“Say it. Don’t be shy. I’m leopard too. You lie to me, I’ll know it,” Elijah snapped, fury riding him hard. He couldn’t imagine how Pete was going to feel knowing his niece was tortured and raped while he was on the property. He knew if someone took Siena from him and held her captive, he’d be on a killing spree to end all sprees, taking down everyone connected to whoever took her.

Each of the five men denied their involvement aloud. Elijah heard the ring of truth in their voices.

“Any of you go with Cordeau or Gaton, letting your leopards hunt humans in the swamp, prostitutes or enemies?” he demanded next.

Again there was a shake of heads before each one declared that no, they hadn’t participated.

“Joaquin’s headed your way and he’s got himself a live one,” Evan announced.

“There’s going to be another change of leadership,” Elijah said. “Gaton’s been challenged. The crew he brought in is dead. You’re going to do cleanup, burn the leopards and get rid of the bodies. Take them out to sea. Scatter the leopard ashes. Do you understand? There are going to be some changes around here.”

“Gaton’s not an easy leopard to defeat,” one said. “If he was, we would have gotten out a long time ago.”

“Joshua, you hear that?” Elijah asked.

The five men shifted their attention to the silent Joshua.

Joshua nodded. “I heard.”

“Scary son of a bitch. Gaton must come from one of the families from Borneo.”

“Nope. Right here in the swamp. His grandfather and mine made moonshine together just like every other family in the bayous. Difference was, both were insane. They liked hurting people and they surrounded themselves with others just like them,” Joshua said. “Sadistic sons of bitches.”

“Who are you?” one of the shifters asked.

“Joshua Tregre,” Joshua replied. His gaze moved to Gaton as Joaquin herded him through the cypress grove and the branches with the long strands of Spanish moss.

Gaton looked worse for wear, which didn’t surprise Elijah in the least. Joaquin got the job done and he wasn’t delicate about doing it. Gaton was streaked with blood, his clothes gone, but he’d shifted back to human when Joaquin had raked the crap out of him and then shifted, pulling the weapon from the pack around his neck.

Gaton’s fierce gaze swept over his men and then rested on Elijah. “Should have known you were behind this.”

“Shouldn’t have come after me,” Elijah said. “Might have left you alone. Now you’ve got yourself a challenge to leadership of the lair and everything that goes with it.”

A derisive sound issued from Gaton’s throat. “You think you can take me?”

“Not me who wants this mess. That would be Joshua. He’s feeling left out of the killing today, so you’re it for him.”