“I hate this for him,” Marcus said as if reading El’s thoughts.
“I do too.I wish she could put Ryan first for once in her life,” El replied.
“In her own weird way of thinking, she has done everything for Ryan.”
“That’s scary.”
“Come on, I’m starved,” Marcus said, taking her hand.
They found Shawn and Trip in the kitchen already eating.
“What’s for lunch?”El chirped.
“There’s chicken salad in the fridge, and she made you a big plate of fruit before she left,” Shawn told her.
“I love that woman,” El said as she headed to the fridge.
“What did you learn today with the old guys,” Trip asked.
“Otis and Brock told me stories about Ryan when he had been little, and about how the Pride first came together.It was fascinating.Had Marcus not looked like he was in the middle of a root canal without any numbing, I would still be there listening,” El laughed, shooting Marcus a pointed look.
“I didn’t complain, though.You could have stayed,” he said with a smile.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.Nobody can listen to people’s stories as long as El,” Shawn said.
“So, this isn’t new behavior?”Marcus asked Shawn.
“No, she was on the board for a charity that ran the local senior citizen’s group, and El made a point to go there once a month or so and spend the day with the people that go there.It looked like torture techniques to me, but El would smile and ask questions like it was the best day of her life.”
“They were some of the best days of my life.I love those people, and I’d like to go back.I’m still on that board, might I add,” she teased.
“Don’t remind me.I think I’ve paid my dues there, I’ll let one of the other’s go from now on,” Shawn laughed.
“Did you already go get Willow?”El asked, Shawn suddenly remembering why she had come in search of Shawn in the first place.
“No, she’s driving over on her own later on.”
“How do you think that’s going to go over?”El asked, worried for her new friend.
“What do you mean?When she gets to the front gate, Adam will be the one to buzz her in.”
“Not with us, I mean with the Pantera.Do you think they’ll wonder why she’s disappearing?”
“I can only assume that Willow knew the risks when we asked her,” Shawn said with an empathetic shrug.
“I want to make sure she understands that, though.If this gets ugly, she may end up being on the wrong end of her own kind,” El said forcefully.
“You’re welcome to call her and speak with her before she comes over.”
“At this rate, an evening away won’t be suspicious, so I’ll just speak with her when she gets here.”
“That sounds fair,” Marcus said.
“At some point, do you think I could go in front of the Pantera?”El asked.
“No,” all three men said in unison.
“Why not?”El said before popping a grape in her mouth.
