Jasper Read online

  Dane’s breathing was getting harder to control. He was going to find the bastard and make sure he never touched his mate again.

  “Chief, calm down. I’m okay. It won’t happen again. He’s been banned from the restaurant.”

  “You’re damn right it won’t happen again. Did you press charges? I didn’t see you come into the station.”

  “No, I can’t afford to miss work by going to court and all that. Jerry banned him, so I won’t have to deal with him anymore.”

  He pulled her to him, hugging her close. She let him hold her for a minute before pulling back and asking, “What’s going on? You come all this way just to check on me?”

  “Yes, Marley, I did. You’re my favorite waitress. I can’t let anything happen to my favorite waitress, now can I?” He knew it sounded stupid before the words left his lips, but he couldn’t tell her the truth. “Have you iced your cheek? It’ll help.”

  “Yes, I have. As a matter of fact…” Marley pointed to her unmade bed and a zipped up plastic bag full of melting ice. Her bed was a rumpled mess. He finally noticed she was wearing pajamas. Her legs were covered in cartoon sleeping pants and her top was covered, barely, in a worn out red t-shirt. Either she was really glad to see him or the heater was broken. He dragged his eyes back to her face before his cock decided to betray him.

  “Good. I’m going to have a talk with your boss. Then I’m going to have a unit patrol the area for a few days. Just in case.”

  “You think this jerk’s gonna come after me again?”

  “Not after I find him. Until then, we can’t be too careful.” Dane rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “Get some rest. I’ll check on you later.” He kissed her cheek again and left his mate standing with her mouth open.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Trevor was so tired of being at the hospital. At least when he was at work, he had things to do to keep him occupied. Sitting in the stiff bedside chair was wearing on his ass. Travis was physically ready to go home. Currently, he was talking with the staff psychologist. Trevor didn’t think that was standard protocol, but what did he know. He dealt with the dead ones, not the ones who survived. When Travis returned to his room, he told Trevor he was being released, but he didn’t think he could go home. He wanted to go get Molly and then check into a hotel.

  Dante had already made arrangements for one of the Athens Gargoyles to watch over them in case that was what Travis decided. Trevor had hoped and prayed his brother would return to New Atlanta. Now, they were on their way to a hotel that was dog friendly. The CSU tech was scheduled to bring Molly to the hotel after she got off work that day, and Isabelle and Dante were going to Travis’s to gather him some fresh clothes. Dante had returned to Trevor’s apartment to grab some more items for him that included books and his laptop. His boss truly was a godsend.

  Once they got checked in, Travis stretched out across the bed in his room, staring off into space. Trevor left him alone for the most part, not knowing what to say or do. While they were waiting on Dante to return, Trevor’s phone rang. He grabbed it hoping it was Jasper. Instead, the caller I.D. came up as unknown. He pressed ignore, not wanting to take a chance on it being Theron. He sent a quick text to Jasper letting him know they had moved to a hotel and that Dante could give him the details. Ever since someone had gained access to his personal information, Trevor was a little paranoid about sending things over the airways.

  Dante and Isabelle returned, bringing clothes as well as food. When Dante reserved them a hotel, Trevor should have known he would spring for a suite. It had two separate bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a living area, and dining area. The three of them were sitting at the table eating, and Slade was sitting on the sofa flipping through one of Trevor’s books. A knock sounded at the door, and Slade jumped up to find out who it was. He looked through the peephole, and said, “Uh, we might have a problem. The dog’s here.”

  “Let’s go into Trevor’s bedroom while he lets her in. She’ll be safe enough for that long,” Dante instructed. He, Isabelle, and Slade hid in his room while he opened the door for the tech.

  As soon as he did, Trevor was accosted by the furry animal. He knelt down and hugged her around the neck. “Here you go,” the tech said, handing him Molly’s leash. “She was such a good girl,” she said, bending over giving the animal some love.

  “Thank you for watching her. Can I pay you for your trouble?” Trevor asked.

  “It’s already been taken care of. I’d have done it for free, but I appreciate the generous tip. Bye Molly.”

  The tech left, and Molly took off running towards Travis’s room, knowing her master was there. She stopped short when she got to Trevor’s closed door, whining and scratching. “Oh, shit. Molly, come on girl. Let’s go find Travis.” He tugged on her leash and led her to his brother’s room. “Travis, there’s someone here to see you.” Molly jumped up on the bed and licked Travis all over, sensing something was wrong. Travis began rubbing her fur, talking softly to her.

  Trevor closed the door and opened his. “Not sure this is going to work with Slade staying here.”

  The large Gargoyle smiled. “It’ll be fine. I’ll hide out in your room whenever they have the door open, and I’ll come out here when they’re asleep.”

  “What about when she has to go outside to pee?”

  “I’ll follow at a distance.”

  “I don’t like this setup. We didn’t take into consideration the animal would get upset,” Isabelle stated. She placed her hands on her hips, thinking. “Can we ask that nice young woman to keep Molly a while longer?”

  “Travis needs her right now, probably more than he needs protection.”

  Travis opened his door and asked, “Trevor, why is Molly climbing the door trying to get out? And what is there for her to get upset about?” Molly didn’t come out of the room, but stood alternating between barking and growling at those in the living room.

  Trevor hadn’t heard his brother leave his bedroom. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t tell Travis the truth, that there were other types of animals in the room.

  Dante said, “Come on, Beautiful. Slade, let’s go out into the hallway so the dog can calm down. We will see about moving you into a connecting suite. Trevor, tell him.”

  “I don’t think that’s such…” Trevor started to argue that Travis wasn’t ready to hear the truth, but Dante held up his hand.

  “Trust me.”

  Trevor did trust Dante. He had told Trevor the truth of the Gargoyles when Trevor was distressed. Travis was also distressed, so maybe it was better to hear something unbelievable when you were already at a low point. He nodded at his boss. Once the three of them were in the hallway, Molly eased out into the living area. She sniffed every inch where one of the Gargoyles or Isabelle had touched.

  “Trevor, what’s going on?”

  “You might want to sit down. What I’m about to tell you isn’t easy to believe. It’s even harder to explain, especially since I’m not one of them.” Trevor now appreciated the position Dante had been in telling Trevor their secret.

  “One of who?”

  Trevor sat down on the sofa next to his brother. “Not who. What. The best way I know to explain this is to just spit it out. Dante, Slade, and even Isabelle are shapeshifters. Actually Isabelle is only half-blood since her mother’s human, but she still has the shifter inside her that riles Molly. Molly senses the shifter within them all, and it’s driving her crazy.”

  “Shapeshifters. Like werewolves?”

  “No, like Gargoyles. But not those little stone creatures on the sides of buildings. Those were created a long time ago in honor of the real Gargoyles. Sometimes they were used by the Gargoyles as a calling card of sorts. If a building contained one of the chimeras, it let others know it was a sanctuary for them away from humans. Anyway, they don’t shift into an entirely different creature like werewolves do. They retain their human features while they release wings, fangs, and really fucking sharp claws. Tru
st me; I’ve seen what those claws are capable of.” Trevor shivered thinking back to the victim he’d studied on his slab.

  “Are vampires real, too?”

  “What? No, of course not. At least I don’t think so. Dante?”

  “No,” he responded from the hallway.

  “They have really good hearing,” Trevor said, shrugging. “And eyesight. Oh, and special skin that is impenetrable. At least the full-blood males do. The females don’t get wings or the skin.”

  Travis stood and began pacing the room. “I don’t believe this. Why are you telling me this? Especially now. I have enough to deal with, and you feed me a line of bullshit.”

  “Put the dog in the bedroom,” Dante instructed from the hall.

  Trevor did as he asked, knowing what was about to happen. Once Molly was locked up tight, Trevor said, “You really want to sit down for show and tell.”

  Dante entered the room. He kept his distance but allowed his fangs to drop and his claws to elongate. Travis’s eyes grew wide. “Holy shit.”

  “Wait for it,” Trevor warned him right before Dante called forth his wings.

  Travis fell back onto the couch, mouth agape. “Holy fucking shit,” he muttered. “You…”

  “I am a Gargoyle. I am five hundred sixty-three years old, and I am originally from Italy. My father was King until he was slain, and now my brother Rafael is King of all Gargoyles in the States. Our Clan is the largest in the States, possibly in the world.” Dante phased back. “Isabelle is my mate. As Trevor told you, her mother is human, therefore she is a half-blood.”

  “Your friend Jasper, is he one of them?”

  “Yes, he is.” Trevor wished more than ever Jasper was with him in that moment. He would tell a joke and put Travis at ease. “The one who shot you? He’s also a Gargoyle. This is why Dante is insisting we are protected at all times. Against a human psycho, we might stand a chance, but a Goyle psycho?”

  Travis grabbed his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “The psychologist is going to love this.”

  “No!” Trevor calmed his voice. “No, Travis. You cannot tell anyone. The shifters have remained hidden since the beginning of time. Imagine the chaos if society figured out there were non-humans running around.

  “You mean like the Unholy?”

  “They are nothing like the Unholy. These are the good guys,” Trevor stated emphatically.

  “The good guys? It was a good guy who shot me? Who killed Rachel?” Travis shouted. The tears returned, and he stood, rounding on Dante. “I want you to go. I will take my chances without the good guys’ help,” he said, his voice cracking. “Just please, go.”

  Dante nodded and left the room.

  “Travis…”

  “How can you be friends with them? They killed Rachel!”

  “No, they didn’t. You’re lumping all of them into the same category because you’re angry and you’re hurt. Travis, you know as well as I do there’s good and there’s evil.” Trevor went to the bedroom door and let Molly out. Travis needed the silent comfort she offered.

  “How long have you known about them?” Travis asked, sinking his hands into his pet’s fur.

  “Not long. When I visited you last time, Theron followed me to Athens. I saw him in the park, at least I thought I did. Molly was going nuts. When I looked back to where he’d been, he just vanished. That’s when I left you the note and came back home. Theron followed me to Dante’s, and that’s when Dante told me the truth.”

  “I’m sorry I went off on your boss. It’s a lot to digest.”

  “I’m sure he understands.”

  “Will you tell me the truth of why you came to visit me in the first place? If you didn’t know about the Gargoyles then, what had you so upset you needed to get away?”

  “I saw some things that I didn’t bother getting an explanation for. Some things from Jasper’s past upset me. I thought he was using me, but now I know it was Theron playing with my mind.”

  “Jasper’s more than your best friend, isn’t he?”

  “I’m his mate,” Trevor admitted. “It seems the fates decide who the Gargoyles are supposed to spend their lives with.” Trevor explained how the mate bond worked. “I think they’re playing a major prank on him. I mean, look at him and look at me.”

  “There you go again. God, when are you going to realize that you are beyond good-looking? Not because you look exactly like me, even though you do. If you had taken your nose out of a book for one minute when we were in school, you’d have seen all the girls trying to get your attention. I guess I kind of always knew you didn’t swing that way, though. Instead of returning their glances, you were looking at the guys.”

  “Do you have a problem with that?”

  “Of course not. I want you to be happy, Trevor. Are you happy?”

  Trevor sat down on the floor and ran his fingers through Molly’s coat. “I don’t think I’ve ever known real happiness, but these last few days with Jasper were the best of my life. I told myself I could be with him without completing the mating bond, that way if he decided he was tired of someone less than he was worthy of, he could walk away. I wasn’t lying when I said he’s my best friend. I enjoy spending time with him, more than anyone. Except you, of course.”

  “Don’t worry, I understand. I love you, but I would rather have spent my time with Rachel. There’s something magical about being with the one you love who loves you back.” Travis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I never believed in love at first sight until I met her. She was really special, and I wasn’t worthy of her. She was so far out of my league, but she loved me for whatever reason. Real love is rare, Trevor. If you’ve found that with Jasper, fates intervening or not, please don’t throw it away before you even give it a chance. You might never get that chance again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Jasper sent off a quick text letting Trevor know he was thinking of him. He needed to keep his distance, but he wouldn’t let his mate go very long without hearing from him. Jasper needed the connection even if it was a short message. Dante kept him apprised of both Trevor’s and Travis’s well-being. He was ready for Trevor to be back in New Atlanta where he knew he would be safe. It wasn’t that Jasper didn’t trust the other Gargoyles, but he knew Frey. He knew that the big Goyle would die before he let something happen to his family or that of any other in the Clan.

  Another body had been found, this one with a note that read him. Can you keep him what? Safe? Alive? Neither one boded well considering there would be another murder unless Jasper could stop him first. Julian had not been able to find where Kallisto had gone once she got into the vehicle. Too many black SUVs were roaming around New Atlanta. Dane had APBs out on the known license plate numbers, but Theron and his sister had planned this well. Somehow they were duplicating tag numbers from local citizens who owned black SUVs.

  Dante wasn’t happy that he couldn’t find trace evidence leading to Theron. Again, the Goyle was being smart about his kills. The latest victim had been poisoned. The forensic lab was having a hard time distinguishing the mixture used to stop the body’s internal functions, but Dante didn’t have to peer under the microscope. He had smelled hellebore root on the victim as soon as he got close to the body. In a Gargoyle, enough of the plant could render a full-grown Goyle paralyzed indefinitely. It’s why Julian concocted a coating for the swords using the plant. Whatever Theron mixed the plant with caused the man’s heart to stop.

  Jasper sat in the morgue with Dante, using the stool Trevor normally sat on. It helped him feel closer to his mate somehow. Dante pulled his gloves off and tossed them in the trash. “I have a feeling this is coming to a close. One more body, one more note, and we could find out what Theron’s after.”

  “I’d rather find the bastard before another innocent loses their life. I’m going to the lab and see if I can’t help Julian and Sixx.”

  “Are you going to the funeral?”

  “No, I’m going to find Theron.”
The funeral had been set for that afternoon. It was a closed casket ceremony since Rachel had been shot in the face. That was a detail they did not share with Travis. Jasper left the hospital and drove to the lab. Once inside, he took a spot behind both Sixx and Julian where he could look at their screens. He had to find the Goyle and stop the madness.

  After several hours of finding nothing, Jasper was ready to take to the skies and patrol. Theron had to be out there, scoping out his next victim. When his phone rang, he cringed when he saw it was Dane.

  “Jasper, a call came in alerting us to another body. This one is strange because of the location. It’s an abandoned house out past the old nature preserve. The others have been west of the city. This one is east. It might not be related, but I’ve got patrols headed that way now.”

  “I’m on it. Text me the address.” Jasper honestly hoped this victim was the last in Theron’s plan and not some random body. If he couldn’t find the psycho before he killed again, he wanted this to be the final victim so he knew where Theron was going with the lunacy.

  When Jasper arrived, two patrol cars were already on the scene. The house was old. Overgrown bushes decorated the exterior every few feet. The front porch roof was swaying south, ready for a strong gust of wind to give it one last push to the floor beneath. Jasper waited outside until one of the cops came out and reported. “It’s a young man, probably mid to late twenties. Brown hair. He’s hanging from the upstairs banister.”

  Jasper didn’t bother going inside. The less people who disturbed the area the better. CSU was called in. The victim would have to remain where it was until Dante returned from Athens. No one other than he or Trevor was allowed to transport a body. Dante had made that rule a long time ago when evidence was destroyed on the trip to the morgue by a careless tech.