She was always surprised at his enormous strength. Even after the revelation of what he was, she was shocked at how easily he lifted her and set her back on the bed. She couldn’t help herself. She had to touch him, map his face, run her fingertips over his chest just to feel for herself he was alive. “I heard shots,” she repeated, demanding an explanation.

“I winged him. He’s one of my people, but I don’t recognize his scent at all. I’ve never met him. We aren’t the only ones. Some of us live in Africa, others South America. Someone could have imported a…” he trailed off.

“A hit man?” She supplied.

“I was going to say sniper, but that works. It’s possible. We hire out to take back kidnap victims. We make it a policy not to mix in politics if it’s at all possible, but sometimes it’s inevitable. Our laws are fairly strict; they have to be. Our temperaments are not suited to everything and we have to keep that in mind always. Control is everything to our species. We have intellect and cunning, but not always the control needed to govern those things.”

“He was after me, wasn’t he?” Rachael asked.

Rio nodded. “Kim left the medicine for your leg and I’m going to reapply it. We have to leave here. I’m going to take you to the elders. They’ll protect you there better than I can here.”

“No.” Rachael said it decisively. “I won’t go there, Rio. I mean it. I won’t go—ever. Not for any reason.”

“Rachael, don’t go stubborn on me. This man is a professional and he knows where you are. He probably knows you’ve been injured. He came far too close to killing you for my peace of mind.”

“I’ll leave if you want me to, but I’m not going to your elders.” For the first time he heard a bite in her voice. It wasn’t edgy or moody, it was sheer temper. Her dark eyes flashed fire, nearly throwing sparks.

“Rachael.” He sat on the edge of the bed and pushed back the mop of curls falling in all directions. “I’m not abandoning you. It’s safer for you. He’s going to come back.”

“Yes, I know he will. And you’ll be here, won’t you. Alone. By yourself. Because your idiot elders are happy enough to take the money you earn risking your life to do whatever it is you do with your little unit. You give it to them, don’t you?” She glared at him. “I’ve seen how you live, and I can’t see you having a huge bank account stashed somewhere. You give it to the others, don’t you?”