“You ran drugs, you smuggled weapons. You trained assassins.” She flung the accusations at him, stepping away, pain breathing in her lungs.
He took a step toward her, wanting to shake her. “Damn it, Rachael. If you don’t want to believe me about Tony, don’t, but don’t look at me as if I’m some monster you don’t know. Armando isn’t going to let you live. He can’t. You’re a knife poised over his head. You’re an eyewitness
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to murder. I have no intention of leaving here without you. Armando’s men are swarming up and down the river. He imported a couple of the best trackers. Men like Duncan. You can’t stay here, Rachael. Come home with me where I can keep you safe.”
There was no sound other than the wind and rain. The door was partially open and the wind blew in, stirring the mosquito net, setting it dancing. Rachael felt the wind on her face. Elijah felt the blade cut into his throat. Hot breath fanned his cheek. A soft growl rumbled dangerously close to his ear. “She isn’t going anywhere with you.”
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RlO pressed the blade deeper into Elijah’s throat. “She isn’t going anywhere with you.” His voice was gravelly, a growl of sheer menace. “Not now. Not ever.”
“Rio, no, you can’t hurt him,” Rachael protested. “This is Elijah, my brother.”
Elijah didn’t move a muscle. He stayed perfectly still, feeling the burning sting of the blade across his throat. Instead of loosening his grip at Rachael’s command, Rio tightened his arm until it was a steel band, a vise squeezing ever tighter.
“Stay where you are, Rachael. This gentleman and I are going outside together. If you want to live, Elijah, take very small steps in exact sync with mine. One wrong move and you’re a dead man.”
“Rio, what are you doing?” Rachael took a step toward them.
The knife drew blood. Elijah held up his hand to his sister, halting her progress instantly. She watched with enormous eyes as the two men moved together out the door,
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back onto the verandah. Rachael followed at a safe distance, her heart pounding:
“I know you’re armed.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Gun at the small of my back. A second strapped to my leg. I have a knife up my sleeve and a second under my left arm.”
Rachael blinked. She glanced at the elder, who remained sitting quietly on the sofa as if they were all having tea. She had no idea her brother was armed. Where had all the weapons come from?
“Tell me why I should keep you alive.” The words were barely audible, a whisper of menace in the dead of the night. “Don’t look to Rachael to get you out of this. She loves you. It’s me you have to convince. Because I don’t love you.”
Rio ignored the elder sitting so quietly on the verandah. He was already banished, condemned for all time for a deed he could never take back. He might as well do something worthwhile and remove all threats to Rachael’s life while he was racking up the sins.
“I love my sister,” Elijah answered quietly. His voice came out in a croak. “You don’t have to believe me.”
“I have to believe you if you’re going to live. Rachael deserves a life.”
“Yes she does. I’m not her enemy.” Elijah stayed very still, aware that at no time did the knife waver from his throat. He had learned patience in a hard school, knowing most of the time there would be a moment of distraction when he could make his move, but there was no give in the man behind him. The dozens of defense moves he had perfected would never work against that viselike grip. Elijah sighed. “Two reasons. I followed her here to save her life. And better than that, if you don’t release me, she’s going to be so pissed with you, you’ll wish you’d stayed in your animal form.”
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Rio glanced at the open door where Rachael stood with her hand pressed to her mouth. She looked a bit shocked but it wouldn’t last long. She shook her head at him in silent appeal, her eyes anxious.