“He’ll know I’m here.”

“All to the good. He’ll want to kill Rachael right under your nose. You’ve already established a research camp as your cover so you look as though you’re trying to appear legitimate to him while you search for her. Just search in the wrong areas so he’ll be convinced you’re combing the region for Rachael.”

“So I’m the dope miles away when he tries to hit Rachael. I don’t think so. If that man sets foot in this country, I’m not leaving Rachael’s side.”

Rachael sighed heavily. “Do you see where I get words like ‘imbecile’ and ‘idiot’ in my vocabulary? Elijah, just this once, please, for me, listen to what Rio has to say.”

“What do you know of this man, Rachael? You’re betting your life on him.”

“I know that. And if you’re insisting on staying, maybe both of our lives, and that ought to tell you all you need to know. I left home rather than put you in a position of having to…” She trailed off. Only Rio knew she jammed her fist in her mouth to choke back the words before they could be said.

Elijah sat up straight. “I never wanted you dead. Never, Rachael. It was always the two of us. Hell, without you, what did I have to fight for? Why would I bother? I would have disappeared into the jungle and he would never have tracked me. But I didn’t think you could.”

“Because I couldn’t shift?” She turned her head to look at her brother. “I didn’t even know we were capable of shifting. How did you know?”

“It just happened. When I was young, a little boy. Mom told me not to say anything. We always spoke of it in whispers.”

Rio brought up his hand to the nape of Rachael’s neck in a slow massage. “Of course. She was still trying to hide it from her new husband. He didn’t know until later. And then the elders of your mother’s lair found out an outsider knew. It had to have happened that way.”

“Something went wrong. Mom and Dad were very nervous until we reached Florida. They were nervous for a couple of years. Mom wouldn’t allow me to shift and said I wasn’t to tell anyone.” Elijah sighed. “They were trying to protect us from our own kind. They should have been looking toward Armando.”

“He knew, though.” Rio said. “He used to take you places and let you run.”

“If I had just told Mom right away—but I didn’t. Just once, if I had said something to her, they might still be alive.” Elijah fell silent, listening to the soothing rain. “And then when I did tell her, I should have kept my mouth shut. Armando already had made his plans and he killed them.”