Page 33 of Jasper

“We don’t just show that to anyone who asks,” he replies.

I lean in, my voice cold. “I’m not asking. We’re going to see those tapes one way or another. You just need to decide whether you want to watch it with us with two broken arms or if you’d like to continue working behind this bar.”

He stares at me for a second, then flicks his eyes to the four large, dangerous-looking men behind me. One look at them and he swallows hard.

“I’ll be right back,” he mutters.

A minute later, he reappears with another man—taller, leaner, wearing a leather jacket. “I’m the owner,” he says nervously. “Name’s Rick. What’s this about?”

I fold my arms across my chest. “I want to see your security footage from the parking lot last night.”

He frowns. “Why?”

“Because some asshole assaulted a woman outside your bar,” I growl. “And I want to see who it was.”

Rick’s brows knit together. “I didn’t hear anything about that.”

I hold his stare. “You have now. Show us the footage.”

He nods once and waves us down a narrow hallway to the back office. The room is small, cluttered, and smells like BO. He clicks a few buttons on the computer and pulls up the exterior feed.

We crowd around the screen, all five of us silent as we scan the footage.

Then she appears.

Ariana.

Striding across the parking lot toward a man who clearly has no business putting his hands onanyone.

“Fuck,” Cage breathes.

We all watch as she shoves the guy, knocking him off balance, the other woman takes off running without even looking back to see if Ariana is okay. Then, almost in slow motion, Ariana trips and falls hard beside him.

“Goddamn it,” Ghost growls.

Cassian shakes his head. “That girl needs her bottom spanked for being so reckless. If she were mine, she’d be grounded and sore for a week.”

“Well, she’s not,” I snap, the words sharper than I intend.

Cassian just smirks. “I know. Calm down, man.”

My fists clench at my sides. I take out my phone and snap a picture of the guy’s face from the screen.

“Thanks,” I tell Rick.

He nods, looking unhappy about the whole situation. “Guy’s somewhat of a regular. Comes in now and then. I don’t know his name, though. Doesn’t usually cause problems inside.”

I stare at the frozen image of the man on the screen. “Don’t worry. After I get done with him, he won’t be a problem for anyone in this town anymore.”

* * *

The house is filled with the hum of voices from the dining room, but she hasn’t come down yet.

When I got back from the bar, Ember told me that Ariana had gone upstairs after they finished watching a movie, saying she was going to read for a bit. She’s still up there.

I make my way upstairs and head to her room. The door is cracked open slightly, and when I peek in, I pause to stare at her. The sheer curtains give the room an angelic late afternoon glow, and the entire space has a calm vibe. In the center of the bed, she’s curled up with a throw covering her while facing the window. Her tiny blanket is clutched in one hand, pressed close to her mouth, and I can tell from the slow rise and fall of her chest that she’s asleep.

But it’s the pacifier that truly stills me.

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