“People don’t,” El murmured.“Not until you live it.”Persia worried about making rent some months, was scared about an unplanned and unexpected trip to the ER… oh, to have those kinds of concerns.
El closed her eyes, wishing like hell she knew who was the target here.
Was it her mates?Or was it her?
And was the unnamed threat willing to get to her through the men she was slowly coming to love?
Men who loved her.
Well, Ryan did.He’d told her.
Even though that day had been horrendous on so many levels, she had that memory to cling to.
His sheepish declaration that he loved her while he was still battered from the blast was more romantic than any Valentine’s Day she’d ever had.
She bit her lip.“Persia, I might not be around much for a while, okay?”
“Yeah, I get that,” she teased.“You’re still in the ‘have to boink at every minute’ phase.Plus, what with the… I understand, El.I’d have understood before if you’d just explained it to me.”
“How could I have done?”she asked, her tone beseeching.“There are just some things I can’t explain.Some things that are too intense for anyone to comprehend.Even I’m overwhelmed half the time.I don’t see why I should load my shit onto you.”
“Because we’re friends.Duh.I offload onto you.”
“Yeah, about shit staff and the fact you’re worried about the market opening up around the corner.Not about kidnapping attempts.”And bomb plots.
She gritted her teeth at the thought.
Why couldn’t she just be fucking normal?
That question had plagued her all her life, but truth was, she was more abnormal than she’d ever imagined.
All the time she’d felt abnormal, there’s been a Panther just waiting to burst free…
Yeah, normal was relative.
She heaved out a breath.“If you need me, I promise I’ll answer.I’ve been bad about having my phone on me.”
“Okay, honey.Just remember, I’m here for you.Even if it’s going to overwhelm me whatever you have to tell me, you know?”
Touched, and feeling tears prick her eyes at Persia’s earnestness, she whispered, “I know, sweetie.Thank you.I mean it.”
“Bring him to meet me.When you can, I mean.I’d like to get to know the guy who’s swept you off your feet.”
El snorted.Ryan had done more than that.
“Maybe we’ll surprise you and visit the bakery.”
A squeal of delight came down the phone.“I’d love that.”
She laughed, touched by how deeply Persia meant that.
“Speak later, sugar,” her friend continued.“I have some cupcakes to frost.”
“You go, girl,” El chanted, and with a grin, said, “Bye, Persia.Speak later.”
As her friend told her the same, she cut the line and pursed her lips.A sudden noise cut through the silence of the clearing surrounding the pavilion, and her head whipped around to face it.
Spying a man, one she didn’t recognize—not that that was too unusual considering she knew too few people in the Pride—she didn’t bother to tense up.But, she eyed him warily as he approached her.
