Jasper (4 page)

Trevor’s
head was spinning. Being this close to Jasper was causing all kinds of crazy
shit inside his brain, not to mention his dick was pulsing like an arm banded
in a tourniquet for bloodletting. Pretty soon he’d have no feeling left. He sat
behind the stainless table so Jasper wouldn’t see the effect he was having. He
wasn’t ready to talk to Jasper, but the man was here, in the middle of the
night, clearly concerned for his mental state. Of course Jasper had to walk in during
one of Trevor’s meltdowns.

The
past two weeks had been hell. Receiving the photos of Jasper and his ex-lover,
make that his dead ex-lover, had started the downward spiral. Being followed by
Theron, then Dante telling him the truth about Gargoyles, and finally, Trevor
shooting and killing Troy Quinn, all of these events had Trevor ready to jump
off the deep end. With no water in the pool. His mind was constantly reeling
with this new knowledge. He had worked for Dante several years and knew the man
and his family were badasses. Now he understood why. They were primordial
beings who appeared to be human, only they weren’t.

He
still had much to learn about the Gargoyles and the half-bloods, but one thing
he didn’t need any more coaching on was the mate bond. Even though Dante
explained how the fates chose the Gargoyle’s life partner, he witnessed
firsthand how that bond worked with not only Dante but Frey as well. They both
told him their story and how they met their mates. Dante flew to Greece to save
his female, and Frey rescued Abbi from death when he caught her seconds before
she hit the ground after her husband threw her over the bridge. Her husband who
Trevor had killed. Watching the couples together left no doubt they were meant
for each other. It didn’t mean he was ready to accept that he was Jasper’s
mate.

Like
he told Jasper, the man – make that Gargoyle – was a god. He needed someone of
godlike status to be his mate, whether the fates thought so or not. Trevor had
nothing to offer someone like Jasper. Someone who had lived over four hundred
years. Someone who’d known probably countless lovers over those years. Trevor
wanted to be friends with Jasper, because he didn’t have many. He wanted to be
close to the gorgeous redhead, but he would not mate with him. Jasper deserved
so much more than Trevor. If he never mated with the detective, Jasper would always
have the opportunity to choose someone else.

“I’m
surprised Dante didn’t fill you in on who Theron is, or more importantly who
his father is.”

“I
might not have given him the opportunity to fill me in on a whole lot after he
explained the mate bond,” Trevor said honestly. “He did tell me about Alistair,
but he did not elaborate on Theron other than he’s Alistair’s son.”

Jasper
ran his hand through his hair. His chin was now covered in whiskers that hadn’t
been there two weeks ago. Trevor wanted to touch his face and find out if the
beard was as soft as it looked. Now more than ever he wished he wasn’t
colorblind so he could see the blue of Jasper’s eyes. He only knew they were
blue because he’d asked him.

“I
will tell you everything, I promise. But I’d rather do it somewhere besides the
morgue. Will you come by my place later today?”

Trevor
didn’t want the temptation of being alone in Jasper’s home, but he wanted the
truth, so he agreed. “Yeah, I guess I can do that. I’m almost done here anyway.
What time were you thinking?”

“How
about nine? That’ll give me time to get some things done, and I’ll cook you
breakfast.”

Trevor
was all about Jasper cooking for him. The man was not only a god; he was a master
chef in the kitchen. “That works for me.”

“Have
you seen anyone following you?” Jasper asked as he shoved his hands in his
pockets. Trevor knew he was itching to reach out and touch him. Trevor wanted
the same thing.

“If
there is, I haven’t seen them. I think Dante has one of the badass club
following me everywhere I go.” Trevor had noticed some of the Gargoyles he met
at Dante’s home hanging out in the parking lots when they had no good reason
being where Trevor was otherwise.

Jasper
pulled a key out of his pocket. “Okay, good. Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yep.
I’ll be there. And Jasper? I want the truth. About everything.”

Jasper
nodded and left the room. Trevor walked to the sink and scrubbed his hands
again before leaving for home. He knew it was psychological, but he felt dirty.
Maybe Jasper was right; maybe he did need to talk to a shrink before he had no
skin left.

Since
he had a few hours before he was to be at Jasper’s, Trevor tried to get some
sleep. He didn’t like to take pills. They tended to knock him out for quite a
while, and he was afraid he wouldn’t wake up in time to go to Jasper’s. Instead,
he decided for a little herbal remedy. Marijuana became legal after the
apocalypse, but his mother had insisted it was still wrong to smoke it. He
hadn’t partaken often since college, but now he felt if he used it for
medicinal purposes, it was okay. Ever since the shooting, he kept some on hand
just in case.

Trevor
set the clock for eight and lay down in his cold, dark room. Closing his eyes,
he tried to focus on the good in his life. He brought Travis and Molly into
view, wishing he could have a dog of his own. He spent most of his time at the
morgue, so that wouldn’t be fair to a canine. Maybe he could get a hamster, or
a snake. Something independent he could leave at home for hours on end.

When
his clock went off, Trevor sent up a small prayer of thanks that he’d managed
to sleep without visions of Theron in the woods or Jasper laughing at him while
having sex with Craig. Most nights his sleep was riddled with images he’d
rather never see again.

After
he showered and dressed, he made his way to Jasper’s. When he got to the gate,
he sent a text. 
I’m here.

Password
hasn’t changed.

That
little bit of information did something to Trevor’s heart. Jasper trusted him
to have access to his home. He punched in his birthday and drove down the
driveway. Much like the first time, Trevor wiped his hands on his jeans even
though they weren’t sweaty. He must have sat in his car longer than he
realized, because Jasper opened the front door and stuck his head out. Damn,
the man was beyond gorgeous.
You can do this. You wanted answers, and he’s
going to give them to you.

Trevor
climbed out of his car and walked to the door. Jasper stepped back so Trevor
could enter the house. “Hey,” Jasper said. “Come on in.” Trevor followed Jasper
to the kitchen where bacon was waiting on a plate and a bowl of what looked
like pancake batter was on the counter. Jasper handed Trevor a cup of coffee.
He took a sip, finding it fixed exactly the way he drank it. “It won’t take
long for the waffles to cook if you want to have a seat,” Jasper instructed.

Trevor
sat at the island, sipping coffee as Jasper moved gracefully around the
kitchen. While the waffles were browning, Jasper retrieved syrup from the
pantry. Trevor had to look away when Jasper bent over getting fruit out of the
refrigerator. The man had a really nice ass. When the waffles were done, Jasper
flipped two onto each plate and placed them on the table. “Do you want some
juice or milk?”

“No,
coffee’s fine, thanks.” Trevor added blueberries to his waffles before drowning
them in syrup. His mother had always fussed about the amount of syrup he used.
Jasper didn’t say a word. In fact, he added more syrup to his plate than Trevor
had. He tried not to stare as Jasper closed his mouth around the fork or when
he licked syrup off his lips. It was an impossible feat, though. Jasper’s mouth
was a work of art. Both lips were plump, and Trevor remembered how they felt
against his, even though their two kisses had been brief.

“Trev…”
Jasper was pointing his fork at Trevor.

“Hmm?”
he asked as he stuck a bite of bacon in his mouth.

“More
coffee?” Jasper asked as he slid his stool back from the island. Trevor was
pretty sure that’s not what Jasper was going to say.

“Yes,
please.” He slid his cup across the tile surface. Jasper refilled the cup,
adding just the right amount of milk and a dash of cinnamon. How he knew the
way Trevor preferred his java was a mystery. They’d never discussed it. “How
did you know I like cinnamon?”

“I
might have seen you at the diner once or twice before you went to work.”

“You’ve
been stalking me?” Trevor hadn’t noticed him if he had.

“I
like to think of it as keeping an eye on you. Even though Dante has some of the
others watching your back, I take my turn as often as I can. If I didn’t have
to work, I’d take all the turns.”

“You
can’t watch me twenty-four seven.”

“No,
but I’d like to. I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’re my mate. Do you
think Dante would want someone else looking out for Isabelle? Or Gregor would
allow someone else to guard Tessa? I can assure you they absolutely would not
unless they had no choice. I feel the same way.”

He
was right; Trevor didn’t want to think about the mate bond. “Is there always
someone following me? There was a badass on a motorcycle behind me when I was
driving over here.”

“Yes.
Until the situation with Theron is abated, there will be someone guarding you
at all times. Lorenzo was on duty until you arrived here. I will take over for
the duration of the weekend unless I get called in to patrol. If that were to
happen, I’d follow you home where someone else would take over. Your safety is
top priority.”

“How
dangerous is Theron? I mean, isn’t he just another Gargoyle? Are some of you
more powerful than others?”

“As
with humans, there are some Gargoyles who are stronger and faster than others.
The older the Gargoyle, the more experience they have. Take Mason for example.
He’s a newbie. What that means is he is young and transitioned a short while
ago. He looks to be in his twenties, but he’s still a teenager. When he reaches
maturity in the next few years, he will appear to be in his thirties. He is stronger
than humans, of course, but he is no match for an older Goyle. Some of us have
seen multiple wars. When you live as long as we do, you adjust to the time
period.

“When
I was born, it was the late fifteen hundreds, and Ireland was at war with
England. I was raised with a sword in my hand. Urijah looks like a Viking even
though I’ve not asked his heritage. He is a swordsmith, and can stand toe to
toe with me with that particular weapon. Theron is also older therefore more
experienced. He is only more dangerous than most Gargoyles his age because he
is evil, as is his father. He believes the humans were put here for his
pleasure, not that we are here as protectors. As with humans, there are those
who think they are on a level above everyone else.”

“Are
you immortal?” Trevor didn’t understand why someone who could live thousands of
years would want a human for a mate when that mate would only die off after a
short period of time.

“Not
exactly. I can only be killed two ways: beheading and certain rare poisons. Old
Gargoyles can die off when the will to live is gone.” Trevor couldn’t imagine
living hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.

Jasper
changed the subject. “Did Dante tell you of Connor’s special abilities?”

Trevor
nodded. “Yes. He explained how Connor drew pictures and showed them to Dante
with his mind. I’ve spent quite a while around him.”

“Has
Dante told you of Connor’s latest drawing?” Jasper asked, his forehead
crinkling in unease. It wasn’t a look Trevor was used to on the detective. It
must be one doozie of a drawing.

“No,
why? What was it?” Trevor was curious as to how the boy’s visions worked. More
than that, he was amazed when Dante told him Isabelle’s son could reach out to
Dante with his mind even before they’d ever met.

Jasper’s
phone rang. “Godsdamnit. I’m sorry, but I have to take this.”

Trevor
knew by Jasper’s body language it had to do with work. Even though they’d only
been around each other a few times, Trevor was already learning Jasper’s facial
expressions. If he had a case, Trevor was probably needed as well.

Jasper
thumbed off his phone. “We have a body. Do you want to ride with me?”

“Won’t
people wonder why we’re together?” Trevor didn’t care what people thought of
him. He wanted to protect Jasper’s image.

“We’re
friends, Trev. The sooner people get used to that, the better.”

“You’re
not taking your bike, are you?” Trevor wanted to ride on Jasper’s Harley, but
he wouldn’t tell him that. He wanted to know what it felt like to be snuggled
close behind Jasper with his arms wrapped around him while the bike rumbled
under them both.

“I
don’t think your M.E. kit will fit. Besides, I only have one helmet.”

“My
kit is at the hospital, and I’ll need to get the bus to transport the body. You
can drive me there, if you want.” Trevor wasn’t sure about being in such a
confined space with Jasper. Hopefully his body would behave for the short ride.

Since
they were going to a crime scene, Jasper drove his work vehicle. Luckily, the
hospital was in the direction of where they needed to be. He probably should
have let Trevor drive separately, but he would grab onto any excuse to be alone
with his mate.

Trevor
tapped his fingers on his legs, drumming to the beat of the song currently
playing on the radio. Jasper was almost glad their conversation regarding
Theron had been interrupted. Then again, he was ready to get it over with, too.
Once he told Trevor all about his past, only then would he have a chance at
making him his mate. It was going to be hard enough to convince him that Jasper
really was interested in him, mate bond or not.

Jasper
turned the volume up and sang along. He gripped the steering wheel a little
harder than necessary, but he was itching to touch Trevor. Maybe riding
together wasn’t such a good idea. The enclosed space was too much of a
temptation. Trevor’s soap mixed with his body’s natural scent was a heady
concoction. He had heard the other Goyles talk about their need to constantly
touch their mate, and now he understood completely. He struggled to keep his
eyes on the road instead of on Trevor’s long, slender hands. He wanted to know
what those hands felt like running over his body or circling his hard cock.
Jasper groaned at the thought of getting Trevor naked and underneath him. He
hoped his mate liked to be on the receiving end of sex, but if not, he would
take what his partner offered.

Past
experience had turned Jasper off to wanting to bottom. He glanced over at
Trevor who was singing along to the music. He had a feeling the man wasn’t very
experienced. That could be a good thing. Jasper would love to teach Trevor all
about making love. Not that Jasper had ever made love. He’d only ever fucked.
He didn’t know what it was like to be connected spiritually with the person he
was with. Even with Craig, it had only been a release. Not once had they ever
had sex looking in each other’s eyes. That should have been a clue it wasn’t
meant to be.

When
they arrived at the hospital, Jasper parked in Dante’s spot and cut the motor.
“I’ll see you there,” Trevor said.

“I’m
not letting you out of my sight, Trev. I know this is your territory, but
Theron could be anywhere. I’m going in with you.”

“You
left me alone this morning,” Trevor countered.

“No,
Lorenzo was here.” Jasper got out of the car and opened his senses. He took a
quick look around the parking lot as he opened the door for Trevor.

“What
a gentleman,” Trevor joked.

Jasper
couldn’t help but smile. This was the Trevor he was used to. The one who was
constantly making jokes. He missed this Trevor. If Jasper had his way, he would
see to it Trevor never had a reason to be overly serious again. As they walked
toward the building, Jasper placed his hand on the small of Trevor’s back. It
was as natural as breathing. Trevor didn’t flinch, so Jasper kept his hand
there until they entered the hospital. Trevor grabbed his kit and keys, and
Jasper escorted him to the “bus” as Trevor called the transport van. Once Trevor
was safely inside, Jasper said, “I’ll follow you.”

Jasper
rode closely behind Trevor, watching his rearview mirror as much as he did the vehicle
in front of him. He was hyper-aware of their surroundings as they traveled
through the busy streets. As soon as they arrived, Jasper held back from
crowding Trevor. He was there to do a job. They both were. He made his way
inside the house, looking for the attending officer. Jasper took a look around
the inside of the home. Pictures of a family dotted the walls. The officer,
Broderick Hays, made his way to Jasper, and filled him in on what they’d found.

“Jenkins,”
he said as he held out his hand for Jasper to shake. “A call came in to the
precinct earlier from a cleaning service. They found the body of the male
homeowner sitting in a recliner with his neck slit. A note had been nailed to
his chest that contained one word…
Can
. Why would the killer leave a one
word note?”

“Because
he isn’t done. Let’s hope whatever message he has is a short one, or we’re
going to end up with a slew of bodies at the morgue. Where’s the wife?”

“In
New Orlando visiting her mother. I’ve already called and told her she needs to
come home.”

Jasper
was glad that he didn’t have to make that call. Even though Hays had spoken to
the cleaning ladies, Jasper also questioned them. Once he was satisfied, he
turned them loose. He waited for the crime scene techs to do their thing and
then he waited longer until Trevor did his. When the body was bagged and loaded
in the back of the bus, Trevor pulled his gloves off and walked to where Jasper
was waiting.

 “This
one’s pretty bad. The width of the cut appears to have been done with an object
thicker than your average knife. I need to get back to the hospital and get
started.”

“I’m
right behind you,” Jasper said. He wished he was behind his mate, on his knees
on the bed behind him. His cock twitched, so he turned toward his car before
Trevor could see his pants getting tighter.

When
they got to the hospital, Trevor backed the bus in at the entrance like a
professional driver. He wondered how many times his mate had brought in a
victim. Jasper parked and got out to help Trevor unload the body. “Do you
normally unload bodies by yourself?” he asked, grabbing one end of the
stretcher.

“No.
If one of the techs isn’t available, I call an orderly to come help. Since
you’re here, I figured I’d get some use out of you.” Trevor wheeled the body
through the tunnel and down the hallway that led to the morgue. Jasper had
never been in this part of the hospital. It was eerily empty and quiet except
for the squeak of the wheels as they rolled over the parquet floor. Trevor
pushed through a set of double doors that led to a back room.

“So
that’s how you get the bodies in here. I was wondering how the stretcher was
going to fit,” Jasper said, looking around the cold room. Trevor stopped
pushing and opened another set of doors. He grabbed the front of the gurney and
pulled it into his usual work space. He slid on a set of latex gloves before
unzipping the body bag.

“Is
it okay if I stay and watch?” Jasper had never seen an autopsy performed. More
than that, he wanted to watch his mate in action.

Trevor
frowned and said, “I guess so. Don’t you need to call Dane?”

Jasper
had called his boss on the way over, filling him in on the details as well as
informing him this body was likely the first in a string of many considering
the note. “I already did. Don’t you need to call Dante?” he countered.

“I
already did,” Trevor replied, the side of his mouth twitching. If they could
continue this type of interaction, Jasper would be thrilled. He needed to get
Trevor to think of him as a friend, as someone he could trust. The longer he
put off telling his mate about his past, the better. He needed Trevor to view him
as the kind of male he had grown to be, not the one he was many years ago.

Trevor
unzipped the bag, exposing the dead male. The note and nail used to affix it to
the man were already down at the forensics lab. Jasper was aware of the
process; he’d just never seen it done. Trevor removed the man’s clothes,
placing them in evidence bags. He labeled the bags and set them aside. When he rolled
the body next to the examination table, he began transferring it over.

 “Would
you like some help?” Jasper asked.

“Nah.
I got it,” Trevor said, pulling the large victim onto the stainless table in
the middle of the room. Jasper had seen Trevor’s muscles the couple of times
they had been at the gym together. Now he knew where he got them. Tugging on
that much dead weight was a workout. Trevor pushed the stretcher back into the
other room and began his examination.

The
table had a built in scale. Trevor noted the man’s weight as well as height. When
he pointed to the man’s neck, he said, “See what I mean about the laceration?
It’s too wide to be any type of knife I’ve heard of. We’re looking for a weapon
that’s approximately one and a half to two centimeters wide. You can tell the
laceration started on the left side of the neck since the skin is jagged here,”
he said, pointing to the area just above the right collarbone. “It appears he
was standing behind the victim when he struck. Your killer is right-handed.”

Even
though CSU had already taken photographs, Trevor made his own pictures of the
wound. He talked aloud, more to himself than to Jasper. It was his way of doing
the examination, and Jasper found it fascinating. Trevor went over every inch
of the man’s body, noting the lack of defensive wounds. There was no skin under
his fingernails, and no other bruises, cuts, or abrasions other than the one
slit of his throat. Trevor did draw blood as was protocol in all post-mortem
exams they performed, but the cause of death was clear. There was no need to
cut the man open.

While
Trevor cleaned the blood from the victim’s neck, Jasper thought about the
laceration. He had seen too many cuts just like this to keep quiet. “Trev, I
might know what killed him.”

Trevor’s
hands stilled as he looked up at Jasper. Jasper wiggled his fingers without
releasing his claws. Trevor’s eyes got wide, and he dropped the cloth he’d been
using. He grabbed Jasper by the arm and pulled him toward the table. “Let me
see,” he said. Jasper stepped next to the table without touching it and called
forth his index claw. He placed it next to the man’s neck so that Trevor could
compare it to the width of the cut. Perfect. He wouldn’t allow himself to
entertain the idea that one of the Stone Society had murdered an innocent
human. At least he assumed the man was innocent. He had a sinking feeling
Theron was responsible.

“Holy
shit, that’s a perfect match. But how are you going to explain that to the
public? Blame it on the Unholy?”

“That
same thought just crossed my mind,” Jasper said as he moved back from the
table. He had done his fair share of slashing throats recently as he helped the
Clan fight the Unholy. Jasper had no problem in taking out the monsters that
threatened society. “However, they rarely enter homes during broad daylight. I
also have to consider the note. Most Unholy aren’t sane enough to leave a
calling card. The house would have been destroyed had it been one of them. No,
I think we are looking at a Goyle.”

Trevor
swallowed, the sound loud in Jasper’s ears. It finally dawned on his mate that
the evil one who was after him might be a suspect. “Do you think…”

“I
don’t know what to think. Yet. I want you to call Dante while I call Dane. We
need to have a meeting and come up with a story to tell the press as well as
what to document in the reports. When you are unable to identify a weapon, what
do you list on your paperwork?”

Trevor
shrugged. “I’ve never run across this problem before. I’ve always figured out
what the weapon was.”

Of
course he had. Trevor was that smart as well as that tenacious. Jasper was
proud of his mate for the great job he did. “I don’t think we need to scare the
public with a lie about the Unholy, at least not yet.” Jasper stepped into the
other room to call his boss.

When
he returned, Trevor had stitched up the laceration. A toe tag had been applied,
and he was transferring the body to the refrigerator for safe keeping. After he
slid the drawer home, Trevor turned to Jasper and said, “I’m hungry. How about
lunch?”