by Eilish Rose
“How pathetic this man could be!” Ethan exclaimed when he saw William glaring at two-way mirror in front of him as if he knew they were behind it.
“I’m going in.” Jasper stated.
When he entered the room, William gave him a sadistic smirk, eying him.
“I was right! It was definitely you behind that mask. I’m impressed brother. You were like a trained soldier,” he sneered at him.
“Shut up, William. This is not a joke,” he growled at him, sitting at the chair.
“How did you find that building?” William asked.
“Shut the fuck up. You’re not getting any answer until you answer all my questions,” Jasper bent forward, placing his forearms on his knees.
“And what makes you that I’d answer honestly?”
“I’d know if you lied,” Jasper retorted, marinating the eye contact. “Why did you hurt Kara?”
“She asked for it,” William shrugged.
Jasper was quick to get up and landed a hard punch on his already bruised face. William groaned in pain.
“And now you asked for it,” Jasper spat. “Answer my questions without running your smart-ass mouth, or I’ll punch some other places, really bad.”
“Fine! I lost interest in her over the time, but I had to continue the charade for our families. So, she was just a punching bag.”
Jasper fisted his hands, restraining himself from raining punches on him.
“You’re not making sense, William. You abused her, used Amelia as blackmail when Kara told you she’d break off with you. Everything was okay until you raise your hand on her, burned her skin,” Jasper glared at him.
“Amelia. Oh yes! She was not the part of this but she saw me with Fiona. Although she didn’t say anything, I didn’t want to take any chances. So, I took something, I think you know. Right?”
“You pig!” Jasper lurched forward and punched him in stomach. William doubled over in pain, crying loudly. Jasper grabbed his face and jerked him upward, “you’ll be sorry once I finished with you. Now tell me, why did you hurt them?”
“I knew who Kara was. She was the way to get James’s business, so that’s why I led her on, but she wasn’t interested in her father’s money. She wanted to earn her own. And this lost my interest in her. And I wanted to punish her. That’s why I did everything. Whatever I told you is true. If it were in my control, I would never leave her. But she made it difficult for me to continue. She was distancing herself from me and mom noticed this. And I knew she’d expose me if she got the chance. She threatened me to go to cops, so I kidnapped her little sister.”
“Why did you rape her?” Jasper’s anger flared again when he remembered what he did to her.
“I wanted to fuck her, but she refused. That’s…”
Words barely left his mouth when Jasper grabbed his throat, squeezing it. William’s face became red and his supply sopped. His eyes dropped but Ethan entered the room and pried his fingers away from his throat, stopping him from killing his brother.
“Not yet, Jasper,” Ethan warned him and leaned against the wall.
“Aren’t you ruthless, big brother? You’re ready to kill me,” William coughed while getting the words out. He was scared for a moment as he knew Jasper had the power to kill him.
“Don’t push your luck, pig. Just answer,” Ethan growled at him.
“Why did you frame her?” Jasper asked when his coughing stopped.
“She was the reason I had to disappear, so she must know what it means to live our life without freedom. It was also to teach her lesson that she could never outsmart me. But you ruined everything. You were supposed to take action against her, not save her. You were the reason I came back. You betrayed me, Jasper. Your own brother.” William’s voice started to rise with every passing word. He was getting frustrated, and Jasper knew he’d would brag about everything.
“You became her knight in the shining armor. You agreed to marry her when you suspected she was wrong. Then you developed feelings for her. I tried to save you Jasper. I tried to remind her past by sending those flowers, but she married you. I got to know she was pregnant with my child. I wanted my child, so I came back to claim my child. But then again you stepped in and claimed to be the father to my child. How could I have let my child be with a man who betrayed his own brother. I tried to kidnap her again, but you saved her again. You didn’t let me with any choice, I had to kill my child. It was painful, trust me.”
Jasper lunged forward but Ethan stopped him because he knew if Jasper put his hands on him, he’d kill him. He deserved to die but not before revealing everything.
“How did you do it?” Jasper gritted.
“It was easy to drug her 11 am snacks. I knew from where she ordered her donuts. A friend of mine worked there who did it for money. He used to deliver her order.”
“Who is he?”
“Mark,” he smirked.
“I’m still not understanding William, you had everything many people wish for. You threw away that life which is dream of millions of people. Why?”
“The answer is you Jasper. I was sixteen when you betrayed me first. You got permission to join army, and you left me alone. We were supposed to grow up together. You went away. You abandoned me, joined online college while in army. After five years you come back and went for law school, became a lawyer and won first case which was almost impossible. In just two years you built a billion-dollar law firm. You were the star kid in our family. You shone bright and everyone ignored me.”
“You are delusional, William. Are you even hearing what are you saying? You mean to say you became a psychopath because of me! You needed help. This is in your brain. Nobody ignored you. I didn’t abandon you. I just did what I wanted to with my life. It was my life; you had no right over it.”
Jasper scoffed at his ridiculous accusations.
“You think so. But in my head, you are the reason behind whatever I did!” William exclaimed loudly.
“Fine, I get it. Now tell me, how did you find so many people who helped you at every step? Because the crimes you’ve committed are so serious that you couldn’t risk involving any outsider. Why you had so many loyal people who did whatever you asked them to do?”
“Now you’re asking interesting questions, brothers. Why don’t you invite Aaron in? He’d love to hear this?”
William’s sickening smile suggested that he knew something horrible, and he was going to play with them.
CHAPTER 32
Aaron entered the room, glaring at William.
“If you think you have something that could rattle us, I suggest you consider it again,” Aaron sneered at him.
“Oh Aaron, I’ll tell you the truth Aaron. What would I gain by hiding anything now?”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember AMMON?”
While William smirked a knowing smile, other three men went rigid. Memories of past assaulted them, but it took few seconds to overcome the feelings. They were trained to keep their emotions in check.
“What about it?” Aaron asked with poker face.
“Don’t be like this Aaron. I know how you’re linked to it”
“Start telling everything, or you’ll regret toying with us,” Ethan roared at him.
William looked at three of them with a sadistic smile.
After staying silent for several seconds, he finally began talking.
“Seven years ago, I met someone in college, and no, I’m not going to tell you about him. We talked and shared some fantasies with each other. It was good for some months, but then just talking about it wasn’t good. So, I started writing book on dark and sinister theme. That man introduced me to a club or rather an organization; AMMON. It was human a trafficking ring, and I was intrigued by this. I became the part of this, and I still am. All those people were the part of AMMON. So, it was so easy. Moreover, I know about the operation your team carried six years ago. I got lucky that day, you know. If it wasn’t for the traffic, I wo
uld have been one of the arrested men. You guys missed me by twenty minutes. But I saw you removing your mask as you got into your jeep. Since then I’ve been keeping tabs on your activities. But I couldn’t get any information except something changed after that mission. I could help you to find the answers you’ve been searching all these years.”
“Right now, I can kill you very easily. As for AMMON, I don’t need your help. I’ll bring that organization down one day. I have hacked into your hidden server, and all the images and photographs are in my possession. Within a day or two, I’d know every dirty secret about you. You’re screwed big time,” Aaron grabbed his face in iron hold, and glared at him with pure hatred.
“What? You can’t hack it. It was protected. Nobody knew about that for seven years,” he muttered last part to himself but Aaron heard him.
“I have. You’re not that smart.”
“I am. You never guessed this side of me,” he shouted, taking insults was not easy to him.
Narcissists do not tolerate insults.
“You’re finished,” Ethan snorted at him.
“Really? But the effect of what I did will haunt you all, especially Amelia. How many people would have seen those photos? How would she live with this?”
Jasper punched him again in his ribs, knocking his air out, “you’ll pay for this.” He stood and brought his gun out, aiming at his head.
“Jasper, if you killed me, mom would never forgive you,” William’s eyes widened when he saw sheer determination in his brother’s eyes.
“You can’t blackmail me.”
Aaron stepped in and stopped Jasper from pulling the trigger, “not yet, Jasper. Keeping him alive is important to bring down AMMON. He still knew so much. And he’ll be punished and tortured every day.
Jasper’s jaw clenched. This man didn’t deserve to take another breath but Aaron was also right. Killing him was not going to do any good when he just came to knew that his own brother was the part of one of the most notorious and biggest human trafficking rings. Aaron had been working to gather intel on this organization, and he had lost himself in the process.
Jasper believed he could spare William now for the sake of Aaron; his friend deserved the peace which he would get after exposing and destroying AMMON.
Jasper ran his free hand through his hair.
“You’re just getting a lucky pass today,” saying this Jasper rose his gun again and shot William in the knee.
Blood oozed out of his wound, and screams filled the room. Jasper couldn’t take it more; he went out of the room.
Ethan followed him, and he saw Jasper leaning against the wall. His head hung, hands resting on his thighs.
“Jasper.”
“I’m fine, I just need a moment.”
“Come on. I’ll drop you off at hospital, but first you need to change” Ethan patted him on shoulder.
After changing his clothes which Aaron had stashed in locker room for this type of emergency, Jasper existed the building. It was way beyond midnight when Jasper walked in the hospital entrance, deep in thoughts, and he had no idea how their life would change the next morning.
He stopped in his tracks when a voice rang in his ears. He turned towards the source of the voice and from the back of the lady, he knew who she was.
“Everly!?”
She turned towards him and her knitted brows smoothed when she saw Jasper. She sighed.
Jasper walked up to her, and hugged her tight.
“Thank God! You’re here,” she sighed.
He broke the hug, “how are you? What are you doing here? When did you come back from South Africa?”
“I’m fine. And you?” Jasper shrugged when she asked.
“My flight landed just an hour ago, and I went home and dad told me that Noah is in this hospital, but receptionist said they don’t have any patient with this name.”
“Noah? Here?”
“Yes.”
Jasper sighed, and shook his head.
“Jasper, what happened to him?”
“Nothing has happened to him. I think he is here to meet Kara an Amelia.”
“What happened to them?”
Jasper led Everly Fox, Noah’s elder sister, towards the lift. Then he told her about Kara’s miscarriage. He also informed her that Amelia had an accident sparring the actual details.
When they entered the room, a smile broke out on his face, Noah was there, and they had food or more like snacks in front of them, munching while talking.
Noah told some funny stories of his teammates and off field drama after his game. He also shared some stories that he remembered about Jasper.
They were so engrossed in talking that they didn’t hear anybody opening the door.
“You know mom recorded so many videos in which I always tied to climb on Jasper when I was just one year old, pulling on his hair. And he had to endure because he was nearly 13-year-old boy who promised to babysit me on my parents’ date night,” girls laughed, imagining a small Noah clinging on teenager Jasper.
“You still like to cling,” Jasper joked and walked inside. Only then they notice the two people who just entered the room.
“Everly!” Noah jumped up and ran towards his sister before engulfing her in bear hug.
Noah introduced Everly to everyone.
“Thanks for coming,” Jasper patted on Noah’s back affectionately.
“Anything for the family,” he replied with smile.
Everly and Noah stayed for some time then bid their good-bye.
Amelia was asleep as the medicines made her sleepy, but Kara was wide awake, leaned against headboard.
Jasper sat down cautiously, taking her hand in his, “you should rest.”
“What happened,” Jasper knew what she meant, but he had no strength to explain everything, yet.
“I’ll explain everything once you recover, but right now I can’t share. By the way, you shouldn’t feel stressed. He won’t hurt you anymore.”
“Okay. But promise me, you’ll explain.”
“I promise.”
Nobody said anything for few minutes. Jasper jerked his head towards Kara when he heard suppressed sob. He shuffled closer to her and took her in his arms, letting her cry. The loss of baby was still so fresh and everything that happened took her life in whirlwind. She didn’t a chance to comprehend what was happening around her.
“I’m always with you, honey. Don’t ever shut me out,” he was scared that how their life was going to be from now on. He could tolerate anything except her silence.
“I won’t,” her broken whisper made him to tighten his hold on her.
After breaking hug, Jasper tucked her hair behind her ears and cupped her face. He leaned closer and placed a long kiss on her cheek, then moved his lips an inch away from hers. Their gaze met, “I love you,” he said and placed his lips on her without waiting for her reply.
CHAPTER 33
It had been six months, and life was not the same for the both families.
Kara and Amelia were discharged the next day. Jasper did everything in his power to keep this away from media as the girls were not in any power to deal with the world. Still media had field day when journalists realized that he was absent. So, Jasper released a statement stating that William has definitely died because of brain tumor, and it was already late to save him. And for the funeral, he wished to have only his family members, and press bought this story, eventually. On the other hand, he told his parents that William died the same day while escaping the agents, to save them from further pain. Only Kara knew the truth which Jasper told her after a month. He was also in stress for lying to his family, but Kara helped him to see the rational side of this.
“Jasper, you can’t blame yourself. Some secrets are better if hidden, because when they come out, they only cause endless pain. You’re not alone in this. I’m with you. I’ll always be by your side. Don’t let him ruin whatever is left of our lives,” she said to him one day when he locked himself in
his office, burring himself in his work.
Aaron kept William in captivity, tortured him every day for the information, and he helped FBI in tracking more criminals linked to AMMON, keeping William’s name away from this. Most of the organization was down; however, the leader was still a mystery. Two of the many properties that William bought before disappearing were also used as to run drug and human trafficking. The server which Aaron hacked, helped him to have access of all of his offshore bank accounts.
William cried every day for Jasper to come back, asking for his forgiveness, but Jasper didn’t visit him except one time. Jasper was angry and frustrated as the object of his anger was alive and breathing. So, Aaron asked him to go to him to relieve his frustration. That day Jasper landed some hard punches on his face, stomach and almost broke his left foot. Even after beating him mercilessly didn’t give him that satisfaction which he expected, but it was enough for him to move on.
From Aaron he got to know that he was broken; hopelessness and isolation turned his already psychotic brain to insane. He became more delusional day by day. Four months after his captivity, he died.
Noah passed high school, and got offer to play for national team. Meanwhile, Amelia also tried to get her life together, but this was not easy for her. Her second abduction was imprinted in her mind, as she felt gaps in her memory. Her family helped her to see a psychiatrist, and it helped her to a greater extent. Within months she was back to her normal self.
Kara was in bedroom, waiting for Jasper to come home while thinking about these last six months. She was so deep in her thoughts that she startled when Jasper encircled his arms around her.
“What has your whole attention that you didn’t even heard me coning?” he asked inhaling her hair.
Kara turned towards him, and he kissed her passionately, running his one hand in her hair and other on her back. Kara moaned when he squeezed her waist and put his tongue in her mouth, tasking her.