“You know how to cook…that?” Gesturing to the bucket, I take a step back. I may be from Texas, but I prefer not to see my food in its original form. Or while it’s still wriggling.
He chuckles. “This cabin’s been in my family for fifty years. AJ and I spent every summer weekend up here. I caught my first bass when I was…” he rubs his chin, and his fingers rasp over his thick beard, “six years old. By the time I was nine, Grandpappy made sure I knew how to clean, prep, and cook the fish too.”
“You haven’t mentioned your dad once,” I say as Jasper transfers the fish to a utility sink in a small room off the kitchen. “Did he spend weekends up here too?”
Jasper’s shoulders go rock hard, and he shakes his head. “Nope. He wasn’t around much when we were growin’ up. He worked as a long-haul trucker until he got into a wreck on I-90 outside of Rapid City. Fucked up his back so he couldn’t drive anymore. Our mama—she was a teacher—had to take a second job at night down at the liquor store to pay the bills.”
“Is he still…around?”
With a snort, Jasper slices the head off the first fish. “The year we graduated high school, he went to jail for possession with intent to sell. The asshole left Mama with a mountain of debt. AJ was fit to be tied. Marched down to the courthouse the day after the trial ended to change his last name. Stone is Mama’s maiden name.”
Well, that explains part of the mystery.
“Why didn’t you change yours too?” I ask.
Jasper slides the knife down the fish’s belly. I pin my gaze to his face so I don’t have to look at what used to be inside our impending lunch. “I should have. But I was young and stupid. I thought if I were a good enough trooper, I could somehow make up for all the pain our pops caused.”
“Jasper, that wasn’t your responsibility.”
My words hit him like a physical blow, and his shoulders jerk.
“Maybe not. But…” Shrugging, he moves on to the second fish. “AJ called while I was out there. No one showed up at the hotel last night lookin’ for us. But Austin PD took over the case from the Ranger Division, and they have me listed as a person of interest for the dead guy at your apartment. The other one ain’t talkin’. Probably too scared the cartel will silence him permanently.”
“Shit. What you did…it was self-defense. I need to call Detective Mitchell.” I turn back to the kitchen in search of one of the burner phones AJ gave us.
“Emi, no.” Jasper’s protest stops me before I can dial. “Until we know for sure who sent those assholes after you, I don’t trust anyone but AJ. He called in a few favors, and got a look at the evidence against Consolidated Investment Group and Eugene Fowler. It’s solid. He can’t figure out what the FBI’s waitin’ for. They should have arrested him by now.”
I lean against the counter, the stress crawling up the back of my neck until my head starts to throb.
“So…we’re not going back to Austin tonight. Or any time soon.”
I’m equal parts disappointed and excited. Spending time with Jasper—here, where no one can get to us and we can just be ourselves—is wonderful. But before long, I’ll have to return to Channel 5, and I’d rather not do that with a target on my back.
“It’s not safe, sweetheart,” Jasper says softly. “If I bring you to my place, chances are, I’ll be arrested. Your apartment is still a crime scene. Austin PD found Benny tied up in a supply closet with a broken arm and a concussion. He’s gonna be okay, but these assholes clearly don’t mind hurting anyone who gets in their way. And we still don’t know what they wanted from you last night.”
I sink down into one of the kitchen chairs and drop my head into my hands. “Then after lunch, I need to call Nelson.”
The fish was excellent—and Jasper surprised me by pulling a bunch of kale out of the fridge—my bunch of kale he’d apparently liberated from my apartment the night before.
Despite the company—and the food—by the time we finish the dishes, I’m about to come out of my skin. “Call him,” Jasper says, sliding one of the phones across the counter to me. “But don’t tell him where we are or who you’re with. Nothin’ he could use to find us. And make damn sure he’s not with the FBI or Austin PD before you say anything they could use against either of us.”
I stare at the screen for a full minute before I find the courage to dial.
“Hello?” Nelson’s voice carries a hint of confusion. Not surprising since I’m sure there’s no name associated with this phone number.
“It’s Emi. Are you alone?” I reach for Jasper’s hand. His fingers are warm and strong, and I need his touch to keep me from spiraling.
A door shuts—I think—before Nelson clears his throat. “I am now. Are you okay? Where are you? Two detectives spent an hour grilling me this morning. They say your ‘friend,’ Jasper Blade, killed a man at your apartment last night!”
“That man had a gun to my head, Nelson.” Saying the words out loud makes what happened hit me all over again. “Jasper saved my life. We’re…somewhere safe, and we’re staying put for at least another couple of days. I won’t have anything new to report on Monday. Not unless the FBI arrests Fowler or suddenly decides I’m worth protecting.”
“Emi, I don’t give a shit about the story. But there is something new to report. Fowler is suing you—and Channel 5 News—for defamation.”
“For fuck’s sake. He’s delusional.” I push to my feet and start to pace. “Email me all the details. I’ll send you an audio file you can play during the A-block on Monday.”
“We’ll run it. I promise. But stay safe. Please.”
I rub my hand over my heart to ease the ache deep in my chest. “I should go. But…is Kyle okay? No one’s gone after him or his family?”
