“He’ll have me killed? He’s been trying to do that since I was nine. You should have let me disappear, Elijah. I didn’t go to the police, I didn’t say a word to the authorities about Tony and I wouldn’t. I just want out. You should have let me go.”

“You think Armando’s going to believe you drowned in a river without seeing the body? Hell, Rachael, you’ve forgotten everything I taught you. He knows you’re here. He’s coming after you with everything he’s got.”

“And so you dropped all your business and hastily rushed off to the wilds of the rain forest to save me the way you always do.”

“Rachael, what’s this about? Why didn’t you come to me, talk about this? Of course I followed you. I’m not going to allow him to kill you.”

Rachael placed the gun on the sink and pressed her back into the wall beside it. She looked small and vulnerable instead of the woman who had been so ready to fight just minutes earlier. Tears glittered in her eyes. “No? I thought it might be a help to you. Isn’t that what you said, Elijah? Didn’t you hope he’d find me and take the burden off your hands once and for all? Didn’t you tell me yourself your life would be so much better, so much easier if I were dead?”

He stood up so fast the chair went over backwards, taking a step toward her. The elder, deep in the shadows, stirred, reminding him to be cautious, and Elijah stopped. “Rachael. Do you honestly think I came here to kill you?”

“There’s a price on my head.”

“To keep you alive. Armando moved fast. He picked up the girl who wore your clothes and a wig. She was sent to me via messenger and it wasn’t a pretty sight.”

Rachael turned her face away, her hand going to her throat in a protective gesture, a sound, much like strangling, emerging.

“This gun is getting heavy, Rachael,” Delgrotto said. “I think you and your brother should be alone. I doubt if he poses much of a threat, but Rio might come back unexpectedly. I’ll go onto the verandah.”

“Rio couldn’t possibly return before dawn.”

“He travels with those small leopards. It’s likely one went to warn him.”

The color drained from Rachael’s face. “You have to go, Elijah. Get out of here right now.”

Elijah waved her words away. “Look at me, Rachael. Turn your head and look at me. I want to see your face when you tell me you believed I sent those men out to kill you. Damn it.” His fist hit the tabletop. “I spent my life fighting to keep us alive.”

“You said you wished I was dead.”