so thattheywould stay alive until you decide otherwise. He doesn’t want you to feel like it’s necessary to come home. He wants us all to stay in Oregon, and he says you’ll have all the time in the world to deal with that situation later.”
I grit my teeth. I’m both relieved to learn that Liam and Dane are staying nicely alive and ready for me, and aggravated to be taking orders from the Devil founder. Not that I’m not used to taking orders. But I’ve always made my own decisions when it came to anything even remotely related to Piper.
“He did say he wondered what they had done,” adds Josh a bit nervously. “I didn’t tell him. But he might look into it on his own. Hopefully, though, he’s too busy with the whole Seraphina thing for the moment. I know that’s something… you wanted to deal with.”
By now, Piper seems to have figured out what we’re talking about. She’s grown tense in my lap, listening quietly.
“How many items are on your to-do list?” she questions suddenly.
I answer without thinking. “Four.”
“And are they all… as violent as the first one?”
“That was the second one. And no, not all. Not unless it’s necessary.”
“What was your first one?” asks Piper curiously.
I squeeze her to me, pressing my lips to hers, and say, in a much softer voice. “You were, my little cricket. I’ve checked you off already.”
She returns my kiss, deepening it. “I wish I were the only thing on your list.”
“You’re themainone,” I promise. “But I can’t leave the others alone. You know that. I always follow through on my lists.”
She doesn’t answer, only nestling against me again, and I can tell I’ve made her sad. I wish I hadn’t. But I can’t help it. I can’tallow the people who hurt her to get away with it. And now that I’ve started asking questions, I need the answers. No matter what it takes.
“I have another question,” I say slowly. “About Tragen.” I swallow with difficulty, because even though I’ve tried to tell myself no one matters to me but Piper, it’s been a strange few days, realizing the people who once stood right at that divide separating the rest of the world from Piper are all traitors. “What happened to him?”
Piper glances up at me, worry and pain in her green-blue eyes. “I know how much he meant to you…”
Meant. Past tense. I hear the word that tells me everything, but keep a mask on, even though there’s a weird tightness in my chest. “He didn’t mean a thing to me.”
Bullshit. Piper sees right through me, and she brings up a hesitant hand to stroke the side of my face.
“He put up a brave fight.”
I clench my jaw, because if there’s one thing I don’t want, it’s Piper finding anything good in that asshole.
“It’s true,” adds Josh. “He shot most of those guys in the cave. He’s the reason they didn’t get to you and Piper sooner. Which gave Logan and me time to intervene.”
“He was a manipulative piece of shit,” I fume, “and I knew his reason for wanting to save Piper wasn’t a good one. I’m glad he’s dead.”
“Yeah.” Piper casts her eyes down. “Heisdead. I know he was like a father figure to you, Quill. I’m sorry. And I don’t mean that like as a real sorry,” she adds hastily. “More in like anI’m sorry for your losssorry, so it doesn’t count.”
