Leopard's Run (Leopard People 10)

Timur tried not to be alarmed. It was also difficult to keep a straight face. “I think we’ll be getting you a driver.”

“That might be best.”

He lay down beside her, one arm locking her close. “Go to sleep.” He kissed the back of her head. She didn’t make a sound, other than her even breathing.16TIMUR backed away from the mess that had been their enemy. He despised having to kill a leopard, especially one that had shifted in order to protect its human counterpart. The leopard had been particularly savage and in order to survive, Timur’d had to use lethal force.

There were blood spatters on his torn clothing and the shoes he’d hastily kicked off. Ignoring his men, he went straight to the shower. His clothes would be burned along with everything else that might provide any connection to the disappearance of one Gavyn Zherdev, young for belonging to a hit team, but no less determined. Gavyn had started out posturing, all bravado, like so many others before him.

Timur let the hot water pour over him, knowing it would wash away the surface blood from his skin, from his hands, but it would never touch what had seeped inside him. He pressed his forehead to the wall of the shower cubicle. His woman would take his reaction as proof of him not being psycho, but he wasn’t certain. Why kind of man could do the things he could do without ruining his heart or his soul?

Gavyn’s bravado had given way to screams of defiance. Timur was used to that, so used to it he became bored by it, expecting it, knowing it was only another layer he had to peel away—and he’d done so. He was expected to extract the information that this man had. They’d needed to know everything he could tell them about the enemy’s plan. He’d personally needed to know how much danger his woman was in.

Gavyn had originally come to kill Ashe. He was not to put a bullet in her head. He was to kidnap her, the team would use her, and then they would send her back to her grandfather in tiny pieces. He had been part of the original team sent by Lazar. His orders had been to keep her alive as long as possible, so she felt every bit of Lazar’s wrath. Mostafa’s granddaughter had to be taught a lesson, just as his son and whore of a wife had been taught.

Timur had needed to delve deeper, and he’d told Gavyn that. An entire hit squad after one small woman? So far at least five of their team had been killed. Would Lazar send six of his best men to do a job like the one he’d described? He always asked his questions in the same, soft tone, pacing, because these kinds of interviews always made his leopard restless.

Temnyy’d hated this man with every cell in his body. He’d wanted to get to him, rip him apart, devour him and then spit him out. This man had come to kill his mate’s counterpart. That was not to be endured lightly. Usually, when Timur had to interrogate someone, at his command his leopard stayed as far away as he could, curling up, trying not to hear anything said or done. This had been different. This man had come to take something precious from him—his mate. That was not to be tolerated, and Temnyy had refused to stand down.

Timur had barely been able to control his cat, and the snarling posturing had been much more difficult than normal. He’d looked at his prisoner, heat banding over his eyes as Temnyy leapt again and again for the surface.

Stop. You are not making this any easier.

Give him to me. I will tear him apart.

I need information. Much more than this. Leave me alone so I can extract it.

Temnyy had refused to speak to him again, had just sent him a sulky, mulish snarl, but he’d retreated a short distance. Timur once more had turned back to his prisoner.

Lazar had gotten word that his son, Mitya, was there in the States and his nephews Fyodor, Timur, Sevastyan and Gorya were there as well. Immediately, Ashe had become Lazar’s second concern. He no longer wanted her dead. Not yet. He wanted her taken alive and held along with Evangeline, so his nephews could see the women tortured, raped and killed. He was preparing a special death for them all.

Timur had paced away from Gavyn. He hadn’t been able to kill him yet. He had to be careful. With his back to him, he’d asked who had given Lazar the information that his sons were close by. The answer hadn’t surprised him, although the time it took to get the information had. Ulisse had sold them out to Lazar, seeking favor with his fellow trafficker. Right on the heels of that, Apostol Delov had confirmed they were alive and living in the United States.