“You really believe this is going to track back to Elijah’s lair?”
Gedeon nodded. “We’ve only been working an hour or so, but there’s a strong indication. More than a strong indication, and we have to follow it.”
“I can set up a private meet with Elijah,” Fyodor offered.
Gedeon shook his head. “Too dangerous, Fyodor. If he’s involved in any way, that child is dead. If it gets out that he’s meeting with me, she’s dead. There’re quite a few reasons not to meet him and no good reasons to meet him.”
Fyodor disagreed. “You cross that man without him realizing you’re trying to save a child and he could very well kill you.”
“I’ll have to take that chance. I’m not risking the little girl.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn.”
“This got dumped in my lap about three or four hours ago. I came here first to pay my respects and let you know what was going on. I trust your judgment when it comes to my life, but I can’t make that call for a child. You’d be the same way.”
Fyodor sighed. “I’ll let you get back to it. Let Timur know if you need anything.”
“We’ll do that. I think Meiling may be onto something. Then we’ll want to talk to him.”
Fyodor looked relieved. “Keep us in the loop if you can, Gedeon. We’d appreciate it.” He extended his hand and Gedeon shook it.
Fyodor rose and instantly his security rose as well. Timur stepped smoothly in front of him as he started back toward the counter. Kyanite and Rodion took up their positions on either side of him and the younger leopard dropped in behind him. They walked as one unit to the counter, where only Timur, Fyodor and the younger leopard continued through the double doors leading to the kitchen and whatever lay behind them. Kyanite and Rodion returned to their table facing the door leading to the outside, but where they could easily watch the entire room, especially Evangeline at the counter.
Meiling joined Gedeon at the table. He stood up and stretched. “Getting myself another cup of coffee. Would you like one?”
She shook her head. “I’m going switch to water. I need to hydrate.”
She pushed at strands of silky black hair that were falling from the upswept do she had going. The thick mass was only held by the two sticks she’d shoved into the twist she’d made, and with all her agitated pulling, it had loosened. The lights put gleaming bluish highlights in her dark hair. When she moved, with feminine grace, her hips swayed, calling attention to her slim figure, making it known she was all female regardless of what she was wearing.
Gedeon had never been drawn to a woman the way he was to Meiling. Sometimes just the sight of her overwhelmed him. It didn’t seem to matter what was going on around them; he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He looked forward to hearing her laugh. He admired the way her brain worked. He especially liked the lethal component to her. There was an intimacy in knowing she could take out quite a few male leopards before others even recognized the danger. He liked having that knowledge. He liked that she was that fast and that strong. He often wondered what she’d be like when her leopard emerged.
“Evangeline, I think you work too hard,” he greeted, as he put his coffee cup on the counter. “You’ve been on your feet for too long while I’ve had my butt in a chair. I’ll need a bottle of water for Meiling.”
Evangeline poured his coffee and then retrieved a bottle of water from the case behind her. “I have the first shift and then Ashe, my sister-in-law, Timur’s wife, will relieve me. She makes the most amazing coffee.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Better than this?”
She nodded. “Seriously. She can’t bake and won’t go near my kitchen, but her coffee is unbelievable. Some of our customers time coming in for her shift.”
“Great. If Meiling finds out, she’ll insist we buy a house here and go back and forth between New Orleans and San Antonio just for the coffee. She was already telling me we needed an airplane.”
He picked up the coffee cup and the bottle of water, gave her a little salute and made his way back to the table. Meiling looked up at him. She had that look in her dark eyes, the one that told him she was fairly certain she was onto something.
“Did Harold get back to you about Fredrick and his love life?” She stuck the end of a pen in between her perfect white teeth and chewed on it.
Gedeon took the pen from her mouth and handed her the bottle of water. “Not yet. He will. He knows that if they don’t answer us, they won’t be getting cooperation. I also made it clear I’d be coming back to cut their throats.”