Page 28 of Jasper

She stands, avoiding my gaze, and heads toward the door.

I rise, ignoring the smirk from Theo and the curious eyes of Rowie, and follow her outside, pissed. The gravel crunches beneath our feet as we cross the yard to where I parked last night with that damn camper connected to my truck.

“Get back inside. Now.”

She spins on her heel, hands on her hips like she’s ready for battle. Her pink hair glistens under the sunlight, and I have to force myself not to smile at her fierce expression. One second, she’s all love and light and the next, she looks like she might slit my throat without a single regret. “Or else what?”

I step closer, my voice low and dangerous. “Stop testing me, Ariana. Or you’re going to find out. And I promise, your bottom won’t like it.”

She scoffs, rolls her eyes, and shakes her head. “Are you threatening to spank me? All because you’re not getting your way?”

My jaw flexes. “It’s not about getting my way, Little one. It’s about your health and safety. So yeah, rainbow, I’m threatening to redden that ass if you don’t listen to me.”

She hesitates, her posture shifts. Then her shoulders drop, her next words are quieter. “Why are you doing this?”

I don’t answer. Not because I don’t have one, but because if I speak now, I might say something I can’t take back. Something that I’m not ready to admit out loud, even to myself.

So instead, I ask, “Why have you been traveling all over? Why haven’t you settled down somewhere? Gotten a job?”

She stares at me. Her lips press firmly together. Silence stretches between us, cold and thick.

I sigh and rake a hand through my hair, frustration simmering in my chest as I start to pace. Why is she making this so difficult? All she needs to do is obey me and life will be great for both of us. Easy. But no, shehasto challenge me. Something I would normally hate, but for some annoying reason, it makes me proud of her.

Finally, her voice comes, small but steady. “I don’t have any real skills.”

I stop and turn to face her, unsure if I heard her correctly.

“I’ve never had a job,” she continues, not meeting my eyes. “I don’t even know my own Social Security Number. Everything I own is in that camper. My life hasn’t exactly been… ordinary. You wouldn’t understand.”

I step toward her slowly. “Why? Because I have an expensive watch? Try me, rainbow.”

She looks up, her brows drawn, lips slightly parted. “What are you talking about?”

“None of us are blood-related,” I tell her, using my thumb to point back toward the main house. “Me and my brothers. A man sort of… adopted us. We were brought here when we were teens. He gave us a chance at a new life. Before that, our situations were more fucked up than you could possibly imagine.”

She blinks, absorbing my words.

I don’t go into detail. Not yet. That’s not mine to share. Not all of it. Ariana isn’t a threat, and telling her what we do will come, but not right now.

When she doesn’t say anything straight away, I take another step toward her and use my pointer finger to brush a strand of hair away from her face. The fact that she doesn’t slap my hand away is a small win in my book.

“I want to help you,” I say, quieter now, gentler. “But you have to let me in.”

She swallows hard, arms still crossed tight over her chest.

“I’m not sure if I can,” she whispers.

And even though that answer stings more than I expect—it’s honest.

It’s a start.

12

ARIANA

Iwatch Jasper pace in front of the camper like he’s trying to physically wrestle his frustration into submission. His hands flex open and closed at his sides, and his jaw is clenched so tight I swear it might crack.

But even now—when he’s being grumpy and bossy and impossible—I feel something I’ve never felt before.

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