Ottila reached for her again, and the sound of a cocking shotgun was loud. Ottila turned toward the sound without expression. He didn’t bother to wipe the blood from his face or chest. It dripped from the claw marks on his arms. He smiled at Harry. “Are you sure you want to be a part of this, Harry? Just walk away and you’ll stay alive. I won’t only kill you, but I’ll kill your boss as well. This isn’t your business.”

“She was put in my care,” Harry said. “Isabeau, walk back to me.”

“Don’t you move, Isabeau,” Ottila hissed. “I’ll kill him before he gets a shot off and then I’ll have to kill the old man.”

“You kill Alberto, and Imelda will never let you live. She’ll hunt you down, and nowhere will be safe for you. She’ll kill every man, woman and child you care about,” Harry promised.

Isabeau held up her hand. “Harry, I don’t want you and Alberto in the middle of this. Elijah will come after me. And his team is lethal. I’ll go with him.”

“I don’t think so, Isabeau.”

A new voice came from behind Ottila. Confident. Accented. So very familiar. Isabeau looked past Ottila and saw Felipe and she couldn’t help the relief bursting through her. She’d seen Felipe move and he was fast. Very fast.

“Harry, thank you. I can take it from here. Don’t leave the old man alone,” Felipe said.

Ottila whirled around and this time he held his palms out in surrender. He waited until Harry nodded and sauntered away before he addressed Felipe. “I can see I’m going to have to work a little harder to get my female.”

“You can choose a different one.”

“She has so many scents on her, I can’t find one particular one. That tells me she isn’t mated and therefore I have just as much right as any other to try to mate her.”

“We’re her family and we say stay the hell away from her.”

Ottila moved into the brush, angling away from Isabeau. “She’s a little hellcat.”

“I see you didn’t fare well with your courtship.”

“Hellcats are the best kind,” Ottila said. “They last longer and give you strong cubs.” He looked Isabeau in the eye. “You haven’t seen the last of me.”

Isabeau met his gaze, letting her cat look at him. “I hope for your sake I have.”

He saluted her and began to walk away, turning at the last moment to send a smirk to Felipe. “You’d better check on your boy in the trees. The little hellcat gave the signal to shoot and he didn’t take the shot. Now what do you suppose that means?” He sounded smug.

Isabeau blinked back tears. The idea of Jeremiah in the hands of Martin Suma made her ill. He would have no mercy.

Felipe merely smiled back. “I think you’d better check on your partner. Shots were fired. The boy doesn’t miss.”

Felipe did a quick examination of Isabeau. “You all right?”

She nodded. “Shaken up, that’s all. He didn’t hurt me.”

“You have bruises on your arms. And blood all over your dress.” He took a step after Ottila, as if he might fight him after all.

“His blood.” Isabeau caught his arm. “Don’t. Let’s just get out of here. I want to make sure Alberto Cortez is all right and I have to tell you what I found. This place is a burial ground. I’m not kidding.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Nothing about this place or these people surprises me.”

“Do you really think Jeremiah is okay?”

“He’s a damn good shot, Isabeau. He’ll be a huge asset with a little experience.”

She noticed he didn’t exactly answer her question. They continued along the path leading back to where she’d left Alberto. As they hurried, following the stream, Harry appeared around a sweeping bend, pushing Alberto’s chair. The older man had the shotgun across his lap and looked prepared to use it.

“Where is that guard?” he demanded. “Are you all right, Isabeau?”

She nodded her head. “I’m fine. Thanks, Harry. I think this place gets to people. Everyone’s acting crazy. Please don’t shoot anyone on my account.”

“I’m going home,” Alberto declared. “Now that I know you’re safe. I suggest you do the same. Harry, call my driver. I hope we meet again, Isabeau.”

“Your garden was lovely,” she said.

Felipe put a hand to his ear, listening to the voice coming over the radio. “We’re leaving, Isabeau. Elijah said to take you out front to the car.” He took her elbow.

To her dismay, the server, Teresa, was already in the car, looking as though she was going to cry. Isabeau climbed in wordlessly next to her, worried about Jeremiah, afraid for Teresa and wondering what exactly was going on.

14

ISABEAU stared out the window as the car moved rapidly down the long, winding drive, avoiding everyone’s eyes. She knew they could smell Ottila’s scent on her. There were spots of blood on her dress, impossible to hide in the close confines of the vehicle. She heard Conner’s expletive when he saw the dark bruises marring her skin and the blood on her dress, but she didn’t look at him. She knew she was at her limit and just needed space. They all needed to give her space—especially Conner. Philip Sobre, Imelda Cortez and the rogue leopards disgusted her. She felt dirty and just wanted to find a good, hot shower.

The vehicle slowed and Leonardo shoved the door open. Jeremiah exploded out of the thicker forest and raced through the thinner stand of trees and brush. He was about halfway to the SUV when something heavy dropped from the trees on top of him, slamming him to the ground. Fur and teeth and man tumbled and rolled, thrashing. The rifle went flying.