“I hate my father, but it sounds like yours isn’t great, either.”
Jasper laughed.“He’s not.”
“Then maybe it’s a good thing that he’s not actually your father.”
“I don’t know.He’s the only father I’ve ever known.”
Cullen shrugged.“If you ask me, fathers are overrated.”
Maybe he wasn’t wrong.It wasn’t like Jasper had ever been close to Leroy.He’d wanted to be while growing up, and he’d wondered what he’d done for his father to behave the way he had.Now, he knew.It wasn’t just that he wasn’t actually Leroy’s son.He wasn’t even human.
That made it even stranger that Leroy had kept him around.Jasper would have expected Leroy to dump him in an alley or something.He certainly wouldn’t have expected him to keep a monster kid around, and while he was sure there was an explanation, he doubted he’d ever get it.He might have to torture it out of Leroy, which wasn’t something he was willing to consider.
For now.
A noise behind him made him turn.When he saw the two monsters approaching, he knew he and Cullen were in trouble.They were tall, one probably around seven feet, the other a few inches shorter.They both had dull orange skin, and they looked similar enough with their tusks and dark hair that Jasper was willing to bet they were related, maybe brothers.Not that it mattered in this situation.
“Get in the car,” he ordered.
Cullen frowned and looked ahead.He paled a little when he saw the two monsters, but instead of getting inside the car like Jasper had ordered, he walked around it and came to stand next to Jasper.
“Do you ever do what people ask you to do?”Jasper asked.
“Not really.I’d be dead if I did.”
He probably wasn’t wrong, but unfortunately, he was making Jasper’s life harder.Jasper couldn’t focus on both saving himself and keeping Cullen safe.
He looked around.He doubted anyone would come to their rescue, and he didn’t want to fight.It wouldn’t help anyone, but especially not them.The street was empty, though, as if people had decided to stay inside until Jasper left.Maybe they had.
Movement at the end of the street caught his attention.He wasn’t fast enough to see who it was, but someone quickly stepped away, and he lost sight of them.It was probably someone trying to stay out of the fight, but the silhouette of the person reminded Jasper of someone.
He didn’t have time to wonder.The two monsters were getting closer, and Cullen was clearly an idiot.He rushed forward, apparently intent on fighting them.Jasper was horrified.Cullen didn’t seem to have any idea what to do when it came to fighting.Hell, he didn’t seem to have any idea what to do when it came to walking, either, because before he could reach the monsters, he tripped on something and fell flat on his face.It would’ve been funny if the situation hadn’t been so dire.
Cullen groaned.Jasper wanted to ask him what the fuck he was doing, but instead, he grabbed the kid and hauled him to his feet.Cullen had tried to put his hands forward to stop his fall, which had been a good instinct, but unfortunately for him, it had only resulted in him scraping both his faceandhis hands.He was bleeding from both.It looked like his nose had taken the brunt of it, but there was a deep wound on the palm of one of his hands.
Jasper shook his head and hauled Cullen back toward the car.He squeezed Cullen’s arm and opened the driver’s door, stuffing Cullen inside.Cullen protested, but Jasper didn’t care.He pushed harder, then slid into the car as soon as Cullen was far enough in.
“I could have gotten in through the passenger door,” Cullen grumbled.
“You didn’t when I asked you to,” Jasper pointed out.
He didn’t put on his seatbelt.He didn’t think that the two demons looking for a fight would give him the time to do so.Instead, he stuck the key into the ignition and turned the engine on.
He didn’t drive recklessly because he didn’t want to crash the car, but he did move as quickly as he could.He drove past the two monsters, who stopped walking and glared.Jasper was glad that he and Cullen had been fast enough, but he could too easily imagine what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been.He might be used to fighting monsters, and he might keep up with his training even though he wasn’t a hunter anymore, but this wouldn’t have been good for him.It wouldn’t have been good for anyone if he’d had to fight the two monsters in full sight of who knew how many people.
“Well, that was a bust,” Cullen said.“You think they were there for me or for you?”
Jasper frowned.“Why would they be there for you?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if my father had sent people after me.He might have given up himself, but I suspect it won’t be for long.When he wants something, he gets it, and he wants me.”
“He said he didn’t anymore.”
Cullen looked at Jasper in disbelief.“And you believed him?Yeah, he’s gone for now, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder because Iknowhe’s going to come back for me eventually.He doesn’t take no for an answer, and he doesn’t give up easily.”
Maybe Jasper should’ve tried harder to kill Kester.He couldn’t imagine what Cullen’s life would be like, always on the run because he didn’t want his father to hurt him.Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything Jasper could do about that right now.The best thing would be for him to keep Cullen safe, but he wasn’t sure he had the capacity to do so with everything happening.Luckily, he knew someone who would probably be okay with keeping an eye on the kid.Cullen was going to need it if he couldn’t even walk without hurting himself.
“It’s still bleeding,” Cullen murmured, sounding more like a kid than he ever had before.
