Alonzo glanced at him, shaking his head. His gaze swung back to Siena, and then jumped to Elijah’s face. “You need to declare your intentions and soon, or there’s going to be all-out war. Paolo put out a hit on you, not Siena. A man by the name of Robert Gaton, one of Rafe Cordeau’s lieutenants, is going after Siena. He wants her territory and believes if he kills her, he has a better chance.”

Elijah’s face was a mask. “He better look to his own territory before he decides to declare war. He hasn’t cemented that yet.”

Alonzo’s gaze flicked to him, and Siena’s stomach dropped at the knowledge there. She took a deep breath, replaying Elijah’s words and what they meant. There was no mistaking that meaning. She didn’t want to live in a crime family. She didn’t want her children to do so either. She wanted to raise her children clean and normal, whatever that was. She’d never had it.

She pressed her hand protectively to her stomach. Instantly she felt the heat of Elijah’s gaze. She should have known he wouldn’t miss even that small of a gesture. More than anything, she didn’t want this life for her husband. And Elijah Lospostos was going to be her husband. She knew that. She knew what they had together she’d never have with anyone else, and he needed her. He needed her because without her, he would be just like Alonzo, cold and dead inside. Well, she amended, sneaking a quick glance at Alonzo, something in the way he looked at her told her she was important to him. If he were truly dead inside, he wouldn’t be able to feel one way or the other for her.

“What happened, Alonzo?” she asked softly. “I remember feeling safe and comfortable around you. I was never scared. And then I was and I don’t even know why. Do you know?”

He sighed. For the first time he looked uncomfortable, but she could see that he was going to answer her. He didn’t want to, but he had declared himself her soldier and that meant when she asked him something, he came through.

“You saw me shift and kill two men who were threatening you at gunpoint. You were so traumatized you never remembered it.”

Her breath caught in her lungs. Of course. Her nightmare. She’d had blood all over her, but it wasn’t her blood. Alonzo hadn’t killed her, he’d killed two men to save her. Why had she blocked that out? She knew. It was the leopard. To have seen that meant she was insane. There was no such thing as a shifter, a man who could turn into a leopard.