by Faith Gibson
“Oh, gods, that’s wonderful! Is it everything in the room? Or just me?”
Trevor propped himself up on his forearm and searched the room. “Everything. It’s a little overwhelming. Like, I know the sky is supposed to be blue, but is it the same blue as your eyes? I saw my eyes in the bathroom mirror. They’re green, so I’ve been told. Are they the same green as the grass or broccoli? Being able to see all the colors is like going from an Atari to an Xbox,” he gushed. “What color is this?” he asked pointing to the comforter.
“Black. And before you ask, black is black.”
“Thank you.”
This was amazing. Jasper couldn’t wait to explore the world with Trevor, teaching him what the beautiful colors of everything were. Jasper reached out and grabbed Trevor’s cheek in his palm. The wonderment in his mate’s eyes warmed his soul. “We need to celebrate,” Jasper murmured against Trevor’s lips as he kissed him. If Trevor hadn’t already said thank you with words, his appreciation was coming through loud and clear with his mouth.
“I want to begin our celebration. In the shower.”
After taking Trevor against the tile wall, they bathed each other before crashing back on the bed. Jasper took advantage of a still Trevor to admire all his ink. “I want to know what each one means.”
Trevor explained each piece, what he was feeling when he got it. Most of them represented a type of protection, but some were pretty dark. His mate hadn’t had a happy life. Now that they were together, he hoped to see Trevor come home with a brighter piece. Speaking of home…
“Trev, I was thinking.”
“That’s dangerous,” Trevor said, poking him in the side.
“You think you’re funny?” he rolled on top of Trevor, keeping his arms banded with his strong legs. He began tickling Trevor’s sides, and Trevor howled.
“Stop, I’m gonna pee. Please stop. Uncle!”
Jasper stopped his torment but didn’t release Trevor’s arms. When he finally calmed down, Jasper said, “As I was saying, I’ve been thinking about you moving in here.”
Trevor sobered really quickly. “Isn’t it a little soon? I mean, I know we’re mated and all, but it’s not like we’re married. Is it?”
“Pretty much, yeah. When you accepted the bite, you committed yourself to a life with me. Are you sorry?”
“No, of course not. I guess I didn’t really think about what it meant past the sex. Do you really want me to live here? That’s a lot of us time.”
“I can’t wait for us time. I want you to move all your stuff in here and rearrange everything the way you want it. If you don’t like my furniture, we’ll get new stuff, and you can leave your things at your apartment. Has Travis made up his mind about what he’s going to do?”
“I haven’t really had a chance to talk to him. I was sort of waiting on you to wake up.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Fucking Theron bastard. “I have one more thing to take care of and then we’ll be home free.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Don’t worry, Baby. I know what I’m doing. Tomorrow, I’m going to do a little training with Uri. I want you to spend some time with your brother. He has to still be hurting.”
“I doubt he gets over Rachel anytime soon. She was the love of his life.”
Jasper could relate. When he saw the body on the slab and thought it was Trevor, he was ready to die right then. He thought his mate was gone forever. If it hadn’t been for his shifter fighting, he might have given up entirely. He shook the image out of his mind, replacing it with one of Trevor wearing the O’Donnell plaid as they said their vows overlooking Donegal Bay. He never thought about marriage before. Gargoyles didn’t need the human ceremony once they were mated, but for Trevor, he would do it.
“Hey. Why so serious?”
“I know I just woke up from a six day sleep, but I’m tired. Can I hold you all night?”
“Of course you can.” Trevor turned out the lamp on his side of the bed and snuggled into Jasper’s chest. “Goodnight, Jas.”
“Night, Baby.”
Trevor couldn’t take in the different colors of the world fast enough. He kept turning his head left and right while Jasper drove him to Frey’s. Even though Theron was supposedly in Greece, and Kallisto was being held in the Pen, security details were still in place. Since Trevor wanted to spend time with Travis, Jasper dropped him off at Frey’s house before he headed to Dante’s to spar with Uri. The other Gargoyles had continued training while Jasper had been unconscious. When they arrived, Jasper pulled him across the console and kissed him hard. “I’ll be back later,” he said, running his thumb across Trevor’s bottom lip.
Trevor took a good long look at Jasper’s blue eyes. “Thank you,” he told his Gargoyle.
“For what?”
“For giving me all this,” he said as he gestured at everything outside.
“Thank you for accepting it. I can’t imagine not being able to see the different colors, but now that you can, I want to show more of them to you. Have you ever been to Ireland?”
“I haven’t been out of the South,” Trevor told him truthfully.
“I’ll see if we can’t remedy that.” Jasper kissed him again, and Trevor got out of the car before they gave Frey and his family a show.
Trevor was accosted at the door by an animated Amelia. “I saw you kissing Jasper. Is he your boyfriend?”
Trevor didn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t sure if Frey and Abbi had explained about being gay to the little girl. He shouldn’t have worried. Frey saved him when he told his daughter, “Trevor and Jasper are partners just like me and your mommy are partners.”
“Are they gonna get married, too?” she asked her father. “Are you?” she asked Trevor. He had been thinking about marriage ever since the conversation from the night before. He wouldn’t dare ask Jasper, because he didn’t want it to seem like he was after Jasper’s money. Even though Jasper asked him to move in, marriage was different.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. Now, why don’t you tell me where my brother is?”
“He’s sitting on the deck with Matthew. Come on! Let’s go see them!” She took off running through the house toward the back door.
Trevor and Frey laughed, but he didn’t follow the girl immediately. Instead he asked the big guy, “How is he?”
“Worried about you, actually. With Jasper’s moods being up and down, he was scared you might be in danger. I assured him Jasper would never hurt you.”
Trevor thought about the ache in his ass where Jasper had taken him the night before. He could hurt him that way anytime he wanted. When Frey laughed, Trevor blushed. “Dammit, I forget you all have those special Spidey senses.”
Frey clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad to know you two are finally together.”
Trevor couldn’t help but smile. “He asked me to move in with him.”
“Are you going to?” Travis asked from behind him.
Trevor turned around and smiled at his brother. “I think I am. Hey! Your eyes are the same color as mine,” he noted.
“Of course they are, silly. How many times do I have to tell you we’re practically twins?”
Trevor waited for the reality to sink in. It didn’t take long.
“Wait, you can see the color of my eyes?”
Trevor nodded and explained how he and Jasper were now mates. Travis smiled for his brother, and it almost reached his eyes. It would take a long time for Travis to recover from his loss. They went inside the house, and Frey left them alone to talk.
“What are you going to do with your apartment?” Travis asked.
“I’ll have to get out of the lease or sublet it.” Trevor hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“What do you think about me and Molly moving into it?”
Trevor was both thrilled and worried. Of course, he wanted to be nearer to his brother, but if Travis was moving to New Atlanta, it meant he was having a r
eally hard time with what happened. “If you think Molly would be happy without a yard, I say it’s a great idea.”
“It would give me time to decide what I want to do. I already know I’m going to sell my house. This will give me the opportunity to check out the area, find a new job. Frey already said one of the Gargoyles is in charge of their properties. He’s going to talk to Sixx and ask if he’ll handle selling mine. I’m not sure I can go back and pack my stuff.”
“I’ll do it for you. Don’t worry about that. I know Jasper will help me. We’ll get my stuff moved to his house, then we’ll go get your stuff.”
“Thanks, Trevor. Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Have you seen a counselor about what happened? You know, you shooting someone?”
“Jasper and I talked about this. I haven’t because I would be tempted to tell the Gargoyles’ secret. Jas suggested I see a Gargoyle psychologist, if there is one. So far, the nightmares have been minimal, but they’re there. Do you want to talk to someone about what happened to you? Maybe we could get a McKenzie brother discount.”
Travis laughed, and it warmed Trevor’s heart. He would give anything to take the hurt and the trauma away from his brother. Trevor had Jasper to keep the demons at bay. Travis didn’t have anyone now that Rachel was gone. He may never again.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Urijah tossed Jasper a bottle of water. “Looks like you’re back to form, Brother.” Jasper was ready for Theron. Surprisingly, he’d bounced back from being poisoned quickly. Even though he was a Gargoyle, he attributed his recovery to Trevor. His mate was the best medicine he could ever hope for.
“I feel good. Even my beast has settled down,” Jasper admitted out loud. He was confident that was due to mating with Trevor. His shifter was sated.
Training was over, and Rafael gathered everyone around. “Jasper, it appears you’re in fine shape. What are you planning to do?”
“We’re going to give Theron a few days to wonder why he can’t get hold of Kallisto. He’s been wearing out both her and Sergei’s phones already. Then we’re going to send the photos of Kallisto to Theron using Sergei’s phone. When he returns for her, I’m going to fight him. If you would prefer I take this somewhere other than our own backyards, I will leave New Atlanta.” He didn’t admit he was planning on taking the Goyle’s head; that was a given.
“I have every faith that Jasper will be the victor,” Uri said.
“Aren’t you afraid this will start a war?” Sixx asked.
Rafael’s face was stern. “The way I see it, Alistair started this war the second he thought about targeting our Clan. In the beginning, he might have been going after Jonas, but in the long run, it affected us. He’s not going to stop until we stop him. I’d say taking out his heir is a pretty clear message we accept the challenge. Jas, you will fight him here where we all will have your back. It will also be easier to contain the aftermath if you’re close by.”
Jasper was glad to hear his King stood behind his plan. He had been ready to leave the States if that’s what it took. “Thank you, Rafael. I would apologize for my past, but Theron and his father would have found another reason to come after me. If we don’t stop them soon, all of our mates are in danger.”
Rafael added, “I agree. Those of you who are already mated, we need to continue round-the-clock security. For those who have yet to seal the bond, I’d be very careful spending time with those who are your intended. The less ammunition we give Alistair, the better.” Rafael handed his sword to Uri. “Until some type of cease fire has happened, let’s amp up the training schedule.”
“Will do,” Uri said.
“Be well, my brothers,” Rafael said, dismissing them to go about their day.
“And you as well.” The chorus of voices was strong.
As the others made their way to their vehicles, Rafael said, “Jasper, if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to you about Travis. How is he faring?”
“I’m sure he’s still hurting, but I don’t know for sure where his head is. Trevor’s with him now.”
“I had Julian do a little digging. Travis works for a local homebuilder in Athens. If he decides he’d like a change of scenery, I want to offer him a job at Stone, Inc. With Julian and Nikolas so busy with Clan stuff, I need someone else as the face for the company. I’ll pay for furthering his education should he wish for that as well.”
“You’re not only a great King, but an even better friend. Thank you, Rafe. This will certainly make his life easier if he decides he can’t go back to Athens.”
“He’s family. Besides, it will help me tremendously.”
“I’ll mention it to him when I pick Trevor up after work.”
“Already back to the grind, huh?”
Jasper felt great. “I’ve already missed too many days. I hate leaving the department undermanned, even if it was beyond my control.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, Brother. Now maybe my Queen and I can get married.”
Jasper grinned. “I’ve been thinking about that myself.”
“Marrying Kaya?” Rafael joked.
Jasper laughed with him. “No, taking Trevor to Ireland for a little down time. Not right now, of course. We have too much going on. But once things settle down and we don’t have crazy Greeks after us, I’m going to show him the colors of the world, starting with my homeland.”
“I thought he was color blind.”
Jasper couldn’t help but grin. “He was. We completed the mate bond, and now he can see colors.
“That’s amazing. Next thing you know, he’ll be pregnant.” Jasper sucked in a breath and started choking. Rafael clapped him on the back and burst out laughing. “Sorry, Jas, I couldn’t help myself. I’m really happy for you both, though. From what I can tell, he’s a great kid.”
“I thought of him as a kid at first, too. But I can tell you, he’s all man. He didn’t stop trying to save me the whole time I was unconscious. He’s pretty much perfect.”
“Yeah? What would make him absolutely perfect?” Rafael asked.
“If he had his purple streak back in his hair,” Jasper answered honestly. That had been one of the things that drew Jasper to Trevor – the fact he wasn’t afraid to stand out. They walked to their respective vehicles, and Jasper headed to the station to get his work day started.
Jasper didn’t envy Dane being Chief. They knew who the serial killer was, but considering he was a Gargoyle, and Jasper intended to take him out of the game permanently, they couldn’t announce his name to the public. Dane was hanging up from a conference call with Rafael and Kaya when Jasper entered his office. “Jas, you look like your old self.”
“I feel like him, too. So, what’s the verdict?” he asked, pointing to the phone.
“We’re going to come up with one huge ass ruse for the public. Rafe suggested we wait until after you take Theron out to be sure there aren’t any murders that slip in between now and then. Once that’s over, we are going to pursue the suspect who Julian is going to fabricate into the system, and he’s going to go out in a death by cop situation. We’ll have Dante provide a John Doe. It seems complicated to me, but both Rafe and Kaya assure me it’ll work. It gives me a headache thinking about it.”
“Speaking of headaches, how is Marley’s assailant?”
Dane grinned. “I personally delivered the restraining order to the man. When I gave him a little extra incentive to stay away from her, I think he got the message.”
Jasper laughed. “I’m sure he did. Did you personally give Marley the good news?”
Dane groaned. “Yes, dammit. Why does she have to be so fucking irresistible? Rafael told me to lay low where’s she concerned, but fuck if I can.”
“Tell me about it. I’m having a hard time sitting here waiting on my shift to be over. Trevor’s agreed to move in with me.”
“That’s great. What’s he going to do about his apartment?”
“Not sure. All I know is
I’m moving his stuff into my house as soon as possible before he can change his mind.”
“Want some help? If I’m moving furniture, it’ll keep me from driving by a certain pretty waitress’s house for the fifteenth time.”
“That’d be great.”
“How about another set of hands?” Sixx asked from the doorway. The Gargoyle rarely came by the station, but since he was no longer working professionally in financial management, and Nik and Julian were back from Egypt, he had a lot of spare time on his hands.
“Sure, if you don’t mind Trevor going on and on about how much you look like Desi. He still hasn’t gotten over that.”
“I don’t mind. Maybe it’ll help me make a decision about going to see him when he comes here for the concert. When did you want to move Trevor’s things?”
“We need to start boxing stuff up, and hopefully we can do that tonight. I want him in my house before the shit with Theron goes down.”
“I’m free tonight. Just give me a call when you head to his apartment. Do you have a truck lined up?”
“Not yet. I was going to call the rental place here in a few.”
Sixx waved him off. “I’ll rent the truck, and we’ll get the ball rolling tonight.”
Dane added, “Count me in.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.” And he did. Jasper had never really counted on his Clan before he moved to New Atlanta. Now, he didn’t have to ask for help. His brothers offered it freely.
The day dragged on, but Jasper was finally headed to Frey’s. He had talked to Trevor briefly on his lunch break, and he couldn’t wait to get him all moved in. He stopped at a Home Depot and bought packing boxes. He was in too big of a hurry to go looking behind liquor stores for empty boxes. When he arrived, Trevor and Matthew were shooting hoops, even though it was cold out and most of the snow was still on the ground. Surprisingly, Travis was outside watching them. “Shouldn’t you be inside?” he asked his mate’s brother.
“I needed the fresh air. Besides, I think Abbi has an alarm set so I won’t be out here too long.”
All the guys laughed, but the appreciation for someone looking out for his best interest was apparent on Travis’s face. “Travis has decided to stay in New Atlanta for a while. Look for a job,” Trevor said as he dribbled the ball. Matthew stole it from him and did a layup. “You sneak,” Trevor barked.
