Chapter ten

Jasper was too mad to go back down into the basement. He couldn't understand how she would think he was friends with that jackass. He knew he was thinking irrationally. For starters, he was here in this terrible situation alongside James. But she had seen how James treated him, so why would she think he was capable of being his friend?

It made him furious to know she thought so little of him. He liked her, and whether he wanted to admit it or not, her opinion of him mattered.

When he looked at her, he saw all the good and kindness that the world had kept hidden from him. The only other person who had ever shown him that sort of kindness and consideration was his brother, Edward, who had sacrificed a great deal to take care of his family.

Edward was the reason Jasper was here, not James! Jasper would do anything for his brother, even die for him!

But then Isabella arrived in his life; with her luminous glow and vitality. And she had shown him there was good in the world. People could be kind, and loyal, sweet and funny, and she brought out the protective side in him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and protect her from the rest of the world. Jasper had never wanted to stand out in a crowd before. He had never wanted to be noticed, or acknowledged, but when he was in that basement with Isabella Swan, Jasper felt like he was the core of the earth. When she looked at him, she saw him, and that moved him.

She made Jasper want to stand up and fight for what was right, and no one had ever invoked that reaction in him before, because before Isabella, Jasper didn't think anyone was worth fighting for.

But of course, she didn't know any of that because he hadn't told her. He had just stormed off like a sulky teenage girl, and left her down there.

She didn't deserve that.

He was no better than James.

Jasper made his way into the lounge. There was no furniture to depict the room as such, only a couple of crates and one arm chair. No one else was around, so Jasper sat and plotted.

He thought about helping her; when would be the ideal time and how he would do it. He also considered what would happen if he were caught, and although the very thought of it unnerved him, the alternative of leaving her here to await her fate was far more terrifying.

Jasper heard a car pull up out front, and dragging himself out of the chair, he went to the window to look.

A silver BMW had parked on the drive, and James was getting out. It was the same car Jasper had seen James leaning against only the day before. Once more, Jasper wondered who the car belonged to. He started to make his way outside when the car drove away in a cloud of smoke, and James came storming up the porch steps.

Banging through the front door, he turned and started punching the screen. His language was foul.

"Fucking bitch!" He screamed, punching over and over again, until the wire mesh gave in and was left hanging off the door frame.

Jasper was shoved hard in the chest as James shouldered past him, and headed towards the basement.

Jasper panicked. "Wait!" he called out, hoping to stall James. He was dangerous in this mood.

James spun on his heel. "What!"

"What's going on, man? Who was that in the car?"

"None of your fucking business!" James started towards the door again.

"If this has something to do with her, then it is my business!" Jasper spat.

James stopped, and turned much more slowly this time. "Oh really?"

"We are in this together," Jasper reminded him. "If there's a problem with her, it affects us all."

James studied him carefully. "You really want to know?"

Jasper nodded.

James smiled and walked back to Jasper. "It appears daddy dearest cares nothing about her, because he's refused to pay the ransom!" James opened up a kitchen drawer and took out a carving knife. He pressed his thumb to the blade and Jasper watched, waiting for the pressure to draw blood. "This means we have to dispose of her." He peered up at Jasper through the corner of his eye, and the coldness Jasper saw there positively chilled him.

This man had no soul.

"What do you mean by that?" Jasper asked, his voice shaking.

James laughed. "What do you think I mean?" He turned to make his way towards the basement door, but Jasper placed his hand on his arm and stopped him. James looked down at Jasper's hand, surprised by the actual contact.

Jasper heard the door bang behind him, indicating one or both of his brothers had arrived home.

"Let me ask," Jasper started, "who that man was in the car?"

James paused before he replied, "My business associate." He raised an eyebrow at Jasper, challenging him.

Jasper ignored him and continued. "And it was your 'business associate' who told you Charlie Swan had refused to pay?"

James narrowed his eyes, and shook Jasper's hand off. "You're starting to get on my nerves!"

"What's going on?" Edward asked from behind Jasper.

"He's pissing me off," James spat, and turned to walk off.

"I heard him ask you a question!" Edward said.

James stopped and turned back again. "Are you challenging me too, brother?"

Edward squared his shoulders. "You're not my brother, James, but he is. Now answer the question!"

James let out a strangled laugh, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Nobody spoke, only waited.

James looked from one brother, to the other, and even though Jasper had not turned to look behind him, he knew Emmett was there, too.

"I'll tell you this much, she has no worth to me now." Throwing the knife down, he stormed out.

Jasper watched him go, and it was minutes before he felt like he could breathe again.

"What's going on?" Edward asked Jasper.

"Don't ask me," Jasper replied, lifting his shaking hands to his face and rubbing his cheeks. He felt numb.

"I'm not talking about James," Edward spoke softly.

Jasper looked up at him, through his fingers. "What are you talking about, then?"

Edward raised his brow as if to illustrate Jasper knew exactly what he meant.

"Jasper, have you ever heard of 'Stockholm's Syndrome'?"

Jasper shook his head, and lowered his hands.

"It refers to a kidnapper and their hostage developing a – a bond." He watched Jasper's face for a reaction.

"Why do they call it 'Stockholm'?"

"Of all the questions to ask me, you think of that one?" Edward smiled. Then he gently placed his hand on Jasper's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "It's something to do with the first case of hostage and kidnapper bonding."

"Probably happened in Stockholm," Emmett piped up.

"What has this got to do with me?" Jasper asked.

"You seem to be quite protective of her," Edward said.

"She's helpless," Jasper became defensive.

"Of course she's helpless, we made her that way. And we did it for a reason."

"I don't like it."

"We did it for money, Jasper, money which we need."

"Don't you feel guilty?" Jasper asked him. He desperately wanted Edward to say yes. He wanted to know his brother had remorse for this.

"Of course I do, but I block it out."

"How?"

"When I look at her, I see a way out, I don't see a girl."

"Well, I can't do that."

Edward grabbed Jasper by the shoulders. "I think of Alice, our baby sister, and how she will end up selling her body for pittance if we don't get her out of this shithole. Selling herself to likes of him. Edward nodded his head in the direction James had walked in. "The next time you look at Isabella Swan, you think of Alice lying under some sweaty, stinking fat ass jerk, getting his end away, and then you will see her," Edward pointed at the basement door, reluctant to keep saying her name, because calling her by name made her a person, "for what she really is." Edward rubbed his fingers together in the age old mime for 'cash'.

"You will end this 'friendship' you have going with her, or it will end you!" Edward poked at Jasper's chest.

"Why? What harm can it really do?" Jasper sounded desperate, and he was. He wanted to help her, but he felt like everything was slipping through his fingers.

"You keep pressing him for answers, all because of this immature need to save her, and it won't end well. Trust me!"

Edward walked away, leaving Emmett and Jasper alone in the kitchen.

After a few minutes of silence, Emmett spoke. "I'll take her some water."

Jasper nodded and watched him go down into the basement.

"This was never going to end well," he whispered.