Siena found herself curled on the floor, naked, the backpack around her neck and Elijah’s fingers digging into the small of her back. The moment she shifted, he lifted her in his arms, his face close to hers. She turned her face into his chest, refusing to meet his eyes. She’d never been so tired in her life. She couldn’t fight him, no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn’t lift her arms. She could barely turn her head.

He took her to the bed and, placing a knee in the middle, dipped down to deposit her there gently. She felt his hands unsnapping the backpack from around her neck and she turned her face into the pillow.

Light spilled in from the window, the sun already climbing in the sky. She squeezed her eyes shut. He had to be as exhausted as she was, but he didn’t show it. He set her pack on the end table beside the bed and went to the window, closing it and then pulling the heavy drape to block out the sun.

Her gaze immediately touched on the backpack. Her phone was in there. Elijah padded barefoot and naked through the bedroom, blocking all light before heading for the bathroom. He was very comfortable without clothes, while she dragged the cover over her and held it over her breasts. Elijah didn’t close the door, but the moment he disappeared, she reached for the backpack, nearly knocking it to the floor when her shaking hand caught the strap.

Jerking it to her, she hastily unzipped it and yanked out her cell phone. She had no idea whether or not Alonzo had betrayed her grandfather, but she had no one else and she couldn’t, wouldn’t, stay with Elijah any longer than she had to. Better to take a leap right into the fire; at least she knew who she was dealing with. She hastily scrolled down her list of contacts to find his number.

“What the hell are you doing?” Elijah demanded.

Of course he heard the zipper. He was leopard. She cursed under her breath as she found Alonzo’s number and hit it with her thumb. Elijah was on her instantly, leaping across the room with the ease of his leopard, landing on the bed, his much larger and heavier body pinning hers down while one hand closed over her wrist and the other tore the phone from her.

“Alonzo fucking Massi?” he snarled. “That’s bullshit, Siena, and you know it.” He hurled the phone against the wall so hard it came apart in pieces.

“Get off of me,” she snapped, furious. She pushed at his chest as hard as she could. “I want you off of me.”

“You’re going to listen to me.”