“That kind of loyalty is priceless—cherish it as one of your greatest assets.” She nodded, unable to speak around the lump in her throat. “Now, let me tell you about my friend Franklin Cordesi.”
Chapter Seven
Israel’s attention focused on the woman standing beside the desk, barely holding back his snarl of disgust. He’d pegged her as the problem before he’d walked through the door. She’d taken one look at Cam, and her scent changed from guarded to desire between one breath and the next. This woman was a predator when it came to men, and he doubted she cared whether they were taken or not. When she failed to get a reaction from Cam, she’d turned to him, a brow raised in question.
“A wolf shifter? How interesting. Perhaps I should have read Ms. Adler’s file more carefully.”
Israel wasn’t taking the bait. He’d dealt with too many women like her—gorgeous on the outside, butt-fuck ugly on the inside. Franklin’s snort of laughter let Israel know he’d tuned in to his thoughts. Israel was relieved telepathic communication didn’t appear to be in her magical repertoire.
“Out.” His one-word response made her face flush as fury raged through her—he didn’t care. Israel didn’t know why she was here, but he knew his sister, and if this witch had gotten under the Adler Oil’s Ice Princess’s skin, she’d worked for it. Asia didn’t have a sixth sense about everyone she met, but even those she couldn’t read didn’t have a prayer of fooling her. Israel and Austin often teased their eldest sister, wondering whether her ability to accurately judge people made her a legal eagle, or if she was one of the top-ranked corporate attorneys in the country because she had an innate ability to see through the façade most people presented.
“Excuse me? I don’t answer to you, nor do I believe Franklin is in agreement.” Turning to the other man, her expression going soft, her voice dropped until she practically purred, “You don’t want me to leave, do you, darling?”
Fucking hell, she was probably at least a hundred years old and couldn’t act any more convincingly than that?
“Eden, you don’t want to go down this path. You’ve made more than one formidable enemy today, I strongly suggest you rethink this strategy. Your assignment here is very specific—handle the special circumstances related to the legal work. Period. Asia and I will handle everything else. Ms. Adler’s first priority will be advocating for her new sister-in-law, and when all is said and done, it will be Asia’s call whether or not the sale goes through. Since I know you have a personal stake in this, I suggest you keep that in mind when you’re pretending there is a romantic relationship between us when you know full well there is not.”
Israel could see the woman’s pulse pounding at the base of her throat, but it was rage rather than lust coming off her in powerful waves. Eden wasn’t a woman accustomed to being set aside, and she wasn’t handling it well. Damn, I’d love to see how you’d fare, leveling that glare at Cam in Dark Desires. Master Cam wouldn’t think twice about handing her over to one of the Dungeon Masters to discipline.
Israel’s taste in women was as varied as anyone he knew, but for the most part, he loved all women. He’d played with submissives he wasn’t physically attracted to when he’d been new to the scene, but he’d learned it was a lot more fun when he found the woman desirable. Desirable wasn’t a word he would ever use to describe the shrew standing in front of him. By the time she finally sauntered out of the room, Israel was ready to pull his hair out, and Franklin looked a half-second away from imploding.
“Before you say anything, rest assured I am not responsible for her being here.” Israel crossed his arms over his chest, watching the other man but didn’t respond. As an investigator, he’d learned the value of silence. “Damn, she is a witch—in every sense of the word.”
“What did she do to my sister?” Asia was all Israel cared about. The only reason he hadn’t already ripped Franklin a new ass was because he’d wanted an explanation for his sister’s devastation. Hell, the only other time Israel could remember a similar energy from Asia was when their parents had been killed. Fucking hell, he had hoped he’d never feel such intense sadness from the sister all the Adler siblings considered the strongest woman they knew.
“Eden gave Asia the very distinct impression we are—present tense—lovers. We were lovers once—a very, very long time ago. The woman has the morals of an alley cat in heat.” Israel understood the man’s frustration. Been there, done that.
“There is something very dark inside her. I haven’t been able to pin it down yet—but I will.”
Asia was thrilled Cam was willing to talk about Franklin. No doubt, the man she’d been seeing had been thoroughly vetted if he was a member of Dark Desires and The ShadowDance Club. More significantly, if Cameron Barnes considered Franklin a friend, he knew as much about him as humanly possible. Realizing how long they’d been standing still, she looked up at him, realizing how carefully he was studying her.
Chuckling, he asked her, “Do you have it all worked out in that sharp mind of yours, sweetness?”
“No… but I’m getting there.” Flashing what Asia had heard his wife describe as a panty-melting grin, Master Cam vanished, leaving behind the man she suspected few people had the opportunity to see.
“Good to hear. Now, lead on Ms. Adler. You tell me about the Quan mansion, and I’ll tell you all the ways the two men downstairs are cut from the same cloth.” She started to deny there were significant similarities between Franklin and Israel but stopped short. “God, I love the way a woman’s mind works. A dozen channels all zeroed in on various issues, each one broadcasting a different show—and you don’t miss a single detail. It’s remarkable, really. Me? I’ve been known to have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time.”
Asia couldn’t hold back her burst of laughter. If there was ever a man whose mind was functioning on multiple levels simultaneously, it was Cameron Barnes. She’d never heard him speak so casually. When she realized how much she’d relaxed, Asia was grateful he’d taken time to make a personal connection. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and hoped it reached her eyes.
“Let’s get started. This place is so much larger than it looks from the outside. I still haven’t figured out how that is possible, but it is.” Walking down the hall, she explained there wasn’t anything on this level but bedrooms and a playroom. When his brow arched in surprise, she laughed. “Rest assured it was locked until Catalina decided to find out what was behind door number three. She has always considered locked doors a personal insult. I remember her breaking in on our parents one time.”
It was the first time she’d seen her dad so angry, she’d worried about Cat’s safety. When Asia stepped between them, the storm clouds in her dad’s eyes cleared as he staggered back into a wall. Turning away from them, she’d seen the trembling in his hands and known she and Catalina hadn’t been the only ones who’d been afraid of his reaction. Catalina had never shared what she’d seen, but over the years, Asia had put together enough clues to know it must have been an intense BDSM scene.