Joshua turned back toward him, clearly shocked. “That son of a bitch. We should have killed the bastard while we had the chance.”

Elijah studied Alonzo’s face, clearly seeing far too much. “I’ve never asked about your past because I didn’t think it mattered. You’re surrounded by Russians. They’re obviously related in some way, and you never take off your gloves. Leopards don’t like gloves because it’s one more thing to take off when shifting. So I guess you’re covering tattoos. It’s common in Russia for the brotherhood to tattoo their fingers, especially if they’ve served any time.”

Alonzo remained silent. There wasn’t a question in there. Elijah was fishing.

Elijah sighed. “Joshua, would you mind stepping out of the room? Just for a few minutes?” He looked at his bodyguards.

Alonzo shook his head. “That isn’t necessary.”

Elijah took him at his word. “You swore allegiance to me. You gave your word that you were on board with what we’re doing. No one thought you’d find your mate, least of all me. I sure as hell didn’t think I’d find mine, and I’d never have asked you if I didn’t think you could handle the position.”

“You want the territory back, I’ll be more than glad to hand it over.”

“Don’t be an ass. The point I’m making is you learned far too fast how to be in charge of a territory. You know exactly what you’re doing and the role fits you perfectly.”

“I was never a vor, if that is what you’re implying.”

“No, but you were born into this world. You learned the ropes from the time you were a child, just as I did.”

“Where is this conversation going, Elijah?” He’d given his past to Evangeline, and he’d whitewashed it. Living in a nightmare world such as he had with Timur, Gorya, Sevastyan and Mitya was unconceivable by outsiders. There was no describing the kind of hell they lived and witnessed every single hour of their existence. There was no reprieve. No safe place to catch a minute of normal. The cruelty and depravity of leopards deliberately mating with women not their own so they could later dispose of them after they provided sons was unimaginable. He’d give that to his woman but not anyone else, and only what he had to reveal so she’d know who he really was.

“I’m asking if there’s going to be blowback from your past. We have to be prepared for anything.”

It was possible. They were getting too much publicity, something he’d worried about when he’d agreed to take over Antonio Arnotto’s territory. He nodded slowly. “I didn’t think so at first, but now . . .” He shrugged. “It’s possible.”