by Faith Gibson
The lead CSU tech exited the house holding a plastic evidence bag. He showed it to Jasper. Inside was a piece of paper like the first four. This one said Alive. Jasper had the final clue to Theron’s wicked game. Can you keep him alive? The need to see Trevor in that moment was stronger than his need to find the Goyle. He knew Trevor was safe with Dante, but he needed to feel him in his arms. Touch him. Kiss him. His beast was pushing at him to go to his mate. Once the scene was released by the crime unit, yellow tape was placed around the old house, declaring it off limits. Jasper doubted anyone had been to the house in years, but it was standard procedure.
He fought with himself on whether to patrol the city or get on his bike and head to Athens. If Theron was following Jasper, he would know Trevor meant more to him than just being a friend. Still, he needed to lay eyes on his mate. Decision made, he drove home, changed into street clothes, straddled his Harley, and hit the highway.
Trevor sat next to Travis as the preacher spoke lovingly about a girl he’d never met. It surprised Trevor when, after the service was over, the preacher spoke to Travis as if he knew him. Their mother had dragged them to church every Sunday when they were kids, but he’d never known Travis to go to church after he moved away from home. Trevor wasn’t religious. He trusted science more than a being in the cosmos somewhere. Now that he was aware of Gargoyles and their trust in the old gods and the three fates, his own belief that there wasn’t an unseen power or powers was being tested.
When Rachel’s parents invited Trevor, Dante, and Isabelle to their home, Trevor started to decline, but Travis grabbed his arm. His brother needed him, so they went. The Montgomerys lived in a two-story brick house in a fairly upscale neighborhood. There was no less food scattered about the dining room than Priscilla had cooked for Christmas. Trevor remembered his mother cooking pies and casseroles to take to the homes of bereaving church goers, but he never understood it. If he lost someone, he wouldn’t feel like eating or being around other people. He would want to crawl up in the middle of his bed and lie alone in the darkness. The way he was certain Travis felt right then.
His brother put on a fake smile hiding both the pain he still felt in his body from the gunshot wound as well as the pain in his heart. Trevor saw plenty of death in his job, but never this side of it. He studied the victims in a clinical way, never knowing anything more than a name. He never thought about the grieving family standing by the six foot hole, listening to a preacher recount the life before the death. Now that he had witnessed the other side, he doubted his clinical examinations would ever be the same.
When the last of the guests finally left, Travis and Rachel’s parents fell into a group hug, offering comfort where there really was none. The woman they all loved was gone, and there was nothing left to say. The three of them would never be able to celebrate Christmas again without remembering what they lost.
Travis had agreed to come back to New Atlanta for a few days. He hated leaving Molly behind, but he wasn’t ready to be alone in his home, and there was no way she would be able to live in a Gargoyle home without going crazy. The CSU tech happily agreed to keep the animal until Travis came back home. Trevor was staring out the window watching the world go by when he noticed a black Harley going the opposite direction. He immediately wished that was Jasper and he was riding with him. Trevor wanted a little normalcy, even if for only a few hours. He hadn’t felt normal for the last three weeks. Not since he found out about Gargoyles, and especially not since he killed a man. He closed his eyes, letting the sounds of classical music lull him to sleep.
“Trevor, we’re here,” Isabelle said as she softly shook his arm. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and realized they were at Frey’s. Somehow his car was in the driveway. Travis was already standing outside, waiting as Dante got his bags from the back of the Range Rover. Dante had bought the larger vehicle when his family expanded. He couldn’t very well drive his beautiful woman around in the medical van, and the Aston Martin only accommodated two people.
Matthew was there, waiting for Trevor to get out. As soon as he did, the teen wrapped him in a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re back.” Trevor hugged him back before introducing his brother. “Travis, I’d like you to meet Matthew.”
“Damn, when you said you favored, I didn’t know you meant you were identical.” Matthew held his hand out to Travis. He kept shaking while he studied Travis closely. “No, there it is. His eyes are a different shade of green.”
The adults waited until the teen was finished with his thorough inspection of Trevor’s brother. “Travis, come on in, and I’ll show you where your room is,” Abbi said from the front porch. As always, she was tucked in close to her mate.
Travis stopped on the porch and held his hand out to Frey. “I want to thank you for taking me in. I’m sorry if it’s an imposition.”
Frey gripped Travis’s shoulder. “No thanks needed. It’s what families do.” Travis blinked up at the huge Gargoyle. Frey was one of the biggest, baddest Gargoyles around. He was also one of the kindest, most gentle men Trevor had ever met. When Frey was in the ring pounding gloves with Jasper, he was fierce. When he was at home, all ferocity was left at the door. Trevor knew exactly what his brother was thinking. This man, no, this Gargoyle he’d never met before had called him family. He had welcomed Trevor into his home as if he, too, were family. Trevor still wasn’t used to being included, and he was a mate to one of them. Travis had no real connection other than he was Trevor’s brother. When Frey let go of Travis, he stopped Trevor. “You hanging in there?”
Trevor nodded. “One day at a time,” he said.
“Speaking of hanging, we have what I hope is the final victim. Trevor, you help Travis get settled. I’m going to retrieve the body,” Dante said from the bottom of the steps where he had been talking on the phone.
“What did the note say?” He had to know.
“Alive.” Dante stared at Trevor for a moment. Instead of turning toward his car, he held Isabelle’s hand and led her up the steps, stopping next to Trevor and Frey. He dropped Isabelle’s hand so he could put both hands on Trevor’s shoulders. “Trevor, promise me you’ll stay put.”
“Why? Dante, where’s Jasper? Has something happened to him?”
“I haven’t spoken with him, but I’m sure he’s fine. I have a feeling things are going to get amped up now that Theron’s message has been revealed. Stay here with Frey.”
“I will. But if something happens to Jasper, promise me you’ll call me.”
“I will. Now, I must go.” Dante looked at Frey and something unspoken passed between the two of them. Frey nodded at Dante before directing Trevor inside. Dante kissed Isabelle softly and pressed their foreheads together. Isabelle waited until his car disappeared down the driveway before going inside the house.
Trevor took his bag to the room he always slept in whenever he stayed over with Matthew. He didn’t bother unpacking; he’d do that later. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed and put all the notes together. Can you keep him alive? Obviously the note was for Jasper about Trevor, and Trevor shivered thinking of the big Gargoyle with dark eyes coming after him. Matthew poked his head in the door. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I was just thinking about Jasper. I’m going to give him a quick call and then I’ll be downstairs.”
“Okay. I’m going to show Travis around, maybe take him to the lake.”
“Dude, it’s dark outside.”
“Dude, we have flashlights,” Matthew countered with a grin.
He amazed Trevor. The teen had been through so much. He’d had a shitty life for the first seventeen years. His former brother-in-law beat him within inches of his life then tried killing him on that bridge. He had to have nightmares, but he seemed to be handling everything pretty well. He almost always had a smile on his face. Then again, maybe his smile was a mask like Trevor’s. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Jasper’s number. It went to voicemail so he left him a message. “Hey, it’s me. I just wa
nted to let you know we’re safe at the big guy’s. Call me when you get this. I miss you.”
He knew Jasper would understand the big guy he was referring to was Frey. Trevor didn’t know if Theron could tap into his messages or not, but he didn’t want to inadvertently offer the Goyle any help finding Trevor if he was searching for him. Trevor made his way downstairs. Connor and Amelia were at the kitchen table. Connor was drawing, and Amelia was talking non-stop about a turtle they’d found down at the lake. Isabelle and Abbi were drinking a glass of wine. Frey was nowhere to be seen, but Trevor had a feeling he was patrolling outside, making sure there were no surprise visitors as well as keeping an eye on Matthew and Travis.
Trevor headed out the backdoor, following the path that led to the lake. When he got close, voices from the end of the dock let him know where Matthew and Travis were. He stopped when he heard Matthew say, “I didn’t like Trevor at first. Jasper is so in love with Trevor, and he refuses to mate with Jas. I hate seeing Jas so sad.” He explained how Trevor needed time to come to terms with everything he’d learned. “It is a lot, learning about the Goyles and all. If I had any harsh feelings toward Trevor, they all went away when he killed Troy.”
Oh shit.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“He what?” Travis barked.
“Oh, shit. I thought he told you everything.”
“Matthew, if you’d excuse us, please,” Trevor said. He didn’t need the teen sticking his foot any farther down his throat than he already had.
“Yeah, uh, sorry dude.” Matthew took off running up the dock, the faint beam from the flashlight flickering up and down with each step. When the light was gone, Trevor looked at Travis who was glaring at him.
Trevor sat down beside his brother. “I told you that Theron followed me, and Dante told me the truth of the Gargoyles. What I didn’t tell you was what else happened that day.” Trevor recounted the phone call, the ride in the Aston Martin, and standing next to Dane.
“Troy Quinn was the human equivalent of Theron. He was a bully and a grade-A asshole. He didn’t like me because I’m gay. To him, I was nothing more than scum to scrape off the bottom of his shoe. When he was shooting at Matthew and Jasper, my only thought was to protect them. The chief wasn’t doing anything, because he realized Jasper had his wings around Matthew and they both were safe. My brain wasn’t functioning enough to remember all Dante had told me only hours earlier. All I knew was Jasper was being shot at. Instinct took over, and I grabbed Dane’s gun and shot Quinn.”
“I thought you didn’t like guns. I remember when Dad took us to the firing range, you hated it. Where did you learn to shoot a gun well enough to fire one shot?” Travis asked quietly, his gaze on the lake. Trevor’s flashlight was on the dock between them, a steady beam reaching out across the water.
“You’ve played Call of Duty with me.” Trevor didn’t need to explain further. He was undefeated in that particular series, his shooting skills second to none.
“How did it feel?”
“How did what feel?”
“To take a life,” his brother whispered.
“Like something I never want to feel again. I see his body in my dreams. The way he slumped over, the life leaving him. Dante wouldn’t let me anywhere near the morgue until Quinn’s body was gone. He was afraid of how I would react, and he was right. Everyone tells me they understand, that the mate bond took over, and I was protecting Jasper. Travis, the reason doesn’t matter. I took a life, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.”
“Do you ever stop and think that maybe being around the Gargoyles isn’t good for you? For me? I mean, your life was pretty tame before you got mixed up with them. You were a normal man who led a normal life. Nobody was shooting at your boyfriend. Nobody was killing my girlfriend. We weren’t hiding out in the middle of the woods from crazed monsters who were trying to kill us.”
“We’ve always been around them; we just didn’t know it. Don’t blame this on them because they aren’t human. Troy Quinn was human, and he was evil. Like I told you before, there’s good and bad in every species. And to answer your question, being around the Gargoyles might seem dangerous, but it is good for me. Before I became entrenched in their lives, I had you. That’s it. I worked and went home. Alone. Travis, my friends were dead bodies, and even they didn’t stay around long. I know I can call you any time or come visit whenever I want, but before I knew about the Gargoyles, I wasn’t living. I was merely going through the motions. So yes, being around the Gargoyles is good for me. I now have a family.”
Trevor’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He prayed it was a text from Jasper. “I’m sorry about Rachel. More than you’ll ever know. But I won’t distance myself from them. Not even for you.”
“You’re different. Not in a bad way, though. I can see how these last few weeks have made you stronger. You’re more sure of yourself, even if you don’t realize how incredible you are. I don’t blame you for wanting a family. It’s what I wanted with Rachel. At least one of us will have it.”
“I hope so. This thing with Theron could possibly start a war. I pray it doesn’t come to that, though.”
“Me, too. For your sake. Now, I’m tired, and I want to go to bed so I can cry myself to sleep. It’s therapeutic, I hear.”
“Go ahead; I’ll meet you at the house after I check my phone.” Trevor handed the flashlight to Travis. He knew the path well enough to use the moonlight to find his way back.
Even though he wished it was from Jasper, Trevor was relieved to see the text was from Dante and not an anonymous number.
I need your help. Come to the crime scene. Dante gave him the address.
Normally Dante called Trevor, but he was probably busy. Trevor made his way back to the house and told Frey, “Dante needs me. Can you call for reinforcements?” He knew Frey couldn’t leave the others alone.
“Lorenzo’s close by. I’ll have him take you.”
Trevor was surprised that Travis and Matthew were playing a video game. He didn’t want to interrupt, so he asked Isabelle to tell his brother he’d gone to work. She assured him Travis would be in good hands. As soon as Lorenzo arrived, Trevor got in his car, and they headed out.
Jasper should have called first. He arrived in Athens only to find Trevor was back in New Atlanta safe at Frey’s. Instead of sending a text, he called his mate. The call went to voicemail. “Trev, I’m in Athens. I should have called, but I needed to see you. I’m on my way back now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up and called Frey.
“Hey, Brother. Everything okay?” the big guy asked.
“It will be as soon as I lay eyes on Trevor. He didn’t answer his phone. Is he around?”
“No, he’s at the morgue. He probably has his music up too loud to hear the phone.”
“Of course he is. Okay, I’m headed there now. If you talk to him, tell him to stay put until I get there.”
“Will do.”
Jasper filled his tank and headed west toward home. When he was about halfway there, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He flipped on the cruise control and dug his phone out. He had a missed call from Julian as well as a text. He opened the message.
Located Kallisto. Still no sign of Theron.
I’m 40 miles out. Headed to morgue. Keep me posted.
When a chill ran up Jasper’s spine, he considered pulling over to call Trevor. Instead, he flipped off the cruise control and cranked down on the throttle, praying the troopers were on a different highway. Jasper arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. He parked at the back door that led to the morgue. Neither Trevor nor Dante’s cars were there. As he walked down the hall, he reached out with his senses. He didn’t get a feel for his mate, and there was only a dim light coming from inside. Jasper tried the doorknob, finding it unlocked. He made his way into the room where his mate should be working. “Trev?”
When Jasper stepped into the examination room, he froze. There on the table was a body with a note attached.
“No. No!” he roared. When he saw the slashes across the face of the victim, he died inside. He lifted the note from the man’s chest.
You couldn’t keep him alive
Jasper realized too late he was not alone. Fuck! He had dropped his guard. His fangs elongated, but before he could get his claws out, pain shot through his neck. He turned to find Theron holding a syringe. Instead of fighting him Goyle to Goyle, the bastard had poisoned him. “You fucking coward,” was all Jasper could get out before his body began seizing up.
Theron walked around the table, never taking his eyes off Jasper. “It’s a shame, really. You and I had something special, but you lowered yourself to the likes of… this,” he pointed, indicating the body on the table. Jasper fell to the floor, unable to look upon the face of his mate one last time. He was aware of Theron standing over him, but he couldn’t move. Couldn’t release the note still in his hand. Couldn’t make his eyes stay open. Jasper felt a shadow fall across his face. In his waning lucidity he felt a brush of lips across his own. Trevor. His beautiful mate was telling him goodbye. Trev…
Trevor had a bad feeling. He chalked it up to the talk he had with Travis, but deep in his soul he knew it was much more than that.
“You okay over there? You’re putting off some pretty nasty vibes,” Lorenzo told him.
“No, I’m not. Have you ever had a possum run over your grave?”
“A possum what?”
“A possum run… a chill run down your spine?”
“Oh, of course. I call it Gargoyle intuition, or a gut feeling. You got one of those?”
“Yeah. I’m calling Jasper.” When Trevor pulled out his phone, he saw the voice mail. “What the hell?” He pushed play and Jasper’s voice sounded on the other end. When the message ended, he looked at the time stamp. “That’s weird. Jasper called, but I didn’t hear it ring. Did you hear it ring?”