Meiling’s nod was imperceptible. Very slowly Gedeon lowered the gun and made a show of indicating to Meiling to do the same. She pulled the barrel from the kid’s mouth and stepped back to give him room to get up.
“I don’t like anyone putting their hands on me withoutpermission,” she said in a low tone. They were all shifters and all of them could hear her, which was her intention. She smiled sweetly at the kid and waited by the open door for Gedeon to give her an indication of what he wanted her to do next.
Gedeon released Elijah from his grip. He was abnormally strong, even for a shifter, and he knew the moment he was out of their sight, Elijah, Fyodor and Timur would be discussing how he had managed to get over the tops of Joaquin and Elijah and manhandle the crime lord so easily. He hoped they would be so intrigued by his abilities they wouldn’t wonder how a woman as small as Meiling was able to throw a grown male shifter to the floor and take his weapon away from him. He didn’t want them thinking too much about her at all.
Fyodor indicated a table with six chairs. “Gedeon, please come to the table and allow me to explain.”
Timur shifted his gaze to Meiling, who watched the young shifter, Yurik, slowly climb to his feet. Yurik glanced warily at her and then at Elijah as he worked his jaw back and forth.
“Join us, Meiling.” Timur issued the invitation, completely ignoring the young shifter.
She looked to Gedeon. If both sat at the table, it would be much more difficult to fight their way out. He doubted they would have to. He gave her the signal to come join them. She flashed Timur a heart-stopping smile.
“Thank you, I think I will. It’s getting rather chilly standing here in the doorway. Or it could be the three unmarked cop cars patrolling up and down the street pretending they’re not really cop cars and not really interested in anything going on here.”
Elijah sighed. “Seriously, Fyodor? Couldn’t you have paid off that cop who’s always after your wife so we don’t get raided every time we have a late-night meeting?”
Fyodor groaned. “Don’t even joke about him. I keepthinking he’s going to go away, but he’s very persistent, even after all this time. I think he hopes someone will kill me so he can console my widow. I made Timur promise me that if I do get murdered, he kills the cop first thing. That sanctimonious son of a bitch does not get my wife.”
Gedeon waited until Meiling was beside him. He loved that she came to him rather than to the other side of the table. He seated her first and then waited until Fyodor and Elijah pulled back their chairs before seating himself beside her.
“Thank you for not killing young Yurik,” Elijah said to Meiling. “He’s a good kid and he’ll be a good bodyguard when he stops trying to show off and allows someone to actually instruct him.”
“Send him to Borneo with Drake’s men,” Timur suggested. “We had to put up with Jeremiah for far too long before he started exhibiting any kind of sense.”
“Hey,” said the young man with blond hair who was part of Timur’s team guarding Evangeline. He grinned good-naturedly, as did the men around him.
“He still hasn’t learned to keep his mouth shut,” Fyodor pointed out.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen with the way the women coddle him,” Timur pretended to grouse.
Gedeon wasn’t a man to relax and trust because those around him were acting like they were all friends. He could appear that way to others and normally would. He did this time, but catching Meiling’s eyes and communicating silently, needing her to understand he wanted her on guard. She appeared to be genuinely entertained by the banter going back and forth by the men at the table. Observing her closer, he realized that as he was doing, she was assessing the best way for the two of them to fight their way free should they need to. He looked tough and gave nothing away. She looked sweet, open and friendly. That was one of her many gifts.
“I see why you brought so many of your men with you tonight, Fyodor,” Elijah interjected, sitting back as he indicated the shifters, most of whom had settled around the tables, while a few were still trying to appear casual draped against walls. Yurik had been led to the counter by two others. A first-aid kit sat beside him while he was examined for injuries other than where the thin trickle of blood came from his mouth and down his chin.
Gedeon raised an eyebrow.Hewasn’t getting why there were so many shifters. He looked to Fyodor for an explanation.
“Meiling, of course,” Fyodor replied, his tone calm. Very casual, as if they were discussing the weather.
Meiling’s head jerked up and her sweet expression disappeared, her dark gaze flicking around the table at the men sitting with her and then around the room at all the shifters between her and the door. Gedeon could almost read her mind. She instantly went from being his partner to being that wary, on-the-verge-of-flight woman he had spent a great deal of time coaxing to work with him.
Gedeon allowed one hand to slide under the table in order to curve his palm around the top of her thigh. He didn’t look at her. “I’m not certain what you mean by that, Fyodor. There’s no ‘of course’ that I’m aware of.”
“She’s leopard and she’s unattached. We’re fairly desperate for female leopards here. Most of the shifters in this room have been all over the world looking for their mate and haven’t found her yet. It’s possible Meiling’s leopard is in her first cycle and would respond to one of the leopards who also has been without a mate. Or her female would recognize one of the male leopards and rise enough to allow a claiming.”
“You didn’t think to ask her if she was willing to have these males check her out? That maybe it would make her feel uncomfortable to know you were setting her up without even consulting her?” Gedeon asked. He kept his tonereasonable. Mild. His fingers dug into Meiling’s thigh, conveying his outrage on her behalf, but no other body part gave away the tension in him.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, Meiling,” Elijah said, leaning toward her, “my good friend Fyodor didn’t mention that you were unclaimed. Notice I didn’t bring a host of shifters looking for a mate. I just brought a small crew, several of whom are being trained. You see how well that worked out. Unless you think you’re compatible with Yurik. If he got bossy with you, you could wipe up the floor with him.”
“Triedto get bossy with her,” Timur corrected.
Fyodor frowned, his gaze switching from Gedeon to Meiling and then back. “I thought you would consider it an honor, Meiling.”
Gedeon gave a grunt of annoyance.
Fyodor shook his head. “That wasn’t the right way to put it. It was an honor for my men to be introduced to you. I thought you would be looking for your mate. Don’t women want to find their mates?” There was genuine curiosity in his voice.
“Is that what you found with Evangeline? Was she looking to find a mate for her leopard?” Meiling asked.
