“But you made your move too soon and you couldn’t get him. Why?” Rio returned the focused stare, every bit as unblinking and merciless.

“He came to me one night and told me it was time to clean house. He wanted Rachael dead. He said he knew I couldn’t do it, so he wasn’t asking me to kill her, he didn’t need a sign of loyalty. He told me he was going to do it himself, that he wouldn’t take the chance that any of the men would dishonor her first.” Elijah drummed his fingers on the ar m of the chair. “That’s exactly how he put it to me. He was casually talking about killing my sister, but not to worry, none of the men would be allowed to rape her first.”

“So you had to make your move.”

“I had my men in place. I had a loyal following. I got Rachael to a safe house and made my move.

Unfortunately, he was still too strong. He knows the way to defeat me is to get to her. She’s everything I car e about. You know that, don’t you, Rachael? I swear I don’t know what I said to you when I pulled you out of that car, but Tony was taking you to Armando, and you would have been sent back to me in pieces.”

“It’s all right,” she said softly. “Elijah, I’m sorry I ever doubted you. Whatever was said is forgotten.

Please forgive me for the terrible things I was thinking.”

“Who could blame you, Rachael? We’ve lived with betrayal for so long it’s become a way of life for the both of us.” Elijah shif ted in his chair. “So tell me what you want me to do, Rio. Let’s see if we can manage to hash out a plan to remove the threat to Rachael.”

Rio rocked Rachael gently, a soothing, comforting gesture he was barely aware of making. Her body trembled in his arms. She was overwhelmed by everything but hung on to her calm demeanor because she was Rachael and that’s what she did. She had a way of moving him, turning him inside out over the simplest things. He felt the love she had for her brother and the fear for him all mixed together.

“Have Tama take you downriver, far downriver, as many miles as possible. We’ll start the rumor that Rachael’s shoe was found. Then let’s get an informant on the river to tell a government official in front of Armando’s mole that Rachael is living in the forest. Once the mole gets the information to your uncle, he’ll send his leopard out to confirm first.”

“Or kill her.”

“Or kill her,” Rio agreed. “That will be the most critical time. You’ll have to put your trust in me and stay a long way away. I’ll try to keep you informed, but this won’t work if he even thinks you’re anywhere near her. He’ll sense a trap. You’ll have to be downriver and on the lookout for a hit on you.”

Rachael stirred restlessly, shooting an apprehensive look at her brother. “What kind of protection did you bring with you?”

“I have some of my best men. In the forest, it won’t be easy to surprise me, not even for his leopard assassin. Rachael, don’t worry about me. I can take car e of myself,” Elijah reassured.

“Elijah’s right,sestrilla, ” Rio murmured softly, adding his own reassurance. “I suspect your uncle would want him alive, would want him to suffer with the knowledge of your death before anything else. If we’re wrong and he sends the leopard to kill Elijah, you have to have faith in your brother ‘s abilities. He’s stayed alive and kept you alive all these years. He won’t be taken easily. And Tama will be with him. There isn’t a better guide, or a more responsible one, unless it’s Kim.”

Rachael bit at her knuckles. “I don’t like this, I don’t like us separated when he comes after us.”

“He won’t come if he knows you’re with Elijah,” Rio said patiently. “He’s afraid of Elijah. Your brother is probably the only man he is afraid of. That’s why he has to destroy him before he kills him.

And the only means he has of destroying him is through you.”

“I know of his leopard assassin, Rachael,” Elijah added. “I can take him if he comes at me. I can take him in either form, human or animal.” There was complete confidence in his voice.

Rachael nodded and managed a faint smile, but Rio could feel her body trembling. He pulled her closer, trying to protect her from her brother’s all-seeing eyes. “Once Armando has entered the country, Kim Pang, Tama’s brother, will get word to Tama. You can head this way the moment Armando has entered our forest. I’ll have a few of my men standing by with radios to let us know where he is. He can’t take animal form, but he’ll come in with hunters, hoping to protect himself. What do you think, Elijah?”

“I think I’m going to trust you with my sister ‘s life.” Elijah stood up, stretched, a completely feline motion. His eyes were hard and cold and without mercy. “Don’t let me down.”

“Aren’t you going to stay?” Rachael asked, looking close to tears again.

“I have to be back in camp. You never know if he has eyes or ears planted and I don’t want to blow the plan before we have a chance to see if it will even work.” Elijah loomed over them, tall and dangerous and very alone. “You take care of her, Rio.” He brushed Rachael’s head with a gentle kiss, touched her shoulder and went out into the night.

Rachael tried to pull away from Rio to go after her brother. “Let him go. This is hard for him, to let loose of you after all these years. He needs to be alone. People like us need space, Rachael. He has to find his own way. He’s spent a lifetime concentrating on keeping the both of you alive. He’ll need to adjust in order to find another reason to go on. The forest is where he’ll find it. He doesn’t know that yet, but it will call to him.”