“Was that sarcasm? It sure sounded like sarcasm. What happens to your subs if they cop an attitude? I bet you punish them for being flip.” Israel was in front of her before she could pull in a deep breath, his fingers capturing her chin, tilting her face up, so they were face to face.
“It was teasing. Outside a scene, I will take as good as I give, but you’ve pushed yourself into dangerous territory. My real issue with your comment is the allusion to other subs. Rest assured, my lovely mate, from the moment your scent drifted to me, every other submissive faded from my memory. As a shifter, you should be well aware of how this works, so your comment represents a deliberate challenge.” He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger, brushing the surface of her skin with a touch meant to comfort. “Challenges… every challenge will be answered.”
I knew it was too good to be true. Why do I always say the wrong thing? Get through this and go home. Go to work and stick to what you know.
Israel was astonished. Did she really believe he’d walk away from her because she’d challenged him? He wanted to kick the ass of whoever convinced this amazing woman she had to be perfect all the time. The physical toll associated with that level of pressure had to be suffocating, and the emotional burden would be enough to break the strongest person. Pulling her into his arms, Israel held her close until he felt her relax.
“When was the last time you had more than a day off?” He felt her stiffen, but he wasn’t going to back down. Their future depended on them being able to speak openly about everything, even if it was out of her comfort zone.
“You mean like a vacation?”
He already knew the answer, the tone of her voice giving her away. Bristol’s response had been something between disbelief and worry. Did she think he was going to judge her for doing what she loved?
“No, I mean more than two consecutive days.”
“There isn’t any reason for me to take off.” Her eyes focused on something over his left shoulder.
He didn’t ordinarily allow subs to hide, but in this case, he sensed she needed a little distance to pull her thoughts together. Bristol had been on her own for a long time—having a mate was going to be a big adjustment for her. Israel nodded for her to continue, watching her take a deep breath, then another before speaking. This time, her words were so subdued, they had an air of defeat.
“I don’t have a family to visit. It seems unfair for me to take off and sit in my apartment while my co-workers miss their family celebrations.”
He understood what she was saying. He’d had employees in similar positions, and there had been one common thread—they’d all suffered burn-out. After one quit, Israel started insisting the other two took their vacations and stayed in the rotation to have holidays off. They’d grumbled but thanked him later. He was considering how to best convince her she needed to dial it back when his phone rang. Since he’d set it to only accept emergency calls, he sighed and reached for the annoying device.
After talking to Austin and Bronx earlier in the day, Israel had worried Clovia might be mentally unstable, but he didn’t have any evidence she was dangerous. Gut feelings aside, he didn’t have anything to indicate Bristol wouldn’t be safe at the hospital. Before he could ask his mate any more about her upcoming shift, his phone chirped with an incoming message. This time the text was from Parker Andrews, the Chief of Police. Frowning, Israel turned the screen so Bristol could read the message.
We are looking for Dr. Bristol Banks. Her apartment was broken into an hour ago.
Chapter Nine
Bristol read the message twice before the words made sense. Her initial reaction was disbelief and shock, followed quickly by anger, then amusement. When she realized Israel had gone perfectly still beneath her, Bristol took a deep breath before turning to face him.
“I guess I’d better get dressed. Please let him know I will be there as soon as I catch a cab.” She tried to get to her feet, but he held tight. Looking up to meet his gaze, Bristol smiled. “I’ll be okay, it was just a bit of a surprise. Anyone desperate enough to break into my place needs the clothes worse than I do. I don’t keep much in my apartment because there isn’t much space there.” He studied her for long seconds before setting her on her feet.
“Let’s go.” The rough tone of his voice made it clear it was pointless to argue.
If she was honest with herself, Bristol was relieved she wouldn’t have to face the situation alone. No doubt, she would be forced to field questions, she wouldn’t know the answer to and be subjected to the questioning looks of officials who wouldn’t understand why she was willing to live in such a pathetic dump. Someone who’d never been poor might not understand why she felt the need to save every cent she could.
“My sisters have clothes in the closet of the spare bedroom. Help yourself to anything you need. I’m going to make a few calls while I wait for you.”
The independent woman inside her wanted to tell him she was more than capable of handling this on her own, but an impending sense of danger kept her from speaking up.
“Thank you. I… well, I appreciate you offering to take me. I’m not sure how the police knew to contact you, but I’m always surprised how connected people are here in Austin.” Bristol had always felt isolated, forced to deal with grown-up challenges early, forging her independent nature, but it also meant she hadn’t spent any time networking—a skill the members of Prairie Winds seemed to have refined to a science.
An hour later, Bristol stood in the middle of her small apartment, staring in resigned disbelief at the tattered remnants of her personal belongings. The few dishes she’d accumulated over the years lay broken on the floor. Judging by their positions and the dents in the cheap sheetrock, she assumed they’d been thrown at the walls with considerable force. Every piece of clothing had been shredded, the tattered garments piled on the floor nearly unrecognizable.
“Can you tell if anything is missing, Dr. Banks?” The man Israel introduced as Parker Andrews, the local police chief, was looking at her with concern. She’d seen him at Prairie Winds but hadn’t known his name or what he did for a living until today.
“Honestly, I don’t think so. I didn’t have much. My laptop is at the office, and my tablet is in my bag. Diplomas and things like that are kept at the office. I didn’t have any jewelry other than what you see.” Waving her hand around the room where a few things she’d picked up over the years lay broken on the floor, Bristol took a deep breath, trying to hold back the sudden wave of emotion washing over her.
No one had said it out loud, but she wasn’t naïve. This was an act of rage rather than a burglary. The realization she’d made an enemy, capable of an act this senseless was humbling and terrifying at the same time. How was she going to get this mess cleaned up before her shift started in a few hours?
Bristol knew she could hire a cleaning crew, but it seemed like a waste of time and money since there wasn’t anything left worth saving. All she needed was a scoop shovel and a bunch of trash bags. Thank the heavens, she didn’t keep anything of value here. Hell, the entire complex was a crime waiting to happen. She was surprised this wasn’t a weekly event. Taking a deep breath and straightening her spine, Bristol wasn’t going to wallow in self-pity. It was just stuff and certainly not anything she couldn’t replace over time. Looking up, she was surprised to see Chief Andrews looking at her thoughtfully, his gaze intent and assessing.