by Avery Gale
“I can’t tell you everything I know, but…”
“But you want to help Catalina because this is some kind of test, right?” If Bronx hadn’t been standing directly in front of Gigi when he asked the question, he’d have missed the small reactions most people overlooked. He wasn’t surprised when her pupils dilated, and he saw her pulse pounding at the base of her throat.
“Catalina is one of the most gifted magicals in a generation. She is an untapped well of power. What is lacking is her belief in herself and the ability to direct the power bubbling up inside her.” Gigi paused for several long seconds, rolling the hem of her shirt between her fingers, the first overt tell Bronx had seen her exhibit. “If you talk to her, ask her if she has ever read the book, Valley of the Kings? It’s very good, even if it is a bit hard to find.” Brigitte pushed her shoulders back, pasted on a phony smile, and moved to the door.
“Let’s go. I want to get back in time for Marshall’s midnight feeding. He and I have long chats about the moon and stars. I can practically hear his little mind soaking it all in. He’s the most brilliant baby to have ever been born.” Auntie Brigitte was obviously enamored with her great-nephew. Bronx was thrilled for the little man, the more people who loved a child, the better.
“You’ll get no argument from me. Let’s go.” Austin turned to leave, muttering as he stomped to the door. “Israel, you drive. I’m going to start tracking down Catalina and hope like hell she can get to Egypt before Cooper is on the move again. I’m also going to call Cameron Barnes. It seems we need to have a serious chat about him involving my family in ops without giving me a heads up. Retired my ass.”
When Bronx returned to the kitchen, he found Kenya sitting at the table, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared into a tattered box sitting in front of her.
“Cheŕ, what’s wrong? Where did that box come from?” It hadn’t been there when he walked his brothers and Gigi to the car—there was no way he would have missed seeing it.
“I put the dishes in the dishwasher, and when I turned around, it was sitting here. It’s the box that was stolen. I know it probably isn’t the exact box, but it looks exactly like mine. It even smells musty like mine. It will be a while before I know if everything is here, but…”
Bronx lifted her from the chair, then settled her on his lap, taking her place in front of a box that looked as if it had survived World War II. He didn’t say anything, preferring to give her time to process everything in her own time.
“No matter what happens with the medallion, at least I’ll always have her journals. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t always a lousy mother. We had fun… sometimes… well, when she wasn’t high. Some people get lighthearted and jovial when they do drugs, but Lisa Star became combative and verbally abusive. Oh, she’d apologize once she sobered up, but I spent a lot of nights locked in my room to avoid her. After puberty, I discovered I could disappear from her view if I concentrated hard enough. It became easier and easier to blend in with my surroundings as I got older. I’d gotten really good at it by the time I broke into your offices.”
“Indeed, you do seem to have mastered the skill. I was going crazy trying to figure out how you were getting in and why I couldn’t see you. Brooklyn assured me getting in was easy. She shamed me into updating the security systems at all the locations.”
“As your new mate, I’m thankful she was looking out for you, but as the homeless person who relied on your offices for a safe place to shower and sleep, I wasn’t a fan.”
Bronx chuckled softy at Kenya’s admission. He knew she had to have been feeling the walls closing in around her and was damned glad he’d found her before she gave up and moved on. He loved hearing her refer to herself as his mate.
“Speaking of mating, I had plans for you before we were interrupted. Come.” Setting her on her feet, Bronx wrapped his hand around her delicate wrist, shackling her in his hold. Feeling her pulse kick up several notches was like throwing gas on the fire of his need to take her. Leading her outside, Bronx paused for a moment, lifting his face to pull in a deep breath. He didn’t scent any intruders and was grateful for Israel’s team adding underground sensors to the property’s perimeter. Moving to the sheltered area near the pool, Bronx grabbed one of the large pillows from the sitting area and dropped it at his feet.
“Kneel, Cheŕ. I’m going to claim that pretty mouth of yours.” She slid gracefully to her knees, eyes glazing over with the heat of desire. Damn, the woman was a dream come true. Within seconds, she’d freed him from the restrictive confines of his jeans. Bronx groaned in relief when his swollen cock slipped out from behind the zipper he was convinced was tattooing itself along his length. Kenya used the tip of her tongue, sliding it slowly along the underside of his erection from the base to the corona.
“Holy mother of all things magical, your mouth is as hot as your sweet pussy.” Looking down on his mate, her face bathed in moonlight, eyes hooded with lust was one of the most erotic things he’d ever witnessed. “Breathe through your nose and show me how deep you can go. That’s it. Fuck, yeah. Now, swallow around me.” Bronx felt his eyes roll so far back, it was a wonder he didn’t see his brain. Hell, maybe it was a good thing he couldn’t see all those cells frying from the blazing heat of her mouth.
The energy surrounding her was spiraling up so fast, Bronx felt the hair on his arms standing up straight. The electricity in the air crackled, and he watched as pinpoints of light swirled around them. He shouldn’t have been surprised by the rapid increase in her magic ability after hearing his parents talk about how they magnified each other’s power, but this was so much more than he’d expected, all he could do was stare in wonder.
“Are you enjoying this as much as I am, Cheŕ?” She didn’t remove her mouth from his engorged cock, but her deep moan of assent vibrated around him as her scent filled the air around them. “It’s fucking hot, knowing you are going to come from giving me pleasure. Come as soon as you can. When I come down your throat, I want you to swallow every drop.” He’d barely finished speaking when her mouth tightened around him, her throat massaging him as she swallowed.
Bronx knew she was coming, the shift in energy unmistakable. The combined sensations of her mouth and release were more than enough to shatter his control. It felt like lightning burst from his balls, boiling everything in its path as it raced up his spine, leaving a trail of pleasure in its wake before rocketing back down. The first pulses of seed were painful in their intensity, and for a few seconds, he worried his knees were going to buckle, leaving him in a crumpled heap on the concrete pavers. When the blood stopped thundering in his ears, Bronx realized he’d pushed his fingers into her hair, his grip tighter than would be comfortable now that the heat of the moment had passed.
“Sorry, sweetness. You undid me.” Finger combing her tangled locks away from her face, he smiled down into her lust-clouded eyes. Lifting her to her feet, Bronx pulled her against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he felt his cock come back to life, clamoring for more. “Come on, let’s get inside, you tempting little vixen. I want you to rest a bit before we start on round three.” Relief came off her in small waves, and he made a mental note to make certain she understood the importance of letting him know how she felt. It would take a while for her sexual endurance to match his. As a new shifter, her body was still adapting to the changes.
Walking inside, he felt a wave of emotion move over him. The origin was so distant, it was difficult for him to decide if the emotion was anticipation or fear. The one thing he knew for certain, the feeling was coming from someone he knew—someone important to him. Now he needed to figure out who and how he could help.
You already did. I love you, big brother. He’d recognize Catalina’s voice anywhere. He couldn’t hold back his smile when he saw tears of appreciation in Kenya’s eyes.
“I’m anxious to meet the rest of your family. You have no idea how grateful I am for… well, for everything.”
Personally, he
thought she had it all wrong. He was the one who should be counting his lucky stars.
Chapter Seventeen
Audric looked at William and laughed. “Damn, man, you’re snockered. You can’t drink like you used to.”
“You’re a fine one to talk. Hell, you’ve fallen off that stool twice.” William tried to appear indignant, but it was totally ineffective since he was weaving around like a seasick sailor.
“It wasn’t my fault. Millicent’s cleavage knocked me over. Gave me a clearer understanding of the American slang for breasts. Damn, that woman was blessed… and blessed… and blessed.”
“I’m going to look foolish to my granddaughter if I don’t brush up on her generation’s… what do they call them? Something about bugs… damn, getting old sucks, I don’t remember all the details like I used to.” William rubbed his chin, frustration coloring his expression.
“Buzz words, but I don’t think they say that anymore. You’ll think you have it figured out, then it changes overnight, so don’t bother.” Audric gave the direction of the conversation a dismissive wave. “When’s the last time you got your corn ground?”
“Hell, it’s been so long, my cob qualifies as a born-again virgin. My mind is still firmly in the gutter, though—that should count for something.”
“I think getting a second shot at virginity requires your knob and mind to be playing from the same sheet of music.” Audric downed the last of his ale before turning to his friend. “Time travel has one huge flaw in my humble opinion. If we’re going back, I want to have my younger body. You know… for safety’s sake.”
“I’m calling horse hockey. You want to be able to wank the waitress, who is probably Charlotte’s age, you dirty old geezer.” Audric grinned because William was right. If he was younger… a lot younger, he would be leaving with the magnificent Miss Millicent for a few hours of sexual pleasure. “Not that I wouldn’t enjoy a few rounds with my old libido. You know, now that I think about it, I can’t remember the last time I… oh, hell, never mind. This conversation reminds me too much of my youth, and there weren’t many parts of that I’d want to repeat.”
Audric let out a deep sigh. He hated to admit it, but William was right. Being young and stupid had been exhausting and dangerous. As magicals with powerful skills and not much common sense, they’d made some terrible decisions. One of the worst had been the argument that cooled their friendship to the point, they hadn’t seen or spoken to one another for almost a hundred years.
“Come on. I’m too tired to sit here pretending I want to be young again. That damned feather tick in your guest room will kill my back, but it’s too late to travel tonight.” Audric threw several gold coins on the bar, knowing he’d paid their tab and left their waitress enough extra she could probably take the next year off. The two men staggered to the door before nearly falling onto the sidewalk.
Ten minutes later, Audric looked around them in confusion. “I don’t remember it taking this long to walk to your flat. Are you sure we didn’t take a wrong turn somewhere?” Before William could answer, three thugs stepped out from the deep shadows of the alley.
Brandishing a knife, the tallest man stepped in front of the two wizards. “What have we here? Two old fools traipsing around the city after dark. Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
“Probably. Thanks for your concern. I think we took a wrong turn.” Audric saw William’s hand slide into the deep pocket of his trench coat and knew he was going for his wand. He nor his friend needed a wand to do magic, but it added another layer of power to a spell and usually dazzled nonmagicals enough they backed off.
“That’s it. Put your wrinkled old hand in your pocket and pull out your wallet. Grab your pocket watch, as well.” Auric wanted to roll his eyes at the young fool’s naivety. He and his friends were about to learn a very painful lesson. When the other two stepped up to him, Audric gave them a smile he knew didn’t reach his eyes.
“You should follow your friend’s example and reach slowly for your wallet. We watched you in the pub and know you’re carrying gold coins. Hand them over, and you’ll live another day.” The second man wasn’t Irish, but Audric couldn’t immediately place his accent. The look on his face was sheer hatred, and Audric could feel anger pulsing around the man whose stare was as completely devoid of any hint of humanity. This man had sold his soul to the demons a long time ago, but it was the third man who sent a chill up Audric’s spine. He stood back, his pose deceptively casual as he leaned against the brick wall. When he finally spoke, his voice reminded Audric of a snake, his tone more of a hiss than the over-confident style of his partners.
“Careful lads, I don’t believe you know who you are dealing with.”
“Tell us who you are, old man. I’ll bet you’re a rich old fool who carries his fortune in his pocket because you don’t trust banks. Hand it over, and maybe we won’t cut you up too bad. It would be a shame if your spoiled children couldn’t identify your body.”
Audric knew the second hoodlum had just signed his own death warrant, but he was content to stand by and let the other two paint themselves into the same corner.
“I’ll give you nothing. Everything I own belongs to my granddaughter, and you’ll not deny her a bloody red cent.” William’s shouted words bounced off the brick walls of the alley, making it seem as though he’d been standing in a mountain valley. His vehemence appeared to shock all three men, but it was the first dolt who made the mistake of moving first.
William pulled his wand from his pocket with a lightning-fast movement that was little more than a blur. With one stroke, the man standing in front of him fluttered to the ground, little more than a pile of ashes as his knife clattered to the ground at William’s feet.
The second would-be robber ran into the shadows, but he never made it to the other end of the alley. Without enough time to turn the corner to put brick and mortar between him and the two wizards, the fool never had a chance. A bright fireball halfway down the dark path between two rows of businesses was the only indication he’d ever been on this earth. There wouldn’t be anything left to clean up, so there was no reason to pull in backup.
Audric knew the third man was watching him for any sign of magic as the power the lower ranking wizard had been working so hard to conceal now shimmered around him in an aura only the Head of the Magic Council could see.
A split second of distraction was all it took. In the space of time no longer than it took Audric to glance at William, the third man pulled a wand from his pocket, the crackle of electricity making the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up. Before Audric could react, the other man screamed in pain, his wand suddenly red-hot burst into flames. The man was bound in a web so decorative it could have only been created by one person.
“I can’t leave you alone for a minute.” Brigitte stepped from the shadows, her wand still sparkling with residual energy. “Who is this asshat?” With a quick flick of her wrist, the man tilted to the side before tipping over and slamming unceremoniously into the damp cobblestone street. Gigi let him roll a few times before raising her finger. He was lifted in the air, dangling precariously while she turned back to her father.
“He’s a dark wizard, Dad. If you two weren’t snockered, you’d have noticed.” She watched in utter disbelief as the two men leaned against each other and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“Damn, I didn’t see that one coming. I can’t believe we had to be saved by your daughter. She’s gorgeous, by the way—looks just like her beautiful mother.” William’s observation surprised her. Brigitte was rarely compared to her mother. Elizabeth Stafford had been stunningly beautiful, inside and out. Simply being considered in the same league as her mother was an honor.
“She does, indeed. Unfortunately, she inherited my mother’s snarky disposition.” Gigi shook her head at her father’s ridiculous comment. He always said his mother was cantankerous, but his lovely wife disagreed. Elizabeth insisted her mother-in-law was a sweet woman who sim
ply refused to put up with her son’s arrogance. In Brigitte’s opinion, it was probably a combination of the two.
“Lucky for you, I inherited your sixth sense and decided to check on you. After the message I received earlier, I was worried.” He and William had been surrounded by magicals in the pub—some good and others not so much. Luckily, Millicent, was a friend who knew how to get word to Brigitte that her father and William were going to be easy marks when they left the tavern.
“How did you get here? Time travel wasn’t in your skillset the last I knew.”
Gigi shook her head in frustration. Damn, her pop was definitely toasted, and if William’s swaying back and forth was any indication, he wasn’t any better.
“It’s not.” At least it’s not a skill I’ve perfected. “But there are Council members who are more than capable of sending someone through time. They will either pull me back in another four hours, or William can take us all back.” Hopefully, the other man was sober enough to get them back to the present. She didn’t care where they landed because she could handle the transport to the Council’s hidden headquarters.
There wasn’t any question the dark wizard bound and currently floating several feet above the ground was a low-level narc, who wasn’t going to be able to give them any valuable information. The Council’s interrogators wouldn’t bother asking him questions. They’d just tap into his memory and pull out any information they could. They would make a token effort to rehabilitate him, but in the end, he’d be stripped of his magical powers, then his memory would be completely erased before being replaced with something so bland, it would bore the most conservative among them. I hope they make him an incompetent accountant for a drug cartel.
