Mercy kept her chin level, not giving in to the urge to run. ‘I told them that you weren’t interested in meeting them.’
Gideon’s throat worked as he struggled to speak. ‘You lied to them, too? To all of them?’
‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘But I’ll make it right. I wanted to come clean with you before I told them.’
His shoulders drooped, his head falling forward. He looked so defeated that Mercy wanted to comfort him, but when she leaned in to touch him, he jerked away.
He looked at her then, his anger directed squarely at her. ‘Don’t,’ he said quietly.
‘All right.’ She settled herself in the chair, her hands folded in her lap. Just as she’d been taught to do in Eden. Be a good girl. Be obedient. Be seen and not heard. Or else.
Standing, Gideon shoved his hands in his pockets. ‘I need time to work through this,’ he said evenly. ‘You’ve been through a lot, most of which you haven’t begun to tell me, I’m sure. I don’t want to be angry with you, but right now I am. Give me some time to vent some steam.’
Tears burned once again and she dropped her chin so that he wouldn’t see. ‘I understand.’
‘No, I don’t think you do.’ He took a step toward her, then stopped. ‘I want a relationship with you, Mercy. I want to know our family. But right now, I can’t.’ He hooked a finger under her chin, tugging until she looked up at him, his touch gentle. ‘Give me some time. How long will you be here?’
‘I have two months.’
His brows rose. ‘You took leave?’
‘Something like that,’ she murmured.
‘All right. Send me John’s contact info. Tell him what you need to tell him to make things right between you. I’ll call him in the next day or two, when I’ve decided what to say.’
‘And me?’ she whispered. ‘What have you decided about me?’
His eyes softened. ‘You are my sister. I’ve loved you since the day I first held you when you were only a day old. I will always love you. Me needing time doesn’t mean my feelings have changed. This is me needing to stay calm. You’ve experienced enough anger for a thousand lifetimes. You won’t get it from me, too.’
She swallowed a sob, but it came out anyway. ‘I’m sorry, Gideon. I’m so sorry.’
He pushed the hair away from her face before giving her a box of tissues from Karl’s desk. ‘I know. I also know how hard it is to break old emotional habits. That’s why I need time. You have my cell number, right?’
She jerked a nod, drying her cheeks. ‘Of course.’
‘Then call me if you need to. I’ll always answer. Stay close to Rafe and the Sokolovs until we locate Burton. He won’t put his hands on you again.’
‘Okay. That’s fair.’ It was more than okay, more than fair.
Gideon had made it to the door before turning back to meet her eyes, his expression now very grim. ‘It was Burton, wasn’t it? If I opened your locket, would I find a wedding picture of you and Ephraim Burton inside?’
‘Yes.’
Gideon’s eyes closed and his whole body sagged, his grip on the doorknob seeming like the only thing keeping him upright. ‘I hoped not, but I knew. Somehow, I knew.’ He leaned into the door, resting his forehead on the wood. ‘If you hadn’t hated me, I’d have been shocked.’
‘I don’t hate you now.’
He looked up, his eyes full of pain. He understood, and it was like a weight rolled off her shoulders. Unfortunately, it seemed to have rolled onto his. ‘I’m glad for that, at least. We’ll be all right, Mercy, you and I. We’ve come too far not to be. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? I have to check in with my boss and see who they’ve assigned to find Burton. She won’t let me work on it, so I’ll take some leave to protect you.’
‘You don’t have to—’
‘I do,’ he interrupted. ‘Let me do this. I didn’t keep you safe when you were twelve years old and that has haunted me for years. Let me protect you now. Please.’
She couldn’t resist his hoarse plea. ‘Thank you.’
‘I’ll tell Rafe. He’ll keep you safe until I’m in the right headspace to do it myself. He’s a good cop, even if he’s got a bum leg right now.’
‘He saved me tonight.’
A ghost of a smile curved his lips. ‘I owe him once again. He’s saved you twice now.’
Once from an armed serial killer and then again tonight.
‘You saved me that night, too.’ She stood, gripping her hands so tightly that they hurt. ‘So thank you.’
‘We’ll be all right, Mercy,’ he repeated, but this time with the warmth that she’d feared she’d lost forever.
And then he was gone, leaving her to sink back into the chair and cry.
Six
Granite Bay, California
Saturday, 15 April, 8.40 P.M.
Sasha and their dad came into the kitchen, expressions grim. Sasha slid into the seat that Mercy had vacated and slumped, arms crossed. ‘What’s going on with Gideon and Mercy?’ she asked bluntly.
Karl began to set the table, nodding in agreement. ‘The tension between them was so thick we could have cut it with a knife. Speaking of knives, Sasha, please get the silverware.’
She complied instantly, springing into motion, her movements graceful and fluid.
Just like mine used to be, Rafe thought, then shook the thought from his mind. There were far more important concerns. ‘I’m not sure. Mercy came back to talk to him. I’m not sure what about.’
‘All I know is that Gideon was a wreck the whole way over here,’ Daisy offered. ‘He’s afraid to say the wrong thing, afraid he’ll drive her away again.’ She glanced at Farrah, who sat very quietly. ‘Do you know?’
Farrah lifted one shoulder. ‘It’s hard to say with Mercy. She keeps her feelings pretty close to the vest.’
‘Translated,’ Sasha said, ‘she knows but Mercy trusts her not to blab.’ She gave Farrah a look of respect. ‘Good on you.’
Daisy’s normally happy expression dimmed. ‘It’s a big responsibility to carry secrets like hers must be. Weighs on one’s shoulders.’
Rafe wondered whether Daisy was talking about Mercy’s secrets or Gideon’s. Both siblings had experienced horrors that no child ever should. He wasn’t sure he was ready to bear Gideon’s secrets, but Mercy’s? Yeah, he’d been ready since he’d first laid eyes on her.