Chapter 12

"Of course it's Jasmine." The words had barely left Caesar's mouth when Peter slammed on the brakes, tires screeching against the asphalt. "Sorry, Mr. Snee!" Peter blurted, breaking out in a cold sweat. Surprisingly, Caesar didn't get angry. He simply lifted his eyes, cool and sharp behind his glasses, and stared at Peter in the rearview mirror. "That answer shocks you that much?" Peter's hands trembled slightly on the wheel. Shocked didn't even begin to cover it—it completely upended everything he thought he knew. But he didn't dare say that aloud. He could only hedge, "It's just… I mean, you've always seemed to treat Ms. Harding really well. Even better than Ms. Booth…" Caesar pressed his fingers to his temple and leaned back against the leather seat. "That's because she saved my life." Outside, neon lights flashed past, casting shifting shadows over his sharply defined features. For once, those always-calm eyes held a rare trace of exhaustion. He closed his eyes. Memories su