Chapter 21 Dredyn
TWENTY-ONE
DREDYN
Ihear the front door open, indicating both Jasper and Mara are home. Moments later, I hear Ghost’s bell and the sound of him scurrying down the hallway until he ends up in the living room. The moment he sees me he puffs up into a black little fur ball and runs away, into another room.
Jasper enters the living room, his shoulders square, jaw locked tight. His eyes don’t even meet mine as he walks past me and down the hallway, entering a guest room and slamming the door.
“What the fuck?” I ask, immediately jumping to my feet and moving toward Mara. “What happened?”
She shakes her head. “We were fine, up until we started packing up Ghost’s things. He won’t tell me.”
I go down the hallway and barge through the door Jasper walked in. “Dude. What happened?”
He doesn’t answer, doesn’t even glance my way. Instead, just pushes past me and back into the living room where Talon is as well.
He throws a velvet box onto the coffee table and waits.
Talon picks the ring box up and opens it. “Where did you find this?” He takes the ring out—gold with an embossed Syndicate symbol on it.
“Why don’t you ask Dredyn,” Jasper signs.
“Dredyn?” Talon asks.
Mara is trying to look at the ring herself to figure out what is happening.
I can’t look at him, can’t tear my eyes off Jasper, where rage is pouring off him in waves. His chest heaves, breaths ragged and uneven, jaw clenched so hard I imagine his teeth grinding to dust
“Jas, listen—” I start, reaching out like I can pull him back from the edge.
His hand slices the air, then he opens his mouth. “You let me think it was an accident. You watched me grieve.” Jasper steps toward me. “You watched me go silent because I thought my voice couldn’t save her... and you knew …” Another step, closing in like a predator. “You knew they killed her.”
“It wasn’t that simple—”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare tell me it wasn’t simple. You could have warned her. I thought you loved her!”
I throw my hands up, palms out. “We always knew it was the Syndicate, I just didn’t know how involved my father was. And when I realized it, I needed proof. I needed to be absolutely sure before I could—”
“Before you could what? Tell me? Trust me with the truth about my own sister’s murder?”
“Before I could act without getting everyone killed!” I roar back, heat exploding in my chest, unhinged and wild. “You think I could just take down the Syndicate without leverage? Without protection? They’d bury us all, Jas—”
“I think you should have trusted me.”
“I was protecting you!”
One second, he’s three feet away, eyes blazing, the next, he’s lunging, fist flying straight for my face.
I catch his wrist on pure instinct, the impact jolting up my arm like electricity. He swings with the other hand and I block that too, but I don’t hit back.
He comes at me again. This time, I grab his arms, pinning them without crushing. He’s shouting now, but not actual words, just sounds of grief and anger.
“Enough!” Talon barrels between us, one massive hand on Jasper’s chest, the other shoving my shoulder. “Both of you, stand down!”
We both step away, panting. Mara’s backed against the wall, her hand clamped over her mouth. Her eyes are filled with horror, like she’s peeling back our masks and seeing the monsters underneath.
“I was nineteen—nineteen when I found out my dad was more than just a hitman. That his job with Levi Thompson’s father was nothing more than a fallacy.
It wasn’t until this fall that I really understood it.
That was given to me the last time I had dinner with my parents.
He told me I couldn’t tell you—couldn’t tell anyone.
He said he would kill everyone I loved..
. There’s only three people I love, Jasper. ”
His jaw tightens.
“And he’s capable of it, you know he is.
We all know how capable they are of eliminating any issue.
” I pause. “I’ve been gaining intel, agreeing to do jobs for my dad—going and meeting with him—because I am going to end him, Jas.
He deserves worse than death for what he’s done.
Not just to Evie, but to so many other innocent people. ”
“You should have told us,” Mara says.
“And risk losing you?” I shake my head. “No. Never. I’d chain myself to Hell first.”
“That wasn’t your choice to make!” Jasper roars.
“Yes, it was!” I surge forward, and Talon tenses but lets me. “You were a shattered man—stopped speaking years ago, vanished into that void inside you. If I’d dumped that truth on you, then what? You’d charge in solo? Get yourself slaughtered? I couldn’t—”
Jasper laughs bitterly. “So instead, you thought... what, Dre? That you could come up with this plan and when you finally unveiled it that we wouldn’t be pissed you held onto this? You’ve known about your father for years, and you thought this was all okay to keep secret?”
I’ve got nothing. No comeback, no excuse that doesn’t reek of bullshit. “You think the Syndicate plays fair? I needed time, resources, leverage to choke them with.”
“You needed to trust me. I was her brother. I deserved to know.”
“You don’t understand—”
“No, you don’t. We’re supposed to be brothers.”
“I thought I could fix it. Thought if I waited, planned like a mad genius, I could hand you justice on a silver platter instead of raw revenge.”
“You thought you could play God with our lives—decide what we were strong enough to carry.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I’m not sorry I tried to protect you. I’d make that choice again, every damn time.”
Something shatters in Jasper’s eyes, a light flickering out.
“Get out of my sight,” he signs, hands trembling.
“Jas—”
“Get. Out.”
I glance at Talon, but he doesn’t meet my gaze.
Mara is too far gone to look at me either.
I snatch the ring and head for the door.
“For what it’s worth,” I throw back, without turning, voice cracking at the edges, “I was going to end him. I still am. With or without you.”