Page 21 of Jasper

Fuck. The thought of any of my brothers touching her makes me want to kill them.

“She’s off-limits,” I snap.

Ghost stills, his whiskey cup mid-air as he stares at me for a second before the corners of his lips curl into a smirk. “Already knew that the second you walked in with her, brother. But my question was, what is your plan with her? She’s obviously Little. And she obviously needs a Daddy.”

I narrow my gaze. “How do you know she’s Little?”

Hell, I didn’t even know for sure until I saw those damn ponies in her camper. Even then, adults can have toys and not be Little.

“It’s in her eyes. The way she used you as a shield. The way she bounces on her tiptoes when she walks. She’s Little, and you knew it, you just didn’t want to admit it to yourself. That’s why you’ve been going to that fucking coffee shop every day. To check on her.”

What the fuck?

Ghost chuckles and shakes his head, then takes a sip of his drink. “You have to remember that we’re brothers and we trained together day and night for years. We know each other better than we know ourselves, Jas. We knew there was a reason you were going for coffee. And we suspected it was a Little girl. You wouldn’t waste your time with anyone who wasn’t a Little. Being a Daddy is part of our DNA. Besides, my name is Ghost for a reason. You may not have seen me, but I saw you. And I saw her. And it’s pretty fucking obvious she’s a Little girl. If I were to guess, she’s really fucking Little.”

Fuck me. I wondered if she was Little. I also wondered just how small she would go for me in Little Space. Just the thought of my brother saying it so matter-of-factly makes me want to punch him. He doesn’t know her better than I do, and he never will. Asshole.

He’s right about one thing, though. We do know each other better than we know ourselves. I guess I didn’t think about that. It’s probably why the only questions about where I was going and what I was doing were coming from the girls and not any of my brothers. They knew.

“She’s too good for me. Too fucking sunny, and I’m too stormy. I’m just going to figure out what’s going on in her life and try to help her so she can be on her way.”

Ghost slowly nods, though his expression tells me he doesn’t believe a word I’m saying. Well, fuck him. He can believe what he wants.

Our phones light up with a movement alert on the second floor. I pull up the feed immediately and watch as Ariana tiptoes down the hallway, looking like she’s trying to sneak out.

“Looks like your Little girl is up to some trouble,” Ghost says as he watches his own screen with a smug smile.

I rise and slide my phone into my pocket as I make my way toward the doorway. “Fuck you. She’s not my Little girl. And stop fucking watching her before I slit your throat.”

Ghost laughs loudly as I exit, and I grind my molars together to keep myself calm. That asshole is going to pay one day. I’m going to make sure of it.

Just as I get to the bottom of the stairs, Ariana’s small frame appears at the top. She’s too busy looking around her to notice me at first, but when she does, she freezes and stares at me in surprise.

“Where you headed, Little thief?”

Her blue eyes narrow. “I was going to the kitchen.”

“Little girls who lie end up with red bottoms, you know.”

Fuck. Probably shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know what the hell has come over me when it comes to her.

Her mouth drops open, and her hand tightens around the railing until her knuckles turn white, like she’s trying to hold on to keep from falling.

“So let’s try that again. Where are you headed, Little thief?”

We have a stare-off for several seconds before she finally lets out a defeated sigh. “I need something from my camper.”

And she thought she would just be able to waltz out of this house in her pajamas and get into that half-ass camper without any of us knowing? I guess I haven’t explained to her who we are and what we do yet. She has no idea that every inch of this property is covered by cameras, traps, and other security measures.

“What do you need? I’ll get it for you.”

“What?” She shakes her head. “No, Jasper, I can get it myself. Besides, I need to feed Fluffy.”

This time, my gaze narrows. “Who the fuck is Fluffy?”

“My cat.”

I can’t help but snort. “You mean that bald-ass cat that only had fur on the tip of its tail? I’m not even sure it’s a cat, rainbow. It might be a rat for all we know.”

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