Page 6 of Claimed
“I still don’t think you going alone is the best idea.”
He sighed forcefully. “We don’t have time for debate, Holly. I’m going to get her, and she’s coming with us.”
I tipped my head to the side. “And where are wesupposed to be going, anyway?”
“I told you—somewhere safe.”
“Be more specific.”
The door opened, and he set a foot on the pavement. “It’s somewhere you’ll like. I promise. And I’ll be with you.” His eyes smoldered. “We’ll make up for being away from each other last night.”
What a sexy wink.
“But for now, stay put.” Jasper turned up the heater and winked at meas he zipped the front of his coat. “Plus, there’s no need for us both to freeze our asses off.”
Warm air caressed me as I remained trapped in indecision. Jasper quickly exited his comfy vehicle, and I watched him cross the street. I hadn’t recognized how hard it was snowing until that very moment. But Jasper passed through the elements as if he had command of them. Part of me wanted todefy him and run out into the cold to walk beside him. But then the young woman we’d seen working behind the cash register came bolting down the front steps, wearing a silver bomber jacket with a faux-fur-trimmed hood and carrying a strapped bag over her shoulder. She froze when she saw Jasper.
With one hand on the door handle, I sat on the edge of my seat as I watched him say somethingto her. She checked over her shoulder as if calculating the distance from where she stood to the confines of her house. Her worried gaze landed on Jasper again. He held up his hands, showing her he was defenseless. That was my cue, and I took it. I opened the door, and as soon as I stepped out of the car, the cold air wanted to freeze my blood. At least I had her attention, though. She watched mecuriously as I made my way across the street and stood beside Jasper.
“Eve, it’s me—Holly Henderson.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I told you to leave me the fuck alone.”
“Listen…” Jasper said, and I squeezed his arm to silence him. Surprisingly, he adhered to my nonverbal cue.
“Unfortunately, when someone tells me no, that always means yes.” I showed her a fractionof a smile, but she remained stone-faced. However, she folded her arms, which was my cue to keep talking. “I needed to have a small conversation with you before letting you be, but now that I see you’re the spitting image of his sister”—I nodded in Jasper’s direction while keeping my eyes on her—“who’s a good friend of mine, naturally, we’re beyond curious about who you are. I mean…” I took a fewsteps toward her, and she didn’t move an inch. That was also a good sign. “Do you know who you are?”
She frowned as she looked back and forth from one of us to the other, then her expression evened out. “Do I know who I am? What the hell does that mean?”
“Who are your parents?”
“I don’t have parents,” she snapped.
“What about siblings?” I asked quickly in an effortto keep her talking.
She shook her head.
“I called you Bryn. Have you ever heard of Bryn Christmas?” I asked.
“No.” She studied Jasper. “But this girl you’re talking about… she’s his sister?”
“Yes, she’s my sister,” Jasper finally said. “She’s the spitting image of you. But we can get all of this figured out where it’s nice and warm. I need you to come with us.”
She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. By the look on her face, I could tell that whatever she had to say was going to be cross. However, she was studying Jasper in a very strange manner, as though she had just put the pieces together in her mind. This man standing in front of her was the brother of the woman she resembled, which meant that the two of them might also be related.And what a beautiful creature he was, not to mention clearly very rich.
“His name is Jasper Christmas,” I said.
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Okay, but what the hell does that have to do with me?” Her voice trailed off as though she already knew the answer to her question.
“We don’t have time…” Jasper said.
I squeezed his solid biceps to silence him. “A source led me to yourhouse in Chattanooga. And Jasper’s father was seen at your place years ago.”
“Chattanooga? That fucking place isn’t my house,” she hissed.
I was already pulling up a photo of Randolph Christmas that I had saved on my phone. “May I show you someone? Perhaps you’ve seen him before.”
Jasper searched impatiently over his shoulder as I approached Eve with the face of my phone pointedat her.
