“This is not the time to remind me of that particular moment.”

He took her into the great room of the main house and indicated a chair. “You need to get off that leg. The limp is more pronounced than ever.”

He had a point. Her leg was on fire. The doctor had definitely told her not to overdo it. The house was very large and it had taken her a long time to explore. She hadn’t even gone into the conservatory or the atrium. Without a protest she sank into the chair he’d indicated.

“Don’ tower over me. Sit down too.”

His gaze drifted over her face. Brooding. Moody. He prowled away from her and then began to pace the length of the room and back.

“I’m not going to let you go, Evangeline. I know you came from a fucked-up lair and you’re afraid of my cat being violent. He is. He’s dangerous. I’ve handled him my entire life and now, with you, he’s calmer. It will be easier. I’m not keeping you for my leopard, or because for the first time in my life, I don’t have to fight him for control. I’m keeping you because I can’t conceive of my life without you.”

She kept her eyes on his face as he paced. No expression. He looked—alone. She rubbed at her thigh, around the wound that was healing. She was leopard and that meant she healed faster than most people. It was uncomfortable, but the pain was manageable. She knew she was lucky. Mitya had taken the brunt of the attack.

“I know what you saw—the bars on the windows, the metal plate on the door—was scary. I can’t tell you it isn’t needed, because you saw the way he tries to break free. You have to learn to live with him. He’d never harm you. Never. You hold his female. You’re one and the same to him. Ours. He . . .”

“Stop, Fyodor.” She kept her voice low because that was her way. “You don’ need to dictate to me, and in fact, over time, you’re goin’ to find out it isn’t goin’ to work. I make up my own mind about things. I get that you’re a big, bad, scary man. You’ve spent a lifetime intimidatin’ people into doing what you say.”

“You try to leave me and you’ll find out just how bad I can be.”

She rolled her eyes, she couldn’t help it. She knew him. She’d watched him carefully for over a year. Alonzo wouldn’t raise his hand to a woman. In fact, if his enemies really wanted to kill him, they should have sent a woman after him. She would have had a much better chance at ending his life. Now it was too late for that. Now he had her.