13. Jasper
13
JASPER
I ’m in my office, eyes glued to the monitor in front of me. The screen is displaying the playroom camera, where Rowie, Ember, and Ariana are sprawled out on the plush rug, coloring like they don’t have a care in the world.
My gaze flicks to Ariana every few seconds. Watching her smile. Watching her laugh.
Watching her start to let her guard down.
The door swings open, and two of my brothers walk in, uncaring if I might be right in the middle of something. This is why we all have our own houses. At least I can lock them out of that one if I really want to.
“What are you doing?” Cage asks.
“Watching the girls color,” I mutter.
There’s a pause.
Cassian sits in a chair opposite my desk. “You eavesdropping now?”
I scoff. “Of course I am. I want to know what kind of questions Ariana’s asking—and what those brats are telling her.”
Cage chuckles and bumps Cassian with his elbow. “Told you.”
I glance back at them. “Told him what?”
Cassian shrugs, amused. “Cage said the second you walked into the house with her that you were a goner. He said you’ll be more out of control than he ever was with Ember.”
“Fuck off,” I mutter, turning back to the screen.
They both laugh.
“She’s good for you,” Cassian says after a beat. “You’re different around her. You’ve been different for a couple of weeks, actually. Probably since you first met her at that coffee shop.”
Jesus. Do they all know? Fucking Ghost. He might be a pro at being invisible when he needs to be, but the guy can’t keep his damn mouth shut.
I don’t respond. Because he’s not wrong. And I don’t have the energy to lie about it.
Instead, I lean back in my chair and look at them. “I need you both to come with me into town later.”
Cassian raises an eyebrow. “Why?”
I sip my coffee and set it down. “It’s time to teach someone some manners.”
Cage grins slowly. “Now this sounds like fun.”
Cassian cracks his knuckles. “Just say when.”
* * *
W e leave the girls at home under Theo’s watchful eye, along with Koda, Elias, and a few of the others. I know they’ll be safe. Safer than the asshole we’re about to confront. I still hated leaving Ariana. My brothers won’t let her leave our property, and she seemed completely content hanging out with the other girls, but still. I want to be close to her.
Cassian, Cage, Ghost, Dom, and I climb into two trucks and head into town. The ride is mostly quiet, tension hanging thick in the air. Before we left the house, I told them what that dick did to Ariana outside the bar. Like me, my brothers hate abusive men—some of us more than others.
When we step into The Rusty Pine, the place is dimly lit and smells like stale beer and wood. A couple of pool tables are in the back, country music low over the speakers, and just enough people inside to make the place feel alive.
I head straight to the bar. The bartender—a stocky guy in his late thirties—looks up as I approach.
“I want to see your surveillance footage from last night,” I tell him.
He raises a brow, unimpressed by me. A mistake on his part.
“We don’t just show that to anyone who asks,” he replies.
I lean in, my voice cold. “I’m not asking. We’re going to see those tapes one way or another. You just need to decide whether you want to watch it with us with two broken arms or if you’d like to continue working behind this bar.”
He stares at me for a second, then flicks his eyes to the four large, dangerous-looking men behind me. One look at them and he swallows hard.
“I’ll be right back,” he mutters.
A minute later, he reappears with another man—taller, leaner, wearing a leather jacket. “I’m the owner,” he says nervously. “Name’s Rick. What’s this about?”
I fold my arms across my chest. “I want to see your security footage from the parking lot last night.”
He frowns. “Why?”
“Because some asshole assaulted a woman outside your bar,” I growl. “And I want to see who it was.”
Rick’s brows knit together. “I didn’t hear anything about that.”
I hold his stare. “You have now. Show us the footage.”
He nods once and waves us down a narrow hallway to the back office. The room is small, cluttered, and smells like BO. He clicks a few buttons on the computer and pulls up the exterior feed.
We crowd around the screen, all five of us silent as we scan the footage.
Then she appears.
Ariana.
Striding across the parking lot toward a man who clearly has no business putting his hands on anyone .
“Fuck,” Cage breathes.
We all watch as she shoves the guy, knocking him off balance, the other woman takes off running without even looking back to see if Ariana is okay. Then, almost in slow motion, Ariana trips and falls hard beside him.
“Goddamn it,” Ghost growls.
Cassian shakes his head. “That girl needs her bottom spanked for being so reckless. If she were mine, she’d be grounded and sore for a week.”
“Well, she’s not,” I snap, the words sharper than I intend.
Cassian just smirks. “I know. Calm down, man.”
My fists clench at my sides. I take out my phone and snap a picture of the guy’s face from the screen.
“Thanks,” I tell Rick.
He nods, looking unhappy about the whole situation. “Guy’s somewhat of a regular. Comes in now and then. I don’t know his name, though. Doesn’t usually cause problems inside.”
I stare at the frozen image of the man on the screen. “Don’t worry. After I get done with him, he won’t be a problem for anyone in this town anymore.”
* * *
T he house is filled with the hum of voices from the dining room, but she hasn’t come down yet.
When I got back from the bar, Ember told me that Ariana had gone upstairs after they finished watching a movie, saying she was going to read for a bit. She’s still up there.
I make my way upstairs and head to her room. The door is cracked open slightly, and when I peek in, I pause to stare at her. The sheer curtains give the room an angelic late afternoon glow, and the entire space has a calm vibe. In the center of the bed, she’s curled up with a throw covering her while facing the window. Her tiny blanket is clutched in one hand, pressed close to her mouth, and I can tell from the slow rise and fall of her chest that she’s asleep.
But it’s the pacifier that truly stills me.
It’s clipped to her blanket. And it’s nestled between her lips as she sleeps, her features soft and peaceful in a way I haven’t seen before. A vulnerability that punches straight through my chest.
I stand frozen on the threshold, staring at her for longer than I should.
She looks small.
Breakable.
Mine.
I take quiet, slow steps in and lower myself onto the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle her too much. My fingers move instinctively, gently brushing along the swell of her cheek.
She stirs beneath my touch, lashes fluttering until her eyes blink open and meet mine.
For a moment, neither of us speaks. There’s just the quiet between us, tender and intimate.
My heart races. Something unfamiliar and comforting twists inside me, pulling tighter with every second I look at her. She’s beautiful beyond words and adorable at the same time.
“Hey, Little one,” I murmur, voice barely above a whisper. “It’s time to wake up.”
Her eyes widen slightly. She shifts, and her pacifier slips out from between her lips, falling onto her blanket.
Her cheeks turn pink.
“I—” she starts, flustered.
I smile softly. “It’s okay. You don’t need to be embarrassed.”
Her fingers tighten around the blanket.
I reach out again, carefully smoothing her hair away from her face. “You looked peaceful. Didn’t want to wake you. But it’s dinner time, and you need to eat.”
She nods, her voice still small and sleepy. “Okay. I just need to use the bathroom first.”
I pause, my fingers still lightly stroking her hair. “Would you like any help?”
She blinks, surprised. Her lips part, but she doesn’t speak right away. Then she slowly shakes her head. “No… I’m fine. Thank you, though.”
I nod, even though every part of me wants to stay, to keep taking care of her. To be close to her while she’s in this sleepy, vulnerable state.
“I’ll be downstairs,” I tell her, standing reluctantly.
A small smile tugs at her lips. “I’ll be there in a few.”
I linger a second longer before finally stepping out, leaving the door open behind me.
When I get back to the dining room, my family is around the table, but they haven’t started eating yet, even though it’s a few minutes past six.
“Is she coming down?” Rowie asks.
I shoot my sister a smile and nod. “Yeah, Row. She’s coming. She was napping. Go ahead and start eating.”
No one moves, and when I look around, they all look completely unbothered.
“We don’t start eating until the entire family is around the table. We’ll wait,” Theo replies.
And although I want to argue with my brother and tell them all to fuck off and stop being nosy, my chest is too tight with gratitude for them to say anything at all. So I give them a sharp nod while we all wait for Ariana to come eat with us.