Jasper Read online

  “I love working at the morgue. It’s nice and quiet.” Trevor was finding it hard to sit there and talk like they hadn’t been estranged for the past ten years, but his father seemed to be genuinely interested.

  “Good, I’m glad you found something you like, just like your brother has. Travis loves his job. So, your gentleman friend over there… are you?”

  Trevor looked at Jasper. He was waiting for what Trevor would say next. “He’s my best friend.” That was all he could say at that point. He didn’t know what the future held for him and the Gargoyle, so there was no need in making more out of it until he was sure.

  “Can I call you sometime? Maybe get together for coffee? I’ve missed you all these years.”

  “Yeah, uh, I guess.”

  “Good, good. Listen, I’m not going to make apologies for your mother. She is who she is, but I’m sorry I let you go all these years without you knowing I love you. I didn’t know how to reach you when you were so angry. You had every right to hate us, but I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive us.” His father stood. “I better go see where she’s gotten off to.”

  Trevor stood, and his father pulled him into a tight hug. Trevor was shocked. Before he could hug him back, his father left the room.

  “Huh,” he muttered. He went back to his seat and picked up his sandwich. Suddenly, he felt a little like eating.

  Since they knew Travis was going to be okay, Frey returned the women to New Atlanta via helicopter. Gregor drove Matthew home, leaving Dante and Jasper with Trevor. Trevor tried to get Dante to go home so he could be with Connor, but Dante refused. Trevor asked, “Aren’t you afraid Theron will target Connor while you’re away? You left him with Maria.”

  Dante stretched his long legs out and crossed them at the ankle. “Lorenzo’s there with them. He picked up Amelia on his way, so she’s safe as well. Mason was patrolling the woods before Lor got there. I will never leave my family unprotected as long as Alistair has us in his sights. Speaking of which, I want you to consider moving out of your apartment. I am going to talk to Rafael, but I want to bring Travis into the fold. He’s going to need protection, and he deserves the truth of what happened.”

  Trevor wasn’t ready to give up his apartment. He was still undecided on being with Jasper, and he couldn’t imagine himself living with anyone else. He was a risk to him as long as they were together. “Isn’t that rushing things? I’m not sure I want Travis to know what happened. I want him to welcome my friends into his life, not hate you because he thinks you’re responsible.”

  “Do you think we’re responsible?” Dante asked.

  “At first I did. Now that I’ve had time to think about it, I don’t.”

  “What changed your mind?” Jasper asked.

  “Tessa. She said blaming your past with Theron for the recent murders is like blaming her being cloned for the redhead deaths.”

  Jasper stood and walked to the window. He slid his hand through his hair before putting both hands in his pants pockets. He was still dressed for work, although his shirt was partially untucked and a little wrinkled. His badge and gun were both visible on his hip. He was gorgeous. Trevor looked away and sighed. He didn’t want Jasper to blame himself, but then again, he was still taking the blame for Travis getting hurt.

  The door opened, and a stranger walked in. “Dante?” the man asked.

  His boss stood. “I’m Dante.”

  The man held out his hand. “I’m Paxton. I wanted to come see how Travis is doing.”

  Dante shook his hand and said, “This is his brother, Trevor, and this is Jasper.” Pax shook hands with them both while Dante was filling him in on Travis’s condition.

  Pax said, “Rafael paid us a visit not too long ago and told us about mating with humans. When he was here, he also let us in on your uncle’s sudden interest in targeting your mates. I just never thought it’d hit this close to home. So, Theron’s doing his father’s dirty work?”

  Jasper, who’d returned to staring out the window, said, “Not exactly. This one’s more personal. He’s after me specifically. He’s already killed my ex. Now he’s targeting my mate.”

  “Travis is your mate?”

  “No, Trevor is.”

  Pax frowned until he looked at Trevor. When their eyes met, his mouth turned up into a big smile. “This is most excellent.”

  “How’s that?” Trevor asked. He still didn’t think he and Jasper belonged together.

  “Because my best friend is gay, and he’s resigned himself to never finding his mate. I can tell him that other gay Gargoyles do exist and they are mating.”

  “We’re not mates yet,” Trevor muttered.

  “Why not? You have a Goyle as hot as Jasper, and you haven’t latched onto him? Silly human.”

  Trevor didn’t know if he should be jealous or offended. Or both. He looked at Jasper to see if he was appreciating the other cop appreciating him. He was surprised to find his eyes on Trevor. Jasper’s look was one of torment, much like what Trevor was feeling inside. In that moment, the need to go to Jasper and hold him was stronger than anything he’d ever felt. He didn’t move, though. He was afraid to. Until Jasper held out his hand. Trevor was across the room and in Jasper’s arms before his next breath. In that moment, everyone and everything else melted away, and the two of them were the only ones in the world.

  No words were said. They stood and held each other, offering the other one strength. Trevor inhaled deeply, embedding the scent that was Jasper into his senses. He found it strange that the way someone smelled could be comforting, but Jasper’s unique scent was like a balm to his soul. He didn’t understand it, but the connection he felt, especially when they were touching, was unlike anything he’d ever expected to find with another man.

  Over the past couple of weeks, Trevor had observed the other Gargoyles with their mates. He thought it was the newness of their relationship causing them to constantly hold hands, hug, or simply caress a face. Now he knew better. There was an invisible string connecting the two together, pulling them to one another. He felt that tug when he was near Jasper. Trevor knew Jasper felt the same thing. It was the only explanation why someone like him would be drawn to someone like Trevor.

  The door opened again. This time it was Dante and Pax returning. Trevor hadn’t realized they had even left the room. He had been caught up in the man holding him. Dante said, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Dane just called. There’s been another killing.”

  Trevor didn’t move out of Jasper’s arms. He turned so his back was to Jasper’s front, still needing the contact. Jasper held onto his waist, pulling him close. “Was there a note?” Trevor asked.

  “Yes. This one said keep. One of Paxton’s men is going to drive me home. I’ll take care of the body. You stay here with Travis.”

  Jasper said, “Harris is off today. I need to get back for the investigation.”

  “Dane said he’ll take this one. You are to stay here with Trevor for however long you need.” Dante strode across the room and placed his hands on Trevor’s shoulders. He felt a low rumble in Jasper’s chest. Surely he wasn’t jealous of Dante. The man was his boss, and he was straight. “Trevor, I’m sorry to leave you, but I’ll be back. Do you need me to bring you anything?”

  “A change of clothes would be nice. And some toiletries.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, removing one of them from the ring and handing it to Dante. “This unlocks all three deadbolts. I’d like to stay with Travis a few days, at least until we know what he’s going to need.”

  Dante nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Jasper, do you need anything?”

  “No, I’m good. Thanks.”

  Dante squeezed Trevor’s shoulder once more. Jasper pulled on Trevor’s hips, moving him even closer than he already was which was pretty damn close.

  “Paxton, I meant to ask. Did you see a black lab at Travis’s? He has a dog, Molly.”

  “Actually, I’m glad you said that. She was loc
ked up in the back bedroom when we searched the house. One of the CSU’s took her home with her until Travis gets better.”

  “Oh, that’s great. Please tell her thanks.”

  Pax said, “Will do. I’ll be back around six when my shift is over. Here’s my number in case you want me to bring you something to eat.” He handed the card to Jasper, not Trevor. Must be some badass code between Gargoyles.

  When they were alone again, Trevor turned to face Jasper. He studied the lines on his forehead. He wasn’t used to the hot detective frowning. Today, he’d done way too much of it. “Did you actually growl when Dante touched me?” Trevor couldn’t help the smirk on his face.

  “Maybe. I don’t like him touching you.”

  “You do know he’s like a father to me, right?”

  “Doesn’t matter. Have you not heard the other Goyles growl when their women hug you? You are like a brother to them, but the males don’t care. We are very protective of our mates, regardless of who is doing the touching or how innocent it is.” Jasper tipped Trevor’s chin up farther. “I’m the only one who gets to touch you,” he said right before he pressed their lips together softly.

  Someone clearing their throat interrupted the moment. Trevor turned to find a nurse waiting just inside the door. “Trevor, I thought you might like to know Travis is in ICU on the fourth floor. Visiting hours start in thirty minutes.”

  “Is he going to be okay?” Trevor knew the doctor had said he would be, but he needed the reassurance.

  “Physically, he will be fine. He’s going to need to stay in the hospital a few days for observation. It will take about four to six weeks for him to heal. I’m going to relay this information to your parents, but I wanted you to know first.”

  “I’ll be here to help him through it. Thank you.” Trevor shook the nurse’s hand and fell back into Jasper’s chest. He had no doubt Jasper would catch him.

  “This is great news,” Jasper whispered into his ear.

  “Yeah, he’s always been the strong one. I hope he can get over losing his girlfriend. You know, I don’t even know her name. I’m a shitty brother.”

  “I doubt he feels that way, but maybe you can use this time to really get to know Travis.”

  “I’d like that. He’s the only one I’ve ever been able to count on. I want him to know he can count on me, too.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jasper’s heart was torn. Trevor wasn’t shying away from him like he thought his mate would. Instead, he seemed to be letting Jasper get closer. He wasn’t sure this was a good thing. He wanted nothing more than to seal the bond with Trevor, but if doing so caused him and his family harm, Jasper had to do the right thing and let him go. But if he did that, he couldn’t protect Trevor. If Theron thought there wasn’t anything between them, would he leave Trevor alone? Or did he know how much he meant to all the immediate Clan, not just Jasper?

  Theron already knew Trevor was not only Dante’s assistant, but part of his family as well. Trevor had gone to Dante’s when Theron followed him from Athens. Trevor was at risk regardless. For now, he would supply whatever it was Trevor needed from him. Trevor’s next words told Jasper what he needed at that moment.

  “I gotta get out of here. I spend all day cooped up in the morgue then all night cooped up in my apartment. You’d think this room wouldn’t be any different, but it is. Can we go for a walk outside?”

  “Anything you want.” He meant it. Jasper would give Trevor the world if he asked for it. He might have to ask Julian for help on how to supply it, but he’d do that, too. He led Trevor to the door and held it open so he could go first. He allowed Trevor to walk a step in front of him so he could shield Trevor should anyone surprise them from behind. Instead of taking the elevator, Trevor took the stairs. Theirs were the only footsteps echoing in the quiet. When they reached the ground floor, Trevor headed for the front door. As they passed by the cafeteria, Trevor’s parents were sitting at a small table, drinking coffee. If Trevor saw them, he didn’t let on, and Jasper wasn’t going to point them out.

  Trevor led Jasper to a covered pavilion and sat down at a picnic table. He tried to pull Jasper down next to him, but Jasper sat on the table behind him so he had his back covered. Trevor leaned back against him and asked, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

  “You already told me where you got the name Jasper. Where did Jenkins come from?”

  Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. This story was one he would gladly tell his mate. “After I met up with the gypsies in Romania, I continued north through the Ukraine on to Belarus. I wanted to get as far away from the sunshine that had been Greece as I could. I found an abandoned fortress in Kreva and made it my home. It was close to the forest, so I had plenty of wildlife for food. This is where my love for snow comes from. The silence that accompanies a blanket of snow on the ground is one of the most peaceful sounds I’ve ever heard. It is also the most haunting. I spent almost thirty years living in solitude surrounded by nothing but trees.

  “Eventually, I knew I would lose my mind if I didn’t ease myself back into civilization. During my time at the castle, I began thinking of home and how I missed all the green that was Ireland. I left my fortress and set out across the continent for what had once been my home. My first order of business was to visit and pay tribute to the O’Donnell. I traveled to Ireland, but was sad to find his once great castle had been abandoned upon his death. Since all his sons died in the war, no one claimed the castle and it fell to ruin. I made my way up to Scotland, revisiting the Hebrides and the land where I first encountered the Redshanks.

  From that that point, I traveled south through the country and boarded a boat headed back to Ireland. I had decided I was going locate my birth clan. On the trip, I met John Jameson. He was going to Ireland to try his hand at making whiskey. He and I stood by the rail with him gushing about his dream. Since I had no dreams of my own, I sort of latched on to his. It was 1780, and Dublin was overflowing with others who had the same dream.

  “When we got off the boat, I left him in Dublin, and I made my way north to where my clan and family lived. When I got there, I found my family. Let’s just say it wasn’t the homecoming I’d hoped for. My athair threatened to take my head as he should have done instead of selling me. Only two of my older brothers were there, but they didn’t seem very happy. While I was in Belarus, I practiced my skills with the sword as well as bow and arrow. I had nothing else to do with my time but grow stronger. I could have bested any one of them, my father included. I thought about challenging him for about three seconds. If I had slain him, I’d have had my brothers to fight, and they wouldn’t have fought fair. Me against one, sure I would take those odds. Me against two or three? I was smart enough to offer him my best wishes and hightail it out of there.

  “I made my way back to Dublin where I rekindled my friendship with John. He had saved up a lot of money and was making some pretty good whiskey by the time I got back. I offered to be a silent partner in his business. With the money I added to what he already had, it gave him an advantage over the other distillers. John was my best friend, and even though he wasn’t much older, he became a father figure to me. The name Jenkin means little John or son of John. I eventually had to leave Dublin because I wasn’t aging. I added an s to Jenkin and headed to the States for the next part of my long journey.”

  Trevor stood and situated himself between Jasper’s legs, placing his hands on his shoulders. “So at the restaurant when you asked for your private stock, it really is yours. You own part of Jameson.”

  “I used to. I couldn’t very well continue being a part of the company forever. It would raise too many questions. So, right before John died, I sold my shares in the company to his family.”

  “I thought Sixx made you rich. You did it all on your own.”

  “Not really. The money I invested in Jameson wasn’t as much as you might think. It wasn’t until I sold my stock that my investme
nt paid off. If I had known Sixx when I first moved to the West Coast, you and I would own Bora Bora right now. Since I didn’t know much about investing, I stuck my money in a small IRA. Sure it grew, just not as much as it could have.”

  “Bora Bora, huh? What about you and your snow? I don’t think you’ll see much snow in a tiki hut overlooking the South Pacific.”

  “You’ve been there?” Jasper teased.

  “Yeah, right after I went dog-sledding in Alaska where I admired the Aurora Borealis every night.” Trevor grinned.

  It felt good to see the worries of the world fade away from his mate’s face, even if for only a few minutes. “That is something everyone should see at least once.”

  “You’ve seen the Northern Lights?”

  “More nights than I haven’t. Living in the northern areas of Europe made it a common occurrence. But it, like snow, is something I would never grow tired of.” Jasper would love nothing more than to vacation in the South Pacific with Trevor before going back home to a log house in the north somewhere. If he had Trevor in his life as his mate, he would never be alone again. Trevor, however, might get cabin fever. A loud voice took Jasper’s attention away from his mate to where Mrs. McKenzie was pitching a fit to her husband as they walked down the sidewalk.

  “This is all Trevor’s fault. He has poisoned Travis’s mind against me. My own son kicking me out of his room.” Her voice was still heard the farther away they walked. “And why is there a cop keeping people out?”

  Trevor’s body stiffened as his mother spoke ill towards him. “Shit, visiting hours have started. Come on,” Jasper urged. When he didn’t move, Jasper grabbed his chin and pressed their lips together. He demanded Trevor give entrance to his tongue. Now was not the time for a passionate kiss, but it was the time to distract his mate from that vile woman’s ranting. Trevor opened for him, allowing him a few moments to make his mate think of nothing but the feel of their breaths mingling while their tongues danced. Trevor grasped his hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. If they kept up the intensity, Jasper would lay Trevor down on top of the picnic table and really give him a distraction. He pulled away, both of them panting.