“Especially since DJ obviously lied about my death,” Mercy said, still shaking her head in disbelief at the amount the founders had hoarded. “Once Ephraim found out, he had leverage on DJ. All Ephraim needed was to haul me back to Eden and DJ would’ve been toast.”

Rafe sucked in a breath so sharp that it hurt. “Sonofabitch.”

“And all DJ needed was for Ephraim to be dead so he couldn’t tell,” Gideon said grimly.

“We would have been icing on the cake, Gideon,” Mercy said. “Still might be. As long as I’m alive, I’m a risk to his position. I mean, it’s only a big deal if Pastor finds out, I guess, but DJ has to know now that we’ll be actively looking for Eden. Fifty million is a lot of reasons to keep us quiet.”

Farrah’s eyes narrowed in dismay. “Mercy Callahan. Don’t talk like that.”

Rafe’s blood went ice cold. “We need a safe house for you.” He’d thought about it the night before, but he’d been too tired to articulate it to Mercy, knowing she’d be resistant. But his fear from the day before returned and he blurted it out in a rush.

Mercy reached for Farrah’s hand while shaking her head sadly. “No. I know you want us to be safe, but we could hide forever and he could wait us out. That’s not living, Rafe. I’ve come too far to hide now. What we need is to find Eden and stop DJ and Pastor. And then set everyone in Eden free.”

She was right. He knew that she was, even as the chicken and waffles churned in his gut. He’d finally found her. He couldn’t lose her now. But locking her away wasn’t the answer, either. “Then let’s find Eden.”

Tom nodded once. “That’s my job.”

His dismissive tone had Rafe biting back a Hell, no.

Gideon sat up straighter, frowning. “Not just your job, Tom.”

“But technically not your job, Gideon,” Mercy pointed out. “You recused yourself, remember?”

Gideon frowned. “I know, but . . .” He sighed. “You’re right. Why do you have to be right?”

“It doesn’t happen often,” she said dryly. “Let me have my moment.”

Gideon chuckled. “What can we do to help you, Tom?”

Tom rose from the table, smoothing his tie. “Stay alive. Be there when I need answers to Eden questions and stay alive. Be careful. Be aware. Don’t take chances and don’t go anywhere where you’re out in the open. Like Snowbush. For now you’ll have protection. But I can’t guarantee how long that’ll last, and the new guy isn’t promising one way or the other. He’s just keeping Molina’s seat warm.” He lifted a brow at Gideon. “Or so I’ve been told.”

Gideon coughed. “Yes, I said that. I’d prefer that the acting special agent in charge doesn’t hear that I did, though.”

Tom chuckled. “My lips are sealed.”

“But we will we get updates on the regular?” Rafe asked, annoyed to be sidelined. He’d thought Hunter was on their side. And when did I regress to being a little kid? There are no sides. There’s justice for Mercy and Gideon, and that’s it. “You won’t do the ‘my lips are sealed’ over that, too?”