The venom had worn off a few hours ago, but the webbing Jasper had wrapped Y/N in was stronger than any rope or tape. She had worn herself into exhaustion by struggling, and had fallen asleep despite her abject fear. When she had woken up, Jasper was back with her, watching her closely. Among the many thoughts racing through her mind, one that stuck out the most was why the spider-person hadn’t eaten her yet.
“Hello,” Jasper said gently, “feeling any better?”
Y/N gulped.
“Whatever you’re going to do to me, please just make it quick,” she whispered.
Jasper blinked, puzzled.
“Well, all right, if you think that would be better…”
Y/N nodded, steeling herself for whatever horrible thing Jasper was going to do to her. She screwed her eyes shut, repeating over and over again in her head that it would all be over soon.
She felt the monster open her mouth and push something chalky inside. Then something cold pushed against her lips, the liquid inside sloshing against her skin.
“Um, you need to drink it,” Jasper said.
Y/N drank it, bracing for the bitter taste of poison. She was surprised to find it was just water. Oh, right, the poison would probably be in the pill she just swallowed. How long until she was dead? Was this the fast-acting kind or the slow-acting kind?
“Are you okay? You’re crying…”
Y/N’s eyes snapped open and stared into Jasper’s deep red ones. His brows were knitted together in what looked like worry.
“Do you not like taking pills?” he asked, “I could try to find some liquid pain relievers if that would be less uncomfortable for you…”
What? Pain relievers?
“You… aren’t you going to eat me?” Y/N sniffled.
“What? No, I would never-… is that what you thought I was going to do this whole time?”
Y/N’s lower lip trembled. More tears streamed down her face, and this time she was aware of them.
“Oh my goodness, no.” Jasper said.
He moved his arms toward her then pulled them back, as though unsure what to do to comfort her. Y/N was glad he opted not to touch her.
“I’m so sorry if I gave you that impression, I would never hurt a- what I mean to say is- I’m not that kind of drider.”
“I… I don’t understand.” Y/N mumbled.
“Please don’t hurt yourself trying to think too much,” Jasper said, “I think you have a concussion which might be why you’re so… um… flighty. That and I don’t think you’ve ever seen a drider before.”
“Well,” Y/N said, “I thought you were something Dungeons and Dragons made up…”
“I don’t know what that is, but we’re definitely not made up. Besides, don’t all made-up things come from some form of truth?”
“Poetic.”
“Sorry… but all dragons and made-up things aside, you really ought to rest some more.”
“O-okay.”
Jasper went to turn away, but then he turned back.
“Oh yes… if you can promise you won’t aggravate your injuries again, I can remove the webs.”
Y/N almost sobbed in relief. Her muscles had gone stiff from being cocooned for so long.
“Yes please.”
Jasper came closer and used his sharp clawed finger to cut away the webbing, being careful to not graze Y/N’s skin. Y/N stretched, and tried to sit up further, but started to get tangled in the hammock again.
“Oh dear,” Jasper said, quickly righting her, “I think I better find you better sleeping arrangements.”
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Y/N agreed.
“Yes. I… did go scavenging for you earlier while you slept. Would this be better for you?”
Jasper brought over a mattress and a sleeping bag, carrying them as though they only weighed that of a textbook.
“Where on earth did you find all that?”
“This forest is what you humans call a national park. The people in charge used to rent out these… um, I’m not sure what you’d call them… wooden caves maybe? They used to rent them out to people, and they were full of human stuff. They’ve been abandoned for a while now but the in-charge people still left everything in the caves. This padded block thing felt soft enough so I thought maybe you’d like to sleep on it?”
Y/N giggled a little.
“What?”
“Nothing, just… I’ve never heard of someone refer to a mattress as a padded block thing.”
“What is a mattress?” Jasper asked indignantly, “that doesn’t describe the object at all. This is padded and blocky and it’s a thing. My name for it is clearly the better one.”
Y/N busted out laughing. Jasper smiled a little, shaking his head. He helped her arrange the mattress and the sleeping bag how she liked, and gave her space to tuck herself in. Y/N still hoped all this was just a bad dream, but if anything good was to come out of it, she was beginning to have a very different view on spiders.
Thanks to @whumperofworlds, I had the chance to start playing Final Fantasy I, which lets you choose the names and jobs of the four main characters. So I’ve decided to introduce my new children, whom I hope to write some fun and very whumpy stories about (you don’t need to know the game to enjoy the stories).
🗡️💰🪄⚡
JASPER 🗡️– Warrior / Leader
He/Him
Age: 25
He was raised by an elderly woman who found him abandoned on the street as a baby and adopted him.
More muscle than brain. His heart is his biggest muscle.
Very protective of his people.
Because he has the greatest endurance and vitality, he tends to be reckless and always strikes first.
He looks intimidating due to his size, but he’s a total sweetheart.
Hobbies: Crocheting.
Unemployed and uneducated, he survived by doing small jobs like construction, cleaning, transportation, herding, etc., until he became an adventurer.
His mentor, his Granny’s neighbor, was a highly skilled swordsman and warrior who decided to teach him because the kid insisted so much he wore him down (he cares a lot about him, though he doesn’t show it because he’s a grumpy old man).
He’s very good at singing.
Emotionally mature, he knows how to be vulnerable when needed.
He’s the one who keeps the party together, which is why, despite his many personal insecurities, he was chosen as the leader.
Motto: “The strong must protect others.”
PYRITE 💰– Thief
He/Him
Age: 27
He lived with his father in a village. His mother died from an illness when he was young.
His father wanted him to become a carpenter like him, but Pyrite dreamed of a life of adventure. At night, he would sneak out to taverns to listen to the stories of traveling adventurers, who taught him about the world, kingdoms, and monsters.
Unfortunately, one day while his father went looking for him during one of these escapes, a bandit attacked and fatally wounded him. By the time Pyrite arrived, it was too late.
He ended up living on the streets, so he began stealing to survive.
However, he wanted an honest life, what his father would have wanted, so he chose to become an adventurer to earn his living.
He’s the most agile and cunning of the team. Though uneducated, he handles social situations very well and is highly observant, so he learns quickly.
He likes theater and fashion.
Hobbies: Wood carving and sleight-of-hand tricks.
His laid-back and sometimes humorous attitude makes him seem arrogant, but he’s very paternal toward those he considers family.
The guilt over his father’s death led him to voluntarily reject the role of leader and give it to Jasper.
Motto: “We only have one life, so make the most of it.”
SELENITE 🪄– White Mage
She/Her
Age: 22
She lived in a small, peaceful sheep-herding village with her single mother and her uncle.
Trans Fem
She has a very good relationship with her family. Her mother chose her current name, and Selenite loved it.
With the help of the village’s white mage, she transformed her body to reflect her identity. However, in exchange, she had to accept a great sacrifice: she now has a condition where her internal organs are incomplete.
If she overexerts herself physically or magically, she may cough up blood, feel intense pain, and faint.
She chose to study white magic to help others live fulfilling lives.
Favorite item: A sheep plushie (also her familiar, name Capricorn).
Being the only woman in the group, she tends to mother the others.
Having never left her village before, she can be quite shy and fearful.
She and Jasper are both terrible liars.
Her eyes turn white when she uses a lot of white magic.
Motto: “What matters is having the will to make this a better world".
CINNABAR ⚡– Red Mage
He/Him
Age: 20
Eldest son of a duke.
As a child, he was given everything he wanted in exchange for being “the perfect son.”
An academic genius, highly knowledgeable in history, arts, science, and magic.
He nearly mastered both white and black magic, but couldn’t choose between them when his father forced him to decide.
The stress of his childhood turned him into a serious, distrustful, and irritable young man.
He ran away from home after a major argument with his father.
He survived for a time performing magic tricks from town to town until he met the rest of the party, who took him in.
He says he doesn’t care about the others, but he would die for them.
His eyes turn black when he uses too much black magic, and white when he uses too much white magic.
Motto: “You never know what lies hidden in people’s hearts.”
Beautiful art from North (this artist does not have social media accounts on English-language platforms) . I really like it, Owl here is so soft and kind.
New series! This will contain pet whump, but I decided to make a slightly more sadistic whumper than my other two stories because I like spontaneity. Please give feedback and send as many asks about them as you want!
CW: Suggestive, death threats, mob boss whumper, intimate/creepy whumper, future pet whump, mafia/mob/crime whump, mentioned murder
...
Diesel's life was pretty ordinary. He went about his day like any other person would in the city. The hustle and bustle of the city streets was a background noise that helped him tune out all the thoughts inside his head. He was a pretty ordinary, scrawny guy, so it was easy to go unnoticed by those around him. To most, they'd think he was just another stressed out white collar worker, like most in the city.
Well, the 'stressed out' part was true.
His father owed some awful guys a lot of debt, but never paid it off. When he died, that debt was passed to Diesel.
Yet they didn't want money from him, when he made it clear he couldn't pay it off. They decided to use him as an asset, which was the only reason he had been working this stupid job for the past three years.
"Jasper Lynn is the guy we want dirt on," he was told. "Boss of The Iron Syndicate, slippery fucker he is."
Of course Diesel had heard of him before. Everyone knew about Jasper.
It was common knowledge he killed his own father after taking over The Iron Syndicate ten years ago. Not even twenty at the time and he was one of the most dangerous people in the world.
There were all sorts of rumors surrounding him; some said he used to be a professional cage fighter before taking over for his father, some said his father wasn't even his actual dad.
Never did Diesel care, because Jasper "The Iron Lion" Lynn was only ever interested in making an example of snitches who wound up dead on the doorsteps of the authorities, and if he kept his head down he wouldn't have to worry.
"I can't do that," Diesel stammered, "I'll be killed, I'm not equipped for this kind of stuff!" He had spied for them before--even killed for them before--but this was something completely out of his normal territory.
"Does that mean I should just end your life now, Blevins?" he had been asked in return. "Because if you don't do this for me, you have no reason being alive, got it?"
So he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Diesel forced himself to nod and agree.
"Good man."
Which led to now. The Iron Syndicate were having one of their monthly celebrations at a casino downtown, the very same casino that acted as the headquarters for their less than legal exploits. Diesel forced himself to put on a tough guy persona, dressed in one of the plain black suits that matched the rest of the other members of The Iron Syndicate.
"Name?" the bouncer asked, not looking up from her phone.
"Glen Lloyd," Diesel lied. He had managed to knock out one of The Iron Syndicate members and retrieve their ID card. Of course he didn't want to kill anyone unless absolutely necessary.
She looked up, gave him an unimpressed once-over, and shrugged before waving him through. As he stepped through, loud bass-heavy music nearly knocked Diesel off balance.
For how illegal the casino was, it sure was bustling with activity.
There was an upper balcony overlooking a large stage, where some dancers were currently doing a performance.
Around the first floor were various gambling tables, crowded full of players betting away their hard-earned cash. At the very center of the casino was a bar lit by neon red light fixtures.
If Diesel had more time, he would probably explore every aspect of the building, but he could get caught if he wandered around too much.
His contact hadn't told him what exactly he needed dirt on, so the best Diesel could do was take pictures of Jasper and his closest members and hope they found it useful for something.
He grabbed a small cocktail glass from one of the waiters walking around and tried to blend into the crowd, downing it to settle his nerves.
Eventually, after wandering for about ten minutes, Diesel spotted Jasper talking to another woman with black hair. She wore red lipstick, her hair in a ponytail, and black round sunglasses on top of her head.
They were both tall, but Jasper especially. He looked to be at least six feet, probably even taller. It made him somehow even more nervous.
But still, Diesel fiddled with his smartphone, making sure flash wasn't on. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking, and snapped a single photo before pocketing his phone.
He was starting to wonder if this was just a suicide-mission he was set on.
Would he be killed if he came back empty-handed? Surely not, right? They kept him alive this long, even though he had made several mistakes over the past three years that almost landed him dead in an alleyway.
Then again, The Iron Syndicate was notorious for killing people without remorse. Either way he'd probably end up dead in a ditch.
"Well, aren't you cute."
Diesel almost jumped when he noticed Jasper and the woman both approaching him. He felt blood rush to his cheeks when he realized what Jasper had said. His voice was so deep, it sent a shiver down his spine.
"Oh, he's shy," the woman grinned, "it's okay, we come in peace. Are you new here?"
"I am, actually," he nodded sheepishly. It seemed like they suspected nothing, thankfully. "Is it that obvious?" he forced a chuckle.
Jasper was gazing at him so intently, Diesel felt like melting under his stare alone, and not in the good way. He wondered why someone so powerful would have a moment wasted on him. Maybe they were suspicious?
"It isn't," Jasper assured, "Katherine is just a lot better at memorizing faces than I am." His grin was smug, his gaze lidded. For whatever reason, Diesel could sense that Jasper didn't fully trust him. But still, the conversation seemed to be going somewhere. "Though I'd recognize a face like yours."
Diesel didn't know if that was flirting or a threat. "Thank you, sir... I rarely go to parties, just figured I'd try to make some friends for once."
"Well, consider us friends already, darling!" Katherine said cheerily. "Katherine Fritz. I'm the underboss."
Oh fuck. Now Diesel really regretted getting himself roped into this entire situation.
Jasper chuckled quietly. "It's alright, no need to be anxious. Let me buy you a drink."
Without waiting for Diesel to answer, Jasper placed a gentle hand on his back, guiding him towards the bar. It was surprisingly warm--Diesel could feel the heat through his clothes.
The smaller man let him guide them over, his brain nearly short-circuiting from everything going on.
The bartender turned to face them both, pushing a strand of black hair out of his face. He smiled as soon as he recognized Jasper. "Your usual?" he asked.
"The usual for me, yeah." Jasper leaned against the counter, gaze now on Diesel. "We're celebrating our new member tonight. How about...a Moscow mule for you? You strike me as a Moscow mule type of guy."
"Sure," Diesel stammered. Why was the head boss of The Iron Syndicate bothering to offer him a drink, let alone talk to him? He felt everyone's eyes on him. This must have been a common occurrence; the dangerous Jasper Lynn treating one of the others to a drink.
The bartender immediately began mixing together their drinks, seemingly distracted by the music.
"So..." Diesel muttered, "are you two dating?"
Jasper and Katherine both laughed.
"That's the complete opposite," Katherine assured him. "We hate each other. In a friendly way."
Diesel didn't comment how that made no sense to him.
"We've known each other since we were teenagers. Sometimes it might seem that way to strangers," Jasper said. His gaze was focused on Diesel, so intense that Diesel averted his eyes. "Why? You interested?"
What was even the correct answer to that? Jasper looked like he was having a great time watching him get flustered.
That cool gaze, and knowing smile. Something inside him hoped that this was actually flirting and not a test.
At least if it was actual flirting, the chances of him getting out of this alive were higher, surely. Diesel stuttered so much he could barely understand himself.
Katherine cooed. "Look at that. You broke the poor thing."
"Apologies," Jasper grinned, "I was teasing, obviously."
Their drinks were finally ready, and Diesel picked it up carefully. The glass was colder than he anticipated. He took a cautious sip of it, letting the liquid roll down his tongue. It tasted bitter, but he forced himself to enjoy it. If he didn't, he was scared either of them would notice.
"You haven't given us your name yet, sweet thing," Jasper pointed out, picking up his own glass of scotch.
Was he being interrogated?
"Oh, yeah. My name's Diesel," he said, realizing he just gave his real name. How was he still even alive at this point? "Um, Diesel Thomas." At least he could give himself a fake last name.
Jasper held out his hand for Diesel to shake, which the shorter man did timidly. He just hoped his palms weren't clammy, though Jasper was wearing gloves, so he doubted he'd notice.
"What brought you to The Iron Syndicate, Diesel Thomas?" Jasper asked smoothly. "No offense, but you stick out here like a sore thumb." He took another sip of his drink. Diesel almost panicked, searching for some kind of excuse.
"Bad decisions," he said eventually. "You know the whole shebang, the stereotypical sob story. Owe money, get in trouble with gangs, et cetera." Not entirely untrue.
Jasper nodded, humming under his breath in thought. Diesel's brain was practically screaming at him to find an escape route and fast.
Yet something made him want to stay. He hadn't ever seen Jasper face-to-face before. His reputation always preceded him, always painted him as such a violent, intimidating presence, and Diesel never would have guessed otherwise. Yet he seemed oddly relaxed and even playful with his behavior.
Though maybe he shouldn't assume things so quickly. Diesel had only talked to the guy for barely ten minutes.
And the way Jasper looked at him was... peculiar. He could have sworn there was a certain hunger to his gaze, but he probably was projecting. If he weren't a mob boss, Diesel would think he's just trying to get in his pants.
Both him and Katherine, honestly.
"How about some poker after some drinks?" Jasper casually asked.
"Oh, uh... I don't know how to play poker." Diesel finished his Moscow mule, silently placing it back down.
The other man chuckled. "How about pool?"
Katherine huffed. "Sure you wanna play pool again, Jaspie? I can't count how many times you've lost already today."
"That's why I'm challenging Diesel, actually," Jasper retorted, but his tone was still playful. He turned back to the younger man. "Don't ever accept her when she challenges you to a game. She cheats at everything."
"I'm just good at manipulating numbers, that's all," Katherine argued innocently, playing with her fingernails. Her red lipstick matched her nails nicely, Diesel couldn't help but notice. She was certainly stunning and charismatic, if a bit intimidating. Then again, Jasper was too, just in a different way. "If I just happen to have strong skills, should that be my fault?"
"Yeah, but you still cheat," Jasper chuckled. His gold eyes then met with Diesel's blue ones. "What do you say, honey?"
Playing pool wouldn't hurt, right? He didn't really know any of the rules of poker. So he simply shrugged. "Okay."
Immediately, Jasper took their cups back, giving them to the bartender behind the counter. Jasper gave him a wink. They moved to the pool table area of the casino.
"I assume you're not in the mood for old-fashioned gambling," Jasper chuckled, handing Diesel a cue. "So how about this? If you win, you get to make me do whatever you want. And if I win, I get to make you do whatever I want. How does that sound?" He twirled his pool cue between his fingers expertly.
The 'whatever you want' sounded promising in his head, but also terrifying. What the hell was that supposed to mean? It was so vague.
Katherine whistled. "Better take him up on that. He usually doesn't make those kinds of offers." She leaned forward, smiling at Diesel. "It'll probably just involve some sex and booze. Jasper isn't that creative. Simple-minded guy, easy to please."
Diesel choked on nothing.
Jasper glared at Katherine over his shoulder. "Thanks, Kat."
"Anytime."
"Uh..." Diesel's brain tried to compute everything happening right now. "That sounds good," he mumbled lamely. If he declined, would that raise suspicion? But if he accepted, would that also be bad? Well, even if that were the case, it was too late now. "Yeah, okay. Yeah."
Jasper flashed him that charming smile, and suddenly Diesel wanted to smack himself for agreeing.
He chalked his cue awkwardly as Jasper started racking the balls on the opposite side of the table. He then picked up a coin from a jar on the wall. "Heads or tails?" Jasper asked casually.
"Tails," Diesel muttered.
Jasper flipped the coin in the air before catching it in one palm. He peeked at it, that grin spreading even wider. "Well, looks like I'll be shooting first, pretty boy." He rolled up his sleeves to show off his tattooed arms.
Those pet names were gonna kill him, if Jasper didn't himself.
The taller man took his first shot. With a loud bang, all the balls bounced apart, the first ball falling into one of the pockets.
Jasper leaned down against the edge of the table again, taking another shot, but missed this time. When he glanced up at Diesel, it was with that same hungry expression from before.
The younger man fiddled with his cue before walking around to the opposite side of the table.
He hit a couple balls, though none landed into any of the holes. It was enough of an excuse for Jasper to get closer to Diesel's personal space than was necessary. Their arms brushed together every so often, Jasper's lips always close enough to Diesel's ear for him to hear the soft breathing emitting from the taller man.
At one point, Jasper pressed against him from behind, pinning him to the table.
"Let me show you how it works, darling," he whispered, guiding Diesel's hand with his own. Jasper then gently helped Diesel shoot properly, and this time the ball finally went into the hole. The mob boss pulled away after that, as if he hadn't done anything strange. "See what happens when you apply just the right amount of pressure?"
"You're quite handsy," Katherine teased, pulling Jasper away from Diesel. "Can you calm down with that? Poor Diesel's going to combust if you keep that up. Save it for the bedroom."
"He loves it," Jasper rolled his eyes.
They both continued playing until Jasper managed to get most of the striped balls into the pockets, winning the game. Diesel groaned internally.
"Huh, it's been awhile since I've actually won," Jasper commented, hanging up his pool cue back onto its rack on the wall. "Almost makes me want to play pool more often." He turned back around to face Diesel. "Guess that means I won our little wager. You remember the terms, don't you?"
"Yeah..." Diesel gulped audibly. This felt worse than having a gun pointed at him, somehow. He didn't like how Jasper was grinning like the cat who ate the canary, but he tried to ignore it anyway. "So...you wanna do what exactly..?"
Jasper pretended to contemplate it. "Hmm... what do you think, Kat?"
Katherine smirked. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'd like to see him to be honest about why he's really here." She folded her arms across her chest. "Isn't that right, Blevins?"
Diesel froze, color draining from his face instantly. There was no way. Absolutely no fucking way...
He glanced around, noticing that everyone seemed to stop talking among themselves and instead began approaching them all slowly. He noticed guns strapped to some of their hips.
Katherine and Jasper both were leaning against the table, not looking bothered at all. Jasper was sipping a drink, looking rather amused by something, while Katherine only stood beside him with the same smirk as before.
"How?" Diesel clutched his own chest. His heart felt like it was ready to explode out of his chest, going a million miles a minute.
Jasper chuckled. "Oh sweet, naive, silly Diesel Blevins," he purred. "You think I'm oblivious to anything that happens inside these walls? Really? It's my casino, my club. And everyone here is loyal to me. Your disguise wasn't clever."
"But...if you knew, why didn't you kill me right then and there?" Diesel frowned. That part truly confused him the most. If Jasper had figured out why he was here right when they first met, why play along with his bullshit?
"If I did, it'd ruin the fun," Jasper pouted mockingly. "Where's the fun in murdering someone right after meeting them? Where's the thrill?" He laughed again, much darker this time. "Plus, seeing the look on your face right now is worth it all. You're too easy to toy with, y'know? It's so rare I get people like you who are just too gullible, too curious. It's adorable."
Diesel blinked away tears. How pathetic was he, crying just because he fucked up again?
He wanted to curse at himself for ever accepting his offer, though if he had declined it, surely he still would have been found out anyway.
"What's gonna happen to me?" he choked out.
Jasper put his glass aside. He sauntered to the shorter man, cupping Diesel's chin gently. The poor thing didn't even protest the action.
"It depends," Jasper cooed, stroking his thumb along Diesel's cheekbone. "I could torture you for info. Kill you. Sell you." His tone suggested he didn't actually plan on doing any of those things. Diesel whimpered. "I'd prefer if you told me on your own who you work for. No need to make this complicated. After all, I like you quite a lot. You intrigue me. Plus, it'd be a shame to ruin such a beautiful face, no?"
"I...I can't tell you that!" Diesel stuttered. If he snitched, they would definitely end his life. Who cares if he was useless to them now, they wanted revenge. "I know how it works, they'd kill me for sure..."
With a laugh, Katherine replied, "Well, its either they do or we do."
Jasper laughed along with her. "Don't feel like you need to be loyal to whoever sent you here. I mean, they definitely sent you here on a death mission, anyway. You're clearly inexperienced with this type of stuff, they must've realized that if they knew anything about you, sweetheart. It's obvious you aren't used to being here, being with people like me. I could read you like an open book, honestly."
"...Velvet Fangs," Diesel finally muttered. "...I-I owed them debt because of my father. I dunno anything else... I-I can't tell you more. Please don't hurt me..."
"It's been awhile since we dealt with VF, huh?" Katherine frowned. "The last time was probably six years ago."
"Six years ago..." Jasper repeated. He looked up in thought, trying to remember back. Suddenly realization dawned on him, and his eyes lit up. "Ah, you're right! Hm. They used to be competent, what happened to them? Sending a civilian like you to retrieve information for them... Now that's sad, even for them. Their good recruits must've quit."
He seemed to be lost in thought. Diesel swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "Can I go now...? I swear I won't tell anyone—"
"Nah-ah-ah, Diesel," Jasper interrupted. "We're not done yet. In fact, we've only just begun. Like I said earlier, I like you a lot." His grip on Diesel's jaw tightened briefly before letting go entirely.
He reached into his blazer pocket, revealing his pistol. The silver accents on the handgun gleamed under the casino's red light fixtures, making it appear like it was almost glowing in the darkness of the room. Jasper traced the barrel of the gun under Diesel's chin, forcing the smaller man to meet his gaze. Fear was clear in those blue orbs of his.
Jasper clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Give me your phone," he demanded.
Diesel only nodded in response, reaching into his pant's pocket and shakily pulling out his smartphone. Jasper grabbed it, tossing it to one of the guys behind him without looking.
"Transfer the files and then destroy it," Jasper ordered. The man gave him a brief salute and nod before pocketing Diesel's phone and walking away. "Hey," Jasper murmured softly, lifting up Diesel's chin with a single finger. "You still with me?" Diesel didn't need to respond, the fear in his eyes said everything. "I have an idea. Heads or tails?"
Jasper sure liked gambling. "H-heads...?"
He smiled and then flipped a quarter high into the air above him, grabbing it as it fell back down. When he checked, his grin widened.
"Lucky you. You're coming home with me." He yanked Diesel up by the arm. "But try anything, and I won't hesitate to fill you with lead, got it?" Diesel couldn't nod fast enough. "Good, I'm glad we're on the same page." He led him to a sleek black limousine that drove up to the entrance. Pushing him into the car, Jasper then followed, closing the door shut.
Diesel squeezed his eyes shut the entire time and chose to pretend none of this was real.
