“She’s a pain in the ass,” Sevastyan said, although Alonzo could hear the affection in his voice. “She’s got a list as long as my arm and wants me to go to the store for her. She’s insisting tomorrow she’s cooking for everyone.”

“She’s supposed to be in bed.”

“Yeah, well, let me just say, that’s not happening unless I put her ass in bed.”

Alonzo remained silent.

Sevastyan blew out air in the way a leopard might. “Really? She’ll take my head off.”

“Better your head than your dick,” Alonzo snapped.

Sevastyan sighed. “Consider it done, but I’m going to make certain she knows where the order came from. Then it will be your dick in danger.”

“Lock that place down. She’s got a price on her head. If anything happens, you can protect her from my room. There’s a passage in the wall just to the left of the door. Find it in case you need it before we get back. You have any inkling of trouble, get her out of there and into the safe room. The passageway leads to one.”

“Price on her head?” Sevastyan repeated.

“That’s right.” Alonzo snapped the phone closed and handed it back to his brother. Sevastyan would get rid of his burner the moment they returned. No one ever used their personal phone for business. Not. Ever.

Alonzo remained silent during the long ride to Amodeo’s personal home. He lived on the edge of San Antonio, in a quiet neighborhood reserved for the wealthy. His house was a one-story, lengthy sprawling brick mansion shaped like a U. The courtyard had a swimming pool and a garden, with inviting decks and cool shade trees. The entire estate was surrounded by a high wrought-iron fence, very decorative looking, but perfectly functional.

To get to the house, one had to maneuver up a long, private drive to the gate, where a guardhouse sat, preventing entry. Two guards, both heavily armed, manned the guardhouse. Two dogs patrolled with their handlers on the grounds. No one stood around whispering and laughing. No one smoked cigarettes and looked bored. This was a camp prepared to do battle.

“Just the way I like it,” Alonzo murmured as he, Timur and Gorya leapt from the car three blocks from the house. The town car drove off, barely slowing down to allow them out. The three leopards padded silently through the neighborhood, staying close to the bushes and trees lining the streets that led to the larger estates. Each wore a small knapsack around their neck containing clothes.

It wasn’t difficult for the leopards to move parallel to the driveway, keeping out of sight of the cameras directed at the long drive. Their long fur camouflaged them easily in the heavier bushes lining the drive. They barely disturbed plants as they made their way to the fence.