Asia smiled, but looked down at her hands before meeting my eyes, then Jasper's. “I don't have that many friends here yet, and you've both been very kind. It would be good to have someone to lean on.”
I thought I heard a 'but' coming.
“I...” Asia paused, appearing to consider her reply in more depth. “Sure. Yes. All right. It doesn't mean we have to hang out every day or anything.”
“No, not at all. Whenever you feel like it. Or on holidays or something,” Jasper said.
I couldn't tell whether I thought Asia was still in love with Jasper or was just being wisely cautious where her heart was concerned. If I had been in her shoes, I didn't think I could agree to being a part of my ex-husband's new life. Not after he'd left me with no warning and no word. Putting myself in that perspective changed things.
“I'm sure it'll be fine. And Kaia could use to be around someone other than myself and Missus Klemmens, the elder lady downstairs who sits for me when I need her to.”
“Don't feel like you have to,” I said, following through on instinct. For my own part, I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it all, either. I liked Asia, that much I knew. And I hadn't minded helping her when she'd been in a time of need. Now and then, I still experienced weird pangs of worry that Jasper would decide Asia had everything to give that I couldn't offer.
“I don't. We'll take it a day at a time, how's that?” Asia said with an easier smile.
“Whatever works for you. And thanks for coming over. We appreciate you answering honestly about Kaia. It puts my doubts to rest,” Jasper added.
Asia stood. “I don't mind. I can see how you'd want to make sure.” After a moment, she said, “I'm glad we opened this door. Kaia doesn't have any kind of male figure in her life here. It'll be good for her.”
“Yeah, us too. Let us know if or when you want to get together,” Jasper said, straightening from his lean.
I got up out of the chair and went to the kitchen counter for a notepad. Jotting down Ramsey's number, I walked the paper back to Asia and handed it off. “That's Ramsey, the guy I was telling you about. Give him a call and he'll fit you in for an interview.”
Asia accepted the paper with a smile. “I appreciate this. Thank you. I'll talk to you both soon.”
I wandered behind Jasper and Asia to the door. “See you.”
“Take care,” Jasper said. He waved a final time before Asia got into her car. Closing the door, Jasper let out a quick breath.
“Relieved?” I asked, watching Jasper's expression closely.
He ran a hand through his hair and quirked a half grin. “Yeah, yeah. Of course. It would have sucked to think that if she was mine, that I would have missed out on the whole first year and a half of her life. Or however long it's been.”
I wasn't sure I bought that answer. Jasper seemed distracted or disappointed, and then I wondered if I was being too particular. Looking for trouble where trouble didn't exist.
In an effort to quit thinking about it, and to distract us both, I put on my most sultry face and said, “So. Do you think there's anything I can do to convince you not to go in early to work?”
Chapter Fourteen
Jasper, hard-headed and determined as ever, could only be side-tracked for so long. After another round of showers to rinse our bodies clean of sweat and the scent of sex, Jasper donned street clothes and grabbed his keys.
Ramsey had the Camaro delivered to our driveway as he'd promised the night before.
“If you'll give me a few minutes, I'll come with you. Ramsey said I could do some back office paperwork to fill in the time until my face heals,” I said, leisurely towel drying my hair. I was drawing everything out, hoping to eat away Jasper's desire to talk to employees at work about the attack.
“You're stalling,” Jasper said, astute as ever. “I'm leaving in five minutes, with or without you.”
“You suck,” I announced, grumpy that he'd guessed my tactic.
“Asking questions doesn't hurt anything,” Jasper repeated.
“Asking questions might lead to other things, like an argument or misinformation or even taking you off to some other dangerous location,” I pointed out.
“Four minutes.”
I threw the towel in the bathroom and yanked clothes from the closet. When Jasper said he was leaving in four minutes, he meant it. He'd leave me high and dry even if I was hopping down the hallway, pulling on my last shoe.
My hair would have to dry on its own.
I made it to the Camaro as Jasper was sliding into the driver's seat.
“Promise me you won't get into any fights,” I said, strapping myself in.
“Can't promise you that.” Jasper backed out of the driveway.
The chilly day permeated the car, making me shiver in my seat. I rubbed my hands down my arms, wishing I'd thought to bring a lightweight coat. Or a hoodie. Reaching over, I turned on the heat.
Nothing happened.
I fiddled with the controls, frowning.
“This damn car,” Jasper said, muttering. He moved my hand to manipulate the controls himself.
“You love this car,” I said. The beat up Camaro, with its dingy interior, cracked dash and weathered paint was Jasper's baby. He kept the motor in good condition while he made plans for total renovation. That cost money, however, money we were putting away into savings for our mechanic shop.
“Sometimes...” Jasper said, trailing, as if he would trade the car in at the slightest provocation.
I glanced across the seat, surprised. “You wouldn't give this car up even if it cost you your right pinky.”
Jasper grunted, putting doubts in my mind that he loved the car as much as he once had. Which was strange.
Leaving the topic alone, I rode the rest of the way in silence. Vegas was alive and kicking this late in the afternoon, even on the back streets. Pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks was brisk as citizens mingled with tourists.
Before I knew it, we were parked in the employee lot at Olympus and Jasper wasted no time getting out. He walked with a bounce in his step and determination in his eyes.
He meant business.
“Are you gonna even kiss me goodbye until later? We're riding home together, right?” I knew our shifts ended right around the same time. For a change.
Jasper pivoted back and planted a hard, possessive kiss on my mouth. He smelled like mint.
He said, “I'll see you after, yeah. Meet me in the locker room.”
I caught Jasper around the nape and held him there so I could brush my mouth over his again. He rumbled for the power play, but didn't tug away from my touch.
“I will. Bye.” Finally, I let him go. It was a lot like trying to contain a wild animal when Jasper was on a mission. He turned away and headed to the employee door, punching numbers to let himself in. Usually, we walked together and he held the door open, pretending to be a gentleman.
Today he disappeared inside and made me key in the numbers all over again. I mumbled something about impatience and stubbornness and prepared myself for an entire shift of paper shuffling. It was better than showgirling it up for the night, however, so I wouldn't complain. Work was work, and I couldn't return to Ushering until my face healed a little more. Olympus had rules about appearance and grooming for that particular position. Looking beat up might turn customers off.
Shuffling papers reminded me what a boring, tedious job it was, and by the time I was ready to clock out, I couldn't wait to look at something other than files and folders. No one had come up to say that Jasper had gotten into a fight, or been arrested, so I figured he hadn't learned anything new or useful about the assailant.
I wasn't sorry.
Making my way downstairs, I headed to the employee locker room to meet up with Jasper. He should be changed back into his street clothes by now, I thought, and ready to go home.
Entering the locker room, I saw Jasper putting his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. He ran a hand through his hair to work
out some of the styling, making the bangs fall forward over his brow.
“Hey,” I said, admiring the view.
He looked over his shoulder at me. “Hey.”
“How did your question and answer session go?” I didn't see any bruises or wounds. A good sign.
“Eh. No one knew anything. No one saw or heard anything suspicious.” Jasper closed the locker door and faced me. “I have a sweatshirt in the locker from last week. You want it? It'll probably be cold out tonight.”
I accepted the black hoodie and pulled it on over my clothes. “Thanks. You ready to go?”
“Yeah. Let's get out of here.”
I accompanied Jasper out of the staff room and into the hall. To my surprise, Adrian and Ramsey were there, having a conversation. Both dressed in suits, the cousins gestured while they talked, standing far enough away from the door that I couldn't hear their words.
“Great,” Jasper muttered.
“Don't get testy. Adrian came to my aid,” I reminded Jasper.
“Yeah. Now I'll have to shake his hand or something.”
I elbowed Jasper in the ribs and intended to circumvent the men until Adrian glanced our way.
“Thanks for stepping in,” Jasper said, taking initiative.
“Not a problem,” Adrian replied.
The exchange of words was cautious, as if Jasper and Adrian still thought the other might suddenly start a fight.
“Hear anything?” I asked, so Jasper wouldn't have to talk to Adrian more than he had to.
“Nothing yet. The police don't have any new leads. They're looking at the surveillance tapes tonight though,” Adrian said.
“Well, let us know.” I didn't intend to hang around, not with Jasper and Adrian's history. The men notoriously didn't get along.
“We will,” Adrian assured us.
The employee door opened and a staff member came in. Like the rest of us, he wore street clothes, preferring to change into his uniform in the locker room. He had his head down, shoulders hunched, hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. I didn't pay much attention until I felt Jasper tense beside me. Before I could do more than twitch, Jasper lurched away from my side, grabbed the employee up by the collar, and pushed him back against the wall. Sudden chaos broke out as Adrian and Ramsey rushed over.
“Where were you last night just after midnight, huh?” Jasper asked the employee, fists tightening in the man's shirt. Ramsey and Adrian muscled Jasper backwards by his arms—or tried to. Jasper barely budged. The man, whose name was Devin if I wasn't mistaken, had a bruise on one cheek and a long abrasion on his temple. Funny enough, I thought, his scrape looked a lot like the one on my cheek. Now I knew what had caused Jasper to get up in the man's business.
A bruise and scrape didn't automatically make Devin guilty, however, and I joined Ramsey and Adrian in an attempt to dislodge Jasper's death grip.
“Hey, let go.” Adrian released Jasper's arm and caught him by the shoulder, trying to rock him back a step.
Jasper wouldn't be moved more than he wanted to be moved, and was strong enough to keep his hold on Devin despite me and Ramsey tugging at his arm and Adrian trying to knock his balance off. It was a wild struggle, with Devin jamming a hand up under Jasper's chin. Things were about to get uglier, I just knew it.
“Jasper, wait! We don't know that this means anything,” Ramsey said, edging his body between the men.
“Man, you're crazy. Get your hands off me!” Devin shouted.
A mild scuffle broke out, with Ramsey containing Devin and Adrian containing Jasper. Security showed up immediately and separated the combatants.
“Ask him where he was last night. I want him to explain those bruises and the scratch,” Jasper said, face flushed with anger. He shook Adrian off, pacing near the opposite wall, as if he was just waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Devin flipped Jasper off around a security member's shoulder. “Screw you, buddy. I don't have to say anything about anything. Except to the cops when I tell them you attacked me. What the hell.”
This was exactly why I hadn't wanted Jasper to know about the attack in the parking lot. Yet I couldn't blame him for being suspicious. Devin did have a few marks on his face, and the more I looked at him, the more he seemed familiar. Not from passing him in the halls at Olympus, but on a more visceral level. I'd had my back to my attacker nearly the whole time, so I couldn't say one hundred percent that this was the man who'd committed the crime.
“That's him,” Adrian said, wrenching look over his shoulder. He still had hands on Jasper, keeping him separate from the employee. He hadn't taken a good look at the man until now. “That's the guy I fought with last night.”
Adrian's declaration put renewed vigor in Jasper's attempt to get at Devin. It took two security members along with Adrian to subdue Jasper. Shoulders pinned to the wall, Jasper aimed verbal threats in place of flying fists.
“...show you what it's like to be snuck up on and attacked,” Jasper said.
“Hey, no more. Don't give him anything,” Adrian snarled.
I stood to the side out of the way of the bigger men.
“The cops are on their way,” one security guard said.
“Yeah, come on. Come take a swing! I'll sue your ass into next year,” Devin shouted, struggling against Ramsey and two more guards who came running onto the scene.
What I couldn't figure out was why the man was back here—unless he forgot about the security cameras and thought he'd be able to slip in, do his job, and slip out again without much notice. Perhaps he'd left something valuable in his locker and meant to grab it and run. It was late, after all, and that might have given Devin the false impression that he wouldn't run into anyone important.
It took the police less than five minutes after that to arrive on the scene. The cops led Devin one way, and forced Jasper another. Jasper stared over his shoulder, glaring daggers at Devin, until the other man was out of sight.
“He'll get his, don't worry about it,” Adrian said to Jasper, man-handling him into one of the vacant conference rooms.
“It's your word against his. He'll get off and do it again to someone else,” Jasper said, shaking off the hands that held him.
“Not just that. We'll check for DNA evidence and we've got Finley's testimony, too,” one of the cops said.
I didn't want to tell Jasper, or the officer, that I hadn't gotten as good of a look at the man's face as Adrian had. For now, they had a suspect to question, and Adrian seemed positive Devin was the culprit. That, along with any DNA evidence they were able to match up would have to be enough.
After another hour of questions, the officers released us. I hooked my arm under Jasper's elbow and walked with him to the parking lot. Jasper's fury had finally downgraded to a simmer, which was a relief. For a change, I wasn't sure what to say as we climbed into the Camaro. We sat there for several minutes, staring out the windshield, the silence broken only by the distant sounds of cars and an occasional horn.
“You okay?” I asked after a time.
“Are you okay?” Jasper glanced at me across the car.
“I'm fine.”
“Adrian seems sure that's the guy. And he acted guilty to me. Are you sure you didn't get a better look at his face?”
“I was on my stomach for most of it, and when Adrian fought him, they were moving too fast or at the wrong angles. But like I told the cops...it's Devin's voice and size that ring true to me. Whenever Devin spoke lower, closer to a hiss, that's what sent chills down my spine. It sounded just like what I heard the night of the attack.”
“It pisses me off that he had probably been watching you for a few days, or knew your routine. He was a new employee, here just three weeks according to Ramsey. Long enough to target someone he thought was weak. Little did he know what a spitfire you can be,” Jasper said. He wasn't grinning, or amused.
“Better me than some other girl who couldn't defend herself at all. Though I have to admit—he probably would have got
ten the money at some point. He was bigger and stronger and I never saw him coming.” I hated to admit someone got the better of me, but that was the truth.
“I could have done without any attack at all,” Jasper muttered. He jammed the key into the ignition and started the car. It coughed and sputtered, and finally caught. “Should just sell this thing and get something else.”
I gasped in surprise. That was the second time Jasper had spoken ill about the car he'd loved for years. “What's gotten into you lately? You almost don't seem like yourself about the Camaro.”
“I don't know. I'm just tired of it, I guess.” Jasper drove to the house, sullen and tense.
I said nothing out loud, but my mind was going a hundred miles an hour, trying to figure out what had changed. This car was the only car Jasper had wanted since before we'd graduated high school.
Back at the house, I peeled out of the hoodie, no closer to an answer than I had been. Jasper was a mystery to me lately. At least regarding the Camaro.
“You know, I think I'm going to go out for a little while. Tyler gets off in a half an hour. I might hit him up for a drink or something,” Jasper said, fiddling with the keys. He hadn't changed or taken off his boots.
Pausing with the button to my jeans undone, I frowned. It wasn't often Jasper went out this late with his friends. Not since we'd become a couple. Any other night before we were an 'us', I would have shrugged and gone to bed and not thought any more about it than that. With the situation over Asia and Kaia and the attack, I thought it was better that we stay together and talk things out a little more. The foundation of our relationship wasn't quite as sturdy as I would have preferred at the moment.
Or was I being too much of a 'girlfriend'? Fretting over crap I shouldn't be fretting over? How many times had I told myself that things wouldn't change, that I wouldn't change?
“Okay,” I said, feigning nonchalance. “I'll see you in the morning.”
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