Ramon raised his hands in front of him. “Just telling her you’d be out in a moment and that no charges were being brought against you.”
“I should think not,” Mason bit out. “You were the one trespassing on my property.”
Saffy had a mind to tell him that the property actually belonged to their parents, but she thought it best not to antagonize him. “You ready to go?” she asked instead.
He grunted a reply, then followed her to the car. After she’d beeped the locks open and Mason had climbed in, she tossed Ramon a smile and wave before climbing into the car beside him. Mason didn’t speak until they were back out on street level. He stiffened, then leaned in closer to her and inhaled deeply through his nose.
“Did that fucker lay a finger on you?”
She tried to hide her panic then looked across at him and frowned. “What?”
“Did he hit you—grab you, push you, anything?”
“No! Of course not. Why?”
“I can smell him on you,” he said, his mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. “The stench of him makes me wanna heave.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re imagining it.”
“I’m gonna get him back for tonight,” he said. “If it’s the last thing I do.”
She sighed heavily. “Mason.”
“You don’t think I’m going to let him get away with ruining Charlotte’s party, do you? Those fucking Miguels have got a lot to answer for, but they’ll get what’s coming to them, you just wait and see.”
Saffy had never been able to talk any sense into her brother and she wasn’t sure what made her think that she might be able to that time, either. Regardless, she spent the rest of the drive home trying to dissuade him from whatever stupid revenge fantasy he’d already dreamed up. As per usual, Mason acted like he didn’t hear a single word she said, but for once, his recklessness wasn’t her top priority.
Chapter Five
Ramon
When Saffy got out of the cab and strolled along the sidewalk toward him, Ramon almost swallowed his tongue. She was wearing a skintight red dress cut high on her thigh and vampy red lipstick to match. If she had passed Ramon on the street, he would have been tempted to wolf whistle, even though he’d been raised better than that. But the fact that this was his mate made him glow with pride. She was a knockout. He couldn’t believe that she washismate.
“You look sensational,” he greeted when she reached him.
Ramon leaned in to give her a peck on the lips that sent his pulse soaring.
“Thanks, you clean up nice yourself,” she said after they had pulled apart.
He beamed at her. “Thanks.”
He wasn’t wearing anything special, just jeans and a shirt, but he’d forgone his usual faded blue jeans for a pair of black ones and had changed his shirt five times before deciding on an olive-green one someone had one said went well with his complexion.
“You ready to eat?” he asked.
Saffy nodded to the restaurant. “Did you make a reservation?”
“No,” he said with a frown. “They’ve usually got a table or two left empty. Why, do you think I should have?”
“Do you live alone?” she asked.
He grinned. “Yes. And you’d be more than welcome to come to my place, but I wouldn’t be able to cook for you. I’m, uh, I’m a little behind on my grocery shopping this week.”
She raised a perfectly sculpted brow. “You cook?”
“My mama raised me well.”
“I can see that.” She shrugged. “I’m not fussy what I eat, though. Pizza would be good, and it would be nice to have some time alone to talk.”
