“Neither do I, but think of the kids.”
“It’s the only reason I’m agreeing to it.”
The same went for Archie.As soon as they were done with this case, he never wanted to see a hunter again.
* * * *
“IASKED,” KERRY SAIDwhen Jasper answered her phone call.
“What did he say?”
Martinez had been one of her closest friends among the hunters.From what Jasper knew, she still talked to him, but hunters in general disliked it when people left their organization.Most hunters probably avoided Kerry and Corey because of that, and being Jasper’s friends no doubt didn’t help.It was lucky that Kerry still had contacts, but that didn’t mean Martinez had agreed to help.
“He warned me,” she said.
Jasper suspected that he wasn’t going to like this.“What did he warn you about?”
“There’s some unrest amongst the hunters.”
Jasper snorted.“When isn’t there?”
“I suppose you’re right.Thereisalways someone fighting someone.This isn’t that, though.Apparently, a lot of hunters are growing resentful about you and monsters in general.”
“They don’t want us in the city.”
“And they’re angry because of you.They thought you were one of us.”
“I was, no matter what I am.”In fact, Jasper had been a hunter for way too long and for the wrong reason—his parents.He hadn’t wanted to disappoint them.He’d wanted to uphold his father’s legacy, and he had.He’d hurt countless people as he did so, and he still felt guilty about that.He should have left the organization sooner.
All of that was in the past, and there was nothing he could do to change it.Finding Finn and helping him wouldn’t be enough to atone for what he’d done, but that wasn’t why he was doing it.He was doing it because it was the right thing to do.Finn was just a kid who didn’t deserve what was happening to him.He deserved to be home with his parents, not fighting for his life because people were cruel and heartless.
Braith had left to get lunch.Jasper and Archie had stayed behind, mostly so they could have a little time together.Between their jobs and everything else, Jasper felt they barely had time to see each other.He’d take even half an hour alone in Archie’s office.
But of course, that was when Kerry had called, and Jasper had answered because they needed to know whether someone would help them recover the kids.
Jasper still didn’t have an answer to that question.
“So what did Martinez say?”he asked.“I don’t care how angry people are.They were already angry at me for leaving, so it doesn’t change much.”That probably wasn’t true.The hunters had been leaving him alone after he’d left, even though they’d been pissed that he had.They hadn’t had a reason to come after him.
Now, they did.
Jasper wasn’t human.They knew for sure that he’d been trained to fight.He could be dangerous, and some of them might use that as an excuse to attack him, but he hoped none of them would be stupid enough to do that.Wondering wouldn’t help, though.The best thing he could do was focus on helping Archie and finding his birth parents.
Kerry sighed.“He’s not angry.He’s confused, and he has questions, and he’ll probably ask them when he sees you.He’ll help us, though.He’s sure he can get a bunch of other people to do the same.”
Jasper relaxed back against his chair.This was what they’d wanted, and, more importantly, what they’d needed.“Good.”
“Yeah,” Kerry said with a sigh.“It’s still a mess, though.”
“I can deal with a mess.We just have to get the kids out of there first.”
“Will you answer Martinez’s questions when he asks them?”
“I’ll try, but what am I supposed to tell him?I didn’t know what I was until Kester told me, and my father confirmed it.I have no idea who my parents are or how I ended up with the hunters.I don’t know what Martinez wants from me.”
“Answers.I think that’s what most of them want.”
“And they won’t get them, not from me.”
