She stared at herself for a long time in the mirror, her heart beating fast. She didn't want to lose the Elijah she'd had for the last month. She wanted to find a way to bring him back to her. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hands down her thighs and moved barefoot out of the master bedroom.
The house seemed silent, and she knew, while she'd been in the shower, Jake had whisked his family home and Eli must have come for Catarina. That embarrassed her a bit. Wasn't she supposed to be the hostess? Still, there was movement in the house and the low murmur of voices. The voices didn't sound happy and the atmosphere, as she moved through the hall, seemed tense and oppressive.
Two men, Joshua and Joaquin, came out of a room at the end of the hall and closed the door behind them. She knew that was Elijah's private office. When they opened the door, the two voices got a little louder and she knew Drake and Elijah were arguing. The two men walked toward her, and she pressed herself against the wall to allow them past. Joshua jerked his chin at her. He didn't look happy. She didn't blame him. She could tell by the voices, Drake's and Elijah's drifting from the large office off the hall to her right, that neither man was happy.
She waited until Joshua and Joaquin had turned the corner of the hallway before she approached Elijah's office. She stopped abruptly as Elijah's words penetrated. His tone was low. Furious. Scathing.
"How far do you expect me to take this fucking charade, Drake?" he demanded.
Her breath caught in her throat and she pressed her back into the wall as if she could become part of the house. Everything in her stilled. A charade? What charade? What was Elijah talking about? Even outside his office, the air vibrated with anger.
"You take it as far as you can before you're so sick you can't take one more minute. That's how far," Drake said in a quiet, steady voice.
"That's easy for you to say. I've got her in my house. In my fucking bed. What more do you want? A ring on her finger and a target on her back?" Elijah snarled.
Siena bit down hard on her lip and pressed a hand to her mouth to keep any sound from escaping. A charade. She was the charade. She was in his fucking bed. How could she have let herself be that stupid? The worst I ever had. Don't know how to suck cock. Never once had he indicated he wanted her to go down on him. Not one single time. Didn't all men like that? He hadn't, because he knew she was terrible at it and this was all a charade. A terrible, deceitful charade. A sob welled up and she choked it down, but tears swam in her eyes. So many she couldn't see for a minute.
"The idea is still sound, Elijah. Nothing's changed."
Elijah erupted into a string of Spanish. There was silence for a brief moment. "The world sees we're forming an empire and this was retaliation."
"What the hell did you think was going to happen? You knew."
The world sees we're forming an empire. He was talking about her grandfather's business. Rafe Cordeau's disappearance had left a vacancy in the underworld and now, with her grandfather's death, there was another huge vacancy. Elijah Lospostos had made the world believe he, as the head of the Lospostos family, was taking over that vacancy. He had done that so easily by bringing her into his home and into his bed.
"Yeah, I knew what was going to happen, but you were supposed to handle it." That was pure accusation. Snarled. Elijah's voice had gone so low he sounded like he was growling. The hair on her body rose and she shivered.
"I didn't say it was going to be easy. Everyone has to make sacrifices for this to work. You know that."
Drake knew. The man she had hired to handle her security was part of the charade. Oh God, this was getting worse by the moment. Her breath caught in her chest, her lungs fighting for air. There was no controlling the tears tracking down her cheeks. Elijah didn't care about her. He was no different than Paolo, wanting whatever it was her grandfather had. He'd played her. Played her, and she'd been so desperate for him she'd believed every single thing he'd said to her.
Her face burned with humiliation. Her heart felt shattered. So many pieces there was no recovery. She'd lost everything. Her legs trembled and she was terrified they wouldn't hold her up. She pressed one hand to the wall and kept the other firmly over her mouth to keep the sounds of her shuddering breath from escaping.
"Easy for you to say, Donovan, you aren't the one making the sacrifices."
Sacrifices. That was the worst. The absolute worst. Elijah was making sacrifices by having her in his house. In his bed. He'd told her. Straight up he'd told her how awful she was. The worst. She didn't even know how to suck cock.
Siena flinched, and this time, behind her hand, muffled, a small sound of absolute pain managed to break free. Elijah's betrayal ran deep. So deep she was afraid she might vomit right there in the hallway. She became aware of the sudden silence. Both men had heard the sound and they knew.
The door flew open and Elijah strode out, his face a mask, eyes so silver they gleamed in the darkened hall. Sheer predator.
"Siena," he said, his voice rough. Raw. He took a step toward her.
Siena stepped back, holding up one hand. The shame was so acute, she could barely stand it. "You lied, Elijah. God. How could I be so stupid, believing every word you said to me. Telling me you'd always tell me the truth. So, so stupid."
His face darkened. The silver eyes slashed her face, cutting deep. Deeper than Paolo's leopard had ever cut her. So deep she felt that cut in her soul.
"That's enough, Siena," he cautioned, his tone a whip.
She flinched under that lash, but it didn't stop her. "You didn't fuck me because you wanted me. Because I meant something to you. This was all a charade." She threw his words back in his face. "You made the ultimate sacrifice, didn't you? You had to have me in your bed. The worst you ever had." Her face flamed, but she kept doggedly on. She couldn't stop herself. "Let's see if I can remember this right, because there was a moment when you were so angry you told the truth. My amateur performance, I believe you called it. The worst cocksucker you ever experienced. Those words are branded on my brain, but I was stupid enough to let you make me forget them for a moment."
"Siena, damn it . . ."
"If I'm going to whore myself out, I seriously need a few lessons in fucking. Is that what you've been giving me, Elijah? Or did you just plain fuck me?"
He erupted into a string of Spanish curses, and she turned and ran back to the master bedroom, slamming the door and locking it. She never wanted to see him again. She wanted to disappear. She had to disappear. She couldn't face anyone ever again.
11
"OPEN the fucking door now, Siena," Elijah demanded.
His furious voice galvanized Siena into action. She ran to the closet and pulled out the small backpack she'd used before to make her escape. Rolling a pair of sweats, underwear and a tee, she jammed them inside along with her cell phone, license and credit cards. There was no going out the front door. Hell. She was paying Drake's men to help make her a prisoner and they were crawling all over Elijah's estate.
"Damn it, Siena. Open the door before I break it down."
He would too. She didn't have much time. Ignoring the patio doors, because it might draw the attention of one of the men patrolling around the house, she stripped as she raced to the window and raised it quickly. She called a little desperately to her little female. She'd only shifted on two occasions and was a little hesitant on remembering how it was done, but clearly the leopard knew. She was eager for freedom.
Siena barely managed to fashion the backpack around her neck before her joints cracked and ached. Fur slid under her skin, the wave causing a terrible itch, and then it burst from her pores as she went to the floor on all fours. Her jaw ached. Elongated. Pain gave way to satisfaction as the little female leopard stood on the bedroom floor right beneath the window.
Her fur was beautiful and thick, a gorgeous gold with black rosettes covering every inch of her. The piercing green of Siena's exotic eyes was even more striking on the cat. With a flick of her long tail she leapt through the
window, ignoring the loud crash as the door sprang open across the room. The moment her cushioned toes hit the ground, she took off running across the open area toward the tree line and heavier brush, avoiding the smell of man.
Siena directed the leopard to take toward the main road leading to the front of the Lospostos estate. It was a distance away, but if she made it, she could call a taxi to pick her up. Once she was away, she could find a place to hide from everyone until she could get out of the country.
It was a good plan. A solid one. But for one thing. The moment her little female hit the trees and sprinted through the brush, she heard the heavier male coming after her. He let out a husky, sawing roar that sent her heart pounding. The female shivered and chose the path of least resistance, rather than trying to hide.
Leopards were built for stealth, not sprinting, and she grew tired very quickly. The female had only been out on a couple of occasions and she hadn't built up her ability to run, play or fight. She slowed her pace at Siena's urging, even though she knew the much larger male was gaining ground.
He came out of the trees in front of her. Clearly he was far faster and much more experienced. The female's only encounter with another leopard had been Paolo's male, and it had attacked her. Siena's female skidded to a halt and watched the male carefully. He approached slowly, and she hissed and batted at him with one paw, claws out, a clear message to stay away. The male backed off patiently and circled around to try to get behind her.
The female turned, keeping a leery eye on him. The moment she had a clear pathway to move forward, she took it, leaping forward and sprinting once again. The male fell in beside her, although keeping his distance, pacing along, not trying to stop her, but every now and then, he moved up, forcing her to turn off course.
Siena realized, after a time, what Elijah was doing. He didn't use brute strength, but rather cunning, his male herding the female away from the road and freedom. He kept her moving, or, when she tired and sank down to rest, he harassed her by continually circling her, looking for an opening to claim her.
He was patient. Too patient. The female began to entice the male rather than simply run from it. She extended her claws, spit and rebuffed him, taking off to leap over several fallen trees and then stopping to crouch in a beguiling pose. The male approached cautiously and she instantly was up, growling and spitting at him, swiping up a plume of dirt at him and then leaping away again.
The male followed her. Siena tried to induce her to head for the fence, but the male stayed firmly between the female and the fence line, turning her back every time. The more exhausted the female became, the more solicitous toward the male she was. Vocalizing her acceptance of him as her mate, the last thing Siena wanted, the female began to rub seductively along the tree trunks and occasionally roll and stretch.
The male watched over her, keeping her moving, not allowing her to stop. Siena knew shifters mated for life and she tried to keep the female away from the male, but he was persistent and the female had already begun to bond with him. Siena could feel the bond growing stronger and stronger with every dance the two leopards made around each other.
She couldn't believe how patient Elijah and his male were. They kept following and turning her female away from the road for half the night. Finally, the female was so exhausted she crouched in submission. Instantly the male was on her, covering her, his teeth sinking into her neck to hold her in place.
Once Siena realized the female was accepting of the male, she disappeared as best she could, retreating to give her leopard the freedom to be a cat. The male kept at her, over and over, all through the night. He mounted her, holding her in place to ensure neither got hurt during their rough sex. Once finished, he lay beside her, panting and resting until he was ready to go again.
As dawn broke, Siena's female curled up to sleep. The male refused to allow it, pushing at her with a hard shoulder to get her back on her feet. Siena knew exactly what Elijah was doing, and she tried to resist. Her female tried to resist. The male was much larger and his stamina was greater. He kept her moving until she was stumbling with fatigue, and he made certain to move her back in the direction of the house.
Siena cursed under her breath, despising the fact that Elijah had all the control. She didn't want to shift back to human form, because he was bigger and stronger and she was far too humiliated to ever face him again. Her little female was so exhausted she couldn't pick up her feet and actually dragged her paws in the dirt as she staggered back toward the house. She was so fatigued, she stopped directing herself and allowed Siena to take over completely.
Over and over Siena tried to stop to allow her cat rest, lying curled in the grass or dirt. The male pushed at her, driving her forward with his shoulder. When she refused to get up he sank his teeth into the thick fur at her neck and dragged her several feet until she began to walk again out of sheer desperation. He stayed close. The female's fur was dark with sweat and she trembled continually. Siena was just as exhausted, worn out from the long night of fighting Elijah's will.
The male leopard continued to be patient, never hurting her female, but never allowing her to rest. It was a matter of time before she couldn't keep trying to circle back toward the road. She walked a few steps forward, dropped to the ground panting and shaking while the male stood over her protectively. After a few minutes he nudged her, warning her with a low growl to get to her feet and move.
The house loomed up. Siena smelled several of the men patrolling but none of them came to her aid. She knew they wouldn't. They didn't work for her. They worked for Elijah. She stood under the window, trembling. Terrified. Tears burning. The male crowded her until her female made the leap inside. She landed on the gleaming hardwood floor, paced forward three steps and collapsed.
Siena curled up inside her. Hiding. Ashamed. Humiliated. Trying to form another plan. She couldn't--wouldn't--call Paolo, but maybe Alonzo. She didn't have anyone else. The thought was terrifying. She had no idea how long a shifter could stay in the form of a leopard, but she was going to find out. She would refuse to shift back to human.
The male landed so silently she barely realized he was in the room with her. He nuzzled the female as she lay trembling. Then she felt a hand move through the damp fur. Elijah's hand. She'd know his touch anywhere, even when she was in her leopard form.
"Siena, shift."
Screw you, she thought, so exhausted she couldn't even lift the female leopard's head to threaten him. She could barely keep her eyes open. Suddenly his fingers were pushing down ruthlessly on several pressure points she hadn't even been aware the female leopard had. Hard. Brutal. It hurt. The female squirmed, trying to get out from under his hands. When she couldn't, the animal, exhausted and completely done in, gave up and slipped away, deserting Siena.
Siena found herself curled on the floor, naked, the backpack around her neck and Elijah's fingers digging into the small of her back. The moment she shifted, he lifted her in his arms, his face close to hers. She turned her face into his chest, refusing to meet his eyes. She'd never been so tired in her life. She couldn't fight him, no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn't lift her arms. She could barely turn her head.
He took her to the bed and, placing a knee in the middle, dipped down to deposit her there gently. She felt his hands unsnapping the backpack from around her neck and she turned her face into the pillow.
Light spilled in from the window, the sun already climbing in the sky. She squeezed her eyes shut. He had to be as exhausted as she was, but he didn't show it. He set her pack on the end table beside the bed and went to the window, closing it and then pulling the heavy drape to block out the sun.
Her gaze immediately touched on the backpack. Her phone was in there. Elijah padded barefoot and naked through the bedroom, blocking all light before heading for the bathroom. He was very comfortable without clothes, while she dragged the cover over her and held it over her breasts. Elijah didn't close the door, but the moment he disappeared, she rea
ched for the backpack, nearly knocking it to the floor when her shaking hand caught the strap.
Jerking it to her, she hastily unzipped it and yanked out her cell phone. She had no idea whether or not Alonzo had betrayed her grandfather, but she had no one else and she couldn't, wouldn't, stay with Elijah any longer than she had to. Better to take a leap right into the fire; at least she knew who she was dealing with. She hastily scrolled down her list of contacts to find his number.
"What the hell are you doing?" Elijah demanded.
Of course he heard the zipper. He was leopard. She cursed under her breath as she found Alonzo's number and hit it with her thumb. Elijah was on her instantly, leaping across the room with the ease of his leopard, landing on the bed, his much larger and heavier body pinning hers down while one hand closed over her wrist and the other tore the phone from her.
"Alonzo fucking Massi?" he snarled. "That's bullshit, Siena, and you know it." He hurled the phone against the wall so hard it came apart in pieces.
"Get off of me," she snapped, furious. She pushed at his chest as hard as she could. "I want you off of me."
"You're going to listen to me."
"I did listen to you. I heard everything you said. It's such a sacrifice being with me, isn't it, Elijah? Poor man to have to have such an inexperienced whore in your bed." She closed her eyes, ashamed. In pain. He'd gutted her. Torn out her soul.
"Dios, Siena, I thought we were past that bullshit. How many times do you want me to apologize? I said it and I didn't fucking mean it. You know that. And what the hell do you mean, it's a sacrifice to be with you?"
She opened her eyes to glare at him. "I heard you. With Drake. I heard you." She shoved at his chest again. "Get off me."
"Baby, take a breath. We'll sort this out."
He watched her with the focused, unblinking gaze of the leopard. His silver eyes moved over her face as liquid as mercury. Intense. She wanted to block him out, but he was everywhere. She breathed him in with every breath she took. There was no way to get away from him, and she needed to. Desperately.
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