Chapter Eleven #2
Emric hesitated. “I was curious. I know Jasper’s been looking into this, and it’s good to see that he has someone who cares about him.
” Emric shrugged a little. “You know, I always felt sorry for him. I was also angry, at least until I realized that he didn’t know.
They never told him who he was, did they? ”
“He didn’t even know he wasn’t fully human until recently.
Emric, I understand why you’re killing these people.
I really do, and if it was up to me, I would let you kill everyone involved.
I really do think you need to be careful about the hunters, though, and Jasper desperately wants to talk to you. ”
“He wants to know about his past.”
“Wouldn’t you in his place? You’re probably the only person who’s willing to tell him about it.”
Emric arched a brow. “Who said I was willing?”
* * * *
JASPER LOVED SPENDING time with his two best friends.
They understood him in a way even Archie couldn’t.
They’d been raised hunters, just like Jasper, and while they weren’t half monsters, they knew what he’d gone through because they’d been going through it, too.
They also knew Jasper’s father, and neither of them had been surprised when Jasper had told them what happened when he’d gone to the house where he’d grown up.
They’d gathered around him, and all three of them had agreed to spend an evening at the apartment, watching bad movies and forgetting about everything else.
Jasper wasn’t sure he could forget about anything else. He was watching the screen and listening to Corey and Kerry bicker over who would die next in the movie, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the case.
It wasn’t his case. In fact, initially, he hadn’t wanted to be involved. He hadn’t seen a reason to be, even though he’d known Daniel, if only in passing. He hadn’t thought that all of this would be connected to him the way it was, and he wasn’t quite sure what to do about it.
He couldn’t say he cared about Daniel. Hunters usually died young, but Daniel had survived longer than a lot of them.
He’d also apparently tried to redeem himself over whatever he’d done at the sanctuary, but Jasper wasn’t sure it was enough.
Many would say Daniel had only been doing his job, and maybe he had been.
Jasper knew very well what would have happened to Daniel if he’d said no to whatever orders he’d been given.
It wouldn’t have been as bad as what had happened to the people who lived at the sanctuary, though.
Daniel wouldn’t have been killed. Hell, he would probably be alive right now.
Instead, he’d helped destroy the sanctuary, and he’d paid for it with his life.
Jasper couldn’t find it in himself to be sorry for the guy.
How could he? Daniel was one of the people who’d destroyed his life.
Jasper would never know what kind of life he would’ve had if the sanctuary hadn’t been attacked.
He still wasn’t sure what kind of role Leroy had had in all of that, and he didn’t know if he would ever find out.
He didn’t know if he wanted to find out.
He probably should, but part of him was afraid.
Even though he wanted nothing to do with Leroy, the man had still raised him—badly, but he’d raised him.
He was Jasper’s father, whether Jasper liked it or not.
All in all, Jasper had conflicting feelings, and he didn’t know what to do about them.
Watching a bad horror movie wasn’t helping as much as it normally would.
He was almost relieved when his phone vibrated on the coffee table.
He snatched it up, ignoring Kerry’s glare, and smiled when he saw that Archie was calling him.
Archie had decided he would stay at work a little longer since they weren’t seeing each other tonight, so he was probably just finishing up and getting ready to go home.
Hell, maybe they would see each other today, after all.
Jasper still wasn’t feeling great about everything that was happening, but clearly being away from Archie wasn’t helping.
“Hey,” he said as he answered, ignoring Kerry when she tried to kick his leg as he got up from the couch. She waved the remote control around, but he shook his head. He didn’t need them to press pause. He’d already seen this movie, and he knew who died next. He didn’t need to get in on the bet.
“I need you to come to me,” Archie said.
His voice was tight, but he didn’t sound afraid or even alarmed. It sounded tense, though, which was a sign that something had happened. “I can do that. What’s going on?”
“I went through more of the documents from the box and found a name I thought was interesting. I went to the former hunter’s house, and the killer was there.”
Jasper sucked in a breath. He quickly stepped into the kitchen, not wanting to alarm his friends. If they knew what was going on, they’d want to be involved, and maybe it wasn’t a bad idea, but depending on who the killer was, Jasper would rather they not want to help.
“Where are you?” he asked, already moving to get ready to leave the apartment.
“We’re still at the hunter’s house, but I don’t think it’s going to be for much longer. Emric isn’t keen on talking to you or to me.”
Jasper frowned. “Should that name tell me something?”
“Apparently, the two of you played together as children.”
“That doesn’t help much. I’m sure I played with many children when I was a kid.”
“You were together at the sanctuary, Jasper. Emric knew your parents.”
It wasn’t a surprise. They’d both suspected that the killer had been involved in the sanctuary, possibly as a child.
It was the only thing that explained why they’d waited so long to start getting revenge on the hunters who’d been present that day.
Having confirmation made something twist in Jasper’s chest, though.
Whoever Emric was, he’d been through what Jasper had been through.
He’d probably lost his parents. He’d definitely lost the only home he’d ever known.
Jasper didn’t know what had happened to him after the sanctuary had burned down, but maybe he was about to find out.
Hell, even if Emric didn’t want to tell him anything about the murders, he was the only one who could tell Jasper about the sanctuary and what had happened that night. Sarah hadn’t been present.
Unfortunately for him, it sounded like Emric had.
“What’s the address?”
“Don’t come here. Johnson escaped, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he came back with a bunch of hunters. We’re not going to stick around.”
“Where, then?”
“The office. I’ll see you there in twenty.”
He didn’t waste time hanging up, but Jasper wasn’t offended.
If the hunters really were about to barge in through the door, Archie needed to get Emric away from wherever they were.
Jasper couldn’t say that he wanted Archie to keep Emric safe, but he wanted answers, and with Leroy refusing to talk to him, the only one who could give them to him was Emric.
Hopefully, he’d talk. Jasper wasn’t sure what he’d do if Emric refused to. Scream, maybe. Cry, definitely.
“I’m going to see Archie,” he declared as he rushed toward the front door.
“I thought this was our evening,” Corey complained.
“I promise we can watch another movie together soon, but Archie needs me.”
Corey wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, he needs you.”
Jasper resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Not like that, at least not right now, but sure. Why not.”
But Kerry was on to him. He could feel it by the way she was watching him. Thankfully, she didn’t ask. She knew that Jasper would tell them when he was ready.
He wanted to tell them now, but he knew them. They’d insist on coming along, and he’d eventually say yes because he wanted them there. They were his family as much as Archie, maybe even more so because they’d grown up together.
But Emric didn’t even seem to want to talk to Jasper.
What would he do if two more people he didn’t know were there?
Especially ex-hunters? There was no way to know, and Jasper didn’t want to waste the opportunity.
He’d be safe enough with Archie there. He could defend himself—in fact, he’d been trained to defend himself.
No matter how trained Emric was, there was a good chance that Jasper could kick his ass without breaking a sweat.
He hoped he wouldn’t have to do that, though.
He didn’t think Emric would be happy about it.
The drive to the office was tense. Jasper didn’t put on any music, but maybe he should have because it left him too much time alone with his thoughts.
He was spiraling, and for now, he didn’t have a reason to.
He didn’t know what he’d find when he got to the office.
He just knew what Archie had told him, which unfortunately wasn’t a lot.
It was enough to worry him, but he told himself that it was too soon for that.
Luckily, at this time of night, it wasn’t hard for him to find a parking spot.
He half-parked the car, knowing he’d get a ticket if someone was to see it but not caring one bit.
He rushed to the building, his heart pounding, hoping that Archie was already there.
If he had to wait one second longer to get his answers, he was going to scream.
The office was silent when Jasper went in, but the door wasn’t locked, which meant that Archie was already there. Since he wasn’t in the waiting area, that had to mean he was in his office, so Jasper opened the door, sucking in a breath as he stepped in.