Where she was concerned, it was like the block of ice around him had cracked and she was the only one who could get close to the real him.
Well, save for Marc and Trip.Shawn too, actually.Ryan was taking the time to get to know her fourth mate, and she knew the other Triad brothers were doing the same.
Only the other week, she’d left Ryan sleeping in her bedroom after an afternoon of naughtiness on the hunt for ice cream, and had heard Marc and Shawn discussing something.It couldn’t have been too serious from the way they were guffawing, and she’d heard definite sounds from a game of football.
It had warmed her greatly to know they were getting on and starting to form bonds.
The last thing she wanted was for Shawn to feel out in the cold.
James, Leilani’s mate and Ryan’s father, murmured, “This looks great, Ryan.”He beamed at him.“Feral is doing so well.I was watching something about it onFood Networklast night.”
Marc snorted.“You watchFood Network?”
“I find it relaxing,” James replied without heat, but his eyes sparkled with amusement.“I don’t know why it surprises you that I take an interest in what I eat.Not when Ryan was the one with the idea for the restaurant.He got his love of food from me, I’ll have you know.”
Trip laughed.“Ryan doesn’t care about the food.He’s all about the business.”
At her side, Ryan winced.“Well done, Trip,” he grunted when James shot him a scandalized look.Shrugging, he admitted, “It’s a great way to employ a lot of the lower ranks, Dad.”
“Stop being a baby, James.You and I can both scent how right he is.There are more Pride members here than at the compound most nights.”
Ryan chuckled at his mother’s remark.“You’re not wrong.I’ve had to expand the team.We’re too busy for our own good.”
“Are you looking into opening a second restaurant in the city?”
Ryan shrugged again at his father’s question.“Trip’s scouting for a plot, but, truth is he pissed off a lot of people when he bought this one.I’m not sure I trust him to scout out land options anymore.”He laughed when Trip flipped him the bird.
El nudged him in the side.“Do you really mean that?”she asked when Leilani turned to James and asked him something sotto voce.
“What?About not trusting Trip?”Ryan grinned.“Nah.But he did cause a major fuck up for us with this land deal.”
“How?”
He grimaced.“You sure you want to know?”
She huffed out a laugh.“Now I need to know.You can’t tell a girl that and not expect her to want answers.”
“True,” he said with a rueful smile.“The Pantera wanted this plot for running land.They’re not as rich as us, can’t afford to have a place like the compound for members to go and run.”He pulled a face.“I didn’t realize until we’d already broken ground on the restaurant that the Pantera were pissed.”
She frowned.“Is it still causing trouble?Feral’s been open for nine months now, and how long did construction take?”
“Just under eight months.”He blew out a breath.“It’s hard to say with the Pantera, truth be told, babe.They hold grudges.”
“That’s why you were asking about Jaime and Enrique, right?You thought it might have had something to do with the Pantera?”
He nodded.“It fit.”
“But they were acting alone?”she asked, seeking confirmation.
“They were.As far as Santiago and Erickson can determine from the evidence they’ve found.”
She narrowed her eyes at him.“What aren’t you telling me?”She wasn’t all that great at reading between the lines, but she heard something in his voice loud and clear… Uncertainty.
He wriggled his shoulders.“Just because there’s no evidence to prove otherwise doesn’t mean there’s no evidence at all.”
Before she could ask if he thought she was in danger from the Pantera—oh, the irony—Leilani murmured, “What are you two discussing that has El looking so worried?”
El’s eyes widened—the mockery in Leilani’s voice pricked at the Panther like nothing else the woman had said did.
