“How so?”
“I’m glad you asked Piper. If the cupcakes aren’t cool enough, the fondant will either melt or won’t stick to the cupcake. While sculpting out the image of their gods with modeling chocolate should make the project easier, they still have to deal with the edible paint and glitter, which could be messy. If all goes well, they’ll have a beautiful cupcake fit for the gods.”
“If being the operative word, Skylar. Let’s see what’s happening in the kitchen.”
Piper noticed that Cassie seemed to be winging it because she was currently picking eggshells out of her batter. Instead of measuring the olive oil, she turned the bottle up and started pouring. Only the Goddess knew how much ended up in the mixture. Her strained face covered in flour told Piper she was really concentrating on the task at hand. Piper tried not to think about the inconsistency of her cousin’s cupcakes. Words like dense, raw, and burnt came to mind, but she kept those thoughts to herself.
On the other side of the room, Piper watched as Chef Jango rushed to the pantry and returned with a bottle of red sprinkles. Curious, she stepped closer to see what he did with them. “What’s going on over here Chef Jango?”
“Oh, hey Piper. The sprinkles are for my batter. I want the fires of hell to come alive inside Hades. I think it will be a great effect and put my cupcake over the top.”
“Interesting. Carry on Chef Jango,” Piper said as she walked away.
That’s when the first fireball whizzed past her head. It was aimed directly at Chef Jango’s fondant. Piper screeched and ducked for cover. She looked up just as Cassie let loose an ear-splitting scream that bounced around the room. Her fondant was on fire and the boyz were snickering. What the hell happened?
She returned to her seat as Cassie put out the fire. Skylar was laughing so hard, she had tears streaming down her face. “What the hell happened to Cassie’s fondant?”
It took a few minutes for Skylar to catch her breath and stop laughing. “Her fireball bounced off Chef Jango’s ass and redirected itself toward Cassie. Instead of burning his fondant, she burned her own.”
Anger and rage rolled off her normally easy-going cousin. When she tried to blow up Chef Jango’s oven as he took out his cupcakes, once again her plan backfired. Piper watched in fascination as every magical spell her cousin cast backfired and was returned tenfold. Chef Jango was untouchable, and his cupcake of Hades looked amazing.
“Cass will probably need therapy after this competition, right?” Skylar muttered.
“You think?” Piper asked.
“Mm-hmm. Instead of using four sticks of butter like the recipe calls for, she dumped four sticks of cream cheese in her batter. And to make matters worse, she looks baffled because her buttercream frosting is not buttering or creaming. I won’t mention the billowing smoke coming from the oven. You might have to buy a new one. But on the bright side, Chef Jango is killing it.”
“Guys, thirteen minutes remaining,” Piper yelled.
Cassie opened the oven and fanned away the smoke. “Damn it! They still look a little moist. Why aren’t they rising more?” she muttered. Knowing she was running out of time; she pulled the cupcakes out of the oven anyway. She would make this work. Chef Jango would be eating her dust in the end.
“Are you all right, Cass?” Piper asked.
“Never better,” Cassie replied and continued working on her fondant. The buttercream frosting was a hot mess, but she had seen worse. This competition wasn’t over until the fat lady sang.
“Why is Cass using a meat tenderizer on her bright green fondant? Piper asked.
Skylar couldn’t stop giggling. “I have no idea, but that’s the least of her worries. The cupcakes are too hot, so her buttercream frosting is melting. That bright green fondant will never stick. Do you want to tell her, or should I?”
Piper threw her hands up in surrender. “I want to live long enough to actually win the competition. You’re already maimed, you tell her.”
Skylar looked at her cousin like she had grown two heads. “You’re crazy. I’m not going near her when there are sharp objects in the vicinity. She’s already pissed off at Chef Jango. Her cupcakes are a total disaster, and she doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning. No, it’s best we let this play out until the end.”
Piper nodded in agreement. Her cousin needed the Goddess’s help if she was going to pull this off. Her buttercream looked disgusting. Maybe, she could trick Fat Bastard and Boba Fett into tasting Cassie’s cupcake, and she would taste Chef Jango’s cupcake. She ignored the fact that her cousin’s cupcake was collapsing like a bad flan in the cupboard. Where the hell was Aphrodite’s head? Across the room, Chef Jango was creating a masterpiece. It was more than worthy of The Great Wiccan Cake Off. She actually had a chance of winning with him. Who knew the ball licking cat was a master chef.
“One-minute left contestants,” Piper yelled.
You could cut the tension in the room with a knife as both contestants added the final touches to their cupcake. When they were down to the last five seconds, Piper and Skylar started counting. “Five. Four. Three. Two. One.”
“Whoo-hoo! You’re done. I’m sure you guys did an amazing job. Step away from your cupcake,” Piper instructed.
Piper smiled at the two contestants. “Cassie you’re up first. Let’s take another look at the Aphrodite statue cupcake you were trying to make. Then, let’s see what you made.”
Cassie lifted her cake lid and yelled, “Slayed It!”
“Oh, my Goddess! Ooh-hoo! We don’t mean to judge…,” Piper said.
Skylar, Fat Bastard and Boba Fett were bent over laughing. “Actually, we do,” Boba Fett countered. The cake was a train wreck and literally falling apart. “Damn, Jango was right. Love is complicated.”
“Mm-hmm,” Skylar agreed.
Piper tried to remain professional. “Um, Cass. What are the sugary red parts?”
Cass looked offended. “That’s her heart. It fell. She’s heartbroken.”
Fat Bastard laughed so hard he began to hyperventilate. “This is a very special cake and I’m anxious to try it.”
“Cut us a piece of love, you bastard. I mean Fat Bastard,” Boba Fett chuckled.
Fat Bastard handed each of them a piece of cake. They all chewed, and chewed, and chewed some more. The look on Sky’s face was priceless.
“How does it taste?” Piper asked.
“Good,” Skylar said in a high-pitched voice.
“The high-pitched voice is telling,” Boba Fett whispered. “She hates it. Our boy has this in the bag.”
Fat Bastard nodded in agreement and decided to cinch the deal. “The cake is a little rubbery for my taste. Did you replace the butter with cream cheese?”
“Maybe,” Cassie replied in a non-committal voice. She knew the cake sucked, but they didn’t need to know that. Baking was not in her wheelhouse.
“Mm-hmm. Let’s move on to our next contestant. Chef Jango, what have you prepared for us today?”
Jango lifted his cake lid with pride and confidence. His cupcake was the splitting image of the Hades cupcake statue sitting on the island. Hades gold crown was perfect. His blue fondant toga fit like a glove. His face was lifelike from his black, soulless eyes and beard to the scowl on his face.
Piper tried to be objective. This was a competition after all, and she didn’t want to hurt Cassie’s feelings. “Wow! I feel like you got the color right, and he does look like a real person. The skin peeling from his face adds a touch of authenticity. Let’s taste him.”
“Thank you, Chef Piper. I added a little sparkle inside the cake. I hope you like it,” Jango Fett said. His voice was full of pride. He knew he had hit it out of the park.
Piper cut into the cake and gasped. “Oh wow! Is that a little hellfire?”
“You would be correct,” Jango Fett replied. “Underneath that cute exterior, there’s a little devil-may-care going on inside. The boyz and I spent a little time with Luce last summer. We kn
ow all about hellfire.”
“Um. Okay.” Piper took her first bite and moaned. “I think the flavor is really nice. The buttercream is delicious, and I love how it enhances the flavor of the hellfire. It’s really good.”
“I think it’s time to vote,” Boba Fett excitedly announced.
The judges took a moment to convene and discuss each cupcake. While Piper gave her cousin an E for effort, Aphrodite wasn’t up to par. The cold hard truth was that she needed someone who could hold their own with a group of ruthless bakers. She needed Chef Jango, if she wanted to win The Great Wiccan Cake Off and the grand prize of twenty-five thousand dollars. Decision made, she turned back toward the contestants and prepared to announce the winner without hurting her cousin’s feelings.
“All right, we saw some incredible Greek god cupcakes today. Unfortunately, only one can win. Skylar, which one of these magical beings pleased the gods the most?”
Sky smiled at her cousin. “There was one clear winner. Piper’s new partner in The Great Wiccan Cake Off is Chef Jango. You also get the amazing Slayed It! golden baker’s hat. Congratulations!”
“Whoo-hoo!” Jango Fett yelled. He immediately put on the golden baker’s hat.
“You look stunning Chef Jango. You have made the gods on Mount Olympus proud,” Skylar chuckled.
Piper and Skylar walked over and hugged Cassie. “Thank you for doing this,” Piper whispered. We love you Cass. You’re an awesome cousin.”
Fat Bastard and Boba Fett were devouring Jango Fett’s cake until the cousins joined them. Once the kitchen was cleaned, they packed up the rest of the cake and promised to meet the boyz later at The Thirsty Squirrel for a drink. Piper was on cloud nine. Things were finally turning around. Maybe her luck wasn’t tied to Lizzy after all.
Chapter 10
Piper was excited about the competition and ready to party, but she wanted Liam by her side. She had thought a lot about the conversation with her cousins. They were right. It was time to give her best friend a chance. She could no longer deny her feelings. Over the years, the man had wormed his way into her heart, and he was there to stay.
The plan was simple. He would meet her at the bar after her shift. But it turned out Liam had other plans. She couldn’t deny his refusal of her invitation stung a little. It was ridiculous and she knew it because Liam would never purposely hurt her.
The bar was hopping, and it was ten minutes until midnight and the end of her shift. Skylar, Cassie and the boys, as she called them, had secured a corner booth in the back and was waiting for her. When the loud, rowdy bunch toasted to them winning The Great Wiccan Cake Off, she smiled. It was a good night, and she couldn’t wait to join them. Things were definitely looking up.
Liam had called to check in on her and they had made plans for tomorrow night. He had finally realized she could take care of herself and had given up on the crazy notion of having someone guard her twenty-four-seven. Besides, Silas and his men wouldn’t dare try to kidnap her in a bar full of people. It also helped that Cassie, Skylar and the boys were here tonight. She knew without a doubt they had her back.
“Hey Piper. I heard what happened the other night. Are you okay?” Elise asked. Her face was filled with concern.
Piper squeezed her friend’s arm. Elise was a member of the Witches of Mystic Grove Coven and a bartender at The Rusty Squirrel. Word of her failed abduction had spread like wildfire. Everyone wanted Silas’s head on a platter, so Piper assumed the man was laying low. “I’m fine, Elise. Thank you for asking.”
“Thank the Goddess you weren’t hurt. I’ve felt horrible about what happened,” Elise confessed.
“Why?” Piper asked. She was confused by the woman’s overwhelming emotions. She was almost in tears.
Elise’s voice cracked. “If you hadn’t been covering for me that night, none of this would have happened. It’s all my fault.”
Piper rubbed her friend’s back. “That’s nonsense, Elise. You had nothing to do with Silas’s men attacking me. That’s all on them. Don’t cry.”
Elise shook her head, disagreeing with Piper’s assessment of the situation. “That’s where you’re wrong. I accidentally overheard Annalise talking to someone on the phone. It was a heated conversation about you. My sister hasn’t been the same since she was jilted at the altar.” Elise looked at Piper with pleading eyes. “I think she’s working with Silas.”
Elise had Piper’s attention now. “Why do you think that?”
“Annalise knew you were covering for me that night because I told her. I think that’s how Silas’s men knew to go after you. She’s angry at the coven and the Mystic Shadow Wolf Pack for what Isaac did. She loved him and being jilted at the altar broke something inside her. She’s not the sweet girl we know and love. She hasn’t been for a while. I’ve tried to convince her to get help, but she won’t listen to me.”
Piper hugged her friend. Things were starting to make more sense now. She needed to tell Liam everything she had learned tonight. But first, she needed to console a distraught Elise. It had to be hard watching your identical twin turn on you. Piper knew without a doubt if something were to break her relationship with Cassie and Skylar, she would be inconsolable.
“Listen to me, Elise. Everything is going to be fine. Liam and his brothers will deal with Silas. I’ll talk to Aunt Jean and Clarice about getting Annalise some help. If I had known all of this sooner…”
“I know, Piper. You would have already put plans in motion to help her. It’s why I confided in you tonight. I think you might be the only person who can help my sister now. Please do what you can and thank you.”
“For what?” Piper asked.
“For listening. It’s nice to have someone to confide in again,” Elise sniffled.
Piper smiled and hugged her friend one final time. Her shift was over, and she needed to get to Liam. Things were escalating and she had a bad feeling the shit was about to hit the fan. She was no longer in the mood to party. Instead, she clocked out at midnight, brought her friends up to speed on what was happening, and headed to the Bayou to find Liam.
Liam pulled into his driveway and was shocked to find Piper waiting for him. He had disappointed her earlier when he declined her invitation to join them at the bar. She was finally coming around and he had screwed up again. He couldn’t get a break in this relationship. Did they have a relationship? He wasn’t sure anymore. But the minute he stepped out of the car, she was in his arms and it felt damn good until he saw her face.
“What’s wrong?”
Piper shook her head, not wanting to talk in the driveway. She had an eerie feeling they were being watched. “Not here. Let’s go inside.”
Liam turned to survey his surroundings and then followed her inside. His senses were on high alert now. Piper was upset and her bodyguards were nowhere to be found. He told Hunter not to trust those damn cats. They were only protecting Piper and her cousins to settle a debt. But he had to give them credit, the women didn’t suspect a thing.
He guided Piper to the sofa and made her sit. A few minutes later, he handed her a glass of ice water and joined her. “Tell me what’s got you so upset.”
Piper took a sip of her water and tried to calm down. She had left the bar like hellhounds were nipping at her ass. All she could think about was getting to Liam. He needed to know what Elise had confided in her. “Annalise is working with Silas. That’s how his men knew I would be working at the bar on my night off.”
Liam kissed her on the forehead and squeezed her hand. “Slow down, sweetheart and start from the beginning.”
Piper closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of Liam’s touch. She took several deep breaths and nodded in understanding. “Elise is convinced her sister is working with Silas because Isaac jilted her at the altar. She’s tried talking to Annalise, but she won’t listen. I had no idea she was harboring such ill-will toward the coven and the wolf pack. Elise thinks her sister has fallen off the reservation. She wants revenge and doesn’t care who
gets hurt along the way.”
Liam rubbed the back of his neck and tried to process everything Piper was saying. The more he thought about their situation, the more things began to make sense. How Silas’s men knew about Piper. Why he assumed she was the key to stealing his business. How they knew when to strike. The more he thought about Annalise’s betrayal the angrier he got.
He stood and began pacing the living room. “Isaac didn’t jilt Annalise at the altar. He found his mate. Did his timing suck? Yes. But she can’t fault the man for falling in love with the one person the Fates created for him.”
Piper sat her water on the coffee table, stood, and walked over to Liam. She entwined their fingers and kissed his cheek. “Haven’t you heard? Love hurts.”
Liam softly kissed her on the lips and pulled back until they were face-to-face. “It doesn’t have to when you’re with the right person. You’re that person for me Paddycakes.”
Piper’s eyes filled with tears. “I know. You’re that person for me too. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to admit the truth. I love you Liam Alexander. I think I always have.”
The smile on Liam’s face could have lit up the room. “Thank the Goddess you’ve come to your senses.” Then, he kissed her senseless.
Piper’s body tingled with pleasure and excitement as Liam deepened the kiss. Her need for this man was primal. He was everything she had ever wanted in a partner. He was her best friend; her confidant; her protector; and hopefully after tonight, her lover.
Liam broke the kiss and tried to catch his breath. They were moving too fast. Not that he was complaining. He’d had blue balls for years waiting on this woman. Now, he had her right where he wanted her. Well, that wasn’t exactly the truth. He wanted her naked in his bed. But they hadn’t even gone on a date. Ignoring his inner wolf and the aching bulge in his pants, he released her and took a step back.
Witch on the Fritz Page 7