Rafe took a moment to breathe after ending the call, then pulled Mercy to his lap. “Let me hold you for a minute. Just a minute.”

She nodded, winding her arms around his neck. “I thought that would be it,” she whispered. “The thing that made your parents tell me to go.”

“Oh, baby. That’s not going to happen. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

She buried her face in his neck. “I guess I’m starting to.”

“I need you to promise me again,” he said, his voice like gravel in his throat. “You will not sacrifice yourself. Even to save Farrah. You promised, Mercy.”

“I know,” she whispered. “But if he hurts her . . . how do I forgive myself for that?”

He sighed. “I don’t know.”

“At least you’re honest.”

He tugged her chin until she met his eyes. “I won’t lie to you. Ever. But I can’t concentrate on helping my brother and your friends if I’m worried that you’ll throw yourself in front of Burton if things get bad. You need to trust me, but I need the same. So promise me.”

Mercy closed her eyes. “I promise.”

“No. You look me in the eyes when you promise me. Look at me.” She did and he struggled for the right words to make her understand. “I lost the last woman I cared about and it nearly broke me. If we lose anyone today, it’ll hurt both of us. I know that. But if we’re focused and do this right, we can save them. Help me save them. Promise me.”

Her eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. “I promise.”

“Okay.” That would have to be enough. “Now I need to get up. Can you get my cane?”

DUNSMUIR, CALIFORNIA

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 3:55 P.M.

“This packet from the warden has a lot of information in it,” Tom Hunter said from the front passenger seat of his FBI-issued SUV. He’d been pulling into Rafe’s driveway when Mercy, Rafe, Gideon, and Daisy had opened Rafe’s garage door, ready to drive to Dunsmuir. Assigned to bodyguard duty today, he’d picked up Amos at the Sokolovs’ so that he, Gideon, and Mercy could spend the afternoon together.

Which they were, just not the way Mercy had planned. Instead of sitting on Rafe’s comfy sofa and catching up on the years they’d missed together, they’d spent the last few hours in the Feds’ SUV, barreling up the interstate toward Mt. Shasta. When Amos had heard about the abduction and Ephraim’s ultimatum, he’d begged to come, citing his marksmanship skills. Mercy had lent her support, because Amos had always been an amazing shot. But it was more than that.

She, Gideon, and Amos needed to be there when Ephraim was taken down. It was personal.

And tense. Mercy sat between Amos and Rafe while Daisy sat in the very back with her rifle and a helluva lot of ammo. The woman didn’t mess around and Mercy was glad she was on their side. Rafe said that Daisy was the best shot he’d ever met. Mercy hoped that they wouldn’t need Daisy’s expertise, but she was damn glad that the woman was with them, guarding them as Gideon drove up north.