A volley of shots rained down, clipping Isabeau’s skirt, throwing up dirt around her, striking along Conner’s flank so that he roared and whirled to face his new enemy. His enraged gaze landed on her. Her heart skipped a beat and then began pounding. The leopard, with one last act of hatred and vengeance, ripped open the exposed belly, turned fully toward her and lowered his head into stalking mode, his gaze burning through her.

“Calm him down,” Rio shouted. “And both of you get the hell out of there. We can’t get to the shooter. The best we can do is keep him off you.”

“Calm him down?” she echoed, feeling a little faint. If Rio had been standing in front of her, she might have considered violence. “Are you crazy?”

The leopard, covered in blood, fur and flesh torn, crouched lower and took one step toward her in the freeze-frame motion that struck fear in the heart of prey. She knew, as long as she lived, she would never forget those piercing eyes, burning with pure rage. His muzzle and face were smeared with blood, as were his teeth.

“Conner.” Her voice shook. She lowered the muzzle of the rifle and held out her hand to him. “I’m so sorry, baby. It’s over now. Let’s get out of here. Come with me.”

The leopard snarled, his nose wrinkling into a savage display. His powerful jaw opened, showing his four canines prominently, teeth used to stab and hold prey during a kill. She knew that the gap behind each of the canines allowed the leopard to sink his teeth deep during a killing bite. His incisors could easily scrape flesh from bones and the side teeth could shear through skin and muscle like the sharpest of blades.

With each slow step, that powerful jaw and mouthful of teeth came closer to her until she felt the heat of his breath blasting her face. Again she pushed aside everything until there was only the leopard and her.

“Conner.” Deliberately she used his name, calling him back from the throes of black anger. There was no humanity in those eyes. No love, or recognition. “Conner.” She chose love over fear or anger, reaching for him with trembling fingers.

Before she could connect with him to sink her fingers into his blood-stained fur, he swiped at her with a large paw. A streak of fire raced up her arm. She gasped, for a moment unable to catch her breath with the staggering pain rushing up her arm. Fear shook her, but she refused to break the stare, summoning her cat.

Now or never, you little hussy. Deserting isn’t an option. Get out here and do your thing. Be alluring. Entice him into that car.

She tried to remember what she’d felt like in the garden when the wave of heat had rushed over her, leaving her desperate for a man between her legs. Right now, she wanted to run for her life, not stay facing this snarling beast. She didn’t dare look at her arm, but she consoled herself with the thought that he could have just as easily made that warning a killing swipe across her very vulnerable throat.

Her leopard pushed closer to the surface, not in the throes of passion, but with a female’s disdain of the male. She wasn’t in the mood and she didn’t want to be bothered. She leapt at the male, giving him a swipe of her own. As rebuffs went, it wasn’t very impressive, but it shocked the male cat almost as much as it did Isabeau.

“Whoops,” Isabeau withdrew her palm. It was stinging from the hard slap she’d delivered to the male’s snarling face. Sheesh! Are you out of your freaking mind? she demanded of her cat. Way to soothe him, smart one. “Sorry about that.”

The rage subsided a little in the burning eyes to be replaced by intelligence. She let her breath out, seeing that piercing, keen intellect was back. “Conner, there’s a sniper in the canopy. We have to get out of here. Now.”

He nudged her and she turned and ran, grateful for the covering fire Rio and Leonardo provided. She felt totally exposed with the leopard behind her and the sniper in the trees. She jumped into the SUV and scrambled all the way in to give the others as much room as possible. The leopard nearly crushed her, practically landing on top of her. He was already shifting, crawling into the third seat in the very back, where Elijah had Jeremiah stretched out, and was clearly breathing for him.

Leonardo entered and whipped around to help Marcos provide cover for Rio.

“Go!” Rio snapped as he slammed the door.

Before the word was out of his mouth, the SUV was fishtailing down the dirt road.

“How bad?” Grim- faced, Rio let himself look toward the very back. He couldn’t see Jeremiah, but Elijah and now Conner were working on him.

“He’ll need a doctor,” Conner called out. “There used to be a doctor, one of ours, my mother would take me to, but it’s been years. He lives about fifteen miles from the first cabin where we met.”

Rio glanced at his watch. “What do you think, Felipe?”

“I can make it in twenty minutes.”

“It will be close,” Conner said. “Your call, Rio.”

“He’d never be safe at a hospital. We know Imelda has too many people in her pocket. We just took out her number-one security. His partner is going to try to hunt us down. Jeremiah would be too vulnerable in a hospital. Do what you can to keep him alive.”

Isabeau pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from protesting. They knew more about Imelda’s operation than she did. They also knew the workings of a leopard’s mind. She curled into a ball and shook uncontrollably, unable to stop the waves of nausea that swept through her.

“What about the woman? Teresa?” she made herself ask.