bring out the devil in me

“Yeah, you’re not wrong.” He sighed. “So what’s your view. Someone with a vendetta against both sides?” Could be possible, then again, there was a lot of possibilities. That’s probably what was causing most of the tension, the not knowing. Not even knowing who to suspect. For all they knew, it was just some random psycho getting slice happy. “One thing is for sure, whoever it was is gonna go out a whole lot worse.” Sure, they’d have to work around the cops and be crafty about it, but it was blood for blood. 

“I’m done tossing blame. We know nothing, the wolves know nothing - if they do they’re not saying. And the cops have nothing. Hate to say it but I’m not seeing how we’re gonna figure it out without whoever it was dropping someone else.” Pessimistic, sure, but he was merely thinking out loud. Thoughts that had him pent up and drinking just to remain somewhat calm. 

“Sort of?” Brows creased together for a few moments before he felt a realisation hit. “Ah, right. Your latest sidekick.” There’s a light roll of his eyes and a small smile. He wouldn’t say much more about it, especially considering he didn’t really like Ray. It wasn’t really personal, he just didn’t like the way she always seemed to be around and in what he’d consider none of her business. “I know. Everyone’s waiting for us to pop off and fire a gun. We gotta be smarter than that.”

Digging his cigarettes and Zippo out of the inside pocket of his kutte, Jasper unleashed a long, blustery sigh and shook his head, “Sure looks that way. Nothing else makes sense.” Whoever it was had known exactly where to to strike and how to poke through any holes in their defenses. How could any of them have seen it coming? Setting one of his cigarettes between his lips, the biker lit it up and glanced over at Axel with a sharp nod. Neither of them knew who to pin the murders on or where to start looking, but Jasper knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that both of them knew the way it would end once the killer was found.

But Jasper was getting impatient just sitting around and waiting for the other shoe to fall. He was beginning to think that Axel was right and that the only way to ferret out the killer was to wait until they spilled more blood. Jasper shifted in his seat and frowned around his cigarette, unsure that he’d ever feel totally comfortable with that option-- even though it felt like the only one. “Just keep your eyes open, maybe we’ll catch ‘em slipping up,” he muttered before inhaling a steadying drag.

“Bad Santa, maybe. I’d sit on your lap any time,” she wiggled her brows playfully, obviously just messing around. Especially now, since he was a.. thing? Almost thing? With her best friend. Harley was a lot of things but her loyalty to those she loved never wavered. “Uhh, yeah, because the last time was that bleach blonde skank who talked like a fuckin’ barbie doll. It’s like, oh my god, you’re just so nice to talk too, tehehehehe,” mimicking a high pitched, girly, American accent, she even mockingly twizzled her hair around her finger as she did. “Bitch please, she couldn’t have been more fake.” Pulling a face at him, she shook her head like she was disappointed. “At least you’ve upgraded, Rayanne might actually add some class to your life. In-fact, I know she will. So don’t fuck it up. If it was a one time thing, fine, if it’s not? Make it obvious, and don’t fuck her around because if she doesn’t claw your eyes out first, I’ll light you on fire in your sleep. Am I clear?” 

“She did. Which is good news for you because it’s no myth, girls do talk. In detail. I mean, the four bottles of wine probably gave her loose lips too but hey, at least it was all good things.” Smirking towards him, she was more amused simply by the fact she, in so many words, was telling him she got a full play by play of their whole night. “Nothing, nothing at all. Like I said, just don’t do her dirty, because I will have to follow through with my threat and actually castrate you.”

Rolling his eyes, Jasper shook his head and huffed out a quiet laugh, knowing full well that Harley was only joking because that was the way things had always run between them. If for some reason utter filth wasn’t being exchanged between them, the biker would have a reason to worry. He reached for his drink, almost hiding his grimace behind the rim of his glass, as his less than stellar track record took center stage. Cringing at the memory, and Harley’s devastatingly accurate impression of the woman in question, Jasper waved a hand like it was a white flag, practically begging her to stop, “Alright, fine-- I think we can both agree my taste in women has been a bit...misguided at times.” But the whirlwind he found himself caught up in now was different, and Jasper guessed it was largely because Ray was different. Like Harley said, she’d added some class to his life, and he knew better than to take that for granted. “Don’t worry-- you’re crystal clear, darlin’.”

“Ouch.” She commented, knowing full well how the wine hungover could hit. It was as if someone had decided because it tasted good and offered a good time, they had to suffer five times as much the next day. She knew the pain all too well and went up to pick one of the coffees and brought it over to him. “Here coffee sometimes helps. Though I am not promising a damn thing.“ She grinned sticking her index finger at him and pointing it at his chest. If Jasper was hungover, then things really were going to go well for her, possibly a win in her hands. That was going to be big, as Jasper was a big man and most of the time she’d be drenching in sweat, fighting off the feeling of yet another loss. “You mean to tell me you’ve had all those drinks by yourself?” Andy was stepping onto the playing field that was Jaspers’ heart. She knew how things were going with him and Ray, and she had a feeling that is was more. It was her job, after all, she was a detective for a reason. “Come on, Jas, tell me all the details. While we fight we can gossip like girls.” A chuckle escaped her lips before she nodded her head. “Great, pancakes it is. I’ll go for the blueberry and strawberry with a banana milkshake.” Though she was almost certain today was going to be the day that she’d take him down.

He’d never even had a sip of wine before a handful of months ago, and now Jasper was all too familiar with just how damning it was to drink entirely too much. The headache was unlike any he’d ever gotten from liquor; it hit in a different way and felt as though it was somehow piercing through his brain from one side of his head to the other. “Thanks,” he muttered, eagerly reaching for the coffee. He raised it to his lips and sipped at it, relishing the warmth as it pooled in his belly. Blinking at her from behind the rim of the coffee cup, Jasper smirked, “I was with a friend.” He set the steaming coffee aside and fired a flat look at her, “C’mon, detective, you know you can’t start asking shit like that without a warrant.”

marianne knew that she had to be careful with what she did or said. especially since she was doing her best to get the job done. she knew she had to question him but she was using rather untraditional methods. she was playing the ditzy blonde which was something she didn’t love doing. it was what a lot of people expected when it came to her but she had always proven them wrong. she shrugged as she glanced around and then looked back over at him,” i’ve always been a nomad, figured this place was as good as any.” that was the half truth considering how often she had been shuffled around as a child in the system. then again as an adult because she was always willing to transfer if another department needed her. 

she shrugged as she noticed the amused look on his face,” oh i’m sure that you are better at it than you think you are.” she watched him as he climbed into her car and she was going to take a few steps back. her hand reached to brush her hair from her face and she watched as he started it. of course she knew that he would realize that the problem wasn’t all that serious. it wasn’t like she cared and she was almost growing impatient. she watched him as he pulled it into the stall and was going to get out. the look of confusion on his face was not a shock. her eye brows arched up as she slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans,” well jasper,” she paused, figuring she was done with the rouse and going to pull out her badge to hold it up,” my name is marianne winston and i have some questions for you.” she was still relieved that the garage was empty,” and since you do not seem to be able to possess the ability to answer a phone i had to drag myself down here so are you going to make this easy on me and not run? because i’d appreciate it if you didn’t.” 

In many ways, Jasper understood what the blonde meant-- probably more so than most. He’d been a nomad once before; after busting out of the system at thirteen, he’d gone wherever each day took him with no real destination in mind. He figured he'd always carry on that way, like a vagabond living life on a whim. But Charming had slammed the brakes on that line of thinking and Jasper had never looked back. “I get that,” he murmured, dipping his head in a brief nod, “Charming definitely has a way of living up to its namesake. Most of the time, anyway.” There was a touch of sarcasm threaded in between his words, but ordinarily, the biker found that he meant the statement wholeheartedly. There was something about the small California town that he hadn’t found anywhere else.

nobody could’ve been prepared for what happened at the ball, despite the suspicions many of them felt about the security of the event. the masks & a crowded room had them on edge, but not a single person was ready for the devastation that ensued. naturally, rayanne had no idea how she was supposed to react. should she scream ? cry ? put on a brave face & act like she was totally fine ? that seemed like the best option. as much as she’d wanted to stay mad at jasper, she knew she had to put that behind her & focus on the matter at hand, doing whatever she could to help.

it had been a long night & she didn’t think she’d ever appreciated a hot shower as much as she did right now. she didn’t particularly feel like getting back into her dress & since she hadn’t come prepared with a change of clothes, she opted for one of jasper’s t-shirts, figuring he probably wouldn’t mind. with a quiet sigh, she made her way into the kitchen , not saying a word as he wrapped his arms around her — simply letting herself relax against his body as she hugged her own arms around his torso. she nodded gently in response to his question, a faint smile curving onto her lips as he ran his fingers through her hair. “ yeah, i’m okay. ” she breathed out, though she wasn’t entirely sure how convincing that sounded. “ no, i’m sorry that you lost a friend today. don’t worry about me. ”

she shook her head as she looked up at him, suddenly feeling a little guilty for even picking a fight with him in the first place. “ i’m not upset with you, jasper. it’s just — i’ve done the whole being secretive thing before & it didn’t exactly end well. ” she explained, tone gentle as she spoke. taking the glass from him, she eagerly took a sip — using the moment to think carefully about what she was going to say next. “ look, i didn’t mean to blow up at you the way i did. it was unnecessary & really i have no right to be acting like that. it’s just hard not to think the worst, y’know ? ” that much was obvious. she’d never made much of an effort to hide how often she worried about those she cared about, no matter how many times they told her not to. “ i’m not saying you have to tell me every damn thing — just keep me in the loop so i don’t go insane. ”

Jasper unleashed a soft sigh, not entirely convinced that she was alright. After everything she’d seen tonight, how could she be? How could any of them? Blinking down at her, he lifted a brow and shook his head, “You know you don’t have to put on a brave face for me, darlin’.” He knew he wasn’t the only one who’d lost something tonight. The club and everyone close to it had lost a brother and the town had lost its peace of mind. Jasper didn’t know how they were supposed to bounce back from any of it, especially while a killer was still out there. A quizzical frown settled between his brows. Don’t worry about her? Scoffing quietly, he cracked a brief, lopsided smile at her, "You say that like I've got a choice."

Sipping at his whiskey as she spoke, Jasper frowned into the rim of his glass. In the heat of the moment, he’d struggled to wrap his mind around it. He hadn’t understood why Rayanne had wanted to know where he was or what he’d been doing-- because he wasn’t used to that. “I get that,” he murmured, setting his glass on the counter behind him. Secrets were damning and he’d never liked them, but keeping them had always felt like some sort of warped defense mechanism. “No, no, it’s okay; you have every right to wanna know the kind of man you’re getting into bed with-- literally.” Because as much as Jasper liked to pretend that there weren’t, there were some strings attached. They were friends. He cared about her-- and not just about how she could make his pulse race with a single touch. It had stopped solely being about sex the moment he’d realized how much he genuinely enjoyed hanging out with her-- even if it was just grabbing drinks at the bar or something as silly as game night.

out of all the devils jasper was probably abraham’s favorite to mess with. usually it was because it didn’t seem to be all that hard. he was shaking his head in disbelief and clearing his throat,” any other tidbits you want to share with me jasper? because guilt is something i don’t have because i haven’t done anything.” sure he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if he needed to. however he was extremely careful. plus the way that martin had been murdered honestly wasn’t his style in the least. he understood that it was likely none of the devils would understand that or believe him but he didn’t actually care. 

his mouth curved into a smirk at jasper’s obvious disdain for him,” i mean if you could find it in yourself to look past your bullshit and use one of your working brain cells to realize that i wouldn’t lie about something like this.” he was certain that nothing was going to be the same. everyone knew that peace meant that things would go smoothly. yet he knew that if there was war that it wouldn’t bother him in the slightest. his eye brows arched up and his head tilted to the side,” i’m thinking that you clearly think it was one of us since your first assumption was to come bother me,” he said slowly,” and i don’t have to do anything because eventually the truth will come out, it always does and it wasn’t one of us.”  

Anger ticked at the back of Jasper’s jaw as he ground his molars together and eyed Abraham. He’d always blazed through life with a loose grip on his temper, and the longer he caught Abraham taunting him, the more that hold seemed to slip. “Well, you got any idea who did?” He pressed through gritted teeth, though the desperation in his tone was clear. He needed answers-- because Martin deserved justice and Jasper didn’t know that he could rest until he had something to go on.

His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides but he stood firm, despite how badly his instinct told him to lunge at the other man. He wouldn’t do it-- not over a couple cheap shots and not when something far more important than his own stubborn pride hung in the balance. Martin’s killer was out there-- possibly in this room-- and finding them meant more than any cheap insult Abraham could hurl at him. Shaking his head, Jasper unleashed a humorless laugh and lifted a brow at him, “You done?” He felt his patience bleeding dry, and so rather than give the man time to answer, Jasper took a step towards him, “One of my brothers is dead,” he reminded him, ducking his head a bit to level his gaze with Abraham’s, “I just want answers.”

28. A sarcastic text.

30. What’s irritating you right now?

All this shit surrounding Martin and Katrina and the lack of answers. It’s a little too convenient that no one in this fucking town seems to know anything about what happened.

40. Have you ever walked outside completely naked?

Yes. Alcohol was involved on almost every single occasion.

50. ...

There wasn’t a question fifty...so we’ll go with fifty-one, which is asking what my favorite food is-- it’s bacon. The answer is always bacon.

60. Do you wanna get married?

Trick or Treat: What was your favorite Halloween costume?

Already gonna call it and say this year’s is my favorite-- I think I’m gonna be Tarzan.

9. A concerned text.

25. A flirty text.

Uhh, I don’t think so? Not intentionally, anyway. Never really gotten close enough to break anyone’s heart.

19. A bad idea text.

14. Do you miss someone?

That’s kind of a tough question. My first instinct is to say that I miss my family-- but it’s almost more like a bittersweet feeling when I think of them now. I lost both of my parents when I was seven, so most of what I remember about them is a bit blurry. But I’ll never forget the warmth I felt around them-- I miss that. And my brother...haven’t seen him in years-- don’t even know where he’s at, but I like to think he made it out of the system, same as me-- just hopefully had an easier time doing it.

37. Is it easier to forgive or forget?

I think both are incredibly hard to do, especially depending on the situation. But I think forgiveness is more for your own peace of mind-- not for the person who wronged you. So, with that in mind, it’s easier to forgive for yourself-- but I’ll never let a motherfucker forget.

68. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?