Israel

by Avery Gale

  “Buckle up, ladies. Let’s see what this beast is made of.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Israel leaned back in his leather office chair, staring at the row of monitors, and shaking his head in utter frustration. Where the hell did Clovia Williams get fucking rattlesnakes? Hell, he’d run half the damned state in his wolf and could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen a rattler. The young men from Animal Control had been so surprised by the number of reptiles in the locker, they’d let one get away from them. The entire Prairie Winds security team spent hours looking for the damned thing, finally finding it curled around a chandelier over their heads—hiding in plain sight.

  “I’ve been trying to call the Alpha of her pack, but I’m having trouble connecting. I’m going to give him another few hours, then I’ll take another route. Charlotte overheard our conversation about the snakes. I’d bet you rocks, marbles, or chalk she called her Aunt Gigi.”

  Israel felt his eyes widen. His sister-in-law, Charlotte, was magical royalty. Her grandfather, Audric Stafford, had been the head of the Magical Council for Israel’s entire life. Charlotte’s mother, Amaya, could control water and wind, and her father, Eamon, was the chief ruler of the bayou, leading a number of different magicals, who’d come together to protect their small territory. But it was Charlotte’s aunt, Brigitte Stafford, who was the undisputed star of the family. Gigi was one of the most powerful witches in the western hemisphere, a wild child with a free spirit and a wicked sense of humor, a respected Domme, and a member of kink clubs all over the world.

  “I’ll let the security team know Brigitte may blow in on the wind. I can’t imagine her ignoring Charlotte’s call. Expect her to show up, loaded with baby gifts and enough magical ammo to blow Clovia Williams into the next millennium.”

  Israel smiled to himself, knowing most of the team had either met Charlotte’s aunt or heard about her—every man he knew either adored or was terrified of Brigitte. Her presence wasn’t going to play out in Clovia’s favor. Bristol would be considered under the Stafford family’s protection. Charlotte loved her, and Bristol had managed the successful delivery of the highly anticipated new generation of magical aristocracy under difficult conditions.

  “I love Gigi, but you and I both know she isn’t going to take this well.” Austin nodded his head toward the monitor, showing the women gathered around the pool, drinks in hand. “Most of them have been hitting the sauce for an hour. They’re going to throw Nurse Ratched under the bus in thirty seconds or less. We may be having trouble locating her, but Brigitte won’t.”

  “I’d like to interview her before the Council gets their shot. It’s important to confirm she was the only one involved. For all we know, she wasn’t acting alone. If there are other players, we need to know who they are.” Israel didn’t think there were, but he wasn’t willing to bet Bristol’s or anyone else’s life on it. Returning his gaze to the monitor focused on the table where the women were holding court, he smiled affectionately at Charlotte.

  “I’m glad to see Charlotte joining them. Girl time might not be as physically restorative as sleep, but from the smile on her face, I’d say it’s feeding her soul.” Israel turned to his oldest brother when he didn’t respond and found him staring transfixed on the screen.

  “When I married her, I didn’t think I could love her any more than I did at that moment. I was wrong.” Austin had dated infrequently after inheriting the CEO position—he hadn’t had time. His work schedule had been grueling, and he’d spent many nights in the bedroom hidden behind his office suite. “She was the best executive assistant I’ve ever had. Everyone in the office begged me to find another wife, so they could keep her at work.” Austin chuckled and shook his head. “I was called a selfish oaf more often than I care to recount.”

  “The irony is most of those working on your floor are shifters and know exactly how mating works.” Israel couldn’t hold back his laughter. It said a lot about how much everyone loved Charlotte if they’d been willing to risk yanking the boss’s chain to keep her in the office.

  “I miss having her there, but I’m thrilled she wants to spend this time with our son. Hell, I wouldn’t get anything done if she was there.”

  Israel was sure that much was true. He could see himself spending every waking minute inside Bristol if they worked together. Austin’s shoulders seemed to relax, his smile making Israel wonder what he was thinking.

  “I didn’t read all the books everyone sent me. A few days into the great book barrage, as Charlotte referred to it. I figured out what you asshats were up to, so I chose wisely, as the old knight told Indiana Jones. I might not have gotten through them all, but I got through enough to understand how important the bonding time is for both of them.” Austin flashed him an unrepentant grin, making Israel laugh again.

  “There was some heavy betting on who could come up with the best book. Everybody wants the bragging rights for getting you to read theirs. Let us know what you read and in what order.” There was no question Austin would remember—the man probably remembered what he wore to school the first day of fucking third grade.

  “I’m the luckiest bastard alive. My wife is brilliant, submissive with enough sass to keep me on my toes, and—”

  “And that is definitely more information than I needed.” Brigitte shimmered into view beside Austin, giving him a quick hip check in greeting. “Fill me in. What the fuck is this about snakes at the club? I’ll bet that sent Kyle into orbit. Since I’ve heard she’s a shifter, I’m calling first dibs on whoever is responsible. The Wests can have whatever’s left.” Brigitte gave them both a cheeky grin. Damn witch already knew he didn’t want her getting the first shot—there wasn’t a chance in hell there’d be anything left for the rest of them to deal with.

  Austin gave her a quick overview of everything that had happened since they’d left the house to go to Kensington’s wedding. No doubt he wanted to reinforce how important Dr. Bristol Banks was to not only Charlotte, but Israel as well.

  “I’m not surprised Charlotte didn’t tell anyone she was in labor. She never seems to remember how special she is or how quickly her body heals.” She shrugged before adding, “It’s going to be interesting to see how quickly Marshall’s magic develops. You should probably count on sooner rather than later.” When she finished, Gigi looked at Israel.

  “Dr. Banks belongs to you?” When he nodded, she rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic display of frustration. “I suppose this means you’re going to want in on the takedown, then talk her to death before I whisk her away to appear before the Council of Magic.”

  “Yes, I’d like to interview her, Brigitte.”

  “Semantics, my dear. It’s all about semantics.” Looking at the screen, Brigitte watched her beloved niece throw her head back in easy laughter. Gigi’s expression softened. “You’re good for her, Austin. I’ve never seen her this happy and relaxed. Her parents put a lot of pressure on her to keep their little corner of the world safe from Adler Oil. She fought coming, feeling like she was being prostituted for the good of the bayou, but her deeply ingrained sense of loyalty to her family and friends finally won.”

  “I’m damned glad. I can’t imagine my life without her. If you want to spend time with her, you better get a move on—I can see she’s fading fast from here.”

  “Places to go, people to see, babies to spoil, bitches to toast.” With a quick flick of her wrist, Brigitte Stafford disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke.

  “Drama Queen.” Austin rolled his eyes and chuckled.

  “I heard that.” Gigi’s disembodied voice pinged around the room. Israel shook his head and chuckled.

  “It’s easy to see why Charlotte loves her. Hell, I wish she was my aunt.”

  “What she said about Marshall makes me wonder what we might be up against. Goddess knows, his gene pool is off the damn chart.” Austin’s worried expression was damned amusing since his son was only a couple of days old. His phone chimed with an incoming m
essage. Skimming it, Israel looked at his brother.

  “Let’s go. They’ve found a condo in a name traced to Clovia Williams. It’s across the fucking street. She has a bird’s-eye view into my suite. Date of sale—six months after the only scene I ever did with her and two months after I stopped trying to explain we weren’t fated mates.”

  “Doesn’t sound like she took you seriously.”

  Bristol tried to concentrate on the conversation taking place in Israel’s office, but telepathic communication from this distance wasn’t easy for her, and the antics of the women surrounding her made them nearly impossible to ignore.

  “We needed Lilly. She once shot a snake to smithereens to protect a guy she didn’t even like. She’d have had a heyday shooting up the locker room.”

  “She’d have needed a cannon… not to say she would be opposed to a cannon. Now that I think about it, she’d probably leap at the chance.” Gracie giggled, taking another gulp of the drink Asia set in front of her a few minutes ago.

  The second oldest Adler elected herself as the group’s bartender, claiming since the entire space had been her idea, it was her duty to act as hostess. “And… I know where all the good booze is hidden.”

  “I’m not sure whether we should be horrified or impressed. I don’t know anyone brave enough to gather that many rattlesnakes. That bitch is nuts.” Jen’s entire body shuddered at the thought.

  “Does Israel have a lot of women in his past?” Bristol hadn’t intended to ask the question aloud, but now that the words slipped out, she might as well jump in with both feet. “What I mean is… would this be an ongoing problem for anyone to have a relationship with him?”

  “Just as well take the question out of that relationship comment, sister. Hell, Helen Keller could see that’s a done deal.” One of the things Bristol loved about Tobi was her cut-to-the-chase communication style. Tobi and Gracie had built a thriving consulting business after their Forum Shops idea made the Prairie Winds Club, not only one of the most respected kink clubs in the country but also one of the most lucrative. Bristol felt herself blush at Tobi’s comment.

  “Tobi’s right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Master Israel look at a woman the way he does you.” Gracie took a drink from her margarita and sighed. “I bet God wondered why it took humans so long to figure out why he made limes.” Giggling, she drained her glass and shrugged when she looked surprised it was empty. “I’ve watched him do flogging scenes, and there’s a reason he is so popular, not only as a Dom but also as an instructor. It’s like he can read the submissive’s mind—his focus is legendary.” If you only knew. I’ve never known anyone who could read someone’s thoughts as easily as Israel Adler. “He swept into the locker room like a damned hurricane, zeroed in on you without looking at anyone else.”

  “Yeah, Rattler Rita could have set herself on fire naked, and he wouldn’t have given her a second glance. I’d like to get my hands around that bitch’s throat. I hate fucking snakes. When I was in Costa Rica, there were snakes everywhere. People just accepted it—what’s up with that? I set off the panic alarm in my office when I found a snake curled up under my desk, and the locals thought I’d lost my mind.” Jen’s left-of-center sense of humor was gas to Tobi’s fire. Everyone who knew them enjoyed the way they played off one another.

  “Why didn’t you shoot it? Didn’t they give you a gun? Why would our government send you to a country with snakes without a gun? That shit’s covered in the Bill of Rights. Something about no cruel and unusual punishment… wait, are you covered by that if you’re out of the country? You should be if you’re working for the government. Hey, Asia… we have a legal conun… um… condum… shit… question.”

  Asia didn’t bother responding to Tobi’s tirade. She probably knew it was pointless since most of them would forget the question in a few minutes, anyway.

  “First of all, the asshole who sent me there was probably hoping I’d be eaten by a snake. Don’t forget, some snakes have two legs. Fucking hell, there’s something I never thought I say.” The women all giggled, the alcohol definitely taking effect. Most of the tension had been replaced by more relaxed emotions.

  “I agree, Jen. Snakes give me the creeps, and I’ve seen too many of them for my peace of mind.”

  Bristol placed her hand on Catalina’s forearm, the gesture meant to comfort, but she felt an entirely different sensation—like being sucked into a swirl of brilliant color, then dropped into a barren, concrete block cell with dirt floors. Of all the sensations assailing her senses, it was the stench of death that was the worst. One of the reasons she’d chosen her specialty was the lower incidence of death. Her rotations in the emergency, geriatric, and cancer wards had nearly broken her spirit.

  Negativity bombarded her from all sides, and in the distance, she heard a woman whimper. Before she could follow the sound, Bristol was being pulled back through the tunnel. This time, the colors in the tunnel weren’t as brilliant, but the air was charged in a way she couldn’t describe. Blinking back her confusion, Bristol looked around at her friend’s concerned expressions.

  “Have you ever had a DNA test, Bristol?” Confused, Bristol looked up at a woman she’d never seen before.

  “Aunt Gigi, let her get her bearings before you delve into her genome. Bristol is brilliant, but even her mind has to reset after… well, after whatever that was. Don’t ask me hard questions, I just had a baby, and I swear he took several IQ points with him when he was born.”

  “I hear ya, sister. I felt like the village idiot for months after the twins were born. It was depressing as hell. And that wasn’t even counting the traumatic experience of walking past a mirror.”

  Bristol was finally getting her emotional footing. At least they were talking about a subject she had an academic understanding of—whatever she’d experienced, touching Catalina Adler was something else entirely.

  “I had the same problem with mirrors. Those fuckers were my worst enemy.” Tobi and Jen stared at Gracie as if she’d grown a new head, but the beautiful Latina continued on, undeterred. “I had the perfect solution to the mirror problem, too. I covered them with blankets. You’d have thought I committed some heinous crime against humanity. My men went ballistic, tearing down all the blankets and, in general, making my life hell. I kept all my responses in rapid-fire Spanish in self-defense.”

  “I thought they learned Spanish, so they knew when you were cursing at them?”

  “They did, but I have dialects, slang, and speed on my side. Total beginners mistake on their part.” Every woman at the table burst into laughter at Gracie’s uncharacteristic snark.

  “Focus, ladies. Great Goddess, what’s a witch have to do to get a drink around here? It seems I need to catch up.” Brigitte turned to Asia. “Would you mind making me a frozen margarita with extra everything?”

  “On it.” Asia flashed the woman a smile before moving down the glossy wood bar to fill the woman’s drink order.

  “I’m Brigitte Stanford, Dr. Banks, and I’m very happy to meet you. On behalf of my entire family, I’d like to thank you for what you did for Charlotte. Bringing Marshall safely into the world isn’t something we’ll ever forget… and we take care of our own.”

  Jen leaned closer to Charlotte in a move so overly dramatic, it was almost comical, asking in the loudest stage whisper Bristol had ever heard, “Is she really a witch?” When Charlotte nodded, Jen whistled. “Fucking spectacular. I swear to all things holy, Betty would have loved you all.” When they gave her a quizzical look, the pretty blonde shrugged. “My neighbor in D.C. She was a spy. Her life was filled with the most amazing adventures. I like to think of her as the Lilly of the East Coast.”

  “Nothing scarier than trying to get information from a group of inebriated subs.” The woman who’d introduced herself as a witch shook her head in amazement.

  “Hey, I resent that. I’m breastfeeding, so no booze for me. Can’t have Marshall staggering around the nursery. Austin is probably spying on me
, anyway. I swear every time I come up here, I see more cameras. The Adlers are trying to compete with the Wests, raising paranoia to an elite science.”

  “Your honey is not spying—at least not now. They are on their way across the street, chasing shadows. I could have warned them Clovia Williams isn’t there, but they wouldn’t have listened—men, what can I say?” Every woman at the table was staring at Charlotte’s aunt in awe. She shrugged before taking a long sip of her drink. “I know they’ll tell you all about it, so I’ll skip the details. I want to talk about what happened to Bristol when she touched Catalina.”

  Cat shifted in her seat, her gaze seeking the support of her older sister. Asia hadn’t missed the cue and stepped behind her. Crossing slender arms over her chest, Asia Adler was in full bad-ass corporate lawyer mode.

  “Relax, ladies. I don’t want to get into what she saw, I’m interested in the process and why she was able to connect without trying. I’ll get to Cat later because I’m starting to see a pattern to these connections. This is a situation the Council is watching carefully. There are several possible answers, and knowing it happened to Denali and Bristol raises some interesting questions. On the surface, they appear to be from vastly different backgrounds, but we have information indicating there may be a lot more going on.”

  Everyone was enthralled with what Brigitte was saying, and Bristol could practically hear the wheels of intelligence spinning all around her.

  “I didn’t do anything to initiate the connection aside from laying my hand on her forearm. I’ve never experienced anything like it. My connection to Israel is much different, and this took me by surprise.” Bristol needed time to process everything else—the tunnel of swirling color, the desolation and stench of the cell, and the heart-wrenching whimper of an injured woman.

  “The Council has traced Denali’s family back so far, we ran out of written records and had to resort to…” Brigitte looked around the table and smiled. “Well, let’s say we had to use other means. But, you… you are another story. We have full dossiers on the agents who raised you.”