Page 49 of Jasper
“I didn’t expect your place to be… this nice,” she murmurs, easing onto the couch.
I grin, just a little. My suite has been called many things, but I don’t think ‘nice’ is one of them. “Rank has its perks.”
Ma’s clinking around in the kitchen, making herself right at home. “Hot tea okay?” she calls out.
“That would be nice,” Tessa replies, barely above a whisper.
“I’ve got some herbal back at mine and Rock’s, if you’d prefer that?” Ma calls over.
“I don’t want to be any trouble. Whatever Jasper has will be okay,” Tessa answers.
I drift towards the window, checking the lot. Prospects are already hauling in Tessa’s stuff—quick, efficient, just like I told ‘em to be.
Behind me, Ma sets a steaming mug on the table in front of Tessa, then settles beside her, pretending this is some kind of social call, rather than a damn crisis.
“Hot, sweet tea always helps,” she says softly. “Welcome to the clubhouse. I’m a good listener, if you ever need to unload.”
Tessa takes a sip. “Thanks for coming up with us. The tea’s amazing. I don’t even know what to say, except tonight’s been more danger and adrenaline than I’ve had in my whole life.”
Ma nods. “I imagine it is. Things don’t always go exactly how we expect them to, especially around here. Right, son?”
I step back from the window, satisfied that our lot is secure and my orders are being followed.
“You got that fuckin’ right, Ma.”
Tessa’s curled into the corner of the couch, her hands wrapped around her mug like it’s keeping her grounded.
Ma’s still in front of her, calm as ever. But I know that look. She’s reading Tessa like a damn book, catching every flicker of emotion across her face.
My old man doesn’t budge from his spot, still posted up against the kitchen doorway. His arms are crossed, his face is carved from stone, with that deep-ass furrow between his brows I’ve seen a thousand times, and it never once meant anything good.
I drag over an armchair for my old man to sit in and drop down on the sofa beside Tessa. Leaning forward, my elbows on my knees, I let out a breath.
“It happened fast,” I say, my voice rougher than I expect. “We were at her place, just hanging out, shootin’ the shit, when all hell broke loose. Flames lit up the driveway. They torched my bike and left the frame twisted and smoking. It was an attack meant to be personal and let me know they could get to mewhenever they wanted. Fuckers wanted us to know it was them, wanted us to feel their eyes on us in a very obvious way.”
My dad just nods.
I continue, “And then we spotted the drone. I shot the fucker down before it could get away. It’s in the back of her car, brought it in just like I said I would.”
“That was good work, Jasper.”
Tessa shifts beside me, quiet. Her face is a mask, but I catch that twitch in her jaw. She’s rattled. And I don’t blame her. Most don’t get tossed into the deep end like this. The thing is, when it’s just us, I can pull her out of her head. But put her in a room full of people? She shuts back down again. This tells me that she fuckin’ needs me in her life.
Rock doesn’t speak right away. He just sits, still as a statue in the chair I dragged over. But I see it—the tension he’s tryin’ real damn hard to hide.
“We need eyes on that drone,” he says finally. “Check the optics. Range, angle. Might tell us how much they’ve seen.”
“I’ll get onto that.”
Ma gives me a look. It’s her version of a nod, a silent ‘you did good, son.’
Tessa sets her mug down real careful on the end table. “There’s no telling how long they’ve been tracking us, is there?”
Before I can answer, there’s a soft knock at the door. I cross the suite and pull it open. Tyler’s there, arms full of busted-up cardboard boxes. He’s out of breath and has sweat glinting along his hairline. His cut’s hanging open over a black wife beater, andhis boots are dusty from the road. The second he spots my old man inside, his spine snaps straight.
“Where do you want her stuff, Jasper?”
“Back bedroom,” I tell him. “Anything marked fragile goes on the bed. Put the rest on the floor and don’t stack her shit to the ceiling. Keep it clean.”
