Elijah deliberately—and slowly with contempt—looked him up and down, from his head to his elegantly clad feet and then shook his head. “Not unless Siena indicates to these detectives—and to Drake and me—that is what she wants.”

“Her grandfather left me in charge of her,” Paolo snapped. “I’m responsible for her. She’s engaged to me.”

Elijah’s eyebrow went up. A slow, amused quirk was there and gone. “That is rather impossible. Siena ran from you, Riso. In fact we have you on the security tape outside Bannaconni’s building forcing Siena into a car. We also have X-rays of her ribs.” He looked at the two detectives. “Four cracked ribs, one broken. A black eye and bruising all over her face. Fingerprints on her arms. She told Drake you did that to her and that she was afraid of you. She was the one who refused to see you in the hospital.”

“What the hell,” Alonzo burst out. “You did that to her, not Lospostos?”

Both detectives swung around to confront Paolo. “You assaulted this woman?”

“Hell no. He’s lying. Let me talk to Siena and she’ll tell the truth. She’s probably afraid of him. I’m telling you, she’s been taken here against her will,” Paolo said. He moved a little away from Alonzo, who continued to stare at him with ice-cold eyes.

“You’d better hope that’s what she says,” Madison snarled. He gestured toward Elijah. “I’d like to see her now. You two can wait here,” he added to Paolo and Alonzo.

Alonzo pulled out a pack of cigarettes and immediately complied with the request, stepping off the porch and wandering away, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Elijah wasn’t deceived. Siena had been correct when she insisted Alonzo was the far more dangerous of the two men. Paolo was clearly ruled by his emotions and those of his cat. Alonzo was controlled. Thinking all the time. He didn’t have to appear to be top dog. He was content to slip into the background. Elijah had no doubt that he was sizing up the house and looking for weaknesses in the security.

Paolo swore savagely and began to pace.

“Evan, keep an eye on these two,” he said softly to the watcher close by. Instantly Paolo and Alonzo tried to determine where the threat was. Smirking, Elijah deliberately turned his back on the men, knowing Joshua was there and would come out of the shadows like lightning if Paolo were stupid enough to make a move against him. Madison and his partner, Harrison, didn’t seem under Paolo’s thumb. Elijah led the two policemen through the house to the bedroom, where he knocked on the door.

Drake opened the door. “She’s resting,” he said softly, “but I let her know the detectives were here and she agreed to talk to them.”