“I’m not staying here.” She forced herself to meet his steely gaze even though panic welled up as his eyes darkened and he scowled at her. She’d wondered when the real Elijah would come out. The mean, jerky Elijah who bossed her around and threw her naked out of his house. This house. The one he wanted her to go back into.

“I’m done arguing with you.” He swung her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest, forcing her to grab on to him.

“That wasn’t an argument,” she protested, her panic becoming full blown.

Elijah ignored her and stalked up the walkway toward the front door. She buried her face against his neck, not wanting to see the foyer, her fingers clutching at his shoulders so hard her nails bit into him.

Holding her still with one arm, he began to slide his key into the lock. He went still. Unmoving. Inhaling. He left the key in the lock and turned toward the two men trailing behind them. Drake Donovan and a man named Joshua Tregre. He lifted his hand, fist closed, and both men halted abruptly.

Siena’s heart began to pound. Something was wrong, but she didn’t want to ask what. She didn’t dare. Whatever it was, Elijah was backing slowly off the porch. Once he was down a couple of steps, he hurried away from the house with her.

“I smell a male leopard.” Elijah set Siena on her feet and pushed her toward Drake. “Joshua and I will search for him or whatever he left behind. Keep her safe.”

“No.” She caught at his arm, suddenly terrified. Suddenly comprehending. She didn’t want to be with him but she didn’t want him dead either. Paolo had to have visited Elijah’s home while he was in the hospital with her. “Let’s just go away from here. Come away, Elijah, right now.”

He cupped her face in his hands, the pad of his thumb sliding over her lower lip. “It’s going to be all right, baby. This isn’t new to me—to any of us.”

“I’ll stay with you, Elijah,” she offered, her hold on his shirt tightening. “I will. If you come away with me now, I’ll stay with you.” Trying to save him. Desperate to save him, and she didn’t know why.

His eyes darkened even more and he bent his head to brush his mouth gently over hers. “You’ll stay with me anyway, Siena, but I appreciate the offer more than you’ll ever know. Go with Drake. I’ll take care of this and be with you in a few minutes. This is what we do, what you wanted to hire Drake for.”