Jasper (15 page)

Dane
was sitting at the diner where Marley worked, enjoying a Christmas day latte
when he got the call about the third body. Asking her to put his drink in a
to-go cup was nothing unusual. He wanted to spend as much time around his mate
as he could without actually spending time
with
her. As much as he
wanted to ask her on a date, take her to Chez Vaison for a nice meal and maybe
dancing afterwards, he wouldn’t risk her being caught in the crossfire of a
Clan war.

So
far, every single mate had been targeted. It wasn’t a pattern Dane wanted to
see include his pretty waitress. He would continue to visit her daily for his
latte, but that was as close as he would dare to get. Dane stood to leave, and
Marley grabbed his arm, not letting him walk away. She put her hand around his
neck, pulling his head down so she could kiss his cheek. “Merry Christmas,
Chief,” she whispered in his ear. Before that day, she’d insisted on calling
him Detective as she had ever since she started working there. Her warm breath
in his ear stirred his cock. He bit back the moan that threatened to bubble up
from his chest. She was too enticing.

He
drove across town to the crime scene. Dane wasn’t glad Jasper was at the
hospital with Trevor, but he was happy to be back in the field. Kaya had been a
hands-on chief, going to crime scenes with her detectives. Now he understood
why. Sitting behind a desk all day bored the hell out of him.

Dane
moved around the scene the same way he had when he was a detective. He and
Dante discussed the victim like they had no idea who was behind the murder.

“Dane.
Abbott!” Dante was trying to get his attention.

“Sorry,
what?”

“I
was saying we’re done here. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,
just thinking about where this is going,” Dane said, swiping his hand through
the air over the latest victim. He looked around to make sure they were out of
earshot of any of the emergency responders. “Has Julian been able to come up
with any sign of Theron?”

“He
spotted a black SUV leaving the area around Trevor’s apartment earlier this morning,
but when the cameras picked it back up, it had a different tag number. Either
he has the ability to make a vehicle disappear, he’s changing license plates,
or there’s more than one SUV. Julian is working around the clock to find him
before any more innocents are killed.”

“How’s
Trevor holding up? I haven’t seen him since the Quinn incident.” Dane had been
shocked when Trevor twisted the pistol out of his holster and fired one shot at
Troy Quinn. He understood why he did it, though. If his mate was being shot at,
he’d protect her, too. Even if she had impenetrable wings.

“He
seems to be taking it well. I can’t get a read on his vitals, because he’s
around Jasper most of the time. That in itself is keeping him in a tailspin.
And now with his brother coming under fire? He’s bound to be close to losing
control.”

Dane
looked at the note that had been pinned to victim number three.
Keep
. “
Can
you keep
… We know this bastard has at least two more targets. I’ve got
everyone looking out for black SUV’s. I’ve instructed them to call it in if
they see one and not engage the driver. I can’t explain to them the driver is a
psychotic Gargoyle who could rip their head off. For now, nobody has questioned
me, but it’s only a matter of time until one of them does. I would.”

“I
know it must be hard for you, playing both sides. I’ve done it for so long, it
is second nature.”

“What,
lying to the people around you?” Dane asked.

“Not
lying, no. Skating the truth. We do whatever we must to keep the humans safe.
Speaking of the truth, here’s your chance to start skating,” Dante said,
pointing to the news crew. “Have you noticed anything different lately?

Dane
frowned then snapped his fingers. “Yes. Katherine Fox hasn’t been showing up
before the investigators can get to a scene. Makes you wonder if something
happened to her source.”

“I
haven’t seen her in a while. If I get the chance, I’ll ask Julian if he knows
what’s going on with his mate. Now, I’m going to get this body to the morgue so
I can get back to Trevor.”

“Give
him my best,” Dane said. He tossed the plastic evidence bag onto the seat
beside him and started his car. “
Can you keep
… what, or who?” he asked
aloud. Jasper? Trevor? Who was in Theron’s crosshairs, and why was he going
after random victims instead of the Stone Society? As he pulled away from the
crime scene, he muttered, “Merry fucking Christmas.”

Since
it was Christmas, Dante had given the techs who worked in the morgue the day
off. He and an orderly unloaded the latest victim, and Dante transported the body
into the morgue. This kill felt different. It was not neat like the first two
had been, if you can call a laceration to the throat with a claw neat. If Dante
didn’t know better, he would think someone else had killed this man. Time of
Death was approximately eight hours earlier, and with Theron being spotted in
Athens, it was probable he had one of his cohorts do the honors with this
victim. Tim Dobbins, twenty-seven, had been jogging in the park. While most
people were home celebrating Christmas, Mr. Dobbins had been enjoying the fresh
crisp air of the early Georgia morning when he was garroted.

The
first two crime scenes were void of any trace evidence. The ground around this
victim was disturbed where the killer had stepped in the blood and tracked it
over the pathway as he ran away. Even though CSU had taken their photos and
were running the shoe prints for possible clues, Dante had taken his own
picture and sent it to Julian. Normally, he didn’t overstep the humans’
investigation, but this was his family being targeted. The sooner they found
Theron and his cronies, the better.

As
much as Dante wanted to be home with his mate and son, the Clan needed him to
focus on the body before him. He was an expert at finding small clues humans
would never see. Along with his Gargoyle sight and sense of smell, Dante had a
sixth sense about him that sometimes allowed him to glimpse bits and pieces of
what happened.

He
spent hours going over the victim, praying he found something, anything, that
would lead them to the killer. When he realized how late it was getting, he
decided to give it a break. He needed to get Trevor’s spare clothes and take
them back to the hospital, which was over an hour away. He’d spoken to Isabelle
earlier, and she wanted to ride with him. Connor was happy to spend time with
Amelia, and Abbi welcomed Maria into their home. Dante couldn’t ask for a
better family to pitch in and help when things went south. Here lately, it
seemed things were staying below the equator. He was ready for the days when
the Goyles could enjoy spending time with their mates and each other without
looking over their shoulder, wondering who would be targeted next. He was ready
to wield his sword if the end result meant peace for a time.

Dante
closed up the morgue and swung by Trevor’s apartment. When he stuck the key in
the first lock, he found it to be unlocked. Dante turned the knob, and the door
opened. He reached out with his senses but found no one in the apartment. He
stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Dante took a look around,
searching for anything out of place. Since he’d never been inside Trevor’s
apartment before, he didn’t know what to look for.

Nothing
seemed out of the ordinary, so he set about finding a gym bag and clothes as
well as toiletries. When he returned to the living area, he noticed a piece of
wrapping paper beside the garbage can. Now
that
was out of place. Trevor
was a neat freak at work, so it only made sense he would be at home as well.
Dante picked the paper up by the corner, careful not to disrupt any
fingerprints that might have been left behind. As soon as he touched the
wrapping, he envisioned a gloved hand holding the same paper. Another flash
showed the return address through the eyes of whomever was holding the paper.
That was all Dante saw, but it was enough. Someone had been in Trevor’s
apartment. Dante would bet his Aston Martin it was Theron, and that was how he
made the connection. Even though he’d followed Trevor last time he visited
Travis, Dante doubted Theron had figured out they were brothers. Now he knew
they were family.

Dante
hated to call Trevor and tell him his home had been invaded, but he knew Trevor
would never forgive himself if something happened to those journals that
chronicled the clones in and around New Atlanta. He pulled out his phone and
dialed Jasper’s number.

“Hello,
Dante.”

“Jasper,
how is Travis?”

“Hold
on.” Jasper told Trevor it was Dante, and he was taking the call in the hall.
His Gargoyle hearing didn’t miss the sound of a kiss on the other end. He
wanted both Jasper and Trevor to be happy, but he had a bad feeling theirs was
going to be a long, bumpy road. “Okay, I’m back. Travis was okay until he found
out his girlfriend didn’t make it. The nurse sedated him. He woke up a little
bit ago and has pretty much shut down mentally.”

“How’s
Trevor holding up?”

“He’s
hanging in there, but he’s worried about his brother.”

“We
have a little problem on this end.” Dante didn’t want to cause Trevor more
worries, but he needed to know what happened.

“What
now?” Jasper asked, exasperated.

“When
I went to gather Trevor’s clothes, his door was unlocked. I might have chalked
it up to him forgetting, but there is no way he would leave his apartment
unguarded.”

“The
journals. Oh, gods. Were they stolen?”

“Not
as far as I know, but then again I don’t know where he keeps them.”

Jasper
didn’t speak for a moment. Footsteps sounded then the opening of a door. When
he spoke again, Dante knew he was in the stairwell. “They’re in his bedroom
closet.”

“I’m
surprised he shared this with you.” And he was. Trevor must trust Jasper more
than Dante realized.

“He’s
my mate,” Jasper snapped.

“Yes,
he is. My apologies. I did not mean he shouldn’t trust you. It’s just I know
how he feels about this information. I doubted he would ever share the location
of the journals with anyone.”

“Sorry.
I’m just worried about all this shit, you know? First Travis, now Trevor’s
apartment. What next?”

“Jasper,
I’ve learned never to ask that question. You won’t like the answer. I am
standing in Trevor’s bedroom, and I’ve opened the closet door. Nothing looks
out of the ordinary, but again, I’m not sure what to look for. Hang on a
second.” Dante noticed a variation in the carpet where it appeared something
had been slid across it. He ran his hand along the wall and found a slight
indention at one point. With very little pressure he was able to slide a secret
panel away from the rest of the wall. Trevor’s journals were there and intact.
“I was able to locate the secret panel. His journals are safe. However, I am
taking them to my home for the time being. Once I lock them in my safe,
Isabelle and I are headed that way.”

“Thank
you, Dante. I’m not telling Trevor about his apartment until Travis is out of
the hospital. He has enough on his mind without adding to it.”

“Agreed.
I will see you soon.”

Dante
hung up and added the journals to the bag of clothes. He made sure to lock up
behind him and headed for home. He called Julian on the way and asked him to
find someone to place a security system at Trevor’s apartment. Normally, Julian
installed all their alarms, but he had his hands full with finding Theron. Once
home, Dante made quick work of securing the journals in his hidden safe before
he and Isabelle hit the road.

They
had just pulled onto Interstate 20 when his phone rang. He was surprised when
Paxton’s name appeared on the caller I.D. “Paxton, is everything okay?”

“No,
it’s not. We got ballistics back on the bullet that killed Travis’s girlfriend.
The gun that was used is registered to Jasper.”

Jasper
asked Trevor if he was hungry. It was closing in on six o’clock, and Paxton
would be there soon. Trevor assured him he was okay. If he needed something,
he’d run down to the cafeteria. He explained how a lot of his meals came from
the cafeteria at New Atlanta hospital, and he was okay with that. Since Travis
was in ICU, Jasper and Trevor discussed getting a hotel room. Travis’s home was
a crime scene, so they couldn’t stay there. Jasper told him he wanted to have
it professionally cleaned while Travis was in the hospital so when he was
released, it would be one less thing he had to worry about. They were
discussing the hotel when Dante and Isabelle arrived, followed by Paxton.

Jasper
could feel the turmoil coming off all three of them. When Dante motioned for
Jasper to step out into the hallway, Trevor said, “Oh no you don’t. I might not
be part of the badass club, but I’m not going to be left out of your conversations.”

“Trev…”

“Jas...”
His mate stood with his hands fisted at his side. He was right. Whatever it
was, Jasper would tell him anyway, so he might as well hear it from Dante.

“Okay.
Dante, what is it?”

Isabelle
was the one who spoke up. “Can we go somewhere more private for this?”

They
were currently in a waiting room with other families of those patients in ICU. “What
in the fuck is going on? Dante just spit it out,” Jasper whispered. He was
worried if Isabelle thought it was bad.

Pax
had his hat in his hands, squeezing the bill and releasing. He motioned for
them to move to the far side of the room. When they were out of earshot of the
others, he said, “Jasper, I have some bad news. We got a match on the gun used
to kill Miss Montgomery. It’s registered to you.”

“Me?
That’s impossible.” He automatically placed his hand on his service weapon at
his hip. “My other guns are locked up at home.”

“Do
you have a Sig Sauer P226?”

“Yes,
but like I said, it’s at home.”

“Is
it locked in a safe?”

“No,
it’s in the console of my Jeep that is locked in the garage.”

“When
was the last time you saw it?” Pax wasn’t accusing Jasper; he was doing his
job.

“Yesterday
morning when we went to Rafael’s for breakfast.” Jasper thought back. Had he
seen it then? He didn’t remember getting into the console for anything. It
might not have been there. “If someone got to my gun, then they got into my
garage. My locked-up-secure garage with an alarm system. I need to go.” He
started out the door but stopped when Trevor called his name.

“Where
are you going?”

“If
that bastard has broken into my home, it’s not safe. You’re not safe.” He
looked at Dante who nodded. “Trevor, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.”

“Jasper,
wait!”

He
didn’t wait. He didn’t stop for anything or anyone. If Theron had somehow
managed to break into his home and get his gun…

“Fuck!”
Jasper yelled and banged on the dashboard. He flipped on his reds and blues and
made it back to New Atlanta in less than forty-five minutes. By the time he
pulled into his driveway, Jasper was shaking. Trevor had called a couple of
times, but he let it go to voice mail. Dante and Isabelle would stay with him
until Jasper got his shit sorted. He slid to a stop in front of his garage and
hit the garage door opener at the same time. He held his breath as he opened
the driver’s door and lifted the console lid. It wasn’t there. His personal
weapon was gone, and it had been used to kill a woman. Jasper backed away from
the jeep and phased fully. His wings flapped once, his beast ready to take to
the sky. In that moment, if Jasper had known where Theron was, he would have
given over to his shifter, daylight or not. He would grab his sword and take
the head of the Gargoyle responsible. Instead of flying, he retracted his wings
and took off running. He needed to expend some energy, and that was the
quickest way. What he really needed was to go about fifteen rounds in the ring
with Frey, but he didn’t have that kind of time.

Jasper
needed to calm down and figure out how in the fuck Theron broke into his home.
Had the bastard flown? It wouldn’t be that hard for a Gargoyle to get onto
Jasper’s property if he was so inclined. The fence that surrounded his fifty
something acres was more of a human deterrent. Why hadn’t the alarm sounded? As
he got his shifter under control, he returned to his house and called Julian.

“Jasper,
how’s Travis?” Julian answered instead of saying hello.

“Fine.
Listen, has my alarm gone off anytime in the last twenty-four hours?”

“No,
why?”

“Because
someone got into my Jeep and stole my gun.”

“Are
you sure?” Julian was tapping away on his keyboard, but then again, he always
was.

“Pretty
fucking sure. It was the gun used to shoot Travis and kill his godsdamn
girlfriend.”

There
was momentary silence on the other end, then “I’m looking at your system now. What
the? Your system is offline. Fuck! Let me call you back.” The line
disconnected. The panic in Julian’s voice spoke volumes. If Jasper’s system was
offline, others probably were as well. While he was waiting, he went inside the
house and looked around. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary until he got to
his bedroom. The picture Connor had drawn of him was strewn across his bed in
hundreds of pieces. Jasper’s claws popped out. What if Trevor had been there
alone? How could he protect him when he couldn’t be with him twenty-four seven?

Actually,
he could. He had enough money in the bank that he could quit his job and be
Trevor’s personal bodyguard. But dammit, he shouldn’t have to be. No one should
live their life in fear of constantly being attacked. The only thing to do was
to stay away from Trevor until Theron was found and his head was on a pike.
Jasper went into his walk-in closet and stopped at the far end. He was just
about to push the clothes apart when he hesitated. Trevor wasn’t the only one
with a secret panel. Finley, the Goyle who’d lived in the house before, must
have asked Rafael to install it. That, or Rafael put secret rooms in all their
homes. Either way, he was happy to have it. Unless Theron had installed cameras
in his home while he was there, he wouldn’t know to look for it. Until Jasper
knew for certain, he wouldn’t tip his hand.

Jasper
realized that Theron had been at his home twice: once when he took the gun, and
again when he shredded the picture. He had been in his home in the last few
hours. Jasper’s beast roared inside. His phone rang, and he stepped back into
the bedroom to answer. “Talk to me,” he barked. He needed to calm his beast.

“Every
one of our security systems was offline. Someone hacked in. Again. They’re all
secure now, but I need to call Rafael and let him know what’s going on. I’m
going to get Nik in here to help me call everyone.”

“Is
there a quick way to know if someone bugged my house or set up cameras?”

“You
think he’s spying on you?”

Jasper
thought about the photos taken of him and Craig from outside his old home. “Wouldn’t
be the first time.”

“I’ll
send Lorenzo over with a detector. Jasper, I’m sorry I let you down.”

Jasper
took a deep breath before responding. “You didn’t, Julian. We need to treat
this as what it is – war. When you talk to Rafael, tell him he needs to prepare
the troops.” Jasper hung up and headed to the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of
Jameson, he went outside on his deck. He took a big swig before yelling,
“Theron! You want me? Come get me!”

By
the time Lorenzo’s Harley could be heard rumbling down the road, Jasper had
polished off one bottle of whiskey and was half-way through the second. The
motor shut off, and Jasper let out a low whistle letting the Goyle know he was
out back. Lorenzo strode around the house and up onto the deck. He held his
hand out, and Jasper passed the bottle.

“Damn,
that’s good.” Lor read the label. “You don’t play around with your whiskey,
Brother.” He passed the bottle back, holding up the electronics detector in the
other hand. When Jasper didn’t comment, Lor said, “I’ll just get started.”

Jasper
didn’t follow him into the house. He continued to stand sentry, hoping Theron
would show back up so he could end his miserable life. A while later, Lorenzo
returned. “It’s all good, Brother. No bugs, no cameras.”

“There’s
nothing good about this situation. He came into my home and destroyed something
valuable to me. He stole my gun and used it to kill a woman. He broke into my
mate’s apartment. Nothing is sacred to this bastard. I’m going to find him, and
when I do, I won’t stop until I have his head,” Jasper seethed, his voice
barely above a whisper.

“I
believe you, and I can’t say I blame you. I don’t know what happened in the
past between the two of you. Don’t need to know. The way I see it, he and
Alistair have already declared war. If you stop Theron before he hurts anyone
else, that’d be a win for the good side.”

Jasper
downed the contents of the bottle. “I appreciate you coming out here. If you’ll
excuse me, there’s something I need to do.”

Lorenzo
clapped him on the shoulder and left him alone. Jasper called Urijah and asked
to meet him at the armory. With that arranged, Jasper went into his bedroom and
entered the secret room behind the closet. Jasper didn’t look around. He went
directly to his claymore and grabbed the hilt. He wasted no time in putting his
beloved sword in the Jeep and driving across town.

Urijah
was waiting for him when he arrived. The Viking didn’t say a word. He already
knew what Jasper wanted, and he was more than willing to provide the service.
Between Uri’s skills as a swordsmith and Julian’s genius with everything else,
his sword would soon be ready to slice through the thickest neck as if it were
butter. Jasper trusted Uri, but he wasn’t going to leave his oldest, most
prized possession alone with anyone. Not even a brother. He pulled the sword
from its sheath and handed it over. For the next two hours, Urijah sharpened
both edges before dipping the blade into the special hellebore concoction Julian
had cooked up. The amount of poison that coated the blade wasn’t enough to kill
a Gargoyle, but it did slow down their movements, giving the striker an
advantage.

His
phone rang several times while he waited, but he didn’t answer. He would call
Dante later, pleading with him to protect Trevor until this was over. He
couldn’t keep his mate safe while hunting down Theron.

When
the process was finished, Uri swung the sword several times, appreciating the
weight and balance. Uri crafted all the Stone Society swords, but Jasper
preferred his own. In battle, it had been an extension of the warrior, just as
his claws, fangs, and wings were extensions of the Goyle. As Uri handed it over
he said, “I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’ve got your back, Brother. It’s
been a long time since I’ve been in a good bloody battle.”

“How
long?” Jasper was curious. If Uri didn’t want him to know his past, he’d either
ignore the question or tell him to go fuck himself.

Uri
looked at the ceiling. “Four hundred years? Give or take a decade or two.”
Jasper whistled low, and Uri laughed. “I know; I’m an old bastard.”

When
they got outside, Urijah reiterated his earlier statement. “I meant what I
said. You need anything, you call.”

“Thanks,
Brother.” Jasper got in his Jeep, his mood a little lighter than earlier. He
dialed Trevor’s number, not expecting him to answer. He was probably pissed at
Jasper for running off.

“Hello?
Jasper, are you okay? God, I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m
fine. Now. How’s Travis?”

“He’s
asleep again. He’s having a hard time accepting Rachel’s gone. I think he’s
gonna need time to get over losing her that way.”

“I’m
sure he will.”

“I
miss you, Jas. When are you coming back?”

Trevor
had relied on Jasper for strength all day, and he just up and left his mate.
He’d had most of the afternoon to decide what he felt was best and staying away
finally won out.

Jasper
closed his eyes and told his mate, “I’m not.”