He folded his arms across his chest. “You got a price on your head, Siena. Paolo is an asshole, but he didn’t put it there. He’s still thinking he’s got a shot at marrying you and cementing his empire. You need protection, and I’m it. I’m all you’ve got right now. Until you or your man step up and take back what your grandfather built, you got one soldier to look after you.”

Elijah snarled. Audibly. A low rumbling growl emerged from his throat. The room suddenly was electric with danger. The air went heavy. Oppressive. Elijah’s rage was almost tangible. “Leave, Siena. Go now.”

She glanced up at his face. His dark features were carved with danger, but his eyes were alive with strange liquid silver that glittered with menace. His entire focus was on Alonzo. She wasn’t certain why, or what Alonzo said to set him off, but she wasn’t having this.

“I think I need to talk with Alonzo . . .”

His fingers bit into her arm, jerking her to a halt when she took another step forward. “You fucking will do what you’re fucking told,” he snapped, his tone low. Furious. Dictating. So close to his leopard she could feel the wave of fur slide for a moment against her skin and then it was gone.

She took a deep breath and let it out, tilted her head as she swung around to plant herself right in front of his body. Showing Alonzo she wasn’t afraid of Elijah Lospostos or his foul mouth. She met those glittering eyes with her own narrowed and challenging and all green.

“And you can just f-ing stop saying that f-word to me when you want your way. Because I’m f-ing not going to leave when Alonzo came all this way to deliver a warning and maybe help us out. I would like to hear what he has to say.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Someone snickered. She thought it might be Joshua, but she wasn’t certain. She refused to break the stare, which was a good thing because she saw it in his eyes first. Warmth spreading through the danger. Amusement. Smirking, arrogant male amusement, but still, it was there. Something deep inside her that had coiled tightly and formed hard knots in her belly she hadn’t even recognized earlier released the tension and she was able to breathe normally.

Elijah framed her face with his hands. “The f-word, baby? What exactly is that, because I don’t have a clue? F-word? F-ing?”

“You have a clue. And stop laughing at me. You have a dirty mouth.”

He leaned down, his mouth against her ear. “You like my dirty mouth.”

She did. But she wasn’t going to admit anything. She glared at him. It was difficult to keep that glare in the face of his amusement.