Echo, sensing that Ryan had finally let go, tried to figure out what he was up to.
She patted his side lightly and said in a flat tone, “Boss, could you maybe bite somewhere else next time? How am I supposed to show my face with this?”
She already had a bite mark on the left side of her neck, and now there was undoubtedly another one on the right.
Did her height make her neck the most comfortable spot for him to sink his teeth into?
While she didn’t mind walking around with one bite mark, two was a bit much. She wasn’t some kind of snack.
Ryan raised his head at her words, studying her expression. There was no fear, no other emotion-just mild annoyance. It was so different from the terror Panther had shown when Ryan threw him out back then. And yet, it was exactly this indifference that made Ryan feel oddly comfortable.
Without a word, he scooped Echo up and carried her over to the corner of the room, setting her down on the only intact piece of furniture: a couch.
“You’re not scared?” he asked, his voice cold as ever, back to being the Ryan she knew.
Echo looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Scared? Of course, I’m scared.”
Of course, she’d been scared when she first saw him like that. Seeing Ryan in that state would make anyone nervous-Panther, a guy with serious skills, had been laid up in bed for a month after taking a beating.
But when Ryan grabbed her and bit down, she knew she wasn’t going to die. And as long as her life wasn’t on the line, she didn’t mind letting him vent. As long as he didn’t cross her bottom line, she was willing to negotiate on just about anything.
Ryan saw Echo say she was scared, but her expression didn’t match her words. He gave a slow nod, then said in a deep voice, “Get in here.”
The moment Echo heard that, a wide grin spread across her face. Playing tricks in front of Ryan? Yeah, good luck with that.
Hawk and the others, who had been waiting outside, didn’t say a word after hearing Ryan’s cold command. They filed into the room and lined up silently.
“Bring the medicine,” Ryan ordered as he shot a glance at Bill. Echo’s neck was still bleeding a little-not a serious injury, but it needed tending.
Bill, already prepared, handed over the ointment. Ryan gave him a cold look, then took the medicine and began tending to Echo’s wound himself.
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Hawk exchanged glances with the others. The last time Ryan lost his temper, it took him three days to cool down. This time, though, he seemed to settle much quicker.
But Boss hadn’t given any instructions about the case of the Silver family yet, which left Hawk uneasy. He glanced at Ryan, who was focused on tending Echo’s wound, then raised his brow and gave Echo a subtle look.
Echo rolled her eyes at him.
They’re really going to make her deal with this again?
Well, Ryan had already bitten her and burned through his rage-things should be fine now, right?
She cleared her throat and asked, “Boss, what do we do about Clement?”
Not how will you handle it, but what do we do-she was getting better at navigating situations like this.
Ryan didn’t respond, nor did his hands pause as he applied the medicine. Not a twitch, not the slightest tremor-just calm and steady, as if the Silver family was no different from a bunch of strangers. The unsettling calm left Hawk and the others unsure how to react.
Echo, on the other hand, couldn’t care less.
Whatever drama existed between Ryan and the Silver family-be it old grudges, family ties, or hatred-was none of her business.
So, she sat on Ryan’s lap, letting him treat her wound, without a hint of discomfort or awkwardness.
When Ryan saw that the bleeding had stopped, he shifted his attention away from her neck. His cold gaze swept over Hawk and the others.
“Detailed information,” Ryan said flatly.
Hawk and his team exchanged glances again. It was the first time Ryan had directly asked for information on Clement. The sudden shift in his attitude caught them off guard.
“Yes,” Hawk replied immediately, handing over a prepared file.
They had clearly anticipated this, even if they hadn’t expected Ryan’s change of heart.
Ryan flipped through the file with a cold, focused gaze, a hint of hostility flashing across his face.
“We’re going to England,” Ryan said firmly.
Hawk and the others responded with a quick “Yes,” and, with a wave of Ryan’s hand, they exited to begin their preparations.
England-the Silver family’s territory. It was also the one place Ryan had avoided all these years. Ryan had traveled the world, yet he never once set foot in England, a testament to his deep hatred for both the Silver family and the land they occupied.
For Ryan to decide to go there himself meant something big had happened with Clement. Otherwise, Ryan would never have considered it.
No one expected him to personally make the trip. They figured he’d send someone else-at most.
After years of refusing to even mention the Silver family, breaking that silence in such a drastic way left them all wondering what it could mean.
Maybe there was more to it-some lingering care, perhaps. After all, Clement was Ryan’s only uncle and the only one in the family who had never hurt him.
While the others wrestled with these thoughts, Echo stayed entirely indifferent. Whatever Ryan’s reasons-whether revenge, nostalgia, or family-it made no difference to her.
The only thing that mattered was one question: Were they walking into hell? She’d already been through life-or-death situations too many times. She wasn’t looking for more trouble-couldn’t handle it even if she tried.
Echo glanced up at Ryan and saw him leaning back on the couch, eyes closed, his fingers gently brushing through her hair, as if his earlier outburst had never happened.
Without saying a word, she picked up the documents Ryan had set down. She needed to know if any danger lay ahead-whether the man-eating locals were gone, or if there would be some man-eating fish waiting for them instead.
The documents contained several reports, but none focused on the critical details. They mostly outlined Clement’s identity, age, profession, recent contacts, family members, and friends.
However, there was no information about where or why he went missing.
No wonder Ryan had to go to the UK himself-if the Dark family’s information network couldn’t uncover the reason for Clement’s disappearance, it likely meant the problem originated within the Silver family’s territory.
After quickly flipping through the files, Echo saw nothing alarming. The trip seemed safe enough.
England-a country steeped in tradition and stone architecture. As long as they stayed in civilized areas, Ryan would rule the scene.
Worst case? Some shootouts. She was used to that by now; no big deal.
She set the useless files aside and leaned her head against Ryan’s chest. After a stressful day, and with another journey ahead, she figured she’d sneak in some rest while she could.
Ryan didn’t mind her doing things on her own. He kept stroking her hair while she rested against him, slowly opening his eyes, a flicker of bloodlust glinting in them.