Page 43 of Jasper

“You said Jarrod trusted you to keep me safe, but how can you do that if you can’t deal with the issue causing you to suck at your job?”

“This isn’t that.”

“I think it is.”

“You’re wrong.”

She crossed her arms and glared. As frustrating as it was, he still felt like smiling. She was cute sitting there glowering at him.

“We will continue to have this conversation until you tell me.”

“Why won’t you let this go?”

“I told you already.” A hint of frustration slipped into her voice. “I watched my dad’s guilt eat him alive until he couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t talk to anyone. And because of that, he left us. I don’t want his story to become yours, Jasper. You’re a good man, just like Daddy. Don’t let what you couldn’t control destroy you a little at a time.”

For a woman of twenty-three, she sounded more like a wise old grandmother.

“I thought we could sit, enjoy a quiet meal, and maybe talk about that kiss.”

Her lips thinned. “No talking about that until you ’fess up. And no repeats either.”

“So, you do want to kiss me again.” His lips twitched despite the gravity of the situation.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you did.”

She shook her head and sighed. “Jasper…”

“Sloane…”

“Will you please be serious for five minutes?”

“When it comes to kissing, I’m dead serious.”

She rubbed her temples.

“Look, sweetheart, I know your intentions are good, but I don’t need a therapist. What happened to my brother has nothing to do with why I failed my boss’s wife…” He stopped short, realizing what he’d said.

His boss’s wife.

Angel was his friend, but Kade was her husband.

Kade was Conner’s brother.

“I see a lightbulb moment going off.” She sounded smug.

He sighed, not wanting to deal with this shit even if he did have a lightbulb moment. He’d never thought of that before. Maybe his mind skidded away from it because Viktor was his friend, and Conner…well, Conner was Conner. Jasper doubted Kade even knew about his connection to Conner. Viktor did, but that mission was classified.

Maybe he failed Angel because deep down he felt like Conner failed his brother. And that was where all the guilt was coming from—his fear he’d let his anger get in in the way of duty, and he’d failed a woman who had been nothing but kind to him.

The realization floored him.

And it scared him enough to talk.

“My brother’s name was Henry. He hated his name, though. He was two years older than me.”

Sloane’s posture relaxed.