She turned her body toward the screen door, allowing her gaze to sweep over Eli. His head was down as if in defeat, but his eyes had narrowed to slits. She saw the blaze of power there and it steadied her. He had a plan. So did she.

Catarina lifted her chin. “Give me your word that they won’t touch him while we’re in the house, Rafe.”

“Will you believe me?”

She lowered her lashes. “I always believed you, Rafe. You’re all I’ve ever had.”

He might say he knew she was precious and he wanted to protect her, but he had known she was a shifter long before he ever removed her from that house of drugs and pain. His home, any home would have been better for a child to be raised in. But he’d left her there until she’d had her first period. Until he feared her leopard might emerge. He hadn’t taken any chances, forcing her to live with him then.

She knew he could have taken her earlier, but he hadn’t wanted the inconvenience of a small child. He would have had to hire a nanny, someone who might suspect what he did. More—and she suspected it was the real reason—he didn’t want to risk her being attached to anyone else.

Catarina knew the soft statement I always believed you, Rafe had gotten to him. She saw his eyes change, the leopard backing off just a little.

“No one will harm him.” Rafe lifted his head and pinned his lieutenants with his cold, steely eyes. “I don’t want him comfortable, but do nothing more until you’re given the order.”

She hesitated. There was something in what he said that she’d missed. How he’d said it. She wasn’t certain what to do. She needed to comply with Rafe’s demands, make him believe she was listening to him, that there was a chance she’d go peacefully with him, but now she was afraid to leave Eli alone with Rafe’s shifter lieutenants.

She glanced again at Eli out of the corner of her eye. His nod was nearly imperceptible, meant only for her. She squared her shoulders and moved immediately to stand at the screen. Waiting. Forcing Rafe to open it for her. To acknowledge she was a grown woman and had to be treated with respect. Eli opened doors for her, Rafe needed to do the same.

She stood there nearly a minute before Rafe’s hand moved past her to yank the screen open. She swept through it like royalty.

“Would you like a coffee? I can make almost anything.”