Page 20 of In the Monster’s Wake (Monsters Amongst Us #1)

J asper’s phone rattled on the coffee table. He hadn’t been answering his father’s phone calls, mostly because he didn’t want to have to explain why he wasn’t at the apartment, but Leroy had never taken no for an answer, and he wasn’t in this case, either.

Corey had warned Jasper that Leroy had been visiting and demanding to see Jasper.

Corey and Kerry both knew why Jasper wasn’t staying with them at the moment, but Jasper had asked them not to mention it to Leroy.

He didn’t want his father to know where he was.

He didn’t think that Leroy would come all the way here and possibly have to deal with Archie, but he might do something stupid.

He bit his lower lip. Eventually, he was going to have to tell his father that he was dating a monster.

He wasn’t sure what Leroy’s reaction would be.

He would be pissed and would try to get Jasper to change his mind, but would he push his way into Jasper’s life, or would he decide that it wasn’t worth it?

Jasper wasn’t sure which one he’d prefer.

Some days, he wished Leroy would stop talking to him entirely, but if his father did, he wasn’t sure what would happen with his mother, and he didn’t want to lose her.

He glanced at Archie, who was sitting next to him on the couch. He was listening to something Braith was saying and nodding, but Jasper couldn’t focus. His full attention was on his vibrating phone.

The problem was that this might get him killed. He couldn’t afford for Leroy to distract him. He needed to be careful because when Kester was involved, any tiny mistake could lead to an awful ending.

He wanted all of this to be over. It wasn’t like he desperately wanted to go back to his apartment, even though he missed Corey and Kerry.

He liked living with them, but the place where they lived wasn’t all that.

Archie’s apartment was nicer. It was cozy, and they didn’t have to share it with anyone.

The neighbors weren’t noisy, and the building didn’t smell of mildew like the one where Jasper lived.

It was just that Jasper felt that he and Archie had been pushed together more quickly than they would have normally.

They’d gone from meeting in a club to living together.

They were together now, but it still felt like a lot in not a lot of time, and adding the stress of Kester to it wasn’t helping.

Jasper yearned for a hint of normalcy, and he wouldn’t get that until Kester was out of his life.

The problem was that no one knew where Kester was.

He hadn’t come after Cullen or Jasper again.

He might be looking for them, but so far, it didn’t look like he knew where they were.

They’d gotten news of another murder, but the news had come out a few days later, that for once, Kester had nothing to do with it.

They weren’t even sure if Kester was still in town.

Jasper tapped his fingertips on his thigh and glanced at his phone again.

It had stopped vibrating, but he suspected that his father would try calling again soon.

Unfortunately, there was nothing for Jasper to tell him.

He didn’t have news of any kind. He still didn’t know where Kester was, and he definitely hadn’t gotten rid of the monster.

They needed to do something. Maybe if they couldn’t find Kester, they should get him to come out and reveal himself. Archie wouldn’t be happy with that plan, but Jasper had been thinking about it, and he didn’t believe they had another choice.

“He’s doing as well as can be expected,” Braith told Archie. “He still has no idea why his father’s looking for him, and I don’t think he’s lying. To be fair, I would be running from my father, too, if he was anything like Kester.”

Archie nodded. “I can’t say that you’re wrong. Any news about where Kester might be staying?”

Archie had been sticking to Jasper as if he was afraid that Jasper would vanish if he couldn’t see him for five seconds.

That meant that he hadn’t been going to work and that Braith was left doing everything at the office, as well as babysitting Cullen.

Braith had told Jasper that he didn’t mind and that Archie had done the same for him a few years ago when he’d been in trouble, but they both had to want to go back to their normal life, right?

Jasper did—in part. He’d miss spending so much time with Archie and investigating.

He didn’t mind his job as a mechanic, but he liked all of this, too.

Minus the being hunted by a deranged monster bit.

“I think I should be bait,” he blurted out.

Braith snapped his mouth shut while Archie slowly turned to look at Jasper.

Jasper wondered if he could make it to the bedroom before Archie started yelling at him.

He wasn’t going to try because he didn’t have a reason to.

He squared his shoulders and straightened his back.

He understood why Archie wanted to protect him, but he could protect himself.

“It makes sense,” he explained. “We know he’s intrigued by me.

I have no idea what happened when he licked my blood, but I suspect that he wants to talk to me even more than he did before.

He’s not going to attack or kill me right away.

He wants something from me, and he’ll try to get it before he decides I’m useless.

It’s the only way I can think that we can draw him out. ”

“There’s no reason for us to draw him out,” Archie said.

“There is. He’s still killing people.”

“That last one wasn’t him.”

“You can’t tell me you believe he’s done killing. Besides, even if he is, he still needs to pay for what he’s done. He’s still dangerous and in the city. If there’s anything I can do to stop him, I want to do it.”

“Not by putting yourself in danger.”

“What else do you want me to do? I can’t keep on hiding in your apartment.

Neither of us can afford to continue doing that.

My father’s getting anxious, and even though I have time off work, it won’t last forever.

What if Kester decides to move to the area permanently? I’m not going to hide for that long.”

“It doesn’t mean you have to put your life in jeopardy. You know what will happen if Kester gets to you.”

“I’m in danger either way. We might feel I’m safe here, but eventually, Kester will find me.

” He’d find a way. Archie lived in a building that housed other monsters, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if some of them got the word out that Jasper was staying with him.

It wouldn’t take much for the news to reach Kester.

Archie turned to Braith. “Tell him it’s a bad idea.”

Jasper expected Braith to do just that. Instead, Braith grimaced. “Actually, I don’t think it is.”

* * * *

T HAT WASN’T THE ANSWER Archibald wanted from his best friend. He glared at Braith, who at least looked apologetic. He ought to be considering what he was agreeing with.

“You can’t be serious,” Archibald told him.

“I get where Jasper’s coming from. He’s been stuck in your apartment for a week. Hell, even Cullen’s starting to get anxious, and from what I know, he doesn’t have much to go back to. I can only imagine how frustrating this is for Jasper.”

“A lot,” Jasper offered. “I’m not one to usually hide. I definitely didn’t hide when I was a hunter. I understand it was necessary in this case, but I’m done.”

Archie did understand where Jasper was coming from.

He’d been staying at the apartment for the past week, too, something he’d never done before.

It had given him time with Jasper, which he enjoyed, but he knew that things couldn’t continue like this.

Something was going to break, and clearly, that something was Jasper’s patience.

Still, how could Jasper suggest giving himself up as bait so easily? It was like he didn’t care about his own safety. Archie was sure that Jasper didn’t want to die, yet he was willingly putting himself in danger.

He wouldn’t stop. Archie had gotten to know Jasper.

When he started something, he finished it, even if he didn’t want to.

He’d agreed to do this for his father, and he was up to his neck in trouble now.

He wouldn’t let anyone get him out of trouble.

He’d do it himself, and apparently, he was planning on doing so by throwing himself at Kester.

Archibald stared at Jasper. There would be no changing his mind, no matter what Archibald hoped for. The only thing Archibald could do was agree and stick to Jasper to make sure he was okay.

Unfortunately, that didn’t help him feel less panicked at the thought of Jasper and Kester.

It was just Archibald’s luck to fall for a former hunter who didn’t fear putting himself in danger.

With so many people trying to get Archibald’s attention every day, he’d had to fall for Jasper, of all people.

It would be funny if Archibald weren’t resisting the urge to scream right now.

A hunter—well, a former hunter, but still. No matter how many times Jasper insisted that he was done with that life, he was still here, working with Archibald and hiding from a monster.

Archibald’s life would be so much simpler if he didn’t have feelings for Jasper. Unfortunately, he’d never been one to deny himself what he wanted, and he wanted Jasper. The only way to get him was to keep him safe, even when he offered himself up as bait.

“I know what I’m doing when I fight,” Jasper said, staring back at Archibald.

It was like he was trying to convince Archibald to say yes. Archibald wondered what would happen if he said no instead. He doubted Jasper would change his mind. No matter how much Archibald asked or begged him not to do this, Jasper had made up his mind.

He wasn’t wrong. They needed to do something about Kester, and that wouldn’t happen until they knew where he was.

The best way to find out and to control what happened when they confronted him would be to get him where they wanted, and to do that, they needed Jasper to be bait.

It was either him or Cullen, but Archibald didn’t trust Cullen the way he trusted Jasper.

No, having Jasper do it was the only way to make it work.

“Knowing how to fight didn’t help you the two times you confronted Kester,” Archibald pointed out. “I know you’re a good fighter, but Kester’s Kester.”

Thankfully, Jasper wasn’t offended by Archibald’s words. He nodded, but he seemed to have thought of everything. “That’s why you and Braith will be there. If I play bait, we can control the narrative. We can decide where and when Kester finds me. We’ll use that to our advantage.”

“I don’t like this,” Archibald said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I don’t like it, either. I don’t want to bait Kester into coming to me.

I fought with him twice, and I know how dangerous he is.

I know what I’m risking, and I’m not doing it happily.

I just don’t think this can continue forever.

It isn’t even about me. We both know that Kester isn’t going to continue laying low for much longer.

Something’s going to happen, and he’ll kill someone else.

I don’t want that to be on my conscience.

If I can stop him from hurting anyone else, I want to do it. ”

Even to his own detriment. It wasn’t a surprise, but Archibald didn’t have to like it. Jasper had already made his decision, and Archibald had to decide whether or not to support him.

“Fine, but we have to come up with a solid plan,” he said. He was still glaring, but he didn’t think Jasper expected anything different from him. He had to have known that Archibald wouldn’t like this when he suggested it.

“We will,” Jasper said. “I trust you to keep me safe.”

“Oh, you’ll be safe.” The goal was to kill Kester. It wasn’t because Archibald had been hired to do it anymore, or at least, not entirely. He’d do it because he was paid to do it, but most of all, he’d do it so that Kester could never get his hands on Jasper again.

Jasper was human. He wasn’t strong enough to beat Kester, even though he’d managed to fight him back twice.

Archibald was very much not human, though, and while Jasper had years of experience as a hunter, Archibald had a lifetime of experience as a monster.

Was he afraid of Kester? A little bit, mostly because he knew the kind of monster Kester was.

He would do anything for his own survival, including hurting his own son. He’d be ruthless when they fought.

But he wouldn’t win. Archibald would make sure of that.