Jasper Read online

  Right as Jasper broke the kiss, his phone rang. “No fucking way,” he cursed. Trevor retrieved the phone from his jeans since he was closer. When he handed it to Jasper, he said, “Not again.” Trevor tried to sit up to give Jasper room, but he banded an arm around his waist, keeping him prisoner. “I’m not done with you,” he said before barking into the phone. “Jenkins!”

  Trevor couldn’t get up, so he decided to torment the detective while he was on the phone. He licked a stiff nipple before biting it. “Motherfucker!” Jasper exclaimed. Trevor jerked his head up so he could see Jasper’s eyes. Maybe biting him wasn’t a good idea while he was on the phone. When Jasper grinned, Trevor let out his breath. “No, I’ll be there.” Jasper thumbed his phone off and tossed it on the floor. “Unfuckingbelievable. We have another body. At least this time I get to take you with me.” He kissed him hard on the lips. “Now, about you biting me…”

  Chapter Ten

  It might have taken Jasper longer to get to the crime scene than normal. When Trevor bit his nipple, his mind reverted back to a darker time in his life. When he saw the look on Trevor’s face, it had a totally different effect than when Theron had clamped his nipples while he was tied up. Having your mate playfully nip at you was something so much better, so much more erotic than having a sadist inflict pain. Even though he was a Gargoyle and could withstand a lot, some body parts were still subject to excessive discomfort. Jasper threw his phone on the floor and practically begged Trevor to show his other tiny nub the same courtesy. It was more of a test at first, to see if he truly did enjoy the sharp bite from Trevor’s teeth. When the same electricity shot its way from his nipple to his cock, he knew it was something he would never shy away from again.

  He wondered what else Trevor would do to him that would erase the negativity of the action from his mind. After Jasper’s mouth had its wicked way with Trevor’s dick, they replaced their clothes and headed to work. Trevor didn’t have to go because Dante was already on his way, but Jasper wasn’t going to leave Trevor home alone, even if his house was secure. On the ride over, Trevor had called Dante to let him know he would take the body, but Dante was already at the hospital anyway, dropping off his Santa toys.

  When they arrived, Dante’s usual frown deepened when he saw Trevor get out of Jasper’s car. As they closed the distance, his eyebrows popped up towards his hairline, and his frown turned into a smile. If Jasper were to guess, Dante could smell sex on them both. “Boss, what do we have this time?” Trevor asked before Jasper could.

  “I’m still waiting to examine the body, but cause of death isn’t as clear as the last one. According to CSU, there are no external injuries visible, so I’m thinking broken neck. If we didn’t have a laceration the size of a claw on the first victim, I’d not rule out poisoning. I stopped at the morgue while I was at the hospital, and COD was definitely inflicted by a weapon the exact shape and size of a claw. Given the fact my dear cousin is slinking around, I’m pointing at him as the killer.”

  “What did this note say?” Jasper asked.

  “You. It was also nailed to the man’s chest. We got lucky with this vic. That’s his daughter over there talking to Hays. Normally she only visits on his birthday and at Christmas. The man’s a recluse. Never leaves the house. His groceries are bought and delivered by his housekeeper once a week. If it hadn’t been for the holiday, he wouldn’t have been found for several more days.”

  Jasper said, “Can you. Those are the first two words, so he’s asking a question. If it is Theron, we need to find the bastard before he gets to the punctuation at the end. I’m going to talk to the daughter.”

  Jasper left Trevor with Dante, knowing the Goyle would want to talk to his assistant and make sure he was okay. Not that Jasper would hurt him, but mentally okay. Trevor had been through so much in the last few weeks that Dante might be afraid he wasn’t thinking soundly in giving himself over to Jasper. He couldn’t really blame him. Jasper wondered the same thing. Trevor had gone from totally ignoring him to giving him one spectacular blowjob. He couldn’t think about that now, though. He had to keep his mind on the dead body and talk to the victim’s daughter.

  After talking to both Hays and the daughter, Jasper opened his senses to his surroundings. If Theron was the killer, it was highly possible he was hanging around the area while they were conducting their investigation. If he was in the area, he would see Trevor was there with Jasper. At least he would know Trevor was being guarded.

  When CSU was finished and Dante had the body loaded in the bus, Trevor offered to take over. Jasper noticed a difference in his demeanor now that he and Dante had had a chance to talk. If Dante ruined things for the two of them, he would be really pissed.

  Dante closed the door once the body was securely in the back of the transport. “No, I have this. Isabelle is making cookies with Connor and Amelia while Frey and Abbi finish their Christmas shopping. I love that little girl, but she never ceases talking. I will relish the quiet of the morgue for a bit.” Dante gave Trevor a once over before he looked his way. “Jasper, I’ll see you at the manor.”

  “Yes, you will.” He didn’t mean for his words to sound quite as clipped, but Dante had no say in Jasper and Trevor’s relationship. When they were in the car, Trevor was clearly guarded. He didn’t want to start a fight, so he asked, “Would you like to go with me to family day at the manor?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean, it’s for family. You and I are just…”

  “We’re just what?” Jasper took his hand off the gear shift that was still in park and turned toward his mate. “Answer me, Trev. We’re just what?”

  Trevor fisted his hands and released them before sliding them down his jeans. “Taking it slow. We’re just taking it a day at a time.”

  “Yes, we are. Please look at me.” When Trevor looked his way, Jasper entwined their hands. He knew it was probably cheating, but the mate pull was strong, and touching him would keep Trevor’s focus on that connection, not something Dante said. “We are taking it slow, because that’s what you wanted. Forget the fact we’re mates. You are part of the Stone Society now, whether you realize it or not. When Dante told you the truth of Gargoyles, he brought you into the Clan. You are his family. What you did for Matthew secured your place in Frey’s family. Whether or not you accept the mate bond doesn’t matter. You are my friend first, therefore you are my family.

  “You don’t have to go tomorrow. If you decide to stay home, someone will need to watch you. If it isn’t me, it will be someone else, and that means one of us will miss Priscilla’s breakfast. Besides, Matt will be there, and I’m sure he’d rather hang out with you than Connor and Amelia.” Jasper didn’t know what else to say to convince Trevor to go. He wouldn’t make him, but he really wanted him there by his side.

  Trevor sighed and looked out the side window. Jasper released his hand and started the car. He would give him time to think about it. They rode in silence all the way back to Jasper’s. It wasn’t until they were in the house that Trevor said, “Okay, I’ll go, but I don’t have anything to wear. I was expecting to lounge around here playing video games.”

  Jasper wanted to shout to the heavens; instead, he mentally did a fist pump. “We can swing by your apartment on the way there. You know, you could always bring some of your clothes here and leave them for occasions such as this.” He was probably pushing it, but Jasper wanted to test the waters. Before they left for the crime scene, Trevor would have probably said yes. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

  Trevor wrapped his arms around his waist, keeping his back to Jasper. Jasper didn’t give him space. He walked up behind his mate and wrapped his arms around him, cocooning him. He placed soft kisses on Trevor’s cheek and temple, hoping to transfer the feelings he had to his mate. He held Trevor for what seemed like an eternity. He didn’t offer words of encouragement for their future. He didn’t make promises, because he didn’t know exactly what to promise. Well, he did, but Trevor wouldn’t believe him
. Not yet.

  Trevor turned around facing Jasper and slid his arms around his waist, planting his face in Jasper’s neck. His heart was beating quickly, and Jasper could feel it in his own chest. Something was definitely bothering Trevor, but Jasper was afraid to find out what it was. Whatever Dante said to him caused this turmoil, and he was ready to call him and find out what was said. Or, he could ask Trevor. Jasper kept one hand around Trevor, anchoring to him, while the other rubbed slow passes up and down his back.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Trevor whispered. If Jasper wasn’t a Gargoyle, he wouldn’t have heard the soft words.

  “About what?” Jasper didn’t move away or push Trevor back so he could see his face even though he wanted to. He continued running his hand over Trevor’s body in a soothing manner.

  “This. Us. Dante said not to lead you on. Said if I was going to be with you I needed to really be with you, not just play house. I don’t know if I can do that.”

  Jasper wanted to throttle Trevor’s boss. Dante had no idea what was going on here or how Jasper felt. He should have talked to Jasper before handing out advice. “Dante’s intentions are good, but you and I need to handle our relationship in a way that’s best for us. Both of us. I told you earlier, I want you in my life. I need you in my life. If that means only as friends, and that’s all you can give me, I’ll take it. I’m not going anywhere. If the day comes when you finally realize what you mean to me and you decide you’re ready to make it official, that would be the best thing that ever happened to me. Until then, I will settle for whatever it is you can give me. There’s no one else I’d rather hang out with. Even if you weren’t my mate, I’d still want to spend all my free time with you. So don’t worry about what Dante said.”

  Trevor looked up, his eyes misty. “That’s not fair to you. Dante told me once a Gargoyle found his mate, he never wanted anyone else.”

  “It’s true, but it doesn’t mean we have to be alone. It means whoever we’re with won’t hold our heart, and that’s not fair to them. Take Sinclair for instance. He has married several humans over the centuries. I don’t know how he’s gotten away with not explaining why he doesn’t age when they do, but he doesn’t like to be alone. I have to be honest with you; until Craig, I never had a long term relationship. If you can call what we had a relationship.”

  “What about Theron?”

  “Theron is a sadist. He gets his rocks off by hurting people.”

  “Did he hurt you?” Trevor whispered.

  “Yes, he did. I was in such a lonely place in my life that I didn’t care. At first anyway. It was more mental than physical, though. I’m a Gargoyle; physical pain is something I can endure.”

  “Since we’re on the subject, why don’t you go ahead and tell me about your past with him.”

  Theron’s plan was being accelerated before he was ready. The last victim wasn’t supposed to be found for a few days. He hadn’t yet chosen his next victim, but he did have the next note ready. He’d hid in the woods behind the victim’s home and observed the police and forensic unit. Normally he wouldn’t go back to the scene of the crime, but he happened to be following the medical examiner. When he was done with Phelam, Theron was going to pay a visit to Isabelle. His father wouldn’t be happy until she was returned to the island. He blamed Theron for her escape.

  His sister had been instrumental in luring Isabelle to Greece. The woman walked right into their trap when they took her kid. He would need Kallisto’s assistance in carrying out his current plan. Theron poured himself a drink and dialed her number.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, Kallisto. I need your help.” Even though she was adopted, they had formed a bond over the years, and he appreciated her form of family honor. She was almost as twisted as their father, having been raised by the Goyle.

  “What can I do for you? I need to get Sergei away from father, so your timing is excellent.”

  Theron proceeded to tell Kallisto his plan and what it entailed. “Can you get that for me?”

  “Of course. I have to say, I’m going to enjoy watching this play out. Father’s still pissed at me for losing the Cleopatra Disk, but when I tell him what we’re up to, I’m pretty sure he’ll forgive me. And you for letting Isabelle slip away.”

  Theron grunted. He didn’t need reminding about their father’s ire. “I have rented a house on the south side of New Atlanta. I figure with the number of offspring Montague has, Father will have us tormenting them all before it’s over.”

  “Email me the address. I will gather what you asked for and be there as soon as I can.”

  Theron disconnected the phone. He picked up a long rope before sitting down on the sofa. Twisting the length into an intricate knot, he said, “I will get you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Trevor was more confused than ever. Before he and Jasper went to the crime scene, things had been pretty perfect. Trevor had given his first real blowjob, and from the way Jasper reacted, he was pretty sure he’d done it well. Jasper even returned the favor before they left the house. The way Jasper made him feel was more than he ever expected out of a boyfriend. He felt silly calling him that since he was an almost five-hundred-year-old being. Boyfriend seemed so juvenile. Now he understood exactly why Jasper had referred to Tessa as Gregor’s mate.

  He might not be ready to move in with Jasper full time, but he had been ready to bring clothes for stayovers. Then Dante had talked to him. When Jasper walked off, Dante had told him to be sure of what he wanted before he strung Jasper along. It wasn’t fair to the Gargoyle to make him think they had a long future, when Trevor was only playing house for the time being. It would be easier on Jasper in the long run if Trevor broke things off now instead of hanging around for a while and then deciding he didn’t want to make the bond permanent. Trevor didn’t want to break things off, but he also didn’t want to hurt Jasper. But now, true to the man Trevor was getting to know, Jasper set his mind at ease, or at least tried to. He said he would take whatever Trevor gave him.

  There had to be give and take on both sides. If Jasper was willing to be patient with him, he needed to offer up more of himself than hiding out at home. Waiting on Jasper to tell him about Theron, he willed the tears not to fall. He had never been one to cry. Not since he’d told his parents he didn’t want them in his life. When he walked out the door of their home for the last time, he’d let the tears flow, washing away eighteen years of heartache. He hadn’t cried since. Until now.

  “Can we sit?” Jasper asked.

  Trevor was interested in Jasper’s long life. He nodded and let Jasper lead him to the sofa. Before sitting, Jasper lit a fire in the fireplace. Trevor loved the smell of burning wood, the flicker of the flames dancing around, and the crackle of the steam being released from pockets in the wood as it burned. Jasper knew Trevor loved fires, because he had told him as much on his first visit.

  Jasper sat down, leaving space between them, and began his story. “I’m not going to detail every part of my life, because most of it is really boring. After I fought with the Redshanks, I realized I was tired of fighting. I left Ireland and traveled throughout Europe. For years, I wandered from country to country, town to town, doing odd jobs for a roof over my head. I couldn’t work around animals since they have an aversion to Gargoyles. I did a lot of manual labor. The language barrier was one of the biggest challenges I faced, since I spoke Irish and Gaelic with an elementary understanding of most English. I was lucky in that the O’Donnell had made sure I could read and write, but I didn’t understand any of the other languages spoken throughout the lands I traveled. When I took a job, I would ask that half my wages be in the form of teaching me the local language.

  “I would stay in one place until I learned enough to travel throughout the country, knowledgeable of the world around me. I had to move around every five years or so to keep people from noticing I wasn’t aging. I would choose another location and start the cycle all over again. It was bearable for a while.
I would start at the southern end of a country and end up at the northern end, or vice versa. All this time, I never had companionship other than those who hired me or the others I worked with. Hanging out with other men wasn’t the same then as it is today. You didn’t have video games to play or basketball courts to shoot hoops on. You couldn’t hop in the car and go to the movies. It was mostly work, eat, and sleep.

  “I did try to find areas where I could escape to the forest and practice with my sword or bow and arrow. Being a Gargoyle, I often searched for clans that I might join up with, but they were few and far between, at least where I was looking. After a couple hundred years of traveling all over Europe, I ended up in Greece.” Jasper rose and stood by the fireplace. He propped his arm along the mantle and continued. “When I was sold as a teenager, I vowed then to never look upon another male with lustful intentions. That was easier said than done. I’m a full-blooded Gargoyle, and we have needs just like human males. Ours are probably stronger since we have a beast living inside that demands release. Anyway, I had lived over two centuries, keeping to a celibate lifestyle. Not once had I allowed myself to pursue another male. My life had gone from being a fierce warrior in my father’s army to nothing but a nomad with no family. No clan. I was no longer fierce. I was lost and lonely.

  “My plan when I arrived in Greece was to settle on an island and learn a fishing trade. I wanted to buy a small boat and throw out nets every day. I had no idea how hard the work was or what it entailed. All I knew was I wanted to be out on that beautiful blue water.

  “I took an apprenticeship under a local fisherman. I had enough money saved from the last two hundred years that I made a deal with the man. If he would teach me to fish, I would work for free. He agreed, and we fished every day for months. One evening after a long day at sea, I was walking to the small shack I called home. I was just about there when a man who appeared to be my age stepped out from the shadows into my path. I knew right away he was a Gargoyle. He introduced himself as the son of the King and told me they would like to welcome me into their clan if I desired to join.” Jasper paused. He grabbed the poker, adjusting the logs. Trevor knew it was a stall tactic, but he wouldn’t press. He sat quietly waiting for Jasper to continue.