“Don’t call me that. Not ever again. You aren’t sweet and kind. Don’t use that voice, that lying voice. This is who you are. Violent. Rough. And a killer. You think I can’t see it in your eyes? Leopards are killing machines. That’s what they do. They hunt and they kill and that’s it.”

His leopard was far too close for a conversation like this one. Worse, she came close to the truth of it and that made him angry as well. “You left out fucking, Cat,” he snarled. “Leopards have lots and lots of sex.”

He set her back in the passenger seat and caught up the cuffs. She had gone very pale and shrank back against the seat, her eyes ringed with dark circles. She still looked broken and vulnerable in spite of her sudden fury. Her anger was gone completely. She looked defeated. Completely defeated. He hadn’t been going for that reaction either.

She put both hands in the air. “Please. Not again.” She didn’t look at him.

He took another deep breath, studying the long sweep of her lashes. “Cat, I can’t take any chances with you. I can cuff you to me or the bolt. You choose.” It was the best he could do. He had the feeling she planned to jump out of the truck on the highway when he was going at a high speed.

They were almost out of the car wash. “Choose, baby, and hurry.”

She extended the arm closest to him, turning her head to look out the window. “Just don’t talk to me anymore. I can’t take any more.”

That was a body blow. He could feel her trembling through the connection of metal. “Let’s just get somewhere safe where you can sleep,” he said. “No safe house or trying to get you to testify. Just sleep.”

She swallowed and nodded her head once. Eli supposed that was a better response than nothing. He’d taken the fight out of her, but she was battered and bruised emotionally. He set his teeth and went through the car wash a second time. The moment they were clean, he hit the highway.

He took them out of the city. “Malcom and David are safe. I told them both to get out of town for a while and take a long vacation. They both said they would.”

“Thank you.”

He hadn’t expected that. She sounded like she meant it.

“I didn’t know they’d gotten word to Cordeau. I didn’t have any idea they intended to.”

She didn’t respond. She kept her head turned away from him and he was afraid the tears were falling again. She made no sound, but that just made it worse. The way she held herself, he knew she wouldn’t accept comfort from him.

“I fucked up, Catarina. Big-time. I totally fucked up with you.”