Paris (The Adlers Book 4)

by Avery Gale

  In the back of her mind, Paris could hear Trinity telling her to hold her position, but she had trouble maintaining the connection to her mate because the love she felt flowing from her parents was a powerful connection she didn’t want to let go.

  Dr. Evan Monroe was too stunned to respond. The young woman he’d operated on an hour ago was spinning a tale so far beyond his imagination, at first, he’d assumed she’d been over-medicated. She hadn’t required general anesthesia for the simple procedure, but he quickly flipped through her chart, checking to see what she’d been given since he’d left her a couple of hours earlier.

  “I want you to repeat that for me, please, because what I heard was you were pushed down the stairs by a United States Senator for the sole purpose of getting into my clinic.”

  “Yes. She promised to pay off my student loans and give me a hundred grand bonus if I kept quiet.” The young woman’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her. “Oh shit, I bet I just screwed that up, huh? Damn. Now I have hardware in my ankle and no money. Wait. Maybe you could keep this quiet? Like a secret. It’s a lot of money. We could pretend this conversation never happened.”

  Not a chance in hell.

  “Do you know why Senator Lamb wanted inside the secured perimeter of this facility?” Swear to Goddess if she knew and helped set this up, I’ll call the FBI myself.

  “Nope. She wouldn’t tell me. Just kept saying she needed to get inside to talk to a girl. She’s always trying to find her creepy son a girlfriend, so I figured she had her eye on one of your nurses or something. The Senator is a little crazy where her son is concerned.”

  Oh, Evan agreed the senator was crazy all right, but there was nothing little about it. Activating the recording equipment in the small recovery room, Evan moved into camera range. He’d try to get the story again, this time for the record. If Senator Lamb had injured a woman for the sole purpose of stalking Evan’s sister-in-law, she had a lot to answer for.

  “Okay, let’s go over this one more time. I want to make certain you are receiving the best possible care. Tell me your name and what you remember about your accident.” To his amazement, she gave him a verbatim recount of the story she’d recounted minutes earlier. Evan didn’t believe for a minute Nancy Lamb would have kept her end of the bargain—the paper trail would have been too revealing.

  I’m already on it, brother.

  Evan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his connection to his brother was strong enough to have alerted Eli to his need for help. Their world revolved around their wife, London, and that meant her sister was theirs as well. There were few places the sense of family and group loyalty were stronger than a pack of shifters.

  Evan wasn’t sure what was going on at his former home behind the clinic but sensed Trinity’s trepidation. Every member of the pack knew better than to communicate telepathically with Sheriff Stone when he was working unless it was a matter of life and death. Distracting him could well be the difference between the man living or dying.

  “So, which one of your nurses is Nasty Nancy trying to hook up with her son? Where she’d get off to, anyway? She said she would stick around. How am I supposed to get back to the hotel? I’m getting out of here soon, right? Boy oh boy, it’s sweltering in here. Could you turn on a fan?”

  The woman’s rapid-fire questions brought him back to the moment, and he felt himself smiling at her. His assistant had only given her a mild pain killer. The nerve block they’d used during surgery would begin fading soon, and Chatty Cathy was going to need something to head off the discomfort.

  “I think it’s in your best interest to spend the night here. Pain management can be tricky, and since it looks like you are on your own, we don’t want you trying to stay ahead of it without help.” There wasn’t a chance in all creation he was letting her out of here tonight. Everything he’d just told her was true. It would be irresponsible for him to release her unless he knew she had a solid support system available—which clearly wasn’t the case. But there was another reason as well.

  Evan wanted to make sure Senator Lamb didn’t make her a victim a second time. If the ruthless lawmaker had been willing to throw a twenty-two-year-old staff member down the stairs, she’d damned well do whatever she felt was needed to ensure the woman’s silence. Evan watched her struggle to keep her eyes open and smiled. His wife was dealing with the same affliction for a different reason. The sweet babies she currently cradled in her core drained her energy more often than she liked.

  London’s balls-to-the-wall work ethic was being challenged, but she was fighting it with everything she had. Keeping her from overdoing was a damned full-time job. He and Eli were happy Paris would be living so close—they were depending on her to help rein in her workaholic sister.

  “I think I’m supposed to protest, but I’m having trouble remembering what I’m not supposed to be happy about. My ankle hurts. I’m just going to take a little nap and hope it’s better when I wake up.”

  It will be. My staff will make sure you sleep comfortably. Every doctor worth his salt knew pain management is second only to infection control when it comes to post-surgical healing. Patients who are fighting pain don’t rest properly, their bodies focused on the pain rather than healing.

  Cutting off the recording device, Evan quickly entered his medical notes in the network, then sent a message to the control center, requesting the security video be backed up and forwarded to a short list of recipients. He didn’t want to take any chances and getting it into multiple hands was cheap insurance against a single file being accidentally erased. It was up to Trinity to forward the information to the FBI, but Evan intended to make certain he got the chance.

  Great grab, brother, but you are not going to fucking believe what just went down at your old place. Paris just saved Trinity’s life, but it looks like you’re going to be working for a while. I’ll keep our lovely wife occupied while you fix Senator Lamb’s broken forearm.

  Broken forearm? You’re sure?

  Oh yeah, we could hear the bones snap over the wind. The new outside equipment Ian designed last year is kick ass.

  Great. Just fucking dandy. I’m stuck healing the bitch, and you’re happy dancing about equipment.

  And fucking our wife. She misses you, but I’ll keep her occupied until you stumble in. The two of you can take a nice long nap.

  There was no jealousy between them where London was concerned because they shared two all-important goals—keeping their wife safe and happy. But that didn’t mean they didn’t enjoy teasing each other. Eli’s duties as the pack’s primary Alpha usually kept him busy most of the day, whereas Evan’s peak work hours were often started in the late evening. Sports enthusiasts, tired after a full day’s activities, rarely had the good sense to stop before having an accident.

  Their divergent schedules meant one of them was usually available to spend time with London, the caveat was, she probably wasn’t getting enough rest—so the nap might be a bigger blessing than he’d first thought. Walking down the hall to the clinic’s emergency room, Evan shook his head. Who was he kidding? A nap wasn’t anywhere on the list of ways he’d planned to spend his time with London. His brother’s laughter moved through his mind, making Evan snarl an expletive that would have had his mother batting the back of his head.

  Trinity leaned against the marble counter in the master bath, watching Paris fight through the emotions he’d hoped to help her avoid. He’d foreseen a flash of violence seconds before Senator Lamb raised her weapon. Time seemed to slow when he saw the finger she’d kept on the trigger flex in anticipation. It hadn’t been difficult to calculate the angle of her weapon and know she was aiming dead center at his heart. Had she made the shot, he wouldn’t be standing here now.

  Paris’ lightning-fast reaction gave him the fraction of a second he’d needed to launch himself to the side, avoiding the shot. The gun’s sharp retort bounced off the home’s stone façade, echoing between the house and clinic—hell, his ears had rung f
or almost an hour. His mate hadn’t taken the woman apart, but the power of her jaws had broken both bones in the woman’s arm. He wondered how the Senator’s public relations team was going to explain their boss’s wild ramblings about being bitten by a wolf. It wouldn’t matter it was the truth, no one was going to believe her outrageous claim.

  It was damned hard to stand back watching his sweet mate suck in shuddering breaths as she battled her way back from the tsunami of emotions moving through her. As much as he looked forward to comforting her, he knew these few seconds were about letting Paris get her feet back under her. Trinity knew his sweet mate was worried about the stark differences in their life experience, so he planned to empower her at every turn.

  Until she understood her own worth, he’d keep reminding her—and right now, that meant giving her time to reclaim some of her inner strength. He watched as her spine straightened, her shoulders rolled back, the sound of her pulling in a steadying breath was music to his ears. And there she is—the fierce woman I see every time I look at my mate. Striping out of his clothes, Trinity moved into the shower. Pulling her back against his front, he didn’t speak for several seconds, wanting to offer his silent support until he knew she was ready for the words.

  “Thank you.” He gave her a gentle squeeze letting her know he’d heard and understood her whispered words. “I appreciate you giving me a chance to pull myself together. My siblings always wanted to slay my dragons… but I’m grateful you let me do it. You let me prove to myself I could.” Turning in his arms, she pressed her cheek against his chest, making him thankful he’d had the insight to hold back.

  “You are so much stronger than you know, baby. Hell, you saved my life. I’d hoped to spare you that negative backwash of energy, but you managed a level of restraint most lifelong shifters would have found difficult to pull off.” While he spoke, Trinity started shampooing her hair. When she rubbed her pebbled nipples against him, he growled. “Don’t start something you’re not ready to finish baby, because there’s nothing I’d like better than to lift you against the wall and bury my cock in your sweet heat.” Inhaling, he smiled down at her. “Fuck, you smell delicious. Change of plans.” Before she could respond, he set her on the edge of the bench and sealed his mouth over her sex.

  Skipping the preliminaries wasn’t his usual style, but he wanted her to feel how desperately he wanted her. Rolling his tongue, Trin speared it deep into her core, flicking the tip over her opening then along her vaginal walls. Damn, she was already close, her sweet honey tempting him to push her over.

  “Give it to me, Paris. Your releases belong to your Dom.” He’d barely finished the command when her entire body arched, a rush of her cream coating his tongue. Trinity heard his own growl as her flavor was further imprinted on his soul. Fucking hell, she was something. “One more, baby.” Biting down gently on her pretty pink pearl, Paris’ wail was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

  “Please. Oh, Goddess, please fuck me, Master. I… need you.”

  Trinity smiled against the swollen tissues of her sex. His sweet mate didn’t hesitate to profess her love but still struggled to admit how much she craved the freedom she found in his dominance. Moving back, Trinity rose to his feet. Looking down into her confused expression, he kept his own neutral. It’s time to up the stakes, sweet sub.

  “Stand up.” When she finally managed to stand, he nodded his approval. Hell, Trinity knew she was running on fumes, her knees wobbling slightly, but she recovered quickly, so he continued. “Turn around, grasp the edge of the bench.” Her movements weren’t well-practiced, but that was to be expected. Paris wasn’t a trained submissive, and the past few months had been harrowing for her. She was right, she needed him—but not for the reasons she believed. Pushing her feet further apart, he slipped the tips of his fingers through her wet, silky folds.

  “Fucking hell, you are perfect. I’m looking forward to bending you over every available surface, baby. It will give me great joy to pose you for my viewing pleasure.” Having her bent over, her sex exposed while he watched a movie was a fantasy he planned to fulfill, sooner rather than later. When he saw her sway, he knew it was time to give them both the relief they needed. One push and he was buried so deep, he felt his tip pressing against her cervix. The searing heat of her vagina, the rippling of the muscles lining the walls, and the slick honey coating his cock pushed his control to the snapping point.

  “So good. The sweet burning from the way your cock stretches me… Oh, Goddess, it’s so good.” He loved how she’d learned to express herself during sex. There were many Doms at the club who required their subs to remain silent, but Trinity loved hearing how affected his little sub was by his touch.

  “You’re killing me, baby.” Pumping his hips in irregularly timed thrusts, Trinity focused on keeping them both on their feet as a release—so strong, it felt like a runaway train—blindsided him. “Come for me, mate. You belong to me Paris, just as I belong to you.”

  Trinity knew he would remember this moment until his dying day. This coupling had been so much more than sex between a Dom and sub. The searing deep in his chest felt as if their souls had just melded together—reminding him of the stories he’d read in the ancient manuscripts. Their descriptions had always sounded sappy and overly romanticized, but now… for the first time, he understood.

  Leaning down, he pressed his tongue against the two small scars from their mating. The intimacy of the touch sent Paris over again, this time her knees folded out from under her he’d been ready.

  With David and Nancy Lamb both out of commission for the foreseeable future, Trinity looked forward to helping his mate settle into her new life. He didn’t expect smooth sailing. If he was honest, he knew he’d be bored to distraction with a mate who was well-behaved. No worries, there. Paris Adler was going to keep him on his toes—and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Chapter Twenty

  Five Months Later

  Paris looked around the elaborately decorated pool area, so giddy with excitement, she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. The friends she’d made four months ago at Club Isola had already landed at the airport the Monroe pack recently built a few miles from the clinic and would be arriving in the next few minutes. She looked forward to seeing them again and enjoying the margarita party they’d missed when she’d fallen. The party had been tweaked a bit to accommodate a surprise baby shower they’d somehow managed to keep secret from her sister, London.

  The doctors were still raving about the remarkable recovery Paris made during her overnight hospital stay. Since none of them knew she’d been mated with a shifter, their awe was easy to understand. One of the most remarkable things about shifters was their ability to heal at such a greatly accelerated rate. Aside from the night she’d saved Trinity’s life, Paris had only been able to shift on nights when the moon was full and the sky clear. Several of the pack elders insisted the ability would strengthen with time. Paris refused to worry about something she couldn’t control; it was a non-issue as far as she was concerned.

  “I swear I’d slap that smug look off your face if I could get my whale ass out of this chair.” It was hard to take London’s comment too seriously when she was failing miserably to hold back a fit of giggles. “A margarita party? Really, Paris? What the holy hell possessed you to do this to me? You couldn’t wait for another… well, okay… I get that another fourteen months seems like a long time, but still.”

  “Well, since you’re still a couple of months from delivering those sweet babies, then we need to add on a whole year of breastfeeding, it adds up quickly. And let’s face it, your men are going to be trying to knock you up again at the first opportunity, so I decided to take your reproductive schedule off my party-planning check-list.”

  “Bitch.”

  Her sister’s snark didn’t fool Paris. London was thrilled to be starting her family. Paris had never seen her sister happier, her transition to working a fraction of her former sixty hours
a week hadn’t been as smooth as her husbands would have liked, but it had been a walk in the park compared to what Paris expected, so she assured them it was a win.

  “Don’t be ugly. You don’t see me complaining about you kicking back, playing relaxed lady of leisure like you were born to the role.” Paris barely managed to dodge the cloth napkin London threw at her. “Be nice, or I’ll tell your children how wretched their mother treated their favorite aunt.”

  London’s eyes filled with tears, and Paris smiled at her indulgently. Damn, her sister had been riding this emotional roller coaster for so long, Paris worried she was never going to be on an even keel again. Who knew people actually cried while watching beer commercials? She’s probably going to need counseling. Geez.

  She’ll be fine, baby. Her men are watching her closely. Trinity’s words moved silently through her mind making her sigh with contentment. It had taken her a couple of months to adjust to telepathic communication, but once she’d learned to block a few of her thoughts, allowing her the illusion of privacy, she’d come to appreciate the intimate connection.

  “Are you pleased it’s Christmas break at the school?” London’s question brought Paris back to the moment.

  “Not really. I’m going to miss the students, but I’m glad Bliss agreed to come today.” Hiring Bliss Turner was hands down one the best decisions Paris and the Pack Council had made. She was enthusiastic about educating the group’s children in a place where they didn’t have to worry about keeping their lives outside school completely secret.

  As a shifter, Bliss understood how difficult traditional schools were for the pack’s little ones, and her vision for where the school should be in five years was perfectly in line with the pack leaders. Bliss was incredibly compassionate, and when Abby had called asking if she knew any single women who might be a good fit for one of the Doms at Club Isola, Paris knew instinctively Bliss needed to be at this party.