Chapter Five
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THIS WAS THE PART OF the job that Archie wasn’t looking forward to.
Today, he was meeting with Petra, both to update her on what he’d found and ask her questions.
Daniel’s case had become much more involved than Archie had expected, and he didn’t have as many answers as he wished he did.
Hopefully, she would understand, and she’d be able to help, but Archie couldn’t count on it.
If anything, he suspected he could count on Petra turning defensive.
That was what people usually did when someone they loved might have been involved in something awful like what happened at the sanctuary.
But it wasn’t the first time Archie had to deal with something like that.
His main goal was to get answers, and if Petra wanted to find out what happened to Daniel, she’d give them to Archie.
She might decide to fire him, which was fine.
Archie wasn’t going to give up because of that, not when Jasper was involved.
The soft knock on his office door made him look up. Cullen was standing in the open door, shuffling his feet. “Your appointment is here,” he murmured.
“Thanks.”
Cullen was on edge, which was probably because Archie was on edge, too.
He and Cullen hadn’t talked about the case, mostly because Cullen wasn’t involved in the agency that way, but also because Archie had been keeping things close to his chest. He hadn’t even talked to Braith recently, although that was because Braith was working on his own case.
Hopefully, they’d have time to sit down and share things soon.
Petra appeared at the door. She was wearing all black and didn’t smile, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in a while. Dark bruises around her eyes made them look sunken in, and for a second, Archie wondered if he should really do this.
He would leave Petra the choice. She could decide whether she wanted to stay or leave when she knew what was going on.
“It’s good to see you again,” Archie said.
“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same, even though I hope you have answers. I didn’t expect you to call.”
“I’m going to be honest. I’m still working on it.”
“Well, I didn’t imagine it would be an easy case. I know that this probably has something to do with Daniel either being a hunter or being with me.”
Archie wasn’t sure where to start. “I believe that it has to do with a case he worked on before leaving the hunters,” he said cautiously.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about the sanctuary.
” Most monsters in town had. It was a legendary place, so much so that some monsters weren’t sure it had actually existed.
Petra’s eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me that you think Daniel was killed because of something that happened at the sanctuary?”
“I’m saying that it looks like that’s what happened, yes. From what I could find, someone is killing hunters who were there that night. Daniel isn’t the first victim or the last. Other hunters have been killed.”
“Daniel wasn’t a hunter anymore. He hadn’t been in years.”
“You’re right. He left after the sanctuary.”
“Are you insinuating that Daniel killed people?” Petra was getting angry, which wasn’t what Archie wanted, but it was what he’d expected.
“I don’t know for sure what Daniel did that night.
The reports I was able to get my hands on are very vague.
I do know for sure that he was there, along with other hunters.
Some of them have since left the organization, while others have stayed.
The only thing that links Daniel to the other two murders is that. ”
“Daniel might have been a hunter, but he didn’t want to hurt people. That’s why he left.”
“I’m not disagreeing with that, Petra. I’m sure that whatever happened that night, it horrified a lot of people, and I’m glad it gave Daniel the push he needed to leave.
As I told you last time, I’m also in a relationship with an ex-hunter.
I know something about what they saw and what they had to go through.
I’m not accusing Daniel of anything. I just know he was there, and I wanted to ask you if he ever talked about it.
Any details you can remember would help. ”
Petra shook her head. “He never mentioned the sanctuary to me. Why should he have?”
“Because he was there.” And considering what his job had been, there was a good chance that he’d killed at least some of the people who’d been there. He wouldn’t have had a choice unless he wanted to fight the other hunters.
Archie hadn’t known Daniel. He didn’t know if Daniel had left after what happened at the sanctuary because he’d been afraid or horrified.
He would never find out. He didn’t think Petra knew, either, or that anyone did.
The only one who’d cared was Petra. It didn’t change anything for Archie, and the killer, well.
It was clear they didn’t care whether or not the people they were killing had repented.
Petra truly believed that Daniel had left that life behind, but it hadn’t been enough.
What had happened that night had come back to Daniel, and in the end, it had killed him.
Jasper might think that he and Daniel were similar, but Archie knew that that wasn’t the case, not as much as his boyfriend believed.
Jasper wouldn’t have stayed if he’d been ordered to do something like what happened at the sanctuary. He would’ve either left or died trying.
They still didn’t know exactly what happened that night.
They just knew that the sanctuary had been completely destroyed and that most of the people who’d been there had died.
Jasper had survived, so maybe there was still a chance he could find another survivor, but it would be complicated.
Most of them didn’t advertise that they’d survived that night.
As far as Archie knew, only a few people had.
Sarah hadn’t been there at all, Jasper had been very young, and the killer, well.
There was no way for Archie to know who they were, but he and Jasper suspected that they’d been a child back then.
It was what would make the most sense. They’d probably lost their entire family and were finally ready for revenge.
“I’m not surprised he didn’t tell you about the sanctuary, but he might have told you something else. I need your help to find out what’s going on, Petra,” Archie said.
Petra sucked in a breath. “I don’t know if any of this is relevant, but I can tell you some of what he told me about his past.”
Archie leaned back in his chair. “Anything might be relevant. Please, tell me.”
* * * *
JASPER KNEW THAT ARCHIE had met Petra at the office today.
That was why he decided to take things easy tonight and picked up pizza before heading to Archie’s apartment.
Neither of them would be in the mood for cooking, and maybe it was time for Jasper to take care of Archie for once.
Usually, Archie was the one taking care of him, and while Jasper knew that he loved it, this needed to be a two-way relationship.
Jasper had been the one who had to deal with a lot of things since they’d met, so it made sense that Archie was usually the one fussing over him, but he could fuss, too.
In fact, he wanted to. He knew that this case was complicated for Archie, but not because of Daniel or Petra.
It was because of Jasper and how Archie felt for him.
He was worried, but for one night, Jasper hoped they could put that worry to the side and focus on each other.
So of course, Archie started talking about work as soon as Jasper walked in the door.
“Petra didn’t know anything about the sanctuary,” he declared before Jasper had even put down the pizza boxes.
He was wearing loose pants and a t-shirt, and his feet were bare.
His hair was still dripping wet from the shower, and he was pacing the living room, which wasn’t much but was apparently enough for him to work himself up into a tizzy.
Jasper wasn’t sure why Archie was like this. Usually, he was the calmer one.
“Hello to you too,” he said, depositing the food on the coffee table and taking his shoes off. “We should eat.”
Archie frowned. “I thought you’d want to know about Petra. Well, not about Petra, but about what she had to say about him.”
“I do want to know about Daniel, but we can talk about it later.”
Archie’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I just don’t want you to worry the entire evening. Petra didn’t know about the sanctuary. She didn’t know that Daniel was there that night. He never told her, for obvious reasons. There was nothing she could tell me about that or about any survivor.”
Jasper nodded. He’d expected it. He hadn’t told Archie about many of the cases he’d worked as a hunter, and he’d never worked a case that ended up like the sanctuary.
He didn’t think that Archie would think less of him, knowing some of the things he’d done, but he didn’t see a reason to bring up the past.
They all had a past, some of it dark, some of it not.
Jasper was sure Archie also had things that he wasn’t proud of in his past that he hadn’t told him about.
There was very little that would change Jasper’s feelings for Archie, and knowing Archie, Jasper didn’t think that he’d done anything bad.
Archie wasn’t the kind of person who killed indiscriminately.
He wasn’t the kind of person who would be involved in something like the sanctuary, just like Jasper wasn’t.
But Petra had known Daniel that way. She’d known he was an ex-hunter, and she probably imagined some of the things he’d done, but the sanctuary was different.
It was a dark mark on the hunters’ organization.
Even some of the hunters were ashamed of what had happened that night, and no one ever talked about it.
Jasper had always been interested in it, but he’d also always known that no one would ever tell him about it.
He hated that knowledge now, but there was nothing he could do to change it.
He settled on the couch and held a hand out to Archie. “How about for tonight, we ignore work. We stop thinking about Daniel and Petra and the sanctuary. We can focus on each other, have dinner, maybe watch a movie.”
Archie plopped down next to Jasper and turned to look at him. “Are you suggesting we Netflix and chill?”
Jasper laughed. “I wasn’t going to suggest it. I was going to say we should definitely do it. Emphasis on the chill because honestly, I’m not sure how long I have before I conk out. I’m tired.”
Archie reached out to gently stroke Jasper’s cheek. “Worked on too many cars today?”
Jasper pushed Archie’s hand away. “You’re not funny.”
“I am, and you love me for it.”
Jasper couldn’t help but smile. “I do love you. I don’t know why, but I really do.”
“It’s because I’m irresistible.”
“Yes, and an irresistible asshole.”
Jasper didn’t actually believe that, but he was enjoying the banter. It had made Archie smile, and Jasper was pretty sure that he’d gotten what he’d wanted. He didn’t think they would talk about Daniel again tonight, and that was okay. In fact, it was perfect.
They fell silent as Archie put on a TV show and they ate their pizza.
Jasper was distracted, though. Maybe he was ready for the chill part of the evening.
He felt like it had been an eternity since he and Archie had had any kind of time together, unbothered by what was happening around them. It was nice. In fact, it was perfect.
Jasper barely paid attention to whatever was on the screen. His focus kept drifting to Archie beside him and the warmth of his body, the way his fingers tapped against his thigh, the curve of his throat. When Archie glanced over and caught him staring, Jasper didn’t look away.
“Not interested in the show?” Archie asked, his voice dropping lower.
“Not really.” Jasper set his plate aside and shifted closer. “I’m more interested in you.”
Archie put his own plate down. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Jasper leaned in, closing the distance between them, and kissed him.
It started slow but quickly deepened. Archie’s hand came up to cup the back of Jasper’s neck, pulling him closer, and Jasper went willingly.
He straddled Archie’s lap, pressing their bodies together, and groaned when Archie’s hands slid down to grip his hips.
It had become familiar to Jasper, but he was still eager for it. He suspected he always would be.
“Bedroom?” Archie murmured against his mouth.
“Too far,” Jasper said, already tugging at Archie’s shirt.
They stripped each other quickly, hands fumbling with fabric and skin, mouths never separating for long. When they were finally naked, Jasper pressed Archie back against the couch cushions and kissed his way down his body—his throat, his chest, his stomach—savoring every sound Archie made.
“Jasper,” Archie whispered breathlessly, his fingers tangling in Jasper’s hair. “Please—”
Jasper took Archie in his mouth. Archie’s hips jerked, and Jasper gripped them, holding him steady as he worked him with lips and tongue.
He loved the weight of Archie on his tongue, the way Archie’s breathing grew ragged, the small desperate sounds he made when he was close, and his taste.
Jasper loved that more than anything. Archie’s scent was all around him, grounding him and keeping him in the moment, and that was exactly what he needed right now.
“Stop,” Archie gasped after a few minutes, pulling at Jasper’s shoulders. “Come here.”
Jasper released him and let Archie pull him up for another kiss that held a hint of desperation. Archie’s hands roamed over his body, touching everywhere, and when Archie’s fingers wrapped around him, Jasper groaned into his mouth.
They moved together, finding a rhythm that had them both gasping and panting. Archie’s free hand slid around to grip Jasper’s ass, pulling him closer, and Jasper buried his face against Archie’s neck, breathing in his scent again, then lightly biting the skin.
“I love you,” Jasper said against Archie’s neck.
“I love you too,” Archie replied, his voice rough. “No matter who or what you are. That’s never going to change.” His hand tightened, his rhythm quickened, and Jasper felt himself getting close.
It didn’t take long. They knew each other’s bodies too well and knew exactly how to touch, where to lick and bite and suck. When Jasper came, it was with Archie’s name on his lips, and Archie followed moments later, pulling Jasper down into a kiss as they rode out their orgasms together.
They stayed still and panting for a while after, tangled together on the couch, catching their breath. Jasper’s head rested on Archie’s chest, listening to his heartbeat slow, mirroring his own.
“We should probably clean up,” Archie said eventually, but he didn’t move to get up.
“In a minute,” Jasper murmured, tightening his arms around him. “Just let me have this for a minute.” Or forever, he hoped.
Archie pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Take all the time you need.”