He lifted his head to pin the nurse with his frozen stare. She shivered and swallowed, her face paling a little. Good. He wanted her scared. “Why isn’t Evangeline in surgery?”

“The surgical team had to be called in. Doc is operating on the other one brought in with her. He called in a second team. They arrived a few minutes ago. The room is already set up so as soon as they’re ready for her, I’ll take her in.”

The woman’s voice shook enough that he was satisfied with the answer. She wasn’t lying to him, trying to appease him because she thought he might take out his gun and shoot her.

He kept his hands on Evangeline, toed one of the rolling seats and sank onto it beside her bed. He murmured softly to her. Nonsense. Speaking in Italian to further the illusion for the nurse that he was from Italy. It occurred to him that even under the influence of morphine, hurting from several bullet wounds, Evangeline had called him Alonzo, not Fyodor. He might not want his life for her, but she was suited to it.

He pressed her fingers to his forehead, needing her touch. He’d held her all night, her soft body tight against his, and somehow he’d found the strength to keep from taking her. That had cost him, but it also had been important to her so it had been important to him. He had control to give her. He had discipline. He just didn’t have the finer points of a relationship down, but he’d damn well learn. For her. He’d learn.

His leopard had gone quiet but now he stretched and pushed toward the surface, wanting to feel his female.

Is she hurt? Why isn’t she responding? The anxiety was close, and with the cat’s terror came the need for violence. Alonzo understood completely. They’d both been programed to respond that way.

The drug is keeping the pain at bay. She’s sleeping, safe and secure inside of Evangeline. Evangeline tried to protect her as well.

He realized that when he was on the floor of the bakery and she’d chosen the angle to hit him. It wasn’t her most advantageous to get the job done, but if her leopard were stretched out from the leap and on her right side, or middle, she’d angled in so that the left side of her body was presented to the target, protecting both Alonzo and the cat.

She was brave.

She was foolish, he snapped back, although it was nice to hear the admiration in his leopard’s purring voice. The big cat genuinely liked Evangeline and respected her.

Not foolish, his male insisted. Brave. She is worthy of you.