“You were hysterical. He went for his gun, Rachael. You didn’t see him make his move because you were fighting me as I pulled you out of the car. You wouldn’t listen to me and you were threatening to go to the police. I did my best to carry out Dad’s wishes and make the business legitimate. It hasn’t been easy. I know too much about Armando, just as you do. He can’t allow us to live. As long as he thought I was with him, that I could control you, we both were safe. Once I made my move against him, Armando wanted to kill you not only to punish me, but to silence you. You should never have talked to Tony.”

Her dark eyes flashed. “I would never tell an outsider our business, certainly not a man I knew nothing about. I wouldn’t risk your life or his. I went out with him.”

“And he never asked you questions about me?”

“He asked if you were my brother and I said yes. You are. It’s common knowledge. It shouldn’t have gotten him killed.”

“Rachael, let’s start with something we know. Tell me you know I love you. You must know everything I’ve done in my life I’ve done for you. For us. To keep us alive. I was a child too. I had no power. No one to help us. I had no choice if we were to stay alive. I had to join with Armando or he would have killed us both on the spot. I traded my soul for a chance for both of us to live.”

She flung herself into his arms. “I know you did. I know you did it for me. I knew you could have gotten away if you didn’t have me to try to protect.”

“Does it really make sense to you that I spent all those years protecting you and now I’d suddenly want you dead?” He wrapped his arms around her, hugged her hard.

“It was so awful. I felt responsible and I didn’t know why you would do such a terrible thing. Power corrupts, Elijah. I’ve seen you fight it. You tried to make the business legitimate, but at the same time, you had to do the things that allowed Armando to think you were a part of the business.”

“I had no choice but to run the business the way Armando wanted. We inherited half of everything, Rachael. Armando wanted it all, and he wanted it to remain his. When he found out Dad wanted to get out from under it, he had them followed. He discovered Mom could shift into the form of a leopard. He found his perfect assassins. Stealthy. Cunning. Intelligent.”

“So Dad took us all to Florida.”