This was originally submitted for Fandom for Texas this past fall as a Jasper-centric 3-shot.

AlexisDanaan was my awesome beta for this story.

RPFanGirl originally thought of this idea and I just sort of put my spin on it. Thanks hun for pre-reading.

DarkNNerdy helped to preread this story as well.

I don't own the characters, that belongs to SM. I did however create the story.

WARNING - Rated M for language and violence.

Introduction:

My name is Jasper Whitlock. You don't see me because I'm a predator; the ultimate hunter, a vampire. I'm no ordinary vampire though. To take me as such would be a mistake, but you wouldn't be alone in that. You see, I have a talent, a gift some would say, that allows me to feel and manipulate emotions and I am pretty damn good at it.

I was born into this life nearly a century and a half ago; created to become a killing machine and I didn't disappoint. Destruction was my middle name back then and I was good at it, but with the good comes the bad and it hit me hard. The fucked up emotions from all that death took its toll on me and eventually, it broke me.

My brother saved me from the endless war and battles. With his intervention, I ended up seeking a life of peace. For a while, I thought I had found all that I needed but that lifestyle turned out to be a place holder, it wasn't enough and I required more. I walked away and found a new place in life.

My name is Jasper Whitlock and I am a vampire assassin for hire. This is my story.

Chapter 1

"Peter, come up to the bar a quick sec," I said in a tone too low and too fast for the bar patrons to hear.

I slid a couple bottles of beer down the sleek bar table to the women who were sitting over to my far left and gave them a wink as I heard them yell out their thanks.

Peter muscled his way over just as I finished making a couple Irish Car Bombs for table 6.

"Yeah, what's up?" Peter asked quietly.

I leaned over and replied, "The girl in the pink top with the tequila shots? She just told me her story about some fucked up relationship. It might be an opportunity given her emotions but I'm not sure yet. The two times you've walked by, she's eyed you." To the humans around us, it just looked like my brother and I were taking a break to chat and enjoy the band got on stage.

"The blonde? She does look a little upset, I guess I ought lay on the Whitlock charm on her," he said and puffed his chest out.

I punched his shoulder and laughed. "Her lust level just spiked when you came up here. But don't forget, you have the assignment tonight outside Denver. Plane's ready when you are."

"I've been looking forward to it for days. You sure you don't want in on this one?"

"Nah, I've got a good one over by Lake Travis. A nurse abusing her patients and to make things worse, she robs them too. The family that hired me have proof but she's related to some high-priced lawyer or something so she's practically untouchable, hell, they can't even take her damn nursing license away. They've dismissed her but she's found a way to continue to siphon money from all their accounts. It is a cool fifty grand to make her disappear," I replied and and went back to pouring some drinks.

"Fuck yeah, this is a good month. With the human trafficking ring out in Denver tonight, we'll have made a hundred grand this week alone and that doesn't count the rest of the month that's been booked. Even if I give G a cut for his work tonight, that is still a nice chunk of change."

"Yep, at this rate, this might be our best month yet." I looked up at the bar patrons and made my way back to serving drinks. "Go talk to her, man."

I watched as he went over to the girl and they started to chat for a bit as he took his 'break' from being the bouncer.

I snapped back to attention as more patrons and waitresses placed drink orders just as the lights dimmed further and the band started to really rock out. It was a typical Saturday night here at Zombie, the club that I co-own with my brother, Peter. It served as a nice front for our other business, something we decided to come up with a few years ago, after I left the Cullens.

I started having second thoughts about staying with them after Edward, the king of angst, broke up with his human girlfriend because of an unfortunate incident two weeks after prom when she cut her finger on the cardboard of a frozen meal she was opening up. He lost control since she was his singer and had cornered her in the dining room. When I tried to pull him away from her, we ended up wrestling, colliding into the glass sliding doors. The impact rained shards all over the damn place and she was caught in it. The guilt and shame from that incident nearly had me on my knees that evening after she was stitched up and taken home. I was blamed for provoking him because I was weak. Since I had slipped a few times during my time with them, nobody truly believed me when I said I was trying to save her.

He dumped her the next day and we left that night for Alaska because it was fairly remote and considered safe for us. I knew they mostly meant that comment for me, but I went along with it because it meant I didn't have to play a human role and go back to school. I was only there for a few more months before I left them.

I thought back to the months we were there gave me time to think and it wasn't until I was relaxing out on the balcony admiring the aurora borealis one late autumn night, when Alice pranced into my line of sight and interrupted my quiet reverie. I tried not to roll my eyes when she started to talk about her recent shopping excursion, having just come back from Europe. It was then that I realized I was bored and had gotten too complacent. I needed more out of life and by more I didn't mean just playing high-school or maybe the occasional college semester or two. No, I was restless and I needed a change.

I had simply looked at her with indifference before I walked back inside to pack a small bag of clothes. I was done with her, the family and this type of lifestyle. I simply walked out without saying a word or looking at her, much to her astonishment - I don't think she saw that in her vision. I ran towards Fairbanks and when I got there, I had my private plane ready and took off towards Texas. On my way, I quickly phoned my attorney to have my accounts consolidated and instructed him to send new identification for Jasper Whitlock over to a post office box located in Buda, Texas. Just as I got to the Colorado Rockies, I shrugged on my parachute and jumped out. That plane carrying Jasper Hale crashed on the side of Longs Peak and exploded in a giant fireball. It took me a couple days and a plethora of various animals before I reached Dripping Springs,Texas where Peter had a ranch house when he wasn't training guards for the Volturi, his vacation home, if you will.

Together we set out for Italy and through his help, I reverted back to my natural diet but adopted his variation and only hunted criminals. For the next couple of years, we trained the Volturi guards using all the knowledge we had gained from fighting in the Southern Vampire Wars. It was there, over a night of playing poker with some of the guards that the idea for our new line of work came about.

We were in the middle of one of our epic rounds, with chips piled high and some car keys thrown into the pot that someone turned on the TV and the movie 'Wanted' came on. Demetri joked how we'd make the perfect assassins for hire and how it would be a win-win for all parties involved. The idea stuck and after talking to our leaders and making sure it was something that wouldn't violate our laws, Peter and I flew back to Texas and opened up Zombie in nearby Austin.

The bar allowed us to seek out our potential clients. I usually played the role of the bartender though most people by now knew that Peter and I were owners of the club, since it was one of the hottest places to be seen at in downtown. We had bands clamoring to play in our club and there always seemed to be a line out the door. Yes, Zombie was a great place to hang out for both humans and vampires alike. The dimly lit bar helped hide our crimson eyes and was conveniently located near some areas that were frequented by vagrants. It was known in the vampire world that we were honorary members of the Volturi and because of that, when our kind came to visit, they were given specific rules to adhere to while in our territory.

By now, any notion that I was a weak link or an uncontrollable vampire that I got from the Cullens were long gone and my self-doubt eradicated. I interacted constantly with humans in an environment that was always heavily laden with different emotions. A lessor vampire would have buckled under the weight of the lust alone. Control was no longer an issue with me since being back on the human diet actually helped me with it. Most of our staff were humans save for Peter and me. An associate of ours, Garrett, was known to stop by on occasion if we needed an extra hand at the club or on an assignment.

By being the trust worthy bartender, and it didn't hurt that I was sometimes heavy handed with my pours, I was able to glean information from those who needed a little help in ridding themselves of someone. That in turn, provided us with a meal. The kicker was we got paid for draining those fuckers with a small percentage going to the Volturi. We got paid to feed, what more could a vampire want?

I was glad that I was able to multi-task as I reflected back on my past. I looked around the bar and noticed that everybody had drinks, the band was hot, and every one seemed to be enjoying themselves for the most part.

I looked over at the tequila girl and by now she was a little more drunk. I sent her a glass of water and she motioned me over to her.

"So, your brother, is he involved?" she slurred out, her eyes slightly glazed over from the Patron.

"No ma'am, his wife left him a few years ago and he's just now gettin' over it," I drawled out, letting the accent and my low dose of trust envelop her. Hopefully it would get her to open up to us.

It wasn't entirely true, Charlotte didn't really leave. She was unfortunately destroyed by my creator, Maria. It left my brother sad and angry for a while but then he realized that because he didn't feel like following after Char and destroying himself, that perhaps their bond wasn't as strong as he had always thought it was. It was because of that cunt that Peter ended up going to Volterra and offering his services to the kings. By training the Volturi guards, they in turn offered him protection and helped him seek her out. They didn't find her until the year I showed up with him and together we tore her apart, piece by piece and watched as we burned her fucking body to ashes.

"Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, as I told you, I was just in a bad relationship too," she said with a sad smile.

I took a towel and started to wipe down the bar. "Peter, she's askin' about you man," I said, once again in vampire speed.

"On my way, bro," he replied and grinned.

A few minutes later, he came sauntering over and got behind the bar with me. Usually at this time of night we were both seen at the bar so it wasn't a surprise as he leaned over and started to chat up with the girl.

The band played a couple more encores before Peter walked the girl, Katie, over to an empty table and promised her that they could talk more after the mass exodus from the crowd. As soon as the stage lights went back on, the crowd started to leave, many still singing songs from the band.

Peter was now chatting with Katie as I set some glasses and bottles of whiskey up for the band who were taking taking a break from dissembling their equipment. It was a good night for business, on all fronts. I had been sending Katie trusting vibes as she spoke to Peter and confided her woes. The man she had been dating cheated on her and she was pissed off beyond anything. She kept talking about kicking his ass but it just didn't seem to be enough for us to actually step in. Peter sent me a hand signal indicating that he needed a cab ordered and when it arrived, he walked her out of the club telling her he had to leave town tonight for business. He teased Katie saying that if she ever wanted him to kick that man's ass for her, to come by and he would. That comment usually ended in one of two ways, they came back and were serious, or they'd come back lookin' for some fun on the side and being bachelors, who were we to deny them?

A half hour later, I received a text from Peter, 'Heading to Denver, already let G know. Might have a small local job next weekend, poss. 5K.'

I smirked when I saw the message. Normally we started our rates at ten grand but sometimes, we'd charge on a sliding scale. I sent him back a message, '5K? Is it Katie?'

'Nope, flight attendant we hired for the flight. I'll get deets and let you know.'

I chuckled to myself as I wiped down the bar and was putting some of the glasses into the sanitizer when I heard the sound of cowboy boots on the concrete floor and a familiar scent wafted into the air. I looked up as I saw the chocolate brown hair and her nails drumming onto the bar table. The movement drew my attention to her fingers and, more importantly, to what appeared to be a tan line where a ring once adorned her left hand.

She was looking around the bar and hadn't seen me just yet.

"What'll it be?" I drawled out.

"Basil Hayden, neat please," she said, her familiar soft voice bringing back some distant memories.

I turned to reach for the bottle, facing away from her and felt a spark of lust coming off of her. I chuckled, it was a normal occurrence, but coming from her it made me a little curious. I reached out with my gift and couldn't help but notice that there was a hint of sadness buried in her and some deep seated anger as well.

I set the glass down and made a show of pouring the bourbon into the glass.

"Here you go, darlin'," I said and added "on the house."

I looked at her as she looked at the glass and then slowly looked up at me, "Thank you... shit! Jasper?" Her eyes widened with shock as her eyes finally reached mine.

"At your service ma'am," I replied and grinned.

She grabbed her bourbon and swirled it around her glass before taking a drink. She looked at me and then looked at the bar and leaned towards me, the scent of bourbon filled my senses. This wasn't her first drink of the night, Bella was already a little tipsy.

"Jasper," she whispered, "you own this bar? But you're a human drinker."

Thankfully, she was in the right frame of mind not to say that too loud so I was the one who actually heard her.

"I am and I do," I said and leaned closer to her. "I'm not the same Jasper you knew back then. I am more in control of me and my life."

She looked at me with curiosity and suspicion. "They aren't here, are they?"

"Who? The Cullens?" I asked and she nodded.

As she drank her bourbon, I could almost feel her eyes boring into me along with slight hints of lust but what intrigued me the most was that despite her shock at seeing me, she wasn't afraid. I put the shock down to the fact that she probably she wasn't used to seeing me like this. I was wearing a pair of Levis and a tight t-shirt with the bar's logo on it. It was what I normally wore these days now that I didn't have to look like a goddamn preppy kid.

"So you run this bar with your brother who happens to be Peter?" she asked all of a sudden breaking the silence between us as I got some more drink orders filled.

"Yep, how did you know?"

"I saw it in an article at the hotel I'm staying at. I thought you were Hale," she said and whispered the last part. "The article had you two in cowboy hats so I couldn't quite see your faces."

I leaned over the bar, my lips close to her ear. "Whitlock's my human name, I took it back when I left them and I keep my face hidden because well..." I shrugged and gave her a wink.

She looked up at me and nodded. "Yeah, I guess the dim lights help."

"They do, I'm surprised you saw them right away," I said quietly.

I watched as she touched the scar on her wrist. "Well, I sort of had some knowledge, you know."

"Yeah, I suppose you do," I said with a small laugh. "Hey, I am about to do last call, do you have plans? Can you stay for a bit?" I sincerely hoped she'd say yes. As much as I wanted to leave the majority of my past behind me, she had always fascinated me. That had not, apparently, diminished with time because I couldn't stop wondering why there was an emptiness in her eyes. It might have been five years since I had last seen her but her eyes looked like they might have aged twenty.

"For a bit, my hotel is down the street. I just don't want to be out too late," she said and I felt a bit of her trepidation.

"Thank you, hang on a sec," I said and walked to the register and pressed a button. All of a sudden, a series of red lights flashed and I announced to the folks that it was last call. It was Peter's idea to make the PA system feel like a zombie movie set so he thought flashing lights to announce last call was a fun idea and it caught on.

"When you said you left, did you mean everybody?" she asked as I returned my attention to her.

I nodded watching her intently. "Jasper Hale died in a plane crash," I said softly, loud enough so only she could hear. "She is a fairly rich widow these days, I'd imagine," I said and chuckled darkly.

"I wish I could do something like that," she muttered to her glass. I don't think she meant for me to hear that.

"How long are you in town for?" I asked knowing that I didn't have too long to chat with her. No doubt she'd need some sleep eventually and I still had to feed.

"I had a job interview yesterday and I'm sticking around through the weekend to maybe receive an offer and then look for a place to live," she said. "I'm trying to move out here. New start and all." She shrugged as she mentioned the last part while staring at her glass.

"Well good luck, Austin is a great town, good for new beginnings," I said and looked at her once more. "Bella, you can talk to me if you'd like. I hear all sorts of things in this line of work." I quickly thought back to some of the things I heard as a bartender and there were nights when I wished I was the bouncer or something.

I looked at my staff and called cabs for a few of the patrons that seemed too inebriated to drive and before long, it was just the two of us in the bar as I thanked the wait staff for a great evening.

She gave me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she reached for my hands and gave them a squeeze. "Thank you, I might just do that but maybe not here."

I stared dumbly at our hands for a brief second and then looked back at her wondering why she was so comfortable around me. I knew what everybody had said about me, that I lacked control, but she wasn't afraid. "Um Bella? I'm sort of at a loss. We barely know each other other than when I had to take you to Phoenix and then after that, I am sure you think I played a role in your subsequent break up."

"Did he not give you the note?" she whispered and I shook my head, looking at her with confusion. "I didn't blame you. I never did."

I was a little bit shocked that someone who was loosely associated with the Cullens wouldn't put blame on me, but then I remembered she was always a person who truly cared about others so it really came as no surprise. "No, all I got was grief for that and it was one of the factors that lead to my leavin' them." I sent her some of my appreciation for believing in me.

"That stupid sparkling cunt," she said with a growl. "Oops, sorry."

I was momentarily shocked by her words but after a second I burst into laughter. "Yeah, that motherfucker never gave me any note, Bella."

"I asked him to deliver it to you but, clearly," she sighed, "he didn't." She looked at me and squeezed my hand once again. "Look, I am sorry if you were led to believe that I blamed you, because I never did. I was clumsy back then and I know you were trying to pull him away from me. I guess the emotions got too much for you to handle.

"Well, thank you, and I must say, you're a sight for sore eyes, Ms. Swan," I said and waited to see if I'd get a reaction from her.

She blushed at my words and it added a couple more shades of red to her already alcohol flushed face. She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's Bella Andrews now, at least for the time being," she muttered. "Are you busy tomorrow? Maybe we can meet up and talk? If you live here and if I'm going to, maybe we could..." she said and then shook her head. "I just... maybe we could talk?"

I could feel her desperation and anxiety. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she wanted someone to talk to and I had many years experience in interpreting the emotions of those around me. Despite the fact that my diet choice had momentarily thrown her, I could tell that she wanted or even needed a friend.

"Sure. Here," I leaned over and spoke softly in her ear as the noise from the bar rose as a huge group passed by us. I took a card out. "My number. Call me, I have a condo over in the Austonian."

"Alright, I don't know what that means but sure," she slurred and giggled.

"Ms. Bella, as your bartender, I feel that I need to cut you off of the booze tonight," I teased and winked at her. "Do you need a cab or did you drive?"

"I walked and I think I can get back to the Omni from here." She got up from the bar stool and swayed a little.

"Whoa there," I said as I leaped over the bar and held her steady, thankful that the bar was empty. "The Omni? I can drop you off if you'd like."

"Sure? I don't want to be a burden," she said and grimaced. Disgust washed over her when she mentioned that word and then it quickly dissipated.

"Let me tidy things up here and we can be on our way," I replied as I led her to a nearby table. "Sit here and I'll be back."

Ten minutes later, the bar was cleaned, the money was put away and everything was locked up. I helped her to her feet and led her towards the back. I set the alarm and together, we walked over to my truck where I had to lift her into it as she started to sway even more when the night air hit her.

By the time I got her to the hotel, she was singing loudly to the radio. I ended up walking her to her room as her staggering gait to the elevator was less than reassuring. This was Bella, after all. I was able to get her to her room and watched with amusement as she tried to get the keycard to work. After the third time, she was able to get in and just before I left, I handed her a couple small packets.

"Ibuprofen, there is a stash at the club. Take some before you sleep and when you wake up. Drink lots of water too. It is friendly advice from your neighborhood bartender," I explained.

"Thanks Jasper, I'll call you in the morning," she said and yawned.

"Sounds like a plan, Ms. Bella," I said and walked away.

Once I got back into the truck, I headed out towards my meal. If my timing was correct, by the time I got there, she would be leaving her neighborhood convenience store with her tepid coffee and a donut on her way home after a late night shift. I watched in the shadows as she paid for her stuff then hopped into her car. I quickly followed her a couple blocks before I blurred over to her house, hiding behind a tree that was near her garage door and slipped in just as she shut the door. She grabbed a couple large duffel bags from the back and dragged them into the house before I sent her a huge dose of lethargy and knocked her ass out. The house reeked of cat piss and was full of what was possibly stolen goods from her patients. I went around the house to see what I could come up with in terms of a crime scene.

I came up with a plan and set it into motion. I poured some booze into a glass and then took her outside to the pool area. I drained her until I could no longer taste my venom in her bloodstream so that she was basically brain dead and stuck her in the pool so her lungs filled with water before I took a couple more pulls of blood. I then grabbed the glass and set her hand in it so that her prints were on it. I had left just enough blood in her that would stain the pool red when I dropped her body onto the pool deck, snapping her neck and leaving a gash on her head. It looked as though she had gotten drunk and then slipped, knocking her head on the pool deck and drowned. I reached into my jacket pocket and grabbed a couple bags of O-Negative blood and poured it into the pool so it was the right color. The scene would not indicate any foul play so there wouldn't be much in terms of forensics done but there was just enough blood in the pool that nothing looked too suspicious.

I sent a text to Peter to let him know that my job was done and the scene was set. He replied a few minutes later letting me know that he had just arrived in Denver and Garrett had picked him up and they were on their way.

When I got into the truck, I dialed up his number and headed back to my apartment in town.

"Jasper! So was the nurse hot?" Peter asked with a chuckle.

"Nah, she was gross, she had a mustache, dude," I replied with a shudder. "Her fuckin' house reeked of cat piss. Oh, she had a ton of stolen goods too."

"Oh, what did you do this time around?"

"Boozed it up and slipped in the pool."

"Creative. We're planning on Operation Fuck'em and Suck'em," he said and then the sounds of laughter filled my ears.

"Just make sure you rescue the girls. You know the drill," I said and hung up as I headed back to my condo.

As I got into the elevator and pressed the button to the 54th floor, I couldn't help but smile at the day I had. It was a great night at the club, it seemed that tonight's band had lots of potential and I was more than happy to get them booked for New Year's Eve.

I tossed my keys on the credenza and poured out some whiskey before walking to the north balcony. I took a sniff of the glass, enjoying the scent of it and looked at soft glow coming from the capitol building. Who would have thought that Bella Swan, no, Bella Andrews was here in Texas and that she would walk into my bar tonight? She wasn't even scared after realizing my eyes blazed crimson. I always thought her pretty but after seeing her tonight, I had to change that; she was beautiful. I knew I probably shouldn't, but I wanted to find out why she was so sad and angry. I sensed a bad ending to a relationship but that wasn't all of it, there was more. Maybe it was something that my particular brand of skills could fix and we'd both benefit. Whatever the case, I was looking forward to seeing her in the morning.

I went back inside and headed into my home office to schedule the automated text message to send to my client letting them know the job was done. Normally they would send their final payment at that point but these folks paid upfront which was a rarity but welcomed. We also gained a couple more clients as money was wired into some secret accounts and I set up a schedule for next missions.

I took another sniff of the glass and watched the amber liquid as I swirled it around and thought about our growing side project. Who would have thought a simple whim would have become such a lucrative business? It had become so popular that Peter and I were booked with meals for the next few months. Of course, there were a few jobs that required extra help, like Peter's assignment tonight. I was glad that Garrett was always willing to help out.

I set the glass down as the sky started to lighten and walked in to grab a hot shower. When I got out, I got a voice mail from Bella and in a pained, raspy voice, she said she would be ready in an hour if I still wanted to hang out with her. I decided that, since she was probably hung over, I should just send her a text message and tell her that I'd come by and we could walk on over to my place. A few minutes later I received a message back from her saying she'd like that.

I got dressed and headed into the kitchen and switched on the coffee maker. The aroma of coffee and the scent of alcohol were the only two human food items I could tolerate and I frequently brewed a pot just so I could enjoy the smell. I even hung out at the local Starbucks a few blocks over for the same reason but sometimes the smell of steamed milk ruined it for me. As I stepped into the elevator, I found myself kind of excited, I looking forward to spending some time with an old friend.