Jasper (21 page)

“It’s
Jasper. Theron got to him. Can you meet me at the morgue?”

“Of
course. Please tell me you aren’t alone.” Dante yelled to Isabelle that he was
going to the hospital and he would call her soon.

“No,
Lorenzo’s with me.”

“Good.
If you get there before I do, do not go inside. I need to make sure Theron’s
nowhere near you, do you understand?”

“I
understand.” And he did. If Theron could take down a badass like Jasper, Trevor
didn’t stand a chance. By the time they got to the hospital, Dante, along with
Julian, Sixx, and Urijah were waiting for him. Urijah had a sword strapped to
his back as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

He
jumped out of the car before Lorenzo had come to a complete stop. “Dante,
please, tell me he’s not…”

Dante
grabbed him before he could go inside. The others looked both pissed off as
well as tormented. “He’s not dead, but it’s not good.”

“Let
me go, Dante. I need to see him!”

“I
will take you to him, but you need to prepare yourself, Trevor.”

Trevor
numbly followed Dante into the hospital, the others close behind. Julian spoke
softly to Lorenzo, obviously filling him in on what they’d found. Trevor froze
when he saw his beautiful Gargoyle on top of the slab. He wasn’t dead? He sure
looked dead. And contorted. Jasper was on the examination table with a sheet
draped over his body, covering everything except his face.

“He’s
been poisoned. I found him like this,” Dante indicated, inclining his head
toward Jasper.

“Poisoned,
how? Did Theron pour something down his throat?”

“He
injected it into his system. The needle punctured him there,” Dante explained,
pointing to a dot on Jasper’s neck.

“I
thought Gargoyle skin was impenetrable.”

“It
is for the most part. If blades are sharp enough, they can cut through the
skin, but it heals immediately. All the skin is that way except for the neck
area. It’s the reason we are capable of being beheaded.”

Trevor
didn’t understand why Jasper’s body wasn’t laid out flat. Instead, his knees
were drawn up as if he were… Oh god. When Trevor reached for the edge of the
sheet, Dante said, “Trevor, don’t.”

Ignoring
his boss, Trevor pulled the sheet back and gasped. Tears filled his eyes at the
sight before him. His beautiful man was wrapped up in those goddamn knots. Ropes
twisted intricately around his chest, his arms stretched behind his back. His
ankles were bound together; his knees spread apart exposing his crotch. The
rope wound around his thighs, between his balls, and disappeared down his ass.
Jasper’s cock was completely wrapped in rope.

‘What
the fuck?” Lorenzo asked.

“Shibari,”
Sixx answered.

“No,
it’s Kinbaku,” Urijah corrected him.

“What’s
the difference?” Lor asked.

“Shibari
is more for show. Kinbaku goes much deeper. It’s mostly for pleasure.”

“Or
pain,” Trevor cried. “Help me. Help me get these goddamn ropes off him!” he yelled
as he frantically looked for one of his saws.

“Trevor,”
Lorenzo tried to get his attention. “Trevor, stop!” Lor grabbed him by the arms.

“Let
me go!” The tears were falling now. He couldn’t help it. He also didn’t care if
the badass society saw his emotions.

“Trevor,
look.” Lorenzo turned him toward Jasper where Uri was holding the ropes in his
clawed hand.

Trevor
rushed to the table where Jasper was now free of his bondage. Mostly. Uri
hadn’t touched the binds around Jasper’s penis. “There’s a problem,” Uri said
pointing at the area he hadn’t touched.

“I’ll
get it,” Trevor said, reaching for the rope.

Uri
put his arm out, keeping Trevor from getting near Jasper. “No, Trevor. Look
closely. That isn’t just rope. Does anyone know how to diffuse a bomb?”

Trevor’s
heart stopped. “A bomb?”

The
others gathered closer, taking care not to touch Jasper. “It’s a miracle I saw
the wires before I went about slashing them. Then again, I wouldn’t have
touched him there. The wires lead to a small explosive at the base of his
spine.”

“I
don’t hear any ticking,” Trevor said.

Uri
confirmed it. “It’s not ticking. I think touching the rope around his… there…
would have started the timer.”

Julian
said, “I could probably figure this out with enough time, but I think Frey is
our expert in this sort of thing. I’ll give him a call.”

While
they waited on Frey, Trevor told Dante, “Theron texted me from your phone. How
is that possible?”

Julian
spoke up before Dante had the chance. “Because he has someone working for him
that’s even more skilled than I am with electronics, and that pisses me off.” Julian
paced the room; his irritability at himself was tangible.

As
soon as Frey could get someone to his house to stay with Abbi and the others,
he arrived at the morgue. When he saw Jasper, he let out a string of curses with
such intensity it scared Trevor. “If Jasper doesn’t kill this motherfucker, I’m
going to,” the big Goyle vowed.

When
he calmed down, Frey placed a black plastic box on the counter close to where
Jasper was lying. Without touching him, he surveyed the rope that was entwined
around the wires. “Trevor, I need your permission to touch Jasper. I would ask
you to help, but I need steady hands, and I don’t want you in the room should
something go wrong.”

“I
didn’t think you could be killed that way,” Trevor said.

“We
can’t, but you can. I’m going to do my best to get this off him before time
runs out. Lor, please take Trevor outside where it’s safe.”

Trevor
shook his head. “I can’t not watch, Frey. Please...”

“Okay,
but at least go up to the observation deck. Lor…”

“Don’t
worry. I won’t let anything happen to him.”

Trevor
headed for the stairs that led to the glassed in room where students could observe
as the autopsies were being performed. Before he got to the door, he stopped.
“Dante, where is Scarlett? She was on duty tonight.”

Dante
sighed and pointed to one of the drawers. That poor girl. Trevor liked most of
the other attendants that worked with the dead bodies, but she had been his
favorite. With a heavier heart, he left the room. He didn’t want to leave, but
he didn’t want to be blown to bits either. Once upstairs, he placed his hands and
his forehead on the glass as Frey methodically attempted to diffuse the bomb.
Trevor wasn’t a praying person, but in that moment, he asked for divine
intervention for Frey to remain steady and get that fucking bomb off his Gargoyle
before it went off. Lorenzo hovered close to Trevor.  

After
what seemed like an eternity, but was really less than five minutes, Frey
looked up and nodded. Lorenzo sighed, “Thank the gods.”

Trevor
scrambled down the stairs and rushed to the table, stopping beside the huge
Gargoyle who’d just saved Jasper’s body. “Thank you, Frey.”

Frey
placed a hand on Trevor’s shoulder and squeezed. His eyes were tormented. He
didn’t say a word as he grabbed his kit and left.

Trevor
removed the rope from Jasper’s penis and tossed it in the trash before pushing
his legs down flat on the table. He then stood beside his lifeless, stone still,
not breathing, badass boyfriend. At least it didn’t appear he was breathing.
“How long does he have?” he asked as he threw the sheet over Jasper’s body up
to his waist. He didn’t want the others to see his man naked. It might be a
stupid thing to worry about with his life on the line, but it was something he
felt he had to do.

Julian
stepped closer, adjusting the sheet on the other side of Jasper’s hip. “I won’t
know until I figure out what he was injected with. If it was only hellebore
root, he could remain like this indefinitely, depending on the amount he was
given.”

Trevor
placed his hands on Jasper’s cheeks. He wasn’t cold. He wasn’t even cool. That
was a good sign. His body temperature wasn’t dropping. He had to get busy.
Trevor brushed a kiss across Jasper’s lips and whispered, “Hang on, Jas.”

Trevor
shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it in the direction of his desk. He pushed
up his sleeves, washed his hands, and got busy.

“Trevor,
what are you doing?” Dante asked.

“I’m
drawing blood. The sooner we find out what he’s been given, the sooner we can
counteract it.”

“Trevor,
stop. We need to talk,” Dante grabbed his arm, but Trevor jerked free.

“No.
I am not giving up on him. Either you help me, or get out of my way.” He knew
he was out of his league, surrounded by five badasses, but he didn’t care. As
long as Jasper was alive, so was hope.

Trevor
was going to have to draw Jasper’s blood from his jugular. Julian walked around
to the other side of the table. “What can I do to help?”

“Jules…”
Dante tried to intervene, but Julian held up his hand.

“No,
Brother. Trevor’s right. We can’t stand by and do nothing. The least we can do
is figure out what we’re up against.”

Sixx
spoke up. “I agree. The good news is we located Kallisto. Nik is keeping an eye
on her location. Uri, what do you say we go get Theron’s sister?”

Trevor
glanced up at the blond. All he needed was a little war paint and a shield, and
he would make the perfect Viking. Urijah walked over to the table and laid his
hand on Jasper’s chest. He closed his eyes and spoke in a language that sounded
as ancient as the man looked in that moment. When he opened his eyes, they were
on Trevor. Uri placed a fist over his heart and bowed his head. Trevor inclined
his head in response.

Trevor
drew several vials of blood, not bothering to label them. He would run the
tests himself. He placed the full ones on the table beside Jasper’s arm as he
filled the rest.

Lorenzo
was on the phone telling whoever he was talking to what happened. That didn’t
matter to Trevor. All that mattered was finding out what Jasper had been
injected with.

“Trevor,
I know you want to test Jasper’s blood yourself, but my lab is much more
advanced than the one here at the hospital. It’s not that far, and we can get
started immediately with no one asking questions,” Julian offered.

“I
don’t want to leave him here.” Trevor knew Theron wouldn’t come back. The
damage had been done, but he wouldn’t leave Jasper.

“With
all the personnel coming and going, we should probably move him. I have a
bedroom set up at the lab. What do you say? You’re welcome to stay with him
there. You can either watch over him or help me run the tests.”

“Thank
you. I wasn’t thinking about someone walking in on us. Lorenzo, would you help
me get him loaded into the bus?” he asked as he handed the bundle of Jasper’s
blood to the only one he would trust with it. Julian was a genius and better
equipped to run the tests.

While
Lorenzo pulled a gurney from the back room, the others prepared to leave. Just
as Urijah had done, Julian touched Jasper and whispered words in Italian.
Instead of fisting his heart, he placed his hand on the back of Trevor’s head
and said, “I’ll see you at the lab.”

Trevor
wouldn’t look at Dante. He was a little pissed that his boss had wanted to give
up so soon. He stood close to Jasper and wrapped his fingers around the still
ones of his boyfriend. With his other hand, Trevor brushed the hair off of
Jasper’s forehead before running his fingertip down the side of his face. “I’m
here, Jasper. I’m right here,” he assured the Goyle. He didn’t know if he could
hear him, but he wouldn’t stop talking until Jasper woke up or…

“Dante,
I’ve got this if you want to go back home to Isabelle,” Lorenzo said.

Instead
of replying to Lor, Dante said, “Trevor, I don’t want you to get your hopes
up.”

He
looked at his boss. Really looked at him. The concern was etched in his brow.

“All
I have is hope.”

Dante
stood silently for a moment before coming closer. Instead of touching Jasper’s
chest as the others had done, Dante laid his hand on Jasper’s forehead. He
closed his eyes and stood motionless for a long time. His lips were moving, but
he was offering his prayer in silence. When he opened his eyes, a lone tear
rolled down his face. “I’ve got to call Dane and let him know about Scarlett.”

When
it was just him and Lorenzo, Trevor asked, “Aren’t you going to say a prayer, too?”

“Nah.
My trust is in you and Julian. Julian’s the smartest Goyle around. If there’s a
cure to be found, he’ll find it. You keep talking to the Irish. Let him know
you’re here.”

Trevor
yawned. It had been a long day. “Will you help me transfer him? He’s pretty
heavy.”

“I’ll
do you one better.” Lorenzo grabbed Jasper like he weighed nothing and
transferred his body to the gurney. “Let’s get to that bus.” Together, they
wheeled Jasper’s body to the exit where the M.E. van was parked. He opened the
back door on the vehicle, and Lorenzo pushed the gurney inside like a pro.

Trevor
came really close to letting Lorenzo drive, but he didn’t want to get in
trouble. “Will you ride in back with him?”

“Of
course.” Lorenzo climbed inside and sat alongside Jasper’s still body. He gave
Trevor directions to the lab, and within twenty minutes, they were unloading
the stretcher and pushing it into the large building.

“This
way,” Lorenzo said as he pulled the front while Trevor pushed.

When
they entered the room where Julian was waiting, Trevor couldn’t believe his
eyes. “Holy shit! This place is like something out of a fucking movie. I want
to come work here,” he said looking around at all the equipment.

“Don’t
let Dante hear you say that,” Julian said, smiling. “I’m going to get started
running the samples. You can put Jasper on the bed in the room at the end of
the hall.”

“Thanks.
Then I need to return the bus to the hospital.”

“No
problem. I’ll take good care of Jasper while you’re gone. I promise.”

Trevor
and Lorenzo got Jasper situated in a room that looked like a hotel room.
Lorenzo explained, “Julian’s work sometimes requires him to put in long hours.
This will be perfect for you and Jas. Now, come on. The sooner we get you to
the hospital, the sooner you’ll be back with your mate.”

Trevor
didn’t correct the Goyle about them being mates. All he cared about was getting
back as quickly as possible. When they did return, Trevor found Julian sitting
in the room with Jasper, a laptop on the desk in front of him. Upon seeing them
enter the room, Julian stood and told Trevor, “I’ll leave you alone with him.
If you need anything, I’ll be right down the hall.”

“Thank
you, Julian.”

“I’m
going to hang around for a while as well. If you need either one of us, just
yell.” Lorenzo didn’t fist his chest, but he did incline his head to Trevor.

Trevor
nodded. He was so appreciative that Jasper had family who cared so much. When
Lorenzo shut the door behind him, Trevor kicked off his boots and climbed onto
the bed beside Jasper. He wasn’t going to give up hope, but he also knew there
was a possibility his friend might never wake up. Trevor spent most of the
night memorizing every line, every freckle, every single detail of Jasper’s
face.

“Trevor,
wake up.”

            Trevor
opened his eyes, confused as to why he was in a hotel room until he looked down
into Jasper’s face.

“Others
are on their way. I thought you might want to wake up before they get here.”

“Yeah,
thanks for the warning.” He sat up and stretched before rising from the bed. He
found a full-size bathroom through an open door and splashed cold water on his
face after scrubbing his hands with hot water. Within minutes, the door opened,
and Gregor and Tessa, along with Rafael and Kaya, entered the room. Their moods
were somber, but Trevor wasn’t having it.

“Good
morning. Did anyone happen to bring coffee?” When they all looked at each other
confused, he explained, “You all look like you walked into a morgue. This…” he
indicated the room and Jasper’s body, “is temporary. Please don’t write him off
yet.”

“Of
course not, Trevor. My apologies. It’s a shock to see him lying there; that is
all. How are you holding up? You’ve had a rough week.” Rafael placed his hand
on Trevor’s arm and gave a small squeeze. The Gargoyles weren’t afraid of being
touchy feely, except where their mates were concerned. Then it was hands off.
Only he didn’t feel that way. Not exactly. When the others were laying their
hands on Jasper and praying for him, he actually welcomed their touching him.
He wasn’t religious, but if they were, and they thought their gods could
intervene somehow, he was all for it.

“I’m
not gonna lie; this is all a little overwhelming. My life up until a few weeks
ago was simple. I worked, and I went home. I studied dead bodies, and I played
video games. A lot. I had no friends and only one person I could call family.
Now my life is filled with people who care about me, and it feels strange. We
all know what happened on the bridge, and that bothers me. A lot. My brother
was almost killed. His girlfriend was. I had to tell him the truth about
Gargoyles, and on top of that, I had to tell him about what happened on the
bridge. That also bothers me a lot. I never wanted him to find out about that.
I never wanted him to look at me with less love in his eyes than he normally
does. And now, the man I consider my very best friend in the world is lying
here, helpless. I never thought I’d have someone who cared for me in a more
than platonic way. I think Jasper did. I might have let the best thing that
ever happened to me slip through my hands before I even grasped it. Other than
that…” he shrugged. Trevor didn’t know what else to tell them.

“I’m
going to get our Trevor here some coffee. I’ll be right back.” Lorenzo slipped
from the room. When the door closed, Tessa said, “You hang in there, sugar.
We’re not giving up. None of us are.” Her phone rang, and she frowned when she
saw the caller I.D. “Excuse me,” she said as she went into the hallway for
privacy. Gregor went with her. Trevor understood the way these couples worked.
Jasper had said it himself. It wasn’t a matter of not trusting the other.
Gregor went to watch her back. He’d already come close to losing her once. With
Theron on the loose, Gregor wouldn’t take a chance on leaving her alone, even
in the Stone Society lab.

Kaya
made her way to where Trevor was standing. “I’m really proud of you. I know I
didn’t always show you the respect you deserved, and for that I’m sorry.”

“I
probably didn’t deserve your respect. You make me nervous,” he admitted.

Rafael
laughed. “Hell, she makes me nervous, and I’m the King.”

Tessa
and Gregor came back into the room. The phone call had shaken Tessa. “I’m
sorry, Trevor, but I need to go. Gladys, my next door neighbor down in New
Orleans, passed away. That was her attorney on the phone. I’m needed for the
reading of the will. I promise we’ll be back as quick as possible.” She gave
him a big hug, and this time Gregor didn’t growl.

The
warden surprised Trevor by pulling him to his chest and holding him tight.
“Hang in there, buddy,” Gregor whispered. Trevor held on just as tight. He
imagined this was what it felt like to be comforted by a father.  Gregor pulled
away and patted his arm. “We’ll be back soon.”

No
sooner had they left than Frey came in followed by Matthew and Travis. Matthew
ran to the bed and draped his body over Jasper’s. The teen silently wept for
the Gargoyle who had been a great friend to him. “He’s got to wake up,” he
whimpered.

Travis
came to Trevor and pulled him into a hug. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

“Thanks,
but I’m not giving up. Matthew, you shouldn’t either. We need to stay
positive.”

Matthew
uncurled his body and wiped his eyes. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

The
morning was spent with Clan members coming and going. Trevor was curious to
know if Urijah and Sixx had found Kallisto, but he wouldn’t ask in front of his
brother. Travis already had a bad taste where the Gargoyles were concerned. It
wouldn’t do for him to hear the woman had been tortured for information.

Lorenzo
returned with coffee, food, and fresh clothes. Trevor had said he wasn’t
leaving until Jasper was awake, but he didn’t understand the difference in
Jasper being here or at home. Later, after everyone left and they had a moment
alone, Trevor asked Lorenzo, “Do you think it would be possible to move Jasper
to his home? I mean, could one of you stay there with us? I don’t know that he
would be more comfortable, but I would be. That probably sounds selfish, but
until we know what we’re dealing with…”

“I
can tell you what we’re dealing with.” Julian walked in, followed by his
brother. Nikolas walked over to the desk chair, pulled it closer to the bed,
and sat down. He crossed his arms over his chest, studying Jasper’s face.

“And?”

“It’s
not hellebore like we suspected. It’s a mixture of wolfsbane and hemlock.”

“And?”
Trevor wasn’t familiar with all the herbs of the world.

“Both
poisons. Both fatal, if given the right dosage. Luckily for us, whoever mixed
this concoction didn’t take into account the fact Jasper is a Gargoyle. His
metabolism, even at rest, is much higher than a human’s and is slowing the
effects of the poisons. There’s one other trace element I’m having trouble
identifying. I need to figure out what it is, but I’ve already begun
researching possible antidotes.”

“That’s
good.” Trevor turned to look at Jasper. Definitely good.

“I
don’t see why you shouldn’t take Jasper home. As a matter of fact, I’ll help
you,” Nikolas said. Trevor looked over his shoulder at Julian who nodded. He
wondered if Dante should be part of the decision, but he wasn’t there. Hadn’t
been there all morning, nor had he called Trevor to check in.