Page 30 of Israel

Chapter 13

Israel was awake the moment the bus came to a stop. He was still on the couch in the lounge. Ashley had fallen asleep with her head on his chest, all warm and soft and trusting. For a moment he closed his eyes again and let himself dream they were mated, that this could happen all the time.

But he was fooling himself. He was no closer to winning her over than he’d been last night. And he didn’t want to be one of those guys she’d talked about—the ones who took advantage of vulnerable moments to push their own agenda.

Reluctantly, he slid out from underneath her. She stirred and mumbled something in her sleep, but she didn’t wake up. Carefully, he lifted her and cradled her to his chest, and then walked out and slid her carefully into her own bunk.

His heart ached with how much he wanted her to love him. Or even just let him love her. She needed someone to take care of her—to make sure she got plenty of rest and people left her alone when she needed it, and she didn’t overdo it.

Someone to listen to her.

But she didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust anyone, and if her family was as controlling as everyone said, he didn’t really blame her.

He looked out the window and saw they were at a truck stop off the highway. It was just beginning to get light out, pink and gray streaks of dawn decorating the sky above the long, low buildings.

Israel’s stomach rumbled. He hadn’t eaten dinner last night, and the popcorn they’d had during the movie was about as substantial as cotton candy. More important, his wolf wanted out of this bus. Not to mention he was stiff from sleeping sitting up.

He pulled the curtain across Ashley’s bunk, then made his way to the front of the bus and woke up Trevor, who was stretched out on one of the couches in the forward lounge, snoring.

“I’m going across to get some food,” he said. “You’re on watch. Nobody gets on this bus except the driver or Harrison Ward. I don’t care if they have ID issued by God.”

The guard nodded, sitting up and stretching until his spine popped. “Understood.”

Everybody on the security team was pissed the stalker had outwitted them. Israel knew he’d make sure Ashley was okay.

“You want anything from the diner?” he asked.

Trevor looked surprised and grateful. “Wouldn’t say no to a couple of burgers,” he said. “Thanks.”

Israel nodded and waved dismissively as Trevor reached for his wallet. “I’ll get it,” he said.

After letting the driver know he was off the bus, Israel walked across the parking lot to the 24-hour diner. It was about half-full, despite the fact that it was about four in the morning.

Israel placed his order, but he was too antsy to sit and wait while they cooked it. Grabbing the coffee the waitress fixed for him, he wandered down to the end of the diner area, where there was a doorway leading to a convenience store and gift shop.

Israel meandered through the shop, not really paying attention to what he was looking at, just stretching his legs.

Until he saw the stuffed animals.

In among the usual teddy bears and rainbow-colored ponies was a shelf of predator/prey combinations. A lion cuddled up to an attached lamb. A wolf with a black sheep.

And a grizzly bear with a furry bunny tucked under one fuzzy arm.

A slow smile moved across Israel’s face. He picked up the grizzly and started for the cash register, when his gaze was caught by a half-price bin of tiny animals from previous holidays—Easter bunnies, and bears holding Valentine hearts or shamrocks or wearing Santa hats.

And reindeer.

He grabbed a reindeer and paid for both animals, then picked up his food and went back to the bus, whistling.

He was about to start wooing.

Back in the bus, Israel sat down with Trevor and ate with him. Making small talk was always an effort for him, but he needed to continue to build rapport with this team if he was going to keep Ashley safe. As soon as they were done, he dumped his trash and returned to the back of the bus with the plastic bag containing the stuffed animals.

Israel grabbed his kit bag out of the junk bunk and went back into Ashley’s lounge. It was time for some surgery.

Inside his kit bag, next to his shaving gear and nail clippers, was a tiny sewing kit. The other Enforcers always laughed at him for carrying it, calling him Grandma and Susie Homemaker, but he was also the one they came to when they lost a button or needed to repair a rip in their jeans.

Israel clipped the antlers off the reindeer with the folding scissors from the sewing kit, and then painstakingly sewed them onto the bunny’s forehead. It was a pain in the ass, trying to take such tiny stitches while the bus was moving, and he had to start over twice before he got the antlers set just right.