Gorya didn’t change expression, but instantly Rogue went as still as he did. Coiled. Ready to strike. He chose his targets carefully. No doubt all the Carusos were armed. The old man had a panic button in his desk to call his security people. That wouldn’t matter. They had Gedeon. Maya could fight as well. Between the three of them, they would make it out of the building.
He didn’t answer, but he did turn his gaze on the old man, let him see the killer in him for the first time. The easygoing negotiator of the Amurov family was gone, leaving the deadly predator facing the old man. He had to see what was in that room with him. If he made a wrong move or said the wrong thing, that predator would be unleashed, and nothing could call it back.
“I was raised in a different time,” Marzio said, addressing Maya, not Gorya. “In my day, we didn’t believe women should ever know our business. Female shifters weren’t acknowledged to have any talent when it came to defending themselves. I’ve kept an eye on the Amurovs since they’ve taken over the territories of my fallen allies. All of them appear to treasure their women, but they also seem to include them in their business.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Am I behind the times? Is that why my sons have not found their rightful mates?”
The four men stirred as if they might protest, but Marzio held up an imperious hand. “I wish to hear what she has to say. I have no grandchildren. I was lucky to find my Ann. I want nothing more than for each of you to find a woman you can love and respect, not someone you cantolerate for your leopard’s sake.” He turned back to Maya. “Am I wrong in my thinking?”
I’m the last person he should ask such a question of,Maya protested in dismay.He means it. He’s very sincere.
Wraith stirred sleepily.You are very wise, Maya. Tell him honestly what you think. That’s all he’s asking.
Maya gave the older man a tentative smile. “I believe we’re all different, sir. We’re products of our environments. You were raised in a different time. But it isn’t wise to underestimate women. We have our strengths too. Those strengths can help our men. Some of us need to be partners to our men in ways others do not. Some women prefer not to know what is going on in their man’s world. I’m not one of those women. I think with shifters, because we have leopards, it’s important to communicate. If you do know, there’s no mistaking what each person needs in the relationship.”
“You do feel you contribute to your man’s business.”
She shrugged. “I’d like to think I do. Only he can say whether I do. The fact that he wants me with him says something.”
“In any case, it’s something to think about,” Marzio mused.
“If your sons are serious about finding the right mates, Marzio,” Gedeon said, speaking for the first time, “you might consider that they look outside this area. Send them one at a time to Borneo. Have Drake Donovan take them for extra training.”
Donato bristled at the idea, looking up from where they were marking a map laid out on the desk. “Training in what? What could Donovan possibly teach us that we don’t know?”
Gorya and Gedeon exchanged a quick look. If there was amusement, it didn’t show on their faces. Gedeon shrugged. “It was merely a suggestion.”
Marzio indicated the map with a scowl. “I’d like to hear what you had to say, Gedeon. What does Donovan teach these shifters? Why are his bodyguards considered so superior? I hear that from everyone.”
“He requires them to learn to shift with incredible speed. The training starts there and continues in every form of combat. Humans are required to be physically fit in the forest, working every day, and the leopards are as well. They are in combat situations daily. Hours of shifting increases speed. Your sons may be challenged for leadership. They’re shifters. It could happen. Training just seemed a good idea to me. I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Gedeon answered.
Marzio tapped his fingers on the desk. “I’ve thought quite a bit about something that was said once. A young lady I cautioned against choosing one of your cousins was quite adamant when she thought one of my sons might challenge her intended. She was alarmed. She tried to backtrack, obviously worried she had pricked his sense of pride and possibly mine, but it was the alarm in her eyes and the honesty in her voice I couldn’t forget. She didn’t think my son had a chance in a fight against him.”
His gaze met Gedeon’s and then Gorya’s. “After seeing the real you, Gorya, I don’t believe he would have had a chance. None of my sons would be able to defeat your leopard. Even with the weapons we have on us, you intended to kill all of us if we had threatened your woman, didn’t you?”
“Yes, sir,” Gorya answered without hesitation.
Alessandro very carefully put the pencil he’d been using down on the top of the map and turned fully to face Gorya, partially blocking his father’s frame. “You targeted my father.”
“Naturally. I protect my woman above all else. He’s sitting in front of a window. A perfect target. You’re standing in front of that same window. Do you think the headof my security works alone? Your family has worked on the docks and in the city. From the time I was an infant, I grew up fighting for my life. We’ve had to fight for everything we’ve ever gotten. You’ve grown complacent, Alessandro. Your father and every one of you has been in danger since the Anwars brought you to Houston. Just one challenge from a shifter could swing the balance of power here.”
Gorya reached between Alessandro and Bendetto and took the map. “I came here with a great deal of respect for your father, enough that I considered he could be a threat to us, and I took him as such. I’d be a fool not to be prepared to fight our way out of here.” He folded the map and thrust it into his jacket. “Marzio, we’ll have to check all your men, starting with your personal security and then those assigned to your sons. After them, call in your soldiers, any you trust to keep this night under wraps. Keep your strike teams small. Your sons will be leading them, and you’ll be directing them. My cousins and I will penetrate the Anwar homes. We aren’t going to leave anyone behind alive other than to try to keep my promise to you to bring you Bartolo and Giacenta.”
“I’ll start ordering the men to assemble in my conference room.”
“It will have to be a room with a bank of windows,” Gedeon said. “My backup must be able to take out a traitor in a roomful of shifters. If there’s more than one, things can get dicey. It takes concentration to go through the memory of a leopard.”
Marzio’s sons just stared at Gedeon. They were learning at an alarming rate. Gorya had to give them respect that they didn’t waste time arguing or protesting. They’d read the report and had already had their suspicions about the Anwar family and trouble on the docks. Their father had agreed to an alliance, and that bound them. They were willing to get on board, and all four seemed capable ofabsorbing information quickly. Gorya found himself respecting the family even more, and he respected few others.
“One more thing before we do this,” Marzio said. “Gorya, after it is all over and we have taken down the entire ring, I would very much like you and Maya to come to dinner and meet my Ann. My leopard thinks her leopard is very soothing. He thinks Ann would find her quite enjoyable and Ann has precious little to look forward to these days. I would consider it an honor.”
My understanding is that no one sees his wife anymore, Maya. He is being very sincere. You’ve made quite an impression on him.
It’s Wraith, not me.
It’s both,Gorya corrected.
“It would be our pleasure, sir.”
Marzio gave an old-fashioned bow toward Maya and then began texting his private security to meet them in the designated room. His sons did the same. The real work of the night was about to begin.
