His gaze locked with hers.

“Don’t worry about me. Do what you have to do.”

He would have kissed her, despite her black-streaked face, if all his men hadn’t been grinning like monkeys.

They had arrived at the inn through the waterway, so it was rather startling to have cars driving up to the house, reminding him they weren’t on an island. Remy leapt out, rushed across the lawn to his sister, yanking her up off the ground and into his arms in one move.

“You all right, Saria?”

“I’m fine. All of us got out.”

“This is bullshit.”

“I thought so too,” Saria agreed with a small smile. She carefully extracted herself from her brother, brushing at the smears of black on his shirt.

“I’m sendin’ you out of the country if this keeps up,” he threatened, turning to glare at Drake. “You keep puttin’ her in harm’s way and the two of us just may end up dancin’.”

“Any time, Remy,” Drake spat out, disgusted. He was damn tired, angry and ready to kick the ass of every member of the lair. “How the hell did you allow things to get to this point? You had to have known what was going on right under your nose. I suppose you looked the other way because it was convenient, just as you did when Saria was growing up.”

Behind Remy, his brothers spread out and behind Drake, his men did the same. Saria made a move as if to get between them, but Drake snagged her wrist and pulled her behind him. He raised glittering eyes to the Boudreaux brothers, his leopard clawing for supremacy. His chest was already bare, as were his feet, so hands dropped to the buttons of his jeans, ready to strip.

“Any of you want to challenge for leadership, do it now or stand down. I’m damn tired of this entire community.” Fury pushed adrenaline through his veins, and his skin rippled as he breathed deep to try to keep his leopard at bay. He’d had enough of all of them.

Remy bowed his head and his brothers followed suit. “I was not challengin’ leadership,” he qualified, “only takin’ offense at you makin’ it all personal. My sister is years younger than me. Maybe you’re right and we should have looked out for her better. Those years were difficult on all of us and lways seemed as if she was happy. Maybe it’s guilt and the need to make it all up to her that makes me edgy. Bottom line is, she’s my sister and I don’t like anyone threatenin’ her or puttin’ her in danger.”

“Then let’s find this bastard and put him in the ground,” Drake said.

Saria slipped her fingers into the back pocket of his jeans. He felt the connection between them immediately. Felt his leopard calm instantly and hers rise to the surface to stroke along his cat. The knots of tension in his belly unraveled.

“I’ve got a couple of men that need interrogating. Care to join me?” Drake asked Remy.

“They won’t like seein’ me with you,” Remy warned. “I have a reputation. Undeserved, but there it is.” He offered up a small smile, just a flash of his white teeth, but it was a conciliatory gesture.

Drake reached behind him for Saria’s hand. It was strange to think he hadn’t known her just a week or so earlier. She’d fast become his world. There was something soothing about her presence even when his entire body was aware of her at all times. Her fingers threaded through his and instant satisfaction flooded him. Relief. She was always there. Steady. Constant. No matter what happened. No matter how bad.

“Maybe you should go with your brothers back to your house, shower and get clean clothes. I’ll send Elijah and Joshua with you. They’re both tough as nails and between them and your family, you’ll be safe.”

“You want to get rid of me.”

“There’s that too.” He smiled down at her. She wasn’t a woman he had to soft-soap the truth for. “I’d rather you weren’t here when we question these men.” His gaze flicked to Joshua. Hers followed and she barely nodded her head, understanding his silent plea. He didn’t want Joshua there either. If his uncles were every bit as sick as his grandfather had been, Joshua might take it pretty hard. It was always a difficult thing to face knowing one’s bloodline could carry insanity. Drake had been with Jake Bannaconni for some time and had seen firsthand when leopards went wrong. Jake’s parents had been two of the cruelest, sickest individuals Drake had ever come across.

Saria nodded. “A shower sounds good.”

Drake retained possession of her hand. “You won’t take off on your own, right?”

“Are you sayin’ you think I can slip away right out from under the noses of your men and my brothers?” she teased.

“Probably. I sure wouldn’t bet against it. But you won’t.”

“I won’t. I know someone really dangerous is runnin’ around out there and . . .”

“They’re looking right at you,” he finished for her.

She nodded, her expression serious. “I’ll be safe.”

Satisfied, Drake looked to his men—not her brothers. Joshua and Elijah were men he would trust with his life—with Saria’s life. They both nodded their understanding.

Remy looked at his brothers. “Take them home. Don’t let her out of your sight. In fact, when she takes a shower, one of you guard outside that window. If these two aren’t doin’ the killin’, he might make another try for Saria.”

Mahieu nodded and stepped back to allow his sister to precede him to the car.