Page 55 of Black Willow Witch
Sighing, Logan lowered his hand to his lap. ‘I meant it when I told you I wouldn’t seek him out or confront him. But they walked in here hand in hand, smiling and laughing . . . I didn’t see it coming, Rip. It took me off-guard. I didn’t think she’d do that to me, and it pissed me off that she did. Before I knew it, I was striding over there.
‘I told them both to get out. Told her I thought better of her. Said I wanted them out of my sight. But that motherfucker went nose to nose with me, saying I needed to accept that CeCe was his; thathenow gets to come inside her; that I’ll never have her again; that he’d one day claim her. Things escalated from there.’
Ripper bit out a curse. Neal had really gone all out to provoke Logan. ‘She swore she thought it was Saturday.’
Logan’s eyelids lowered. ‘Fuck that. Her eyes went wide when she saw me, as if she was shocked. But I know her. That emotion was fake.’ He rubbed at his forehead. ‘She did this in the hope that I’d find it so hard to see her with Neal that I’d put more pressure on you to give her what she wants, didn’t she?’
Ripper gave a weak shrug. ‘Probably.’
‘I hated the idea of her with him, but I didn’t want to think you were right; that she’d do something as cold as use him to play you.’ Logan eyed him closely. ‘You would never have caved, would you?’
‘No. And it wouldn’t really have been what you wanted if I had. You and me can’t even share a pizza without snarling at each other; how were we ever gonna share a mate?’
Logan’s lips quirked a little. ‘I told myself we’d make it work.’
‘It wouldn’t have lasted. It would have fallen apart, and that would have come betweenus.’
‘Nothing could do that,’ Logan asserted.
‘She was already doing it. You’ve spent months hating me. You talked about switching clans.’
‘I was just blowing off steam. I didn’t mean it. And I don’t hate you. Never did. I hated the situation.’ Logan flexed his jaw and winced, probing at a red spot. ‘You know, I’m almost glad she did this tonight. It opened my eyes; made me realize you were right.’
‘I’d have preferred it if I wasn’t right.’
Logan sighed again, his gaze turning inward. ‘She isn’t someone I ever thought would deliberately gut me open like that.’
‘She’s still the CeCe you know. People do out-of-character shit sometimes. She’ll be regretting it now. And I’m thinking Neal will be getting dumped tonight on top of everything else. She admitted she’s using him. She said it was her attempt to make you get the message that a triad isn’t going to happen and we should all just let it go and move on.’
Logan scowled. ‘Bullshit. I’ve been a dick to you; even threatened to leave the clan. She didn’t ever try to calm me down. She wanted me to keep nagging you and making threats. I didn’t see it.’ He paused, his expression pensive. ‘But you did.’
‘You always think the best of the people you love. I’m too jaded and cynical.’
‘Andhalf your mind is on the Black Willow Witch.’
Ripper went rigid.
‘You think I didn’t pick up on the zing between you two? Last Saturday night, Emberlyn brought out your protective streak in full force. She’s probably the last person on this planet who needs you to shield her, but that didn’t stop your entire being from reacting when she was hurt. You’re into her. There’s no other reason you’d react that intensely.’
‘We’re not talking about Emberlyn right now.’
Ignoring that, Logan went on, ‘She’s nothing like I expected. I’d heard so much crap about her that I thought she’d be an uptight, spiteful bitch. She’s not.’
Eager to change the subject, Ripper said, ‘Back to what we were talking about before . . . what do we do about CeCe?’
‘I don’t plan to do anything. I’m not the one in the wrong.’ Logan stretched out his legs. ‘When she apologizes, I’ll accept her apology and hope we can go back to being friends.’
Ripper held that same hope. ‘Things won’t be the same, though.’
‘No, they won’t. She took a dump over everything I feel for her. Exploited it. Pushed the right buttons so I’d pushyou. I’ll always care about her, but I’ll never look at her the same way after this. Not ever.’
The front door swung open, and there was Emberlyn – clad in a skin-tight white dress that highlighted every sensual curve. Justlookingat her made Ripper feel he could breathe easier. Which made no real sense – especially when his body had a habit of igniting around her, just as it did right then.
‘I keep forgetting to ask you to make more of those elixirs for me,’ he blurted out. ‘You got time?’
Those pale-hazel eyes narrowed, seeing right through him. Truth was . . . after that messed-up scene at the bar, after seeing his brother so cut up, Ripper needed to be with the one personwho took his thoughts away from everything else. A person so grounded that she was steadying to be around.
He thought she might call him on his shit; demand to know why he’d really come. It wasn’t as if he’d need the elixirs soon – there wouldn’t be a full moon for another few weeks.
