Leopard 02 - Wild Rain

fright.”
    “You were petting the leopard. You couldn’t have been that afraid.”
    “The soup is beginning to boil.” She made a face at his back. Maybe she hadn’t been as afraid of the leopard as she should have been. “Who wouldn’t pet a leopard given the chance? It was a perfectly natural thing to do. I considered fainting, but I’m not very good at it so I thought I’d make the most of the opportunity. And, ” she continued before he could interrupt, “you have two leopards for pets, who knows if the big guy was part of the family. He walked in like he owned the place.”
    He grinned at her. “I do.”

    “Well, I’m not in heat.” She tried not to smile back at him. It was difficult when he was standing there, leaning one hip lazily against the sink and looking incredibly sexy.
    “A man can always hope.”
    She managed an elegant sniff of indignation, taking the mug of soup he handed to her. “How long before the hit man comes back?” It was a much safer subject.
    “He could be holed up a couple of miles from here. It depends on how badly injured he was. He was moving fast and thinking the entire time.”
    “Which means it wasn’t that bad.”
    “That would be my guess. Franz is scouting and I’ve sent out a couple of other friends, not human in case you were wondering. They’ll raise the alarm if he shows himself within a couple of mile radius. If he’s smart, he’s laying low waiting for us to settle down.”
    Rachael’s heart jumped. “You mean you think he’ll be coming back tonight? Why aren’t we getting ready to get out of here? I can make it. It’s silly to just sit here and wait for him to shoot at us.”
    “We’re not just waiting for him, Rachael. We’re fortifying ourselves and preparing for battle.”
    “I don’t want to battle anyone. You know the old fight-or-flee adage? I believe fleeing is the smart thing to do. There must be one of the native huts I read about where we can go.”
    “He’s a walking radar system, Rachael. He can track us, no matter where we go. If you don’t want to shelter with the elders in the village then we have to face him.”
    Rachael shook her head sadly. “Everywhere I go, I bring death.” She looked away from the door. “I’m sorry, Rio, I really am, that I brought this man into your life. I thought I could escape.”
    “It was his choice to take this job. Eat your soup.”
    Rachael sipped at the broth cautiously. It was very hot but she found she was suddenly hungry. “I’m still trying to get used to the idea that leopard men actually are real, not a myth, and you want me to believe I’m a leopard woman.” She laughed softly. “It can’t be real, but I saw it with my own eyes.”
    “I’ll be happy to demonstrate for you.” He wanted to get her to his safe house as quickly as possible.
    She wouldn’t be happy with the move, and he was certain it would hurt her leg, but he felt they had no choice. The sniper wouldn’t wait long. If Rio had been the hunter, he would have already been making his way slowly, patiently, back into position for the kill.
    Rio dragged his large pack out. He kept it filled with necessary items for a quick getaway. He added extra shirts for Rachael. He cut the seam of a pair of his old jeans up to the knee. “I’m going to have you put these on.”
    “Lovely. I like the look. Are we going walking in the moonlight?” She set the soup on the small end table and held out her hand for the jeans. Her gaze met his steadily, but he saw her swallow hard. The prospect of trying to walk with the injury she’d sustained was daunting.

    “Yes. Let me help you.” He eased the material over her swollen ankle and calf. Her courage shook him. He expected a protest but as usual, Rachael was game.
    She broke out into a sweat while dressing. “I’m out of shape.”
    “We’re not going to talk about shapes again, are we?” He teased, needing to find a way to take the pain from her eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair. The silken strands were damp. “Are you going to be able to do this?”
    “Of course. I can do anything.” Rachael had no idea how she was going to stand up and actually put weight on her leg. Even with Kim and Tama’s green-brown brew smeared in globs over her calf, her leg was throbbing. She was certain when she looked down to inspect the damage she would see arrows piercing her flesh. She handed him the soup mug. “I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.”
    He