“Not your brother? Your mother? You don’t confide in them when you make a discovery?” he prompted, managing to keep from shaking her.

She licked her lips and her gaze slid away from his. “No.”

He leapt to his feet, his leopard so close to the surface neither woman could fail to see him. Glittering eyes fixed and dilated, a predator’s stare locked onto prey. He towered over Charisse. “Don’t you fucking lie to me. Do you think this is some kind of a game? I’m commanding you to tell the truth, as leader of this lair. You’re not protecting anyone by not telling me, you’re simply getting yourself into hot water.”

Saria surprised—even shocked—him by not leaping forward to try to protect Charisse. He glimpsed her pale face and tight fists out of the corner of his eye, but she didn’t say a word or make a move. He knew how difficult it had to be for her not to defend or try to protect her friend. She believed in Charisse, but maybe, like Drake, a building dread and worry for Mahieu was drowning out all reason, because he was damned sure, Saria’s brother was in trouble.

Charisse trembled visibly. “If I tell you, you’ll think my brother is guilty of all this. The opium, whatever else is wrong, but he would never, never betray me or our family. Armande is vain and sometimes selfish, but he isn’t a drug dealer. You don’t know him. He wouldn’t ever do something like that.”

“Just like he wouldn’t hunt Saria through the swamp with a gun?” Drake spat out.

“Okay. Okay, I can see why that would make him look guilty to you. It was a terrible mistake. A misjudgment. He has a very bad temper, I’ll admit that and he lets Robert talk him into things. Most women fawn all over him. He’s handsome and charmin’ and used to gettin’ his way in all things. He’s mama’s golden boy, yet he still lives in hell. You have no idea what it’s like to grow up with her.”

Charisse clapped her hand over her mouth and her expression once more became that of a child’s. Drake nearly groaned. Charisse had obviously been taught to keep all family secrets and j that small admission was a terrible sin.

“You’re not going to hell for telling the truth,” Drake pointed out. “I don’t have all day, Charisse, and Remy will be walking through that door any minute. If he thinks Mahieu is in danger, he won’t be nearly as gentle as I’ve been.”

“I don’t understand,” Charisse wailed again. “What does Armande have to do with Mahieu’s disappearance?”

“Did you tell him about the nonscent you were developing?” Drake roared.