“Patrizio.” Elijah spoke, holding up his hand to stop the others. His voice was quiet. A whip lashing at the other man. “I asked Evangeline to do me a personal favor and close her shop during business hours because Emilio suggested we use her bakery as neutral territory. She did me that favor, and you’ve insulted her. In doing so, you’ve insulted me.”

Alonzo breathed through the heat and fire, the cracking of joints. His jaw ached. His skull felt too tight. His ribs felt as if they would break with the leopard pushing and demanding the kill. Red heat fueled his vision so that he saw in colored bands, heat imagery, and all he saw was targets. He didn’t want the leopard to kill the crime boss. He wanted to do it as a man, feeling his head between his hands as he snapped the neck.

Patrizio looked at the giant of a man standing in front of him. He had no idea how Alonzo had gotten there. No sound, but so fast the man was a blur. He had four guards, all armed, but they would be up against sixteen guards. Worse, he needed the alliance with these men. He was going to start being picked apart. He’d blown it for a puttana. A whore. He didn’t know whom she belonged to, but she caused this, walking the way she did, showing him her breasts.

“I meant no harm. She’s a beautiful woman. It was a compliment to give her attention. I was teasing her a little. No harm done, Elijah.” Patrizio sounded appeasing. Just knowing he had to backpedal in order to keep in their good graces infuriated him, but he had no choice. The puttana would pay, just not today. He forced a smile at Elijah, not daring to look into those cold dead eyes of Alonzo’s. The man was the walking dead. He lived and breathed but he didn’t feel any emotion.

Alonzo could hear the lies in his enemy’s voice. It mattered little that Joshua and Elijah heard them too. Evangeline was his. She was under his protection. He’d brought this down on her, by allowing Joshua and Elijah to override him when Emilio had first come up with the idea of the bakery as a neutral meeting place. He knew Emilio frequented the bakery, but he still questioned the motive for using Evangeline’s shop. Was it so obvious to everyone that Evangeline was the draw, not the pastries and coffee?

Three seconds was all he needed and he would kill the man and his bodyguards and end the threat to Evangeline.

“Don’t.” Elijah’s voice was a whip of authority.