Mason:Inked Reapers MC(75)

This seemed to appease Carl who shrugged and shoved his hands in to his  trouser pockets. "Okay, well rest up in here for a while. Best to let  the crowds disperse before they get another chance to see you hobbling  about like an invalid."



Jasper clenched his jaw. Everything was about maintaining an image; what about his well-being?



"I'll go and arrange some discreet travel to get you back to your place," Carl nodded at Jasper before leaving.





Chapter 59



The burly security guard who barred the way towards the back stage area  thankfully recognized Kait. He gave her his best attempt at a smile  before letting her past.



"Thanks," Kait told him breathlessly. She couldn't remember the last  time she'd moved so fast. Her heart beat drummed madly in her ears. She  had to get to Jasper. She hurried down the familiar corridor and found  his dressing room. She took a few seconds to catch her breath before  promptly knocking on the door. When there was no reply, she took the  plunge and just opened it.



It was relatively dark inside with only one small lamp towards the back  of the room providing any light. Quietly, Kait went in and closed the  door behind her.



"I thought I told you to leave," Jasper snarled from where he was sat on the sofa, his head leaned back and his eyes closed.



"Jasper … it's me. Kait."



When he heard her voice, his head snapped up and his eyes opened.



"Oh my God, are you okay?" She ran to his side and looked down in horror  at his supported leg. The blood which had been flowing down his face  was now cleaned away, but she could see the swelling beneath his eyes  and around his nose which would darken and bruise. He was in bad shape.



"I saw what happened," Kait spluttered nervously. "I came to support you  and when that …  that guy hit you," she reached for Jasper's hand and  squeezed it. To her surprise, he quickly snatched it away, scowling  angrily at her.



"I didn't ask you to come tonight."



Kait's mouth flapped open, her words suddenly stolen from her. Why was  he angry at her? She'd done a nice thing in coming to support him; how  could he possibly be mad?



"Jasper … " she began tentatively. In her mind, she was still reeling from  the horror of seeing so much blood gushing out of him. "I just wanted  to be here for you." She reached for his hand again, but he moved it  beyond her grip.



"Did you enjoy seeing me be humiliated?" He asked spitefully.



"What?" Kait was now sitting beside him on the sofa, but he wouldn't  look directly at her. His gaze was distant as he swept across the other  half of the dressing room.



"Of course I didn't enjoy seeing you get hurt. Jasper, it killed me to see you go through that."



"Then how do you think I feel?" Jasper barked. Now he was looking at  her. His eyes burning with rage. "This is my career, Kait, my whole  life. I looked weak out there which means I risk losing it all, and  without my fighting, I have nothing."



Kait flinched at his words. He blatantly didn't have nothing; he had  her. She was there by his side where she felt he belonged. But perhaps,  he didn't think that she was enough.



"Jasper, you'll always have me," she offered kindly.



He grunted in disapproval.



"Is there anything I can do?" She asked, looking down at his damaged leg. "Could I make you a cup of tea or something?"                       
       
           



       



"Yeah, because that will fix everything," Jasper snapped sarcastically.



"I'm just trying to help."



"If you want to help, then why don't you go back in time and stop me  getting my ass kicked in front of a packed out arena. Can you do that?"



Kait was staring down at her hands. She hadn't expected Jasper to be  like this. She thought he'd have melted against her as she embraced him,  grateful that she was there. He was weak, and he should be leaning on  her, but instead he was acting like a cornered feral animal and just  blinding lashing out.



"I'm sorry the fight didn't go the way you had hoped it would." She told him sincerely.



"You think?" Jasper gave a cruel laugh. "Winning only counts if it looks  like it came easily. Now everyone will be gunning for me and my title.  I'm a laughing stock."



Kait knitted her hands in to a tight basket. She bit her lip and tried  to remain calm. Jasper was just upset over what had happened. He was  lashing out at her because he could, because he cared about her, but she  was starting to grow tired of his nasty attitude.



"Can you just go," Jasper gestured towards the door. The remark pushed Kait over the edge.



"I came here for you!" she seethed at him. "I came here because I care  about you! Because I want to support you and your career! And all you  can do is be mean to me when I've done nothing wrong!"



Kait was climbing to her feet, shoving her handbag on to her shoulder and preparing to leave.



"Are we actually even together, Jasper?" She demanded tersely. "You say  that we are, but you sure as hell don't act like it. I barely see you,  and when I do, it's just about sex!"



"You want to talk about this now!" Jasper shouted at her. "Can't you see I've got bigger things going on?"



"Well, that's it, isn't it?" Kait cried, raising her hands up in the air  in defeat. "Everything will always be bigger and more important than  me. And do you know what, I'm tired of it!"



Kait blinked back tears, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.



"Somewhere inside you there is a decent guy, a guy who would endanger  himself to save a stranger. I've every interest in dating that guy but  not this … this self-involved shell you too often become."



Kait could feel that her tears were close. She wouldn't be able to hold them back much longer.



"When you're ready to be a decent guy, the kind of guy I actually deserve, give me a call. Until then, you can go to hell!"



Kait stormed out of the room almost colliding with the smartly dressed  man on the other side of it. He gave her a bemused look as she  apologized and hurried off down the corridor.





Chapter 60



"Well, that explains a lot," Carl said smugly as he entered the dressing  room and turned on the main lights. Jasper scowled at him and stiffened  on the sofa. "I told you no distractions."



"She's not a distraction," Jasper insisted, loathing that he had to defend himself.



"She sure as hell looks like one," Carl noted. "What was she even doing here?"



"Saying goodbye," Jasper explained bitterly.



"Right, well, good then." Carl frowned as he looked down at Jasper's damaged leg.



"There's a car out back waiting to take you back to your place. Can you walk?"



Jasper remembered how he felt out in the ring. No, he couldn't walk. He'd totally blown his knee out.



"I doubt it."



"I don't really like the idea of you going out of here in a wheelchair.  What if someone gets a picture?" Carl was looking worried.



"I guess I can walk if I can lean on you," Jasper shrugged.



"That could work," Carl brightened and sauntered over to the sofa.



"We could just swing by the hospital like the paramedics suggested,"  Jasper said hopefully. He knew that once the medication wore off, he'd  be in agony again. His knee needed sorting out.



"Bad idea," Carl declared stubbornly. "Too many photographers will be hounding the place expecting you to show up."



With Carl's help, Jasper managed to stand up. His bad leg felt  unreliable beneath him as though it were now made of paper instead of  lean muscle. He propped himself against his agent and did his best to  sluggishly maneuver out of his dressing room.



After twenty breathless minutes, he was in the back of a waiting car,  relieved to be off his feet. Carl was negotiating details with the  driver beyond the closed doors. Jasper leaned forward and massaged the  area around his knee. The paramedics had seemed concerned by his injury;  he really should be at hospital having medical professionals take a  good look at it.                       
       
           



       



"Okay, all set?" Carl climbed into the car beside him.



"I want to go to the hospital."



"No, you don't," Carl decided briskly.



"Yes, I do," Jasper insisted urgently. "My knee is fucked up, Carl, we  can't pretend like it didn't happen. If I push too hard with it now, I  risk causing irreparable damage."



"Is that what the paramedics told you?"