Page 14 of In the Monster’s Wake (Monsters Amongst Us #1)
He climbed into the passenger seat while Braith walked around the car.
Something needed to be done, but what? The only thing he could think of doing was to keep talking to people until he found someone who knew where Kester was hiding.
If he was lucky, Kester had chosen a place to call home and stayed there instead of moving around the city.
Why was Kester here, anyway? Why had he chosen this place?
There had to be a reason for his presence in the city.
Maybe Archibald should focus on finding out what that reason was.
Of course, there was a chance that Kester was just passing through and enjoying his time here so much that he’d decided to stick around.
Archibald shuddered at the thought. He could only hope that Kester was looking for something specific because it meant that once he found it, he’d leave.
Archibald wasn’t sure there was another way to solve this.
He wasn’t sure he could take Kester on in a fight and win.
He wanted to think so, but Kester wasn’t only a powerful monster.
He was also ruthless and cruel and didn’t think anything of hurting people. He was the worst of the worst.
But Archibald would try. If it came to it, he’d fight Kester, and hopefully, he would win. He wasn’t about to let Kester hurt him. He had a good thing going on with his agency and Braith, and maybe Jasper, too. He had too much to live for to allow Kester to ruin all of it.
Braith tapped his fingertips on the steering will as he drove. “What now?”
“We need to keep up with what the police will find at the crime scene, just in case it could guide us to Kester. I’m going to continue talking to people. Someone has to have seen him around. Even if he isn’t staying in a specific place, someone has to know where he is.”
Braith sighed. “I’ll start making phone calls as soon as we’re back to the office.”
That was all they could do for the night.
Tomorrow, Archibald would go out and talk to more people.
There was no point in going out tonight, though, especially with the police on the hunt for Kester.
Every smart monster would stay home for the rest of the night in case the police decided to pin Kester’s crimes on them.
Archibald would do the same.
* * * *
J ASPER WAS FRUSTRATED . He’d known he shouldn’t say yes when his mother had suggested he look into this, and now, he was in too deep and didn’t have a way out.
His father wouldn’t let it go, but even with Archie’s help, Jasper wasn’t sure he’d be able to find Kester and get rid of him.
The monster was strong and didn’t feel the way humans did.
He didn’t have hesitation or remorse when he killed.
That was a problem.
The fact that Leroy was being cagey and clearly hiding something didn’t help. It should be none of Jasper’s business, but he’d made it his business, and now, he wanted to know. He had a feeling he needed to know before something happened.
He’d left his apartment after Leroy had finally gone home, but all thoughts of visiting a club had gone out the window.
He felt like his skin itched, and while sex with a stranger might help, he couldn’t help but think about Archie.
He was pretty sure the monster wanted him, and he wanted the monster.
Even if nothing happened tonight, they could talk about the case and maybe come up with a plan of what they could do next.
Jasper found himself in front of the office just as Archie and Braith stepped out. Braith had turned to lock the door, but Archie saw Jasper right away. His lips stretched in a wide smile that startled Jasper, but maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. He knew that Archie wanted in his pants.
“Did we have an appointment?” Archie asked smoothly.
Jasper rolled his eyes. “You know we didn’t.”
“Which is why I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
Braith huffed and pushed past Archie. “On that note, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I thought we were getting dinner,” Archie argued.
“We were until your boyfriend got here. I’m sure you’ll have more fun with him than you would have with me. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Archie pouted, which shouldn’t work on someone who looked like him, but it did. He was adorable and incredibly hot at the same time. “You never do anything, though. You’re boring.”
Braith didn’t turn. He waved at Archie over his shoulder and continued walking down the street until he turned the corner and disappeared, leaving Jasper alone with Archie.
“I can go if you have plans,” Jasper offered.
“You heard Braith. The plans I had fell through.” Archie smiled. “Besides, he’s not wrong. I’m sure I’ll have more fun with you.”
Heat curled in Jasper’s stomach. There was no ignoring what Archie was implying, which was good because Jasper didn’t want to ignore it.
“So, why are you here?” Archie asked as he started walking.
Jasper followed him. He didn’t know where they were going, but he didn’t need to.
As strange as it was, he trusted Archie.
“I had a visit from my father,” he explained.
“I think he’s hiding something, but I have no idea what, and I hate it.
If he wants me to get Kester, he should tell me everything he knows, right?
But he’s not, and I can’t help but wonder why. ”
They stopped walking, but Jasper wasn’t done.
Now that he’d started on his father, he found it hard to stop.
“I hate when he does this shit. He asked me to look into this. And he thinks I’m coming back to the hunters once I have answers, no matter how many times I tell him there’s no way I’m doing that.
If he wants me back, then why is he doing shit like this? Why isn’t he helping me?”
Jasper was startled when two hands landed on his cheeks. Archie pulled him closer and pressed their lips together, and all thoughts of Leroy fled Jasper’s mind. He suddenly didn’t care about his father.
“That’s better,” Archie said as he leaned back. “As much as I enjoy listening to you talking, I really don’t want to know about your father. If we’re going to spend the night together, there are more entertaining ways to pass the time.”
Jasper cleared his throat as Archie dropped his hands and let go of him. “Who said I was spending the night with you?”
“Aren’t you?”
Archie didn’t wait for an answer. He unlocked his car and slid in, and Jasper had to rush around to get into the passenger seat. Okay, maybe Archie was right—they would be spending the night together.
They were silent as Archie drove. Jasper still didn’t know where they were going, but he didn’t have to know. Archie wouldn’t do anything to him that he didn’t want, and if things came to it, Corey could find him through his phone.
Jasper fiddled with this phone and waited. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he felt he didn’t need to know. Archie would take care of everything. It felt good to let go for a bit and not worry about monsters, Leroy, or anything else.
Jasper was almost sorry when Archie finally parked the car in an underground garage. He followed him to the elevator without saying a word, wondering what was on Archie’s mind. Considering what they were about to do, he had a good idea.
He knew he was right as soon as they walked into Archie’s apartment. He didn’t even have the time to look around. Archie grabbed his t-shirt and twirled him around, and Jasper’s back hit the wall.
Archie pressed Jasper there, his body hard and unyielding, but then, Jasper didn’t want him to yield.
He pushed his hands into Archie’s hair and held him in place as he kissed him.
He could taste the adrenaline on Archie’s lips and a wild, untamed energy that made him irresistible.
Maybe it came from being a monster, or maybe it was just him. Jasper didn’t know, and he didn’t care.
Archie pulled back just enough to growl, “You’re playing with fire, Jasper.” His eyes were dark, and his breath came in short, ragged gasps.
Jasper didn’t think he was playing with fire. No matter how dangerous Archie could be, he wouldn’t hurt him. “Maybe I like getting burned,” he teased.
Archie didn’t need any further encouragement. He kissed Jasper again, deeper this time, and his hands started roving over Jasper’s body with a hunger that made Jasper want to be naked— now .
He responded by kissing back and tugging at Archie’s clothes. He pushed his hands under Archie’s shirt, eager to touch skin, his fingers skimming over the hard planes of Archie’s chest.
“You’re not going to turn into some tentacle monster on me, are you?” he asked, just to be sure. He’d encountered a few monsters that hid appendages under their clothes when he was a hunter, and he didn’t want to be surprised.
Archie laughed. “Would that bother you?”
Jasper grinned. “Try me.” He did hope that Archie wasn’t hiding tentacles, but if he was, Jasper would learn how to deal with them. They wouldn’t be enough to get him to stop this and leave.
He didn’t think much would be enough to make him do that.
Archie’s eyes gleamed as he pressed Jasper harder against the wall and trailed his lips down Jasper’s neck. Jasper’s head fell back, a low groan escaping his lips as Archie’s teeth grazed his skin. It felt dangerous, but, oh, so good.
“You’re mine,” Archie growled.
Jasper’s breath hitched, his hands tightening in Archie’s hair. “Prove it.” He was playing with fire, but he didn’t care. He wanted to be Archie’s.
Archie’s eyes flashed. He reached for Jasper’s shirt and pulled it off, his hands brushing over Jasper’s chest as he moved, sending fire through Jasper’s veins.
Jasper shivered.
Archie’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “Oh, baby,” he murmured, his voice a dark, seductive purr. “I will.” He pressed their bodies together as he kissed Jasper again.